Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports offers tips for saving energy
Discussions about federal regulations on Energy Star ratings and energy-efficient products continue and homeowners need to keep a pulse on the changes. Consumer Reports, which seeks to help shoppers make the best decisions for their needs and possibly save some cash, offers these energy-saving tips. Powering electronic devices can cost almost as much as powering [...]
New ways to slash grocery bills
There’s no debating that today’s grocery bills are out of control. Sadly, snagging a deal on household staples such as cereal and toilet paper can be as much of a thrill as hitting a great shoe sale these days. However, there is some good news: Deals on groceries are getting easier to find as competition [...]
New ways to complain
Not so long ago, you had few options for expressing your dissatisfaction with a product or service. You may have told your friends and family about your experience. Maybe you filed complaints with state and federal regulatory agencies, the Better Business Bureau or the local consumer-watchdog reporter. Similarly, if you were really happy with a [...]
Kidizoom and Lego cameras for kids: standouts
Digital cameras with features such as flash, digital zoom and on-camera graphics are now aimed at users as young as 3 years old. In Consumer Reports’ first-ever evaluation of kid cameras, two models — the VTech Kidizoom, $40, and the Lego Digital Camera, $60 — stood out among the five models reviewed. The other three [...]
E-book readers and tablets improve
Consumer Reports’ latest Ratings of tablets and e-book readers highlight some new models that match or even beat market leaders on performance, price and portability for consumers looking to buy a gadget to go. While the iPad and Kindle still earned high scores, they now have company at the top of the Ratings. The Galaxy [...]
New coffee champs supreme
“New look, same great taste,” reads the slogan on Eight O’Clock Coffee’s packaging. Consumer Reports begs to differ. The brand’s 100 percent Colombian product, a favorite from CR’s March 2009 report, delivered less flavor in its most recent tests. The magazine’s expert taste testers brewed more than 1,000 cups of coffee and found two new [...]
Best buys for beauty
By Consumer Reports Shopping for beauty products can get ugly. Products can be too expensive, look too cheap or simply don’t work how you want them to. ShopSmart, the shopping magazine from the publisher of Consumer Reports, has six major tips to help you become a better beauty shopper. “We’ve all had our regrets when [...]
When is it time to repair or replace?
What do side-by-side refrigerators, laptop computers and zero-turn-radius riding mowers have in common? They’re among the most repair-prone products consumers can buy, according to Consumer Reports’ most recent Product Reliability Survey. And in CR’s separate Repair or Replace Survey, 27,404 subscribers reported about the troubles they had with 53,218 broken appliances, electronics, lawn equipment and [...]
Blenders do more than smoothies
Consumer Reports’ latest Ratings of 46 blenders have found that they not only blend, but will chop, juice, process food and even make soup. While some of the multitasking machines rose to the occasion, others could fail to impress at the next summer poolside party. “Shoppers can expect to see a wider variety of blender [...]
Tests of eight Chrysler cars shows progress
Consumer Reports’ tests of eight Chrysler vehicles revealed the automaker’s cars are getting better, but their level of improvement varies considerably. The Dodge Durango and Charger have improved the most. Both the V6 and V8 tested versions of the Durango SUV received “Very Good” road test scores. The Charger Rallye also received a “Very Good” [...]