HOUSTON – From a raw potato to fresh french fries in a jiffy, that’s how the maker of Jiffy Fries pitches the product in this commercial. Though, from the very beginning, there was nothing “jiffy” about the product.
Product: Jiffy Fries
Price: $20 + shipping and handling
Slow shipping & branding issues
We ordered a product called “Instant Perfect Fries” in January from https://www.wasabisix.com/. Weeks after we placed the order, we received an email that there was an issue and the product would be delayed. We finally received a package from China in late April. Inside, the product appeared to be the “Instant Perfect Fries,” but the box called the device “Jiffy Fries.” Printed right on the box in smaller type, the manufacturer referred to the product as “Amazing Fries” and “Copper Fries.” These are all clues that the maker has marketed the same product under different names with no discernable difference.
Product Claims
- Enjoy fresh, delicious fries in a jiffy.
- Hot, delicious perfectly crisp fries in just minutes.
- Every fry is cooked to the perfect temperature and texture.
Instructions Lacking
Our box came with no instructions inside. There are four steps printed on the outside of the box, but one step was clearly missing. The directions advised us to cut a potato in half, place the flat surface of the potato onto the Jiffy Fries blade and then push down. There is nothing on the box about putting Jiffy Fries in the microwave or how long we should cook them. The commercial does show the Jiffy Fries going into a microwave, but again, it doesn’t specify how long the product should cook, leaving the consumer to guess.
The Test
After we cut a potato in half, we put the flat part on the Jiffy Fries blade and attempted to push it down to slice the potato into fries. This was impossible. We parboiled a whole potato for a few minutes to soften it just a bit, but we still couldn’t push the whole potato through the blade. Instead, much of the potato was just mashed up and squished inside the Jiffy Fries device.
We wanted at least part of this product to work, so we gave up on the slicing feature and tried using it to cook the fries. We had to slice a potato in fry-sized slices first. Then we inserted each potato piece into the Jiffy Fries device. We put the lid on and cooked them in the microwave for two minutes. The fries were cooked, but not at all crispy. We cooked them for two more minutes. After the second go-round in the microwave, the fries were stuck together, but still soggy and limp. They were nothing like the crisp french fries on the Jiffy Fries box or in the commercial.
Verdict: Failed