Columnist Muriel Stevens: Shopping via TV is tall order

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 | 8:29 a.m.

Have you ever been tempted to order products via a shopping network? I mostly resist the lure of the pitch, yet some of the items offered appear to be terrific.

I started to watch the Home Shopping Network (HSN) when culinary superstar Wolfgang Puck debuted his first sets of pots and pans.

They looked good, cooked good (at least with the maestro at the stove) and I was sorely tempted, but I didn't bite. If there was one thing I didn't need, it was more pots and pans.

I stopped collecting cookware after I retired from doing a cooking show where I needed 10 of everything. I still have too many, even though I've given away enough to stock many kitchens. I tell you all this so you will understand why it was madness for me to even consider buying another appliance.

My kitchen counters are wall-to-wall with such paraphernalia. Many of the things I buy are for research. The George Foreman grill I wanted to try was given to a friend after I'd checked it out.

When Puck introduced a heavy-duty mixer that didn't cost much more than a good hand mixer, I knew I had to have one. It had twice the power of my tried-and-true Kitchenaid and cost less than $200.

Of course, my Kitchenaid had been my right arm for more than 30 years. Over the years I'd acquired every attachment for it: extra bowls, extra beaters, extra everything.

When does a passion become an obsession? When you find yourself tempted to use almond extract in place of your usual fragrance, you know you're hooked.

So I ordered the mixer. It arrived in a few weeks and was exactly as Puck had represented. What's more, the capacity and shape of the bowl were wonderful. For a few days I played with this new toy. It now sits side-by-side with my old friend.

With shipping the price was $172. The quality of the mixer was so good I had to have the Puck cookware so I could compare it to the abundance of much more expensive cookware still in my kitchen.

Many of the items sold on TV are available locally (some weeks after being introduced) in places such as Costco and Sam's Club. I've seen the cookware sets at both stores for less money than they cost on HSN. How good are these pots and pans? So good that I've done another go-through of my kitchen closets and have kept all of the Puck cookware.

Puck will next appear on HSN April 12 and April 13. Call (800) 284-3900 for the times.

Don't rush to order: Take your time before ordering what I call "high huckster items." These mostly household products usually cost more than they should, so the kindly purveyors sweeten the pot so that you get a second one "free."

The latest hot item is the red enamel pasta pot with a locking lid with drain holes. For your $19.95 you'll also get a baby version of the pasta pot and a plastic cheese grater. I checked this one out at Walgreens.

Talk about junk -- the metal is so lightweight it's a joke. The pots at the 99 cent stores are many times better and cost just a few bucks. Add the shipping costs and the sales tax and these pasta pots are some bargain.

Of course, items such as OxyClean, paint strippers and other cleaners have proven to be invaluable. Just don't rush to be the first to buy. It's much easier and less costly to return a gizmo to a local store.