March 09, 2010

Review: StoneDine

Description: Non-stick cookware with a stone coating
Main Pitch: "10 times stronger and will last you 10 times longer" than other non-stick pans
Main Offer: $29.97 trial for the 8-piece set
Bonus: FREE 11-inch pan and 11-piece knife set
Marketer: Brand Developers USA
Website: www.StoneDine.com
Prediction: Bomb

I like this product, and I love the pitch. What's not to like? The demos are fantastic, and the product has several strong selling points. These pans are virtually indestructible, and they redefine "non-stick" because food slides right off even if no butter or oil is used. It's amazing to watch in action. There's even an alluring pitch built around gourmet European cooking because these pans are supposed to deliver "the taste of cooking on natural hot stone." All well conceived and flawlessly executed.

Too bad this campaign has no shot of working. The obvious problem is the price: Even the trial is $10 too high for DRTV. When people learn that $29.97 (plus $25 S&H) is just "the first of ten monthly installments," as the Website disclaims, they will proceed directly to Wal-Mart where regular non-stick pans cost less than this trial offer.