| Consumer Reports Reveals the Ten Most-Hyped Kitchen Products |
|
|
| by Charles Stuart Platkin | |
| Tuesday, 03 July 2007 | |
|
Consumer Reports' latest tests reveal that many of the most loudly hawked products (and often most expensive) delivered less than they promised and several were beaten by the old standards that cost far less.The 2007 August issue is CR's largest kitchen package to-date with over 30 pages of advice and comprehensive Ratings that will help consumers decide which appliances, countertops, sinks, faucets and flooring offer the best combination of style, performance, and value based on our independent lab tests. Consumer Reports cooked up 850 pounds of ground beef in tests of appliances and used over 40 stain-producing materials including red wine and ink to test the stain-resistance of flooring, countertops, and other materials.
10 Most-Hyped Products and What to Buy Instead
1. Pro-style ranges. Spending more on pro-style appliances doesn't
guarantee better quality. Consumer Reports' tests continue to find
that $4,000-plus professional-style ranges perform no better than
less-expensive, conventional models. Some pro-style ranges still
lack common features and have high repair rates.
CR Advice: Consider faux pro-style ranges from mainstream
manufacturers that combine stainless-steel style, performance, and
reliability for thousands less.
2. Speed cooking. Faster doesn't mean better. Found in some
microwaves, ranges, and ovens, speed cooking combines microwaving
with convection or baking and broiling to cut cooking time. CR
found the performance of speed cookers to be spotty in tests; some
foods came out great, while others were undercooked.
CR Advice: Look for ovens and ranges with convection, which uses a
fan to circulate hot air so food can bake and roast at lower
temperatures for shorter times.
3. Steam ovens & ranges. Steam didn't melt the fat away. According to
CR tests, food cooked in some of these types of ovens, which all
cost more than $1000, had just as much fat after steaming as before.
CR Advice: Skip them.
4. Multimedia Refrigerators. Side-by-sides with TVs and
calendars promise to help consumers organize their lives and their
leftovers, but none of the models CR tested out-cooled the best
conventional fridges.
CR Advice: Save $2,000 or more by buying a top-rated refrigerator
and a capable flat-panel TV.
5. Turbocharged Dishwashers. Despite claims of maximizing "washing
pressure to ensure superior cleaning for the toughest jobs," CR
tests revealed that most regular dishwashers including ones without
a turbo cycle do very good job of cleaning dishes, even with baked-
on food.
CR Advice: Choose a lower-priced dishwasher that blends top
cleaning with quietness and shorter cycle times.
6. Appliance Drawers. Although touted as flexible, space-saving, and
stylish, CR tests of drawer versions of refrigerators, dishwashers,
and microwaves show that their lower capacity, efficiency, and
overall performance, plus their higher prices, negate those perks.
CR Advice: For style and accessible storage, choose a good French-
door fridge. Run the rinse-only cycle on a regular dishwasher for
small loads. Consumers who can live without a range hood's better
venting can free up counter space with an over-the-range microwave.
Each costs a fraction of what a drawer costs.
7. Pricey Faucets and Sinks. CR found few performance differences
between the least and most expensive versions of faucets and sinks
from major brands.
CR Advice: Faucets in chrome or with physical vapor deposition
(PVD) finishes performed best regardless of price. All of the
stainless steel sinks CR tested resisted dents, stains, scratches,
and heat similarly, whether they were thick or thin.
8. Trendy Counters. CR tests found concrete to be fragile and
susceptible to scratches, chips, and hairline cracks. Limestone may
start out smooth, but it scratched, stained, and chipped in CR
tests.
CR Advice: For a stone look, go for granite or quartz.
9. "Green" Flooring. Bamboo, cork, and linoleum are all considered
renewable alternatives to standard hardwood and vinyl flooring.
However, some did not hold up to the usual spills, scratches,
dropped plates, and sunlight in CR tests.
CR Advice: For high traffic areas, consider plastic laminate and
vinyl; both proved toughest overall in CR tests, generally for less
money. Also, solid wood floors can be sanded and refinished several
times.
10. One-Stop Shops. Shop around. Consumer Reports latest surveys
reveal that no one retailer was impressive for design help,
installation services, product quality, selection, and price. Bookmark:            Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
|
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 July 2007 ) |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
