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RoboStir: Have We Really Gotten Too Lazy to Stir a Pot?

I have always thought the notion that Americans are lazy was a bogus charge. But after seeing the infomercial for Robo Stir, I am forced to reconsider. The RoboStir device automatically stirs the ingredients of pots and pans for you. Here’s the RoboStir commercial featuring well-known pitchman Anthony “Sully” Sullivan (former partner of the late, great Billy Mays):

So let me understand this: You go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients, prepare the ingredients to go into the pot, add broth or water, turn on the heat…but then you find that stirring the pot is such a grueling and time-consuming task that you need to bring in a robot to do it for you?

If I could get a robot to do all that other stuff then I would be more than happy to spend a few minutes stirring a pot.

One thing I do like about the Robo Stir is that it looks like a minor droid you might glimpse floating in the background of one of the Star Wars movies.

Comments

  • 40 Responses to “RoboStir: Have We Really Gotten Too Lazy to Stir a Pot?”

  • Anthony Sullivan actually calls the RoboStir “one of the coolest inventions I’ve ever seen”! If he is being honest then Sully must really have a low opinion of all the other crap he has sold over the years.

    Comment by euGene on April 19, 2010 at 3:54 pm

  • This is actually kind of awesome. Seriously, anybody who’s ever followed a recipe calling for you to “stir constantly” for upwards of 25 minutes (I’m looking at you, risotto) will be able to appreciate this!

    Comment by Devika on April 20, 2010 at 11:08 am

  • Sorry for going off-topic here, but I am POSITIVE you are going to want to embed the following You Tube video, and maybe even make some comments about it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08xQLGWTSag&feature=player_embedded

    Or try this one:

    http://bit.ly/dojB1l

    I would check it out quick…it may be removed from You Tube at any second because it is highly copyright infringing, especially the audio. It’s actually just as funny if you turn the audio off.

    Yes, it is infomercial related.

    Comment by Scott Mercer on April 22, 2010 at 4:06 pm

  • “Orbital gyroscopic action”? What does the gyroscopic effect have anything to do with this device?

    “Anthony, we need some big words here.”

    “Orbital is a big word. And ‘gyroscopic’ is the biggest word I know!”

    Comment by Ryan on April 24, 2010 at 5:17 pm

  • Actually might be handy when making a gumbo rue
    which requires stirring vegetable oil & flour over
    low heat to brown for up to an hour or more. Can be
    very tiring.

    Comment by Richard on April 30, 2010 at 1:10 pm

  • “MultiTask” is my middle name. Cooking dinner… loading or unloading dishwasher & getting everybody’s junk off the table so we can all sit & eat all at the same time…. we are not lazy! & since I can’t afford a maid… this just may have to do 🙂 IF it works….
    Still have to research.

    Comment by shelly on April 30, 2010 at 9:33 pm

  • Not too lazy, just a cook that has more than one thing going at once. Some sauces need constant stirring so they won’t separate. Robostir will do that while I cut, clean, or work on the rest of the meal.

    Maybe those of us that actually cook and not rely on fast food will understand how cool of an invention this is.

    Comment by myles on May 1, 2010 at 8:42 am

  • I do some of the creative cooking for my apartment team (so to speak) here on occasion. This is something I’d toy with, so I do admit it would be useful for cooks.

    Depends on the cooking though – if your basics don’t really include complex sauces or megamixes, probably not worth the shelf space.

    Comment by Jeff on May 3, 2010 at 3:06 pm

  • If it really works, I can imagine this being good for making french onion soup. You have to stir for 25 then something like 40 minutes, then you’ve got the flour–it MUST be brown without burning, and you end up with a really small paste from 6 cups of onions. I’d try it.

    Comment by Hellbound Alleee on May 16, 2010 at 9:46 am

  • Where I could see something like this being of real is for older folks and especially those have arthritis. I myself am quite arthritic after spending nearly a quarter century in front of a computer keyboard and could see how this might help me down the line.

    It is more a cute gadget like a hands-free can openers, as opposed to stupid and useless items like all of those bra lifting gadgets (masking tape, anyone?)

    Comment by NosferatusCoffin on June 4, 2010 at 10:02 pm

  • BUYER BEWARE!!!!

    I ordered Robo Stir several weeks ago, and got a phone call from them the other day confirming that my order was about to be shipped.

    However, they also told me that I would be automatically enrolled in a promotion that included $100 in gasoline vouchers and other valuable coupons. My credit card would be billed $29.95/month. I told them that I wasn’t interested.

    Their reply was, “Well, read it over, and if you don’t like it, you can call and cancel.” I said “NO!! I shouldn’t have to call and cancel, and I DO NOT authorize you to enroll me in this promotion. All I want is my Robo Stir!” They said “Fine!” and hung up abruptly.

    I just got an email today saying that my Robo Stir order has been cancelled. What a load of ****! The Robo Stir is just a gimmick to sell something more expensive!

    BEWARE!!!

    Comment by Ken on September 9, 2010 at 4:15 pm

  • Our Robostir stopped working after one use. Changed the batteries – dead. Try getting one replaced!

    Comment by Bruce Wallman on September 10, 2010 at 3:18 am

  • I am the chief cook and bottle washer of my family. When it comes to holiday meals, I do all the cooking for about 30 people. I prepare at least three entrees (to satisfy the vegan and religious restrictions of certain family members), two vegetables, two starches, various salads, breads and rolls, three desserts, punch, coffees (some want decaf), all done by me. I sometimes need help stirring the sauces, gravies, etc. Robo anything at some points would be helpful. Either that or we go out to eat (guess who gets stuck with the check).

    Comment by kat on October 23, 2010 at 6:17 am

  • After spending hours cooking sauces, fudge, custard or tapioca – this will be a welcome relief to free me up to finish the rest of the meal. It gets tiring standing and constantly stirring. Nothing is worse than burnt pudding. YUCK.

    Comment by Carol on December 3, 2010 at 12:48 pm

  • I think it is fantastic. Especially when I am cooking a huge Thanksgiving dinner and I have the stove going and all four burners, but I still have stuff that I need to prep for the next round of cooking, but the kids are screaming in the next room, the phone is ringing, and people are showing up for the feast, but my husband is chopping firewood to keep the fire going in the fireplace. It would make it so much easier. It is not something I would use everyday when I am cooking one thing, but It would be great when Im cooking for alot of people and need extra hands that I don’t have.

    Comment by amanda on December 20, 2010 at 3:38 pm

  • i think the snuggie is way more ridiculous. Backward robe, hello?? At least this can make something easier. Talk about lazy, you have to spend more money to have a snuggie instead of just putting your robe on backwards. Or the robotic vacuum? Pasta Boat? (you cant boil pasta). Most Asseenontv things are basically things that make us lazier. Get over it. You dont like it, dont buy it

    Comment by Michael on December 20, 2010 at 3:44 pm

  • Think about it – do you really think the bottom will spin as the unattached top remains stationary. It’s physics! All the demos show a liquid. The pads are silicone and you’ll have to use a silicone coated pan because the feet pads will have to have greatly reduced fiction. you won’t be able to stir anything that solidifies, like scrambled eggs, and if anything starts to burn and stick, the pad will stick on the burnt food and stop. If it’s all liquid in a non-stick pan, you’re probably OK. I just saw the ad on TV and it was only $10! 50% drop? Maybe people are catching on and they have to dump them?

    Comment by Keith on December 23, 2010 at 1:34 pm

  • Hi all,
    I would like to share my experiences when it comes to cooking and the great importance of stirring. I have made or cooked lots of jam, jelly, chutney, corn relish, and more, which I have gotten at least seven (7) 1st prizes, five (5) 2nd prizes and three (3) 3rd prizes from the County Fair where I entered all that I made. The important thing about cooking this kind of food is to avoid it sticking at the bottom of the pot or if it burns it ruins the entire batch are wasted and so with the money spent. Another thing, if there is a break in stirring the batch stars bubbling and bursting out of the pot and you have a mess all over the stove, counter and stove. And also, after a break in stirring and you resume stirring it; again the same bubbling and bursting effect come to life. So the fantastic jam and jelly that you received from your loved ones involved a lot of love and hard work . . . stirring . . . stirring . . . stirring. So the hard work, burden, tediousness and pain on the shoulders that go with stirring are problems. I love making special kind of treats for my friends and family, so for years I toyed on the idea of having some genius or company make me something that I could attach to the side of the pot and inside is a wonderful gadget that could relieve me with the burden of stirring. So, to all of you creative minds, I appeal to you to put your heads together and come up with the solution to help the rest of us who make things or feed people and make them smile. I believe that this, robot that stir the food is a little flimsy for what I need because when the sugar and pectin thicken, it really requires a heavy duty gadget to keep on stirring. But the robot is a start and it is a fantastic idea as a launching pad for a better product. I urge all you wonderful-great minds to start working and ultimately coming up with the solution to help wonderful people like us who feed people and make them happy, content and enjoy their lives a little bit better because of what we cooked.

    Comment by May R. Vail Lee on December 24, 2010 at 5:20 pm

  • This gizmo sported orbital gyroscoping action which is the type of motion that nano technology will utilizes. Just don’t super shrink my portions please.

    Comment by Rich on December 26, 2010 at 7:28 pm

  • I do hope it works, it’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time. In the tirade against lazy cooks you forgot to consider the handicapped, people who have limited abilities to stand for more than a minute. Unless I bring in a bar stool (which I can’t get up in also because of my condition) to sit on, stirring a pot for more than a few seconds is out of line for me.

    Comment by Katie on December 27, 2010 at 8:58 am

  • I understand the sentiments of those who think it would be used for everyday cooking, however when I saw this infomercial it was an immediate gift idea for my mom. Every year for the last 20 years she makes pounds and pounds of fudge for everyone in our family. It’s better than any fudge any one of us has ever had – no matter what we spend. Believe me, we have tried all kinds to compare. We have yet to find any that compares to the creamy melt-in-your-mouth velvety smooth texture of my mom’s fudge. Part of the reason is because she cooks it in very small batches, one pan at a time, slowly stirring every one on the stove to be sure there is no burning or settling of any ingrediants in the bottom of the pan. She spends nearly the entire month of December making fudge. That is a LOT of stirring! For instances like that, where she will literally spend hours a day for days on end standing in front of the stove, slowly stirring – that is what this invention would be perfect for. I just wish I saw this a few weeks ago, so it could have helped her out this year! I am still getting it for her, though. I hope she will like it.

    Comment by Cari on December 27, 2010 at 2:07 pm

  • Okay. Okay. I am the biggest skeptic out there and I absolutely REFUSE to buy something like this unless it is 3rd or 4th generation . . . leave the debugging for the rest of the world, I will take the tweeked version. HowEVER!! Boy I wish I had thought of this. Being a bit short for proper ergonomics at the stove, having a nasty case of double tennis elbow, AND carpal tunnel . . . I would LOVE to be able to stir according to recipes instead of losing feeling after 2 or three minutes of gripping a kitchen utensil. Have to keep my eyes on this one!

    Comment by dayzbay on December 28, 2010 at 6:21 am

  • Oy. Unless you can adjust the speed I doubt that this will be useful for much. I see it stopping at the slightest thickening. Seriously, I can see the appeal of the general concept but in application I think it will be relatively useless just like any other $10 piece of crap invention they peddle on tv.

    Comment by Leslie on December 29, 2010 at 12:01 pm

  • Sorry but if you wish to brag about what you cooked the you put in the work. Its like the people that have an automatic camera bragging about the picture they took. Americans are lazy !

    Comment by Steven on December 29, 2010 at 3:48 pm

  • Wow.. people are getting so mad over something so simple. I would like to try it out for when Im multi-tasking in the kitchen. I dont see why it has anything to do with laziness. I dont think its for stirring in general, I think its for when you need to do something else and also keep stirring the food.

    As for the snuggie… It is a robe worn backwards but my robes are made for my size. If I wore my robe backwards it wouldnt cover me from my neck to my toes like my snuggie does its a huge blanket on me 🙂 I got it as a gift anyways.. who cares lol.

    Comment by Irini on January 4, 2011 at 3:52 am

  • I actually liked this idea. I looked up other options for robotic stirring devices before because simply while I’m prepping other ingredients I cannot stir something constantly.

    So far I’m looking up flaws or other problems before I decide whether or not to get one.

    Comment by Delakando on January 6, 2011 at 1:38 am

  • While I did not buy this (my mom did however, BOGO, so I still get one. lol) I am quite excited to try it. I’m not lazy by any means, especially in the kitchen. I love to cook, however, I’m not a seasoned veteran and sometimes I do get distracted because, let’s face it, NOBODY wants to stand there for 20 minutes stirring consistently, so yeah… we walk away. And then it burns. Not only that, I’m also not the greatest multi-tasker. At work, I’m amazing, but when I get home my multitasking skills seem to disappear.

    I’m anxious to see if it works. And if it doesn’t, then oh well, it was a gift 🙂

    Oh and I LOVE my snuggie. My blankets are NEVER long enough.

    Comment by Michelle on January 9, 2011 at 4:51 am

  • I think you are all Stir crazy

    Comment by Jim on January 13, 2011 at 12:04 am

  • I do love to cook, and while Tucson’s weather is not exsctly cold, there are a couple of months a year when soup is helpful for warming me up at night. My trouble is I am morbidly obese and standing for any length of time is murder on my joints. If Robo Stir does what it claims, I just might find making soup a lot more comfortable.

    Comment by Nancy on January 14, 2011 at 2:14 am

  • Re:”Have We Really Gotten Too Lazy To Stir A Pot”?
    Yep, I wondered the same thing, until I thought about those with ‘medical’ conditions (arthritis and other thing that affect the hand joint), then realized it would be a ‘God send’ to folks like them.
    As the saying goes, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”, but in this case I say this particular is a ‘much needed’ help. Personally speaking, I intend to try it out for myself, and give it to my elderly mom if it works.

    Comment by Jeanne M. on January 15, 2011 at 12:55 pm

  • Obviously you spend little time truly cooking. If you spend alot of time cooking multiple items it can be very encombering. This is a great idea. Have you ever ruined a cheese sauce or gravy because you stepped away for just a minute? If you make real pudding (not instant) you must stir it almost constantly. I could go on but for those whos use the stove top daily, you understand, it is not lazy, but the 3rd hand we often wish we had!

    Comment by Terry P on January 24, 2011 at 8:22 pm

  • Comment by andy on March 10, 2011 at 4:40 pm

  • Should have done it Ken in a nut shell got sxame kind of offer only for food/gass/ wal-mart cards (80 in gift cards at walmart) I say yes charge shows I have 30 days to cancel , I cancel get the cards anyway make sure bank backs out in meantime the crads are arriving slowly so call and itch that get 2 $80 gift cards for wal-mart; unknown to me my girlfried also called and itched about the time and to appease her (shut her up ) they two more $8) cards. I fgure these cannot be real – well went to wal-mart over tow months spent all $260 of their money. The reason it got fucked up the offering the promo farms out the giving of cards to some low wage call center and they do not give crap how many they send out or whether they succeed or fail. You have 30 days to cancel and keep the cards/food/gas. Worked for me

    Comment by ronald yates on March 11, 2011 at 1:29 pm

  • BEWARE
    My husband ordered this product and it has been a banking nightmare.
    Boxes and boxes of Robo stirs kept coming and coming, each time deducting a charge from his bank account. Each time we called the company and got authorization to return the items with reassurance that we would be credited in 7-10 business days. We did get credited…minus the $25.97 shipping charges for each of the four boxes we returned(it cost us $7.00 to return each box BTW)
    Just checked his account and now there is a $58.00 charge for jewelry that we did not receive. ARG

    Comment by Nanner on March 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm

  • As anyone who actually cooks would understand, it’s not about being lazy, it’s about having an extra set of hands in the kitchen. Which is why I was really excited when I first saw this product. It seems like such a great idea!

    Unfortunately, it’s got plenty of bugs left to be worked out, and may never be a reality.

    As the instructions warn, if it tips over (which it does, all the time), it can splash hot liquids. Splashing hot oil could lead to a fire, and in any case a real mess on your stove top.

    Moreover, they continue to warn that if it tips over into your food, the food might be contaminated by the batteries and other electronic stuff assembled in China, so you are told to throw the food out if this happens.

    I tried it with cool water, away from the cooktop, and quickly found that it would be foolish indeed to turn this thing loose on real food over a flame!

    Nice concept, but it doesn’t work out in the real world. Two thumbs down.

    Comment by Kevin on April 5, 2011 at 7:29 pm

  • Nice idea for a product, but it does not work.

    I got two, as a free “gift” with something else I bought. The first one I tried buzzed and hopped, then quit, within 30 seconds. So I took the batteries out and put them in the other one.

    The second one buzzed and hopped and fell over, not matter what kind of pot or liquid it was in.

    So I’m trying to figure out something clever to do with a 3 legged buzzing device.

    Comment by Become Ordained Online on April 5, 2011 at 7:32 pm

  • Bought four delux robo-stir, all 4 going back!
    RECIPE- one can tomato sauce, and same amount red wine, 8 inch teflon frying pan.
    Robo stayed in the center of pan, pushed it to the side and it stayed there.
    One unit defective would not work unless skaken.
    Added 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, came back 20 mins later and it still floated on the surface, undisturbed.

    OXY-CLEAN… super great stuff, ROBO-STIR, I have a $3.00 wooden spoon!

    Comment by billy bargagliotti on May 7, 2011 at 10:08 am

  • The motor in mine died so it look like I’ll be stirring by hand again.

    Comment by kurisu7885 on September 10, 2011 at 3:03 pm

  • A good practical joke for the people in your life that like to keep stirring the pot in your life.

    Comment by Radna on January 16, 2012 at 6:33 pm

  • Just goes to show you,people will buy anything.More junk to use a few times,then
    throw it away or toss it in the closet.What I would love is to transport myself
    thru my tv screen and strangle some of these scumbags.Driving at night with giant sunglasses and a stupid grin on the hag’s face.Notice how all this garbage
    is always proclaimed to be amazing,I’d love to fracture all their jaws,everytime
    I hear that stupid,overused word.AHHHHHHHHHHH…I have to control my anger
    problem…

    Comment by brian gilmore on September 12, 2015 at 4:16 pm