Background & Purchase:When I first saw the Nyfork, I was intrigued and amused. Given the relatively low cost of the device, I knew I had to have one. I ordered mine from Miles Kimball. No problems with the order process or delivery. Once I had the product on hand, I was able to get more information. The Original Nyfork as it is called is distributed by Innovative Products, Inc.. Its unique design is patented (D425,376).

Packaging: Whomever came up with the text for the Nyfork was either way too into the product or had a really good time. The front of the package has a number of reason why you should consider purchasing a Nyfork for yourself with more reasons on the back. Most people whom I showed the Nyfork to today after they got over the…erm…novelty of the item and actually read the text were as amused as I was.

Unwrapping: The first thing I noticed after removing the Nyfork from the package was how light it was. It almost feels chinsy especially compared to my much heavier silverware. Here is a picture of the Nyfork being held up beside one of my regular forks. Though light, the Nyfork seemed pretty solid. I tried gently flexing it and it didn’t bend. Time to start testing!

Test 1, Nyfork v. 1 lb. Ribeye Steak: After being pleased with myself for cooking a steak roughly medium-rare, it was time to break out Nyfork. Since theoretically you are only using one hand, your other hand is free for other tasks such as operating the camera. Still, it immediately became apparent that using Nyfork would take some relearning. Only using one utensile to pick apart a steak of course leaves said slab of beef un-anchored. So if you attempt to cut too vigorously, the steak is going to go all over the plate or perhaps even off the plate if you get too carried away.

The important thing to remember is how sharp the cutting blade is. While my instinct was to press as hard as possible, all that accomplished was Nyfork getting stuck in the steak. Where as pressing lightly and gently rocking the fork back and forth yielded much better results. And the end result was a success even despite my initial difficulties. I am not sure using Nyfork would save me any time over the traditional knife/fork approach to steak, but since I only own one knife that is even close to a steak knife, perhaps I should get more accostumed to Nyfork.

Test 2, The Dishwasher: Even though the package claims Nyfork is dishwasher safe, I felt said claim needed to be tested (and Nyfork was dirty anyway :P). So I turned the dishwasher loose and let it dry overnight. Upon first inspection, I thought Nyfork had passed the test with flying colors. On further review, I noted a few traces of rust. The first place I noticed said rust was at the base of the prongs. Next I saw some rust on the portion of the cutting wheel behind and on the splash guard itself. The rust easy washed off of the wheel and from the base of the prongs, but I was unable with a sponge and soap remove the rust from the splatter shield. Since all of the operating parts and tongs didn’t rust, I guess the Nyfork is technically dishwasher safe, but the rust on the splatter shield itself still bothers me.

Test 3, Nyfork v. Waffles: After pitting the Nyfork against a pretty thick slab of beef, I figured it was time for something a little easier (for both me and Nyfork :P). In this test, Nyfork performed admirably. On my wood table, the plate was prone to sliding if I pressed too hard as was the waffled itself on the plate. Still, the Nyfork cut effortlessly through the waffle.

Update:

Less then a month later, its time to finish the review!

Test 4, Nyfork v. Pizza: As requested, here is how Nyfork stacked up against a Dominos steak pizza. This time, in lieu of anything else better, I used a a wet napkin to help keep the plate from slipping. Here is a picture of the battlefield. Like with the waffle, the Nyfork effortlessly dealt with cutting through the pizza. Additionally, with the wet napkin trick, the plate did not slip at all. Finally I was able to eat one handed as Nyfork claimed.

Conclusions: Even though I have had the Nyfork about a month now, I haven’t had any more occasions to use it save those outlined above. Though this is mostly due to bachelor eating habits rather then the fault of the Nyfork, I feel that I still have limited exposure to Nyfork’s uses. In a proper table setting with some form of no-slip surface, Nyfork does work well. But in this type of setting I dont really see the benefit of having a hand free either. In other settings, the other would have to be employed to secure the plate. Due to the razor sharp wheel and concerns with the rust in the dishwasher, the Nyfork isn’t any easier to clean then a separate knife and fork, either. Overall functionally, Nyfork is only mediocre.

Nyfork’s best value is its novelty. The packaging seems to be more geared towards the Nyfork being a gag gift rather then a serious product. For the purposes of a humorous gift, I think Nyfork would perform quite admirably.