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.

Technivorm Moccamaster KBT-741 makes great coffee but isn't a perfect machine

Being able to take home a coffeemaker that we're testing for a report on these appliances is among the, um, perks of my job. I recently got to use the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT-741, a $265 machine that's a favorite of many coffee aficionados.

But for all its prowess at achieving the prime temperature the vital for great brewing—195° to 205°F, held for six minutes—during our ongoing testing for an upcoming report on coffeemakers, the 10-cup Moccamaster KBT-741 hasn't impressed when it comes to convenience or carafe handling. Granted, extracting the most flavor from coffee is what matters most, but given the price of this coffeemaker, shouldn't it also be easy to use?

I recently used the Moccamaster KBT-741, made in the Netherlands, at home for a weekend. To my untrained palate, there was a noticeable difference between the coffee my machine brews and that from the Technivorm. Especially when I ground the beans immediately before brewing, the Technivorm delivered a cup of coffee that demanded I sit down, sit still, and do nothing else but savor it.

That said, I also encountered the same problems our testers have seen. What hung me up first was the protection designed to keep you from brewing without the thermal carafe in place. Most coffeemakers have a similar feature, which also lets you pour a cup midbrew. But on this Moccamaster, the brew stop comes in two parts: a button that gets pressed when you push the carafe all the way to the left and a switch on the filter holder that can halt the release of brewed coffee. Position the carafe an eighth of an inch off from the button, and no water will reach the coffee. Press the button without the filter-holder switch in its proper position, and brewing coffee will collect in the filter basket. Fortunately, the two times this happened, I was making only enough for a tall mug.

Also, after making coffee seven times, I also wasn't quite sure about the amount of water required to brew, since the lines on the reservoir didn't correspond to how much coffee I brewed—even after accounting for some evaporation and absorption into the grounds. After I looked at other coffeemakers, I realized that this Technivorm is hardly alone in the disconnect between water in and coffee out. The lesson? When brewing less than a full pot, you need to experiment to get the right amount of water.

As much as I enjoyed the coffee I made with the Technivorm, I can't justify springing for it. That leaves me with my current machine, which looks nice on the counter and does a fine job with decent beans. But I'll miss the coffee that the Moccamaster makes.

So to my colleagues, if I'm not in my office any morning next week, you might find me "testing" the Moccamaster in our labs. Just follow the coffee aroma.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Check out our buyer's guide to coffeemakers, which includes ratings of drip and pod models and espresso makers. And read our latest report on coffee. Ratings and report available to subscribers.

Latest Consumer Reports Index shows U.S. consumers in a down mood

A year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the global financial crisis the firm's demise triggered, the economic outlook doesn't look any brighter, according to the latest Consumer Reports Sentiment Index, one of several indices that comprise the overall Consumer Reports Index. The Sentiment Index slipped to 38.1, its lowest level since October 2008.

U.S. consumers aren't in much of a spending mood, but they did do some shopping last month, according to the Consumer Reports Retail Index. Purchases of small appliances and personal electronics, for example, both rose slightly in August, and that uptick is expected to continue through September.

Of course, Americans would have to buy many toasters and TV sets to boost the overall economy. Home sales might prove to the source of some positive news. The number of consumers planning to buy a home in September has climbed to 2.6 percent compared with 1.2 percent in August.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Check out our Kitchen-Planning Guide for details on and ratings of appliances large and small as well as remodeling tips. And read our home-buying advice, including directions on navigating the foreclosure market.

Appliance sales lagging amid signs of recovery, according to new Consumer Reports Index

While there are signs that the economy is starting to recover, the appliance industry may be among the last sectors to see any green shoots. That’s according to the Consumer Reports Retail Index, one of several indices used to create the newly minted Consumer Report Index.

As reported in “Consumers Aren’t So Upbeat, New Consumer Reports Index Shows," retail data from the last 30 days shows that consumer purchases declined, and small appliances and large appliances posted the largest percentage drops out of the surveyed product categories comprising the index.

Over the next 30 days, appliance purchases are expected to dip again relative to the prior month. The Consumer Reports Index findings reinforce dismal shipping numbers for the appliance industry in June, when year-over-year shipments of major appliances fell 30 percent.

Appliance purchases relate to another figure from the Consumer Reports Index: the percentage of homeowners who have postponed a home-improvement project. That figure peaked in July, when 27 percent of respondents said they put a project on hold. For August, the percentage decreased to 26 percent.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Make the most of a limited budget with appliance-buying advice from more than 25,000 Consumer Reports readers and this list of five crucial home repairs that you shouldn’t ignore.

Back-to-School Appliance-Buying Guide

Hard times don't mean college students have to give up healthful, tasty food. These appliances will come in handy whether your son or daughter lives in a dorm or an off-campus apartment. And while this gear won't turn your college-age cooks into an Iron Chef, it can save them some money and add variety and spice to their diet. (Suggested reading for rising college students worried about packing on the pounds during freshman year: "Fast Food Nearby: Convenience, But at What Cost?" )

Be sure to check your school's guidelines about appliances, and see the rest of our back-to-school coverage.

Compact Refrigerators

The "dorm-room refrigerator" moniker shows how closely compact refrigerators have become identified with college life, but only some of the models we tested made the grade. Many models have a single temperature-control dial, so you can't find an ideal temperature between the refrigerator and freezer sections. And all that we tested for this report are comparative energy hogs.

Only two refrigerators we tested had freezer sections that were able to keep frozen confections from turning to mush, and the 3.7-cubic-foot Avanti 308YWT, $200, flunked basic refrigeration. Choose the 4.6-cubic-foot Frigidaire FRC05L5D, $150, if your student will be a frequent frozen-food diner. Tell your kid to discard frozen foods that have been stored above 40°F for more than two hours, and print out these food-storage tips for him or her.

If you're willing to sacrifice capacity and freezing ability, the 2.5-cubic-foot capacity Sanyo SR-2570M, $130, combined reasonable performance and capacity with quiet operation; it also falls within the size limits imposed by many colleges. The 1.8-cubic-foot Haier HSA02, $100, the only recommended small cube-sized model, performed the best by far as a refrigerator and was quiet.

See the ratings (available to subscribers) for full details.

Coffeemakers

Many a college student has relied on coffee to get through finals, but these countertop appliances can also save your kid some real money by keeping them out of overpriced coffeehouses. Check out our March 2009 report on coffee.

If your student will make just a cup or two at a time, consider the standout $25 Melitta and $30 Cuisinart in our ratings (available to subscribers); both brew in a thermal container that can be taken to class. Multiple-cup standouts include a $40 Michael Graves model and the top-rated Cuisinart model, $99. If you want a model with a built-in grinder, check out the Mr. Coffee GBX23, $50, or the DGB-600BC, $160.

Smaller-footprint pod coffeemakers would seem an excellent choice for college, especially since they're simple to use and create less mess. But they require more expensive custom pods to brew coffee, so you might be better off stuffing your care packages with a top-rated coffee from our latest report.

Microwave Ovens

As with compact refrigerators, the usable space microwave ovens provide often is less than manufacturers claim, sometimes by up to 50 percent. When shopping, bring the boxes or clean, empty containers from your kid's preferred frozen foods to the store to see whether they fit inside the oven.

The best countertop models take the guesswork out of cooking and have settings for foods like popcorn, oatmeal, and pasta as well as for reheating or defrosting.

Among recommended models (available to subscribers) the Kenmore 6325[2], $130, bested the sharp-looking Panasonic Inverter NN-SD697[S] $160, at defrosting. And although it's not a conventional microwave oven, the $150 NuWave Pro Infrared Oven excelled at cooking some foods (especially chicken); it takes up about the same amount of space as a microwave.

Buyer's guides to carpet cleaners and juice makers now on ConsumerReports.org

Carpet cleaners and juicers don't appear to have much in common. Except that we've gotten a surge of requests to provide buying guidance for both; in one case, it happened within the same discussion in our forums.

So we've recently launched buyer's guides on carpet cleaners and juice makers/juicers. The former covers rental deep cleaners, vacuum-sized cleaners/extractors, and scrubbing machines. The guide to juice makers has details on citrus juicers and juice extractors. Essential information: Watch the video (right) to learn how quick action can minimize the long-term damage that wine, soda or juice spills can cause to carpets.

Our forums on laundry and cleaning and small appliances offer discussions and user reviews of both products.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: These buyer's guides to vacuums, blenders, and food processors feature buying advice and ratings (available to subscribers).

Buzzword: Cookprint

What it means. Cookprint takes the carbon footprint—the amount of greenhouse gas each of us generates through our daily activities—and plants it firmly in the kitchen.

Food writer Kate Heyhoe cooked up cookprint, defined as the energy needed to prepare the food you eat. That energy use encompasses the appliances and techniques used to prepare and store food, though the management of leftovers and food waste also factors in—you lower your cookprint by composting rather than tossing scraps into the trash. Low-cookprint meals should also be heavy on plant-based and locally grown, sustainable foods.

Why the buzz? A few new cookbooks—including Heyhoe's Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen—the New Green Basics Way; Big Green Cookbook: Hundreds of Planet-Pleasing Recipes and Tips for a Luscious, Low-Carbon Lifestyle, by Jackie Newgent; and Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating, by Mark Bittman—have stirred up interest in eco-conscious cooking.

Besides food enthusiasts, appliance manufacturers are in on the cookprint movement, though it's worth noting that cooking appliances as a category account for just 3 percent of a home's energy consumption, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Whirlpool says that for its induction appliances, "90% of the energy [is] expended into useful heat to reduce utility costs. (With gas ranges up to 60% of the heat is normally wasted through indirect gas combustion.)"

It's easy to cook more efficiently. On the cooktop, blanch green beans first and then cook pasta in the same pot of boiling water. In the oven, roast vegetables for tomorrow's supper alongside tonight's baked chicken. And when preheating a gas grill, throw on some potatoes or corn on the cob or heavy-duty-foil packets of vegetables instead of letting all those Btu go to waste.

Or when you're cooking small portions, use your toaster oven, which will consume less energy than a conventional oven. And reheat leftovers in a microwave oven. As covered in our February 2009 report on microwaves, microwave ovens can save up to 80 percent of the energy used by a typical oven. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency is considering making microwaves eligible for Energy Star qualification.

Remember, it rarely makes environmental sense to replace a working appliance just to take advantage of a new, more-efficient model. Still, if you do need a new refrigerator or dishwasher, the latest versions will reduce your cookprint. The average 2008 refrigerator or dishwasher uses 30 percent less energy than the average 2000 model, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Just don't fall victim to the Snackwell's effect when shopping.

Completing the cookprint cycle, conserve energy and water with your dishwasher by not prerinsing dishes before loading them, running full loads, and skipping the heated-dry cycle.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Visit our appliances hub to find the most energy-efficient refrigerators and dishwashers. Look for our special report on kitchens, in the August 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in July.

Last-minute Mother's Day gifts for the home

Unless you've somehow managed to avoid reading, watching, surfing, or listening to all media sources, you know that Sunday, May 10, is Mother's Day. It's up to you determine what your budget allows for gifts, but whatever you buy the moms in your life, it's probably money well spent: A recent study said fair corporate-world compensation for a stay-at-home mom would be $123,000 a year. (The Mom Salary Wizard is another way to determine that salary.)

If you haven't yet picked up your Mother's Day gift(s), consider the items below. And if you'd rather go the DIY route, fire up your gas or charcoal grill and make lunch or dinner this Sunday using these easy, delicious recipes for the grill. (Hint: Do postmeal cleanup, too.)

The Fiesta Blue Ember FG50069-U409 and the Char-Broil Red 463250509, each $450, surpassed grills costing as much as $1,400, as covered in our June 2009 report on gas grills (available to subscribers) Or consider the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven, $120. In our test, it cooked some foods well in less time than a conventional oven and was easy to clean.

If you're looking for a kitchen gear, here are some good options:

• The top-rated Cuisinart DLC-2011BCN food processor, $200, outperformed models costing twice as much when it came to chopping, pureeing, and mixing dough. If you don't need a machine that's good at kneading dough, consider the $180 Hamilton Beach Eclectrics 6322 stand mixer.

• If mom needs new kitchen knives, consider the stamped-steel knife sets from Oxo and Chicago Cutlery or the forged-steel set from Ginsu; the sets cost $60 to $100.

• And the $40 Michael Graves model was among the top scorers in our latest report on coffeemakers.

If mom's a DIYer, our tool-and-power-equipment guru Peter Sawchuk recommends the 2.3-pound Ryobi HJP001K, an easy-to-handle cordless drill/driver with a fast recharge time. For yard care, Sawchuk likes the $70 Toro Ultra Blower Vac leaf blower, with a compact design. A top-mounted motor and curved shaft makes the Black & Decker GH1000 electric string trimmer, $70 easy to handle. And if the yard's on the small side, mom might like the Black & Decker MM875 electric lawn mower, $230, which is easy to use and offers very good mulching.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Check out the recommended Mother's Day gifts from our colleagues who cover consumer electronics.

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.

New home content from the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports: Mowers, lawn care, toilet paper, NuWave oven, and more

It's that time of the year again. No, not tax season. Outdoor season, when you need to get your yard in shape. The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports features our latest review of lawn mowers and tractors and expert advice to make your lawn look its best. You'll find links to these reports and other home-related content below. (Several stories here are available only to subscribers.) e-mail | Twitter

Lawn mowers & tractors
Our tests of 81 machines find eight CR Best Buys to help keep your lawn in its best trim.

Hassle-free lawns
These time- and money-saving tips will allow you to enjoy your yard this summer.

Review of the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven
Does this countertop cooker sizzle or fizzle in our test?

Toilet paper
Our Best Buys can save you money.

Refrigerators
Shop in May and June to get a better deal.

Food processors
The best models chop prep time and cut costs.

Hidden costs of home remodeling
Learn how to keep things from going wrong on your next remodeling project.

Where to buy groceries
Find the best and worst supermarkets and cut hundreds from your grocery bill. And, are reusable totes a good buy?

Which big-box retailer is the best?
Find out how Costco, Walmart, Kmart and others compare.