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Infomercials are the Rodney Dangerfields of advertising: They've gotten no respect for their quirky hucksters, ceaseless superlatives, and corny product names since at least the early 1960s, when Ron Popeil pioneered the Ronco Veg-o-Matic.
"The magic of TV and film editing and shooting can make anything look good," says Christian Holiday, CEO of Global Media Marketing, an infomercial producer in Santa Ana, Calif. According to Larry Nusbaum, managing director of Vertex Capital Management and CEO of Ronco, which Vertex bought in 2008, "About half of infomercial products deliver on their promise, 30 percent do what they say but are a bit expensive, and the rest are junk."




In recent years, Consumer Reports has turned up a mix of "miracle" gadgets and goops that deceived, delivered, or landed somewhere in between. Read on for a roundup. Products are current, though packaging might have changed. Prices don't include shipping, which can hike the cost a lot. Freebies are often included.








Slap Chop


The claim

By slapping this gadget with your palm, you can "dice, chop, and mince in seconds" and remove skins from onions and garlic. "You're going to have an exciting life now," pitchman Vince Shlomi says. Cost: about $20.



The check

We slapped mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, chocolate, almonds, and other foods. We also assessed how easy the device was to use and clean.



Bottom line

No high fives for Slap Chop. It chopped unevenly. Harder foods, which needed about 20 slaps, tended to get trapped in the blades; we had to fork out the stuck bits. Garlic peels came off after five slaps, but onion skins were only partly separated after 10. The splash guard, which must be aligned with the blades, became misaligned in two of three choppers. Lots of slapping can make your hand sore. An exciting life? Hard to tell.








Magic Jack


The claim

Magic Jack, a VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone device and service, "makes your monthly phone bill disappear," an online ad says. "Save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars" and get "no more poor reception." You plug Magic Jack into a computer's USB port, plug the line cord of your own phone into the other end of the USB adapter, and Magic Jack uses the Internet to make and receive calls. You need broadband Internet access, and the computer has to be on for you to make or receive a call. If it's off, messages go to voice mail. The charge: $39.95 for the device and one year of local and long-distance calling; then $19.95 per year. Details are at magicjack.com.



The check

One of our electronics experts made dozens of calls over several days, sometimes while downloading files or playing online computer games.



Bottom line

Shazam! Calls connected, and voice quality was clear, though not as clear as on a good corded phone on a regular line. When our tester downloaded a big file while playing an online game and making a call, there was some interference. But if you can live with a few limitations, it's a great deal. Vonage VoIP service can cost $216 a year; Skype, $95, and you must buy a Skype phone.








PedEgg


The claim

This foot file removes calluses and dead skin to "make your feet feel smooth and healthy with NO MESS!" Powdery filings collect in a little compartment. Cost: about $10, sometimes with an extra PedEgg and buffing pads.



The check

Twenty-six women and three men with rough, callused feet tried a PedEgg on one foot and a pumice stone on the other. They used each product once, rubbing PedEgg on dry skin (per instructions) and the stone on wet skin, where it's more effective.



Bottom line

Crack open a PedEgg. It was very good at removing calluses and good with dry skin. It did better overall than a pumice stone, and buffing pads smoothed leftover roughness. But some filings escaped, so use it over a wastebasket.


Snuggie



The claim

"The Snuggie Blanket keeps you totally warm," says a video on the Web site. "It's made of ultrasoft thick luxurious fleece" and is "perfect for men, women, and children." Two cost-you guessed it-$19.95.



The check

We put Snuggies through 10 wash-and-dry cycles and asked 11 staffers to wear them and comment.



Bottom line

The Snuggie was so far from snug that many staffers had trouble walking, and smaller people found its sleeves too long. Several said it left their backside uncovered, though it kept other body parts toasty. When washed, it sheds. Each time we laundered two Snuggies, we removed a sandwich bag's worth of lint from the dryer screen. After 10 cycles, the fabric had bare spots between pills and clumps.