8 '90s Food Infomercials Millennials Still Know By Heart

As a proud millennial, I remember the days when we couldn't just pick what we watched — we were subject to whatever was on TV. As a ridiculously early riser (sorry, mom and dad) and slightly offbeat kiddo, this often meant I found myself flipping through the channels at 5 a.m., captivated by an infomercial advertising a kitchen gadget I would later beg my mom to buy. From dehydrated food to rotisserie, well, everything, the kitchen appliance infomercials of the '90s had me seriously hooked. I daydreamed about being a member of the studio audience — after all, they got to try samples and super-enthusiastically tell the hosts how mind-blowing each little cup of juice, dehydrated snack, or piece of rotisserie-roasted chicken was.

Today, we're taking a look back at turn-of-the-century kitchen equipment infomercials. There's a lot to see. From the wonder of the countertop George Foreman grill (anyone else try to sneak one into your dorm room?) to the health-forward Tiger Juicer, '90s kitchen equipment infomercials were over the top in the best way. While we can't make Kudos bars, Crystal Pepsi, or other popular snacks from the '90s we'd like to taste again reappear, we can take you back to your living room, sitting on your brown-and-orange floral couch, watching infomercials on the giant box TV that sat on the floor.

The Ronco Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ infomercial gave us the "set it and forget it" tagline and took us through a half-hour of exactly how to use a toaster oven-sized rotisserie in your own kitchen. The (ridiculously excited) studio audience gasped as host Ron Popeil whacked his machines with a hammer to show how durable they were, while reminding viewers — almost constantly — that each oven cost less than $100. 

Known as the "lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine," the late legendary boxer George Foreman put his heart into promoting the George Foreman Grill. The countertop appliance made it easy to cook chicken, steak, and more, all while collecting excess fat at the bottom of the grill grate. The appliance was in every '90s kitchen, fitting in perfectly with the decade's popular low-fat lifestyle.

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne was known for "The Jack LaLanne Show," but us millennials knew him best as the purple suit-clad celebrator of the Juice Tiger. In a true display of '90s diet culture, the infomercial featured LaLanne dumping commonly eaten foods into a large glass bowl (think burgers, pancakes, and ice cream) before touting the wonders of enjoying juice instead.

Ron Popeil is back again, and it's not the last time you'll see him on this list. The Ronco Food Dehydrator let home cooks make their own beef jerky, soup mixes, dried fruit, and more as an additive-free alternative to more processed foods.

From cheese and steaks to ice cream and full homemade dinners, the FoodSaver was the answer to preventing freezer burn and eating more homemade foods. The infomercial was mesmerizing, with air removed from one bag of food after another. We'll be honest — it was onto something. Think about picking up a Costco vacuum sealer to absolutely change your food storage game.

The Snackmaster was a glorified panini press, but that didn't stop the infomercial from explaining how to use it for half an hour straight. From pizza-themed pockets to beef stew-filled biscuits (the infomercial host refers to them as "hot pies"), any combination of bread and filling was fair game.

The Kitchen Wizard Plus infomercial starts by telling the audience that the slicer is "all the rage in Europe." At it's core, the Kitchen Wizard Plus was a mandoline with a few different slicers, but that didn't stop the infomercial from being peak '90s entertainment. "Chef Tony" removed kernels from corn and shredded carrots as his co-host cheered him on.

It's only fitting that we wrap up our list with one more appearance from '90s infomercial king Ron Popeil. The Ronco Pasta Maker came complete with 12 attachments (one of which was somehow used to make bagels). In true '90s fashion, the infomercial interrupted itself repeatedly to show shock at the low, low price of the pasta maker.