Who came up with this useless product?

[Luci]

It's so easy to let eggs sit on the counter for a day or two, boil them, blast them in ice water, roll them to break the shells, then just rip the shells off that I don't understand those at all. I'm sure it would take me longer to try to break each egg with the yolk intact.

I boil 18 at a time (I pickle them, so they last for weeks), so there is the problem of storage for those plastic shell things.

[Sheila Take a Bow]

Just found this box in the back of my pantry... Eggies.

https://www.geteggiestv.com/

 My DH brought this home one day after a time when we seemed to be eating lots of boiled eggs.  Because I'm lazy, all I could see was that it was something else to wash.  I can throw shells away.  But after one time trying it, he learned it doesn't work.

A friend used to have those until she started boiling some eggs and forgot the pot was on the stove.  All the water boiled out and she was left with a giant melted mess.  Now all I can think of when I see Eggies is what they look like when they're melted.

[Kendo_Bunny]

Babycakes has recently come out with a pancake maker. My only question is why? Is there really a much simpler food item than pancakes in these days of Bisquick?

It says you can make your pancakes in mere minutes, but you could do that anyway with a regular pan.

[Luci]

That  ranks right up there with the iced tea maker in degree of useless.

[Kendo_Bunny]

My e-mail to Unitasker Wednesday:

I work at Department Store, and I was stopped short by this ridiculous item as I walked through our housewares department the other day. It's not on the website, nor is it on any other website but eBay, presumably because the company is far too embarrassed to be offering it online. I present the Babycakes Brand Pancake Maker: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BABYCAKES-PANCAKE-MAKER-NEW-RELEASE-ITEM-/230837363045#ht_500wt_1128

It makes two whole silver dollar pancakes in just minutes! Just like a real pan! The box also states it may be used for eggs, but I'm sure endless uses could be thought up for something that can cook two palm-sized amounts of semi-liquids into solids in a few minutes. It also comes equipped with a hinge, which you won't find in any of your old-fashioned pans. Plus, it's yellow, and I personally find it vaguely resembles a cartoon iguana. Really, I can hardly think of any reasons not to buy this ingenious product.

Cheers from Virginia,

[Elfmama]

Two?  TWO?!?  I make six at a time on my ordinary griddle, and then six more, for just the two of us.  And back when we had the kids living at home, a dozen more. 

The only single-use small kitchen appliance that I own is the toaster.

[Slartibartfast]

Ooh ooh, I got to use one today!  Had to borrow some scissors while at a friend's house today and she pointed out that the scissors had a laser!  (In the handle pointed forward.)  To help you cut a straight line!  How awesome!  Except when you cut with scissors, you move the handle up and down, which means the laser bobs forward and backward and isn't any use whatsoever in helping you aim your cut.

[dawnfire]

I tried the ped egg and just shredded my heels. I was so rough that I had to tweeze carpet fibers from my feet.

I have reconciled myself to the fact that I have to dip my hooves in acid every couple of weeks to keep them from being completely horrible. (yes, acid. it's a gel that you brush on and rinse off after 2-5 minutes, depending on your damage)

And I love mine!  Its the only thing that work on my lizard feet.  When I use it, of course.

I love mine too.

[Pippen]

Totally with you on the 5-bladed razors, how does that help? Surely any more than 3 isn't adding any benefit.

We have a product here in Australia that was launched with a big ad campaign last year. Its a fancy automatic dispenser for antibacterial soap that has one of those sensors so you don't have to touch a pump, just put your hand under the spout. It was adverstised as being great for families etc and preventing the spread of bacteria as you won't be picking up bugs left on the soap dispenser by other people.

They seem to be completely ignoring the fact that the very first thing you do after dispensing the soap is use it to wash your hands, thereby removing said bacteria.  They managed to convince a lot of people to buy it, but at $20 each, what a rip off!

That ad drives me nuts! Like the poor darling precious child must be protected from germs at all cost. To heck with building an immune system. What next. Dettol bringing out a disposable hyperbolic chamber for kids to sleep in? A spray you disinfect them with before they can set foot in the house?

[Mental Magpie]

That  ranks right up there with the iced tea maker in degree of useless.

I have to disagree.  The less time I have to spend making something I don't like (I make it for Dark Boyfriend), the happier I am.

[Pippen]

I'd like to complain about the new "eco friendly" sinks and dryers that are popping up everywhere. You know, the sinks with motion detectors/automated handles that you push once so they dispense a measured amount of water? I don't know who came up with those, but I need more than 4 seconds to actually wash my hands. In some cases I have to pull back and convince the machine that I'm a different person so it will give me more water.  And while the idea of paperless hand dryers is a good idea, there's usually only 2 in a bathroom, and they aren't efficient enough (the Dyson Airblades in Europe are awesome, the dryers in America are not) to dry my hands. And I can't spend a large amount of time drying my hands, because there's a queue forming up behind me. Argh.

Sorry but I love those. I get so mad when I go into a bathroom and some fool has left the tap running because they are too lazy or disinclined to turn it off. Women in some parts of the world spend half their lives carrying water from filthy water sources and would be weeping at the thought of beautiful clean water being treated with such disrespect.

[Minmom3]

There are two products that immediately spring to mind, and I apologize if they were mentioned before and I missed it while skimming through posts.  Both of these were advertised on TV, and both of these were bought by gullible little me at our local Walmart.

The "Quick Chop", the "fast easy way to chop mince slice and dice with just a tap".  I bought this out of curiosity and with no real expectations, and it's a good thing that I wasn't expecting much.  It worked all right the first time, but it was a pain to clean and it marked up the cutting board.  After that, the blades went dull, and there is no way to sharpen them.

"Smooth Away", a buffer for unwanted face/body hair.  It worked, yes.  It buffed away the hair...after being used long enough to make the skin red-raw.  So, it didn't work very well, and it wasn't really worth it.  Again, no expectations, just curiosity.

The "as seen on TV" aisle is a source of amusement these days.    "The "Pasta Boat"?  Really?  Yeah, I think I'll just stick with our good pot and a colander, thanks."

Don't give up on the "Quick Chop"!  I, too, bought one from Wal-Mart after having used my mother's since I was about 8.  My aunt got her one from Pampered Chef way back then (hehheh that was only 16 years ago...) and it still works perfectly today!  The Pampered Chef one is so easy to clean; it even comes apart around the blades so you can get those clean, too.  It's just that the Wal-Mart brand one is cheap and chintzy.  Spend a little bit more money for a higher quality one and you'll be happy.  I can't promise that, but I just used my mom's yesterday to make salad and it worked just like knew; I threw out mine about a week after having it.

We have one, not Oxo or Slap Chop, and not bought at WalMart - ours also comes apart and goes on the top shelf of the dishwasher - it is Very Nice for chopping up a small amounts of nuts - for sundaes and other deserts.  Not for baking cookies, because the amount is too small, but for small things, it's really nice. 

[Minmom3]

I'd like to complain about the new "eco friendly" sinks and dryers that are popping up everywhere. You know, the sinks with motion detectors/automated handles that you push once so they dispense a measured amount of water? I don't know who came up with those, but I need more than 4 seconds to actually wash my hands. In some cases I have to pull back and convince the machine that I'm a different person so it will give me more water.  And while the idea of paperless hand dryers is a good idea, there's usually only 2 in a bathroom, and they aren't efficient enough (the Dyson Airblades in Europe are awesome, the dryers in America are not) to dry my hands. And I can't spend a large amount of time drying my hands, because there's a queue forming up behind me. Argh.

Sorry but I love those. I get so mad when I go into a bathroom and some fool has left the tap running because they are too lazy or disinclined to turn it off. Women in some parts of the world spend half their lives carrying water from filthy water sources and would be weeping at the thought of beautiful clean water being treated with such disrespect.

Fiskars makes a really swell hand dryer too.  It doesn't have the tube of air that points down and you 'scrub' your hands under.  THIS one has two sides, and both flow out some fierce wind you put your hand between.  Like a double sided version hand sized thing of the Big jumbo air blowers than blow most of the water off your car at the car wash.  I know I'm explaining it horribly, but it really does work well on your hands.  I've only seen it at the Valley Faire Food Court in San Jose, and I like it lots.  It's pretty loud though, which is obnoxious.

[Mental Magpie]

I'd like to complain about the new "eco friendly" sinks and dryers that are popping up everywhere. You know, the sinks with motion detectors/automated handles that you push once so they dispense a measured amount of water? I don't know who came up with those, but I need more than 4 seconds to actually wash my hands. In some cases I have to pull back and convince the machine that I'm a different person so it will give me more water.  And while the idea of paperless hand dryers is a good idea, there's usually only 2 in a bathroom, and they aren't efficient enough (the Dyson Airblades in Europe are awesome, the dryers in America are not) to dry my hands. And I can't spend a large amount of time drying my hands, because there's a queue forming up behind me. Argh.

Sorry but I love those. I get so mad when I go into a bathroom and some fool has left the tap running because they are too lazy or disinclined to turn it off. Women in some parts of the world spend half their lives carrying water from filthy water sources and would be weeping at the thought of beautiful clean water being treated with such disrespect.

Fiskars makes a really swell hand dryer too.  It doesn't have the tube of air that points down and you 'scrub' your hands under.  THIS one has two sides, and both flow out some fierce wind you put your hand between.  Like a double sided version hand sized thing of the Big jumbo air blowers than blow most of the water off your car at the car wash.  I know I'm explaining it horribly, but it really does work well on your hands.  I've only seen it at the Valley Faire Food Court in San Jose, and I like it lots.  It's pretty loud though, which is obnoxious.

Hands go in the gap while the air comes from either side to, basically, squeegee your hand.

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[Luci]

That  ranks right up there with the iced tea maker in degree of useless.

I have to disagree.  The less time I have to spend making something I don't like (I make it for Dark Boyfriend), the happier I am.

Actually, It takes less time and fewer steps to make it without the teamaker for me. As well as less mess and less counter space.