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.

Forum Friday: CFLs light up the discussion boards

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs have long been a popular and controversial subject on our forums. So it was no surprise that after airing an interview with one of our editors about CFLs, National Public Radio reported receiving an unusually large number of e-mails. (To find the best CFLs for your home, read our October 2009 report and check out the ratings of specific models, available to subscribers.)

Among reader concerns about CFLs are short life spans, disappointing light quality, and the potential mercury hazard. Learn how to safely dispose of CFLs.

Join in those discussions and others about on/off cycling shortening bulb life, consumers' experiences with brands, and dimmer switches.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: To learn about the latest developments in lighting, read our 10 Questions for interview with researcher Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D., the U.S. Department of Energy's Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prizes competition, or L Prize, and the European Union's ban of incandescent lightbulbs. For more news on energy efficiency, including the cash for clunkers for appliances program, visit our Energy Saving & Green Living guide.

Pellet stoves are a hot topic with consumers

As high energy prices and federal tax incentives continue to spur interest in pellet stoves, the number of online discussions about these appliances seems to be on the rise. Among the topics of interest to potential buyers and seasoned users are which pellets to buy, their proper storage and cleanup, and even possible pellet shortages during peak heating season. The Napoleon NPS40 stove, $2,350, is shown.

You'll be happy to learn that the "supply of pellets stoves and fuel is good," according to Leslie G. Wheeler, director of communications for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.

The HPBA advises that you keep pellets dry and not handle them more than necessary, since they can breakup into smaller pieces. Also note that wood pellets in 40-pound bags are easier to store, keep dry, and tote to a stove than loose pellets, which require some sort of large bin.

Storage area can definitely be a concern with wood pellets. "You need some space to store the pellets; I have 4 tons in my basement," says John McAloon, a project leader in the Consumer Reports Technical Division. McAloon schleps the 40-pound bags of pellets into his basement by himself, but innovative bulk-delivery systems could become a more-attractive alternative.

As for water damage, "I've had water get into one or two bags stacked near the bottom of the pallet, but it ruined only a small amount of pellets," McAloon adds.

The HPBA suggests that you burn only grades of pellet recommended by the manufacturer of the stove and clean your stove(s) at least once a week regardless of which grade of pellet you burn.

"The stove requires some cleaning, but I haven't had problems with dust, and the pellets do burn pretty efficiently. Each week, after burning 300 to 400 pounds of pellets, I might find just a few clinkers—large ash deposits,"  says McAloon.

Two manufacturers whose pellet stoves were tested four our recent report—Harman Home Heating and England's Stove Works—offer valuable safety and troubleshooting advice on their Web sites.

Share your own tips or insights about using pellet stoves, which fuels to buy, and other subjects by leaving a comment below. Our future coverage will look at these burning topics.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential Information: The October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports includes expert advice on ways to slash your energy bills, ratings of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and coverage of solar water heaters (stories and ratings are available to subscribers). Look for more ways to save in our new Energy Saving & Green Living guide.

Forum Friday: Readers sound off on how to find the best mattress

As part of our latest report on mattresses, more than 17,000 Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers rated the best mattress brands and retailers (available to subscribers). Check out these discussions on our Home & Garden forum to share your opinions on mattresses:

• Successful mattress shopping: Read about one commenter's positive experience with the Original Mattress Factory, one of the top-rated brands and retailers in our survey.

• Caveats when comparison shopping: "It is common knowledge that virtually identical mattresses have different names at different stores," noted one commenter (our own research confirms this situation). He revealed how shopping around saved $500 off the price of a $1,899 mattress and how one manufacturer made slight changes to a model to avoid having to honor price-matching guarantees. Another required additional fees for delivery.

That message was followed by dozens of others in which people discuss common mattress myths and share their own positive and negative experiences with other mattress brands and retailers.

• Water beds? Although we did not include them in our survey, one commenter did share his experiences with a $500 model.

Essential information: Our free buyer's guide to mattresses and our past comparisons of high-end mattresses from Duxiana, Select Comfort, and Tempur-Pedic and two different models from Sealy can help you find the right mattress.

Forum Friday: Gas furnaces, pellet stoves, and solar water heaters

As another fall approaches, members are sharing more and more ways to reduce heating bills. Here are some forum postings related to the energy-saving features in our October 2009 issue.

Which gas furnace to buy? With 409 posts, this is the busiest discussion in our Heating and Cooling forum. The posters' real-world experiences with popular brands of gas furnaces like Rheem, Trane, American Standard, Ruud, and York can help you find an cost-effective, efficient and reliable model. We’ve also got buying advice, tips for choosing a contractor, and reliability ratings for top brands. And keep in mind that furnaces with an energy-efficiency rating above 90 qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

Pros, cons, and costs of pellet-stoves. “We know that oil, propane and natural gas prices are going to continue to go up in the future with no end in sight, so maybe burning wood pellets or corn is the way to go,” one poster posited. Our just-published report and ratings on pellet stoves (and overview on all wood-burning stoves) details their acquisition and operating costs; we've also started a pellet-stove discussion where you can weigh in on the subject.

Solar water heater test update. “We have been looking at solar-assisted, gas-fired tankless, and other water heater designs in an attempt to cut down energy usage of all appliances that use heated water," wrote one contributor. We're happy to offer results to date of our testing of popular solar water heaters, which like pellet stoves, now have their own dedicated discussion.

Essential information: Our Energy Saving & Green Living guide has more information on the tactics, technologies, and tax incentives that can help cut your heating, cooling, electricity and water bills.

Forum Friday: Gas and charcoal grills cook up loads of discussions

Last weekend, we shared some late-season tips on keeping your gas grill in peak working condition. The discussions in our gas-grills forum reflect what's been hot this past season. If you're hoping to get a good deal on an end-of-season grill purchase, watch the video (right) and check out our free buyer's guide to gas grills. Our latest report on grills covers gas models as well as charcoal cookers and the Traeger Lil' Tex BBB070.

• Some posters are comparing notes on how specific 2009 model gas grills are faring this season

• Other commenters are complaining of being overcharged or underfilled when refilling or exchanging their propane tanks.

• There's also a heated debate over natural gas and liquid propane.

•Other readers have strong feelings about stainless-steel and cast-iron burners and infrared grills.

• On the customer-service front, one commenter had a good experience dealing with a manufacturer over a defective fuel regulator; another hasn't been as lucky with a Blue Ember grill, but some readers offered their own solutions.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Try our easy, delicious grilling recipes. And if you have a grilling tip or tale of your own, leave a comment below or on the forum.

Forum Friday: Reader discussions about cookware, freezers, and paint

If you haven't visited our revamped appliances and home-and-garden forums, take a quick spin. A streamlined navigation and look seem to be spurring discussions. The following discussions center around home-related content from the September 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.

Cookware
Forums moderator Angelo Mannino offers great tips to avoid warping griddle pans and to quickly test whether cookware will work with induction cooktops.

Freezers
Chest freezers cost less than upright models, but some commenters are starting to wonder whether the time needed to defrost them is worth the savings. Our latest report on freezers includes a self-defrosting upright model for $380—close to the price of many chest freezers.

Paint
"Hue Name It: How Pink Paint Became 'Marry Me'" details how to make sense of the the names associated with paint. Check out the discussion on the reliability of paint samples and read our latest report on interior paints. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

By the Numbers: Paint sales defy the downturn, says Home Improvement Research Institute

$12.5 billion

Amount of paint that Americans will be buy in 2010, according to a report
commissioned by the Home Improvement Research Institute and covered in
Home Channel News. The figure represents a 12.9 percent gain from 2008, when
sales of paints and preservatives totaled $11 billion. Sales in 2009 sales are pegged to rise by 2.9 percent, says HIRI. Based on these numbers, paint is showing signs of bucking the recession trend.

Retailers are reporting a shift from neutral off-white colors and earth tones that won't put off prospective home buyers to more active, vibrant colors for homeowners who want to personalize their living spaces. Perhaps that's why Pantone, the Carlstadt, New Jersey-based company that provides color standards for design industries, named Mimosa (swatch shown) its color of the year for 2009, succeeding Blue Iris and Chili Pepper.

Essential information: See our March 2009 report on interior paints.

Forum Friday: Amish heater, NuWave oven, and slow cookers

We've been following the claims of the heavily advertised Heat Surge Roll-N-Glow Electric Fireplace (commonly called the Amish heater), and tomorrow we'll publish a review on this blog. You can flame or acclaim this "miracle" heater and other models of space heaters in a "fireside chat" discussion on electric fireplaces and space heaters, including the EdenPure space heater.

Owners of the NuWave Infrared Cooking System are posting some positive reviews on this recent blog post. Share your experiences with this appliance and check back for the results of our test of the NuWave in the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online in April.

Slow cookers also have their fans. Read our recent report on slow cookers and join the simmering debate on the best models in our small-appliances forum.

Forum Friday: Blowing hot and cold

Last week, product reliability was a hot topic on our Appliances and Home & Yard forums. This week, we noticed some nice reactions to recent reviews, ratings, videos and blog postings:

Several members are weighing in on the pros and cons of gas furnaces that use a variable-speed blower motor.

At the other extreme of temperature, our new video on snow blowers (right) came out just in time to provide fodder for the "Snow- which blowers throw farthest" and "2 stage snow blower" discussions that have recently sprung up.

We've also just published a First Look on the new Hoover U6485-900 upright vacuum, and a "Hoover WindTunnel vs Kenmore Progressive" discussion has fans of each vacuum making their cases.