I'm not sure if you have TV infomercials on the Dry Cooker, but we do have them here in Romania. It's a teflon pan with some bumps in the middle that is supposed to help you cook more healthy because you use less oil. My mom got it from TV, paid the price (~$24), and started using it immediately. Wouldn't you know, after using it 5 times, the teflon started scratching off the bottom. Mind you, mom used only wooden spoons with it. Teflon scratching off the bottom can actually be very toxic in your body and lead to a number of diseases. She threw it away. She got a more expensive ceramic pan which truly helps her cook more healthy. So my word of the wise is: Don't buy it if you see it on TV!
I would not dismiss all As Seen On TV products. I have had several rewarding experiences with them. It looks like your mother stumbled across a bad deal, though. It happens. You aren't going to get a gem every time. It's no different then shopping in general. You may have great success with one product at a particular store then at that same store you unknowingly purchase something of low quality. Good products still exist as do bad ones.
Teflon melts at a very low temperature, compared to other cooking pans, It might be that your mother got a bad pan, but it might also be that she tried to cook on too high of a heat, and that is what ruined the pan. You always have to only cook on very low heat when you are using teflon. Even when it doesn't seem to be changing or comong off , like your pan did; it is still releasing the toxic odors and chemicals back out into the air. A stainless steel pan is much healthier. You still should cook at a lower temperature, but at least it won't be poisonous like the toxc teflon fumes are.
Actually my mom knows very well how to cook with different types of pans (cast iron, teflon, ceramic etc), in this case the Dry Cooker pan was the problem. And I am aware that not all deals can be actual value deals. Mom's had great experience with other teleshopping products, just not this one. Try to take it as a warning.
Not every single As Seen On Tv is good or bad, it depends on the product. Something that you feel is too cheap for what it is, probably is too cheap for what it is. Get something more expensive, as your mom did, and enjoy your long lasting product. Try to get novelties from TV, not normal things. I've heard the knives they sell on TV are great quality, by the way, and they're everyday appliances.
