Tip of the Day: When in doubt, call a food expert

As the video at right shows, some of the meat thermometers we've tested will actually talk back to you, handy for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. But if you find yourself in a pickle as you prepare your Thanksgiving feast, call one of the hotlines below, which are staffed by experts who can field your queries.

• Butterball Turkey: 800-288-8372
• Crisco (pies): 877-367-7438
• Empire Kosher Poultry: 717-436-7055
• Fleischmann's Yeast (baking): 800-777-4959
• Foster Farms Turkey: 800-255-7227
• General Mills (baking, vegetables): 800-248-731
• King Arthur Flour Co. (baking): 802-649-3717
• Nestlé (baking): 800-637-8537
• Ocean Spray (cranberries): 800-662-3263
• Perdue (poultry): 800-473-7383
• Reynolds (turkey tips): 800-745-4000
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-674-6854 

Essential information: See our advice on preparing your holiday meal. If you’re looking to replace a major appliance, read our roundup of  Black Friday specials.

What's new in Consumer Reports: Home content from the December 2009 issue

The December 2009 issue of Consumer Reports is loaded with coverage of items that will make practical gifts or spectacular additions to any household. (Some items below are available only to subscribers.)

Low-cost, high-performing coffeemakers. We found excellent coffeemakers that cost $20, $40, and $70; the top-rated model topped out at $100. And for $80, you can buy an excellent brew-station type that lets you fill cups directly from the machine.

Lack of versatility dogs pet-hair vacuums. Many vacuums are specifically marketed as the solution to pet-hair problems, but we found none provided a universal panacea. Instead, two mainstream Hoover models stood out for being excellent against pet hair, very good on bare floors, and excellent at cleaning carpets and limiting emissions.

Microwaves that do more. Want convection and speed cook modes? Countertop models from Kenmore and newcomer-to-the-field Cuisinart and an over- the-range model from Samsung offer both; the Cusinart and Samsung also offer grill modes for a taste of summer during the cold months. We also took a look at the innovative Sharp SuperSteam Oven AX-1200[K].

Ranges that make the grade. Induction models are hot, but our tested ones remain pricey at $3,000. Instead, we found four under-$800 ranges from Kenmore and GE that outscored pricier ranges from Dacor and Viking. Move up to the $1,500-to-$2,000 price point, and you'll get a range with a second oven or cooking drawer.

Paper towels in store. Our tests confirmed a similar trend among foods, where store brands outperformed national brands. So you might want to pick some up when you're buying wrapping paper. We also found something for greens to celebrate: One brand of recycled paper performed very well overall. Watch the video on how we test paper towels (above).

Light's (you should toss) out. Discard holiday lights after three seasons. Here's a checklist of things to look for and safe practices to follow when hanging holiday lights.

NuWave Pro Infrared Oven draws mixed reviews

Our recent test of the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven (available to subscribers) confirms what dozens of readers of this blog have been telling us for weeks: This countertop appliance cooks some foods exceptionally well and in less time than a conventional oven.

"Frozen chicken breasts are done in 30 minutes, browned on the outside and very tender and juicy on the inside. Never had chicken breasts like this before," wrote one reader of the Home & Garden blog. That opinion concurs with our test results, which found that when it came to cooking meats, the NuWave generally browned exteriors better and left the interiors moister than a conventional oven would. Performance was actually on a par with a convection oven, according to our testers.

But some NuWave owners who posted a comment to our blog and our test scored it a tad lower at cooking steaks—"It will not give your steaks a char-grilled flavor; it has no flame and is not a BBQ grill," one person noted—and gave it mixed reviews on vegetables and baked goods. "Sometimes it cooks the outside of a frozen sweet potato pie very fast, and the middle does not get done well," another reader wrote, a take confirmed by our testing. e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Read about induction and convection cooking technologies.

Tell us about your NuWave oven

We’ve been covering new cooking technologies on this blog and on our Web site, including induction, the TurboChef 30” Double Wall Speedcook oven, and convection microwaves (see video, right).

So our antennae straightened when we saw infomercials for the NuWave Infrared Cooking System (below) running frequently on stations in the New York City area. The manufacturer claims the countertop appliances can save you time and energy while excelling at cooking all manner of food.

If you own a NuWave oven, tell us about your experiences by copying the questions and pasting them into a comment below.

1. I have owned a NuWave oven for how long?
2. I use my NuWave oven how many times a week?
3. I use my oven to cook what food most frequently?
4. The NuWave does a great job with what food? but does a poor job with what food?
5. The NuWave oven is/isn’t? easy to clean.
6. The NuWave oven is/isn’t? worth the money.

Feel free to add more detailed comments with your answers. Thanks in advance for your time.—Gian Trotta

Forum Friday: Top forums in recent weeks

Washing machines: This has been the most popular appliances forum recently, with the least-repair-prone front-loading washer and LG washer smell among the hottest discussions. These topics have emerged as our other top forums.

Vacuums: Vacuum aficionados have been posting in our best vacuums topic, while picks and pans of deep and steam cleaners have drawn numerous reviews.

Refrigerators: A newer French-door refrigerator discussion has sprung up to replace the old discussion on the same topic, along with a call for the quietest refrigerator.

Mattresses: The hottest non-appliance forum has many folks chatting about latex mattresses. And thanks to the member who posted the last word on how to buy a mattress.

Dishwashers: The I love my dishwasher discussion continues with passionate posts. Can top one member’s tale of her 24-year-old dishwasher?

Central heat/air conditioning: Cold weather and energy prices probably stoked discussions, like Which gas furnace should I buy?, which ranks as our most viewed discussion. We're looking forward to responses to a member's call for opinions on integrated heating and hot-water systems.

Ranges: These kitchen appliances have seen more activity as the holiday-cooking season kicked off and Consumer Reports published new ratings. The pros and cons of induction cooking is especially useful.

Small appliances: Coffeemakers dominate here. As detailed in a recent Forum Friday, numerous threads are percolating away in the wake of our latest review of coffeemakers.

Dryers: You’ll find numerous discussions of particular brands and some interesting exchanges on ventless condensation dryers and ways to prevent clothes and sheets from “balling.”

While it didn't crack the Top 10 in traffic, the energy saving in your home forum has had some wonderful insights to put more green in your holidays.

Tip of the Day: How to cook with a convection oven

Many people buy ovens, ranges, and microwaves with convection capability but don't take advantage of that feature. If you've shied away from using your convection oven, here's how to become a confident convection cooker.

In standard ovens, there is radiant heating of the interior, and air movement is relatively slow. In convection ovens, a fan constantly circulates and mixes the air within the cavity. As a result, convection ovens heat more quickly and cook faster. Note that some convection ranges run the fan more slowly for baking and faster for roasting.

Heating can be uneven in standard ovens because the temperatures might not be uniform throughout the cavity. But with convection ovens, the fan is supposed to make the temperature more uniform throughout the cavity and result in more evenly cooked food. (That's not always the case, as our tests over the years have shown.)

The best way to become a confident convection cooker is to try out your favorite recipes using the feature. Read your owner's manual or look on the manufacturer's Web site for specific cooking guidelines. And consider these convection-cooking tips from Jenn-Air:

BAKING
• Lower the temperature indicated in the recipe by about 25°F but cook for the indicated time.

• For cookies and cakes, use shiny, bright aluminum or steel pans. They reflect heat and allow for more delicate browning.

• For breads and pies, use dark or dull aluminum or steel pans. They absorb heat and result in darker browning.

ROASTING
• When roasting meats, cook according to the indicated temperature but cut cooking time by about 25 percent.

• Use pans with low sides so the circulating hot air can work its magic. Otherwise food won't brown as well.

• Don't use a lid. It prevents the circulating air from reaching the food.

When cooking in a full oven, pay attention to how the food browns, as you might still have to rotate the pans to ensure even cooking.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: You'll find ranges with convection ovens in our latest report and other cooking time-savers in our coverage of cooktops and wall ovens. Tell us about your experiences with convection cooking by posting a comment below.

Stove Guard appliance timer and motion detector lowers the risk of range fires

An estimated 47,000 residential fires a year start on rangetops, injuring more than 2,400 people, killing about 80, and causing $135 million in property damage, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Many of those fires start when someone leaves the kitchen with food still cooking on the stovetop.

For many years, representatives of Underwriters Laboratories, Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of this magazine, and appliance makers worked together with the CPSC to find a technological solution such as heat sensors that would turn off burners before the food in a pot or pan ignited. But according to a CPSC spokesperson, the agency has refocused its efforts on other “high-priority flammability projects.” The CPSC did add that it would revisit the issue in the future when it has sufficient resources.

Meanwhile, a small distributor of security products in Saskatchewan, Canada, is making and selling a safety device that serves much the same purpose, at least for owners of electric ranges and cooktops. The Stove Guard, a $299 automatic timer and motion detector, shuts off the elements and the oven if there is no motion near the appliance after a preselected time period.

How it works. Stove Guard has three easy-to-program settings. The first, “on/auto,” turns power off to the burners if there is no motion near the range after a specific period of time. You set the time, anywhere from 1 to 39 minutes. The second setting, “on/timer,” turns power off after a preset amount of time, up to 99 minutes, regardless of motion. An adjustable sensing level keeps the device from turning the range back on because of a child’s or a pet’s movement. Pressing the “off” setting returns the range to its regular use.

In our tests, the Stove Guard worked exactly as advertised. But proper installation and maintenance are crucial. Mount it too close to the stove and steam from boiling liquids in pots can interfere with its use, as it did in our tests. Once mounted, simply unplug the electrical cord to your range and plug it into the Stove Guard. Then plug the electrical cord from the Stove Guard into the wall outlet. It’s also important to periodically clean the sensor to minimize grease buildup, which diminished the Stove Guard’s sensitivity in some of our tests.