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GE and Keurig give new meaning to instant coffee

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GE and Keurig give new meaning to instant coffee

Nearly one out of three coffee drinkers get their brew from a single-serve coffeemaker. It’s mostly no fuss, no muss except when you need to pour water into the reservoir. Now that step has been eliminated by a new GE refrigerator that incorporates a Keurig pod coffeemaker next to the refrigerator’s usual water dispenser. Presto, the water is there on demand. Pop in a K-cup and your cup of Joe is ready to go.

The eye-opening refrigerator is on display at the big Design & Construction show in Las Vegas. Production begins this summer and the coffee-dispensing refrigerator should be available this fall for $3,300. GE is touting such features as fresh, filtered water; regaining the counter space you lost to your coffeemaker, and the ability to program the Keurig from your smart phone if you want to preheat the water before inserting a K-cup. The Keurig will be available on GE Cafe Series French-door bottom-freezer models, GE CFE28USHSS and GE CYE22USHSS.

While pod coffeemakers are the fastest growing segment of the coffeemaker market, in Consumer Reports' coffeemaker taste tests, coffee made in single-serve machines was not as robust as that made in drip machines. Still, if tastes vary in your household, a single-serve machine may be a good choice.

Spending $3,300 for a refrigerator that makes coffee may seem a bit much—and we won't know how it performs until we buy it for testing this fall. For less, you can get our top-rated French door bottom-freezer, the GE Profile PWE23KMDES, $2,600. The top-rated Keurig in our tests is the Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System, $180, but it didn’t make our list of top pod coffeemaker picks. The top spot is held by the DeLonghi Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio EDG455T, $130. That means you can get two top performing appliances for $2,730, although you’ll lose that counter real estate again.

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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All you need to know about clearing snow

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All you need to know about clearing snow

You can count on Consumer Reports for advice on how to choose a snow blower that’s right for the snow you typically face. Our snow blower Ratings tell you which models get the job done, and your product manual will help you master the snow blower’s controls. What you won’t find in the manual, however, is anything on the best strategy for clearing the snow itself once you’ve got your machine all fueled up and ready. Here are some tips:

Assess the job. Your driveway won’t change, but anything in it will complicate the job. This includes everything from the morning newspaper and stray branches or leaves to cars you can’t fit in your garage. If your town lets you park exposed vehicles in a municipal lot during snowstorms, consider it. Besides having a clearer path for your snow blower—with fewer occasions to change the chute’s direction—any snow you push off the car stays there, not in your driveway.

Exploit any sunlight. A driveway with a southern exposure will clear faster, even in the winter, just from the extra sunshine. For a northern exposure, much of your driveway may be in the shade when the sun is strongest. Here’s where you’ll need to work the hardest to clear the snow to the pavement, following up with a shovel and salt.

Work with the wind. You’ll learn quickly not to blow snow over parts of the driveway you’ve already cleared. After each storm, however, you’ll need to assess which way the wind is blowing—and how hard—and adjust the snow blower accordingly. Have neighboring properties close by? The harder the wind blows, the lower you should adjust your chute opening, or else you’ll be sending your white stuff next door. A high chute opening could also mean snow blowing back to parts of your own driveway or a walk you’ve already cleared.

Watch the forecasts. Keep in touch with what’s coming, and you can save yourself a lot of work. If the next day will be in the 40s, for instance, don’t knock yourself out scraping down to the bare pavement; just throw down some salt. But if the next day will be in the 20s or colder—high winds also tend to follow a storm—understand that whatever you don’t clear will freeze. This could mean using a pick rather than a snow blower for the plow pile delivered by your town’s snow plow. Another tip: Clearing a few small, fresh plow piles as the plow comes by is much easier than dealing with one that’s two feet high and compacted.

Be proactive. Working proactively could also save you some even harder labor. Two winters ago, this reporter could not sleep and at 4:45 a.m. looked out the window to see a layer of sleet had fallen. By daylight, neighbors had a sheet of ice more than an inch thick on their driveways, walks, and decks. Mine were clear because I’d gone out and shoveled everything off to the side while it was still mushy.

There are other tricks, such as using your snow blower to remove snow in the street, in the direction the plow comes, before the snow plow can return and pile it up in your driveway. Depending on the orientation, grade, and other characteristics of your driveway, you’ll learn a little bit more each winter.

Need a new snow blower?

A few models are still out there, but don’t hit the road before you read our snow blower buying guide—and check out our Ratings of more than 110 models. Our top-scoring models include the two-stage, 30-inch Cub Cadet 31AH57S, $1,500, and Ariens 921032, $1,300, and the single-stage, 21-inch Toro Power Clear 721E, $570. No corded-electric or battery-powered models made our list of picks; they’re suitable only for accumulations of about four inches or less.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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5 health benefits of coffee

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5 health benefits of coffee

The headlines about the health benefits of coffee seem to change as quickly as the time it takes to drink a cup. Is coffee good for you? Here's what we know now:

1. It may help you live longer.

True, coffee drinkers are more likely than nondrinkers to smoke, eat red meat, skimp on exercise, and have other life-shortening habits, according to a 2012 study in the New England Journal of Medicine. But when researchers took those factors into account, they found that people ages 50 to 71 who drank at least one cup of coffee per day lowered their risk of dying from diabetes, heart disease, or other health problems when followed for more than a decade. That may be due to beneficial compounds such as antioxidants—which might ward off disease—and not caffeine. Decaf drinkers had the same results.

2. It may perk you up.

Coffee is not just a pick-me-up; it also has been linked to a lower risk of depression. In a study led by the Harvard School of Public Health that tracked 50,000 women for 10 years, those who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day were 20 percent less likely to develop depression than nondrinkers.

Another study found that adults who drank two to four cups of caffeinated cof­fee were about half as likely to attempt suicide as decaf drinkers or abstainers. The researchers speculated that long-term coffee drinking may boost the production of “feel good” hormones such as dopamine.

Coffee isn't the only drink that can keep you healthy. Tea, hot chocolate, or even a hot toddy can pack a nutritional punch.

3. It contains many good-for-you chemicals.

For most Americans who drink coffee, it provides more antioxidants than any other food, according to Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton. But it’s also a top source of acrylamide, a chemical whose link to can­cer is being investigated.

4. It may cut your risk for type 2 diabetes.

A recent Harvard-led study of more than 120,000 men and women found that those who increased the amount of caffeinated coffee they drank per day by more than one 8-ounce cup, on average, were 11 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those whose coffee habits stayed the same. And those who decreased their daily intake by at least a cup per day, on average, were 17 percent more likely to develop the disease.

But nix the doughnut with your morning cup; excess sugar might cancel out any benefit you might get from a balanced blood sugar level. And watch how much sugar and cream you add to your java—overdo it and you have a calorie- and fat-packed beverage.

5. Most people don't have to worry about the caffeine.

Data suggest that most healthy adults can safely consume, daily, up to 400 milligrams of caffeine—the amount in around two to four cups of brewed coffee. (Exact amounts vary a lot, though.) Pregnant women should keep it to less than 200 milligrams; kids, no more than 45 to 85 milligrams. More than that can cause side effects including insomnia, irritability, and restlessness. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, heart, and muscles.

So if you have an anxiety disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, or heart disease, or if you take certain medications, watch your consumption or opt for decaf. And if you have acid reflux, you might want to skip coffee altogether because the acidity could exacerbate it.

—Rachel Meltzer Warren

This article also appeared in the December 2014 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.  

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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The lowly bathroom goes high-tech

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The lowly bathroom goes high-tech

The home's hardest working fixture is taking on some pretty high-tech features. If you're remodeling the bathroom, check out these new toilets that Consumer Reports saw on display at Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas. We also found some other bathroom innovations including smart showers and heated flooring.

Hands-free flushing. Maybe you’ve experienced touchless toilets that flush by themselves in an airport lavatory. They work (sometimes) by sensing when you've walked away from the toilet. The new touchless toilet from Kohler gives you more control. You simply hold a hand over the tank lid directly above the sensor to activate the flush. That could help eliminate the spread of germs. Just remember to tell guests how it works. The touchless flush technology is available on the Kohler Cimarron toilet, which scored very well in our latest toilet Ratings. You can also buy a retrofit kit that works with most toilets, including models made by other manufacturers, for $20.
 
Extreme efficiency. The most water efficient single-flush toilets on the market use 1.28 gallons per flush. Toto is raising the bar with its launch of the Carlyle II 1G, which uses Double Cyclone technology to generate ultra high-efficiency flushing with only one gallon of water. If your home's toilets are a couple decades old, switching to this new Toto model could save you well over $100 per year. That may will help with the hefty $979 price tag.          
 
Self deodorizing. Another innovation from Kohler, the Purefresh toilet seat is designed to keep bathrooms smelling clean. The seat has a built-in carbon filter that neutralizes odors, plus an integrated fan, activated when you sit down, that directs the filtered air over a scent pack located within the system. Optional scents include Garden Waterfall, Soft and Fresh Laundry, and Avocado Spa. Or you can leave the cartridge empty. The Purefresh seat, which also features an integrated night light, is available on most Kohler toilets.

Best toilets in Consumer Reports' tests

Kohler and Toto are just two of the brands of toilets tested by Consumer Reports. Our top-performing toilet is the single-flush American Standard Champion 4 Max 2586.128ST.020, $240, followed by the Delta Riosa C43906, $270, and the Toto Drake CST744S, $370. Not far behind is the Kohler Kelston K-3754, $275. For more choices see our full Toilet Ratings and recommendations.
        
—Daniel DiClerico (@dandiclerico on Twitter)

Bathroom remodeling guide

Everything you need to know about updating your bathroom including Bathroom Trends and Costs and Remodeling Dos and Don'ts.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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The best and worst home improvement shows

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The best and worst home improvement shows

When they’re not hard at work in the labs or out in the field, the many testers, editors, writers, and market analysts from Consumer Reports’ Home team can often be found catching up on their favorite home improvement shows—or shouting at the TV during the ones they like the least. Here are their current picks and pans.

Picks

“Rehab Addict” Inexpensive homes lovingly restored via sweat equity. This show is what “This Old House” was before project budgets ballooned and homeowners began writing checks instead of swinging a hammer.
Where to watch it: HGTV
Website: Rehab Addict

“Property Brothers” We all wish Drew and Jonathan were our big brothers—and that they’d help us find our dream home.
Where to watch it: HGTV
Website: Property Brothers

“Ask This Old House” Though the main show has gotten over-the-top, this spin-off gives helpful solutions to small projects, the kind regular people are likely to face.
Where to watch it: PBS
Website: Ask This Old House

Nix

“Million Dollar Listing” It’s shows such as this that can give real estate pros a bad name. Millionaires don’t come off very well, either.
Where to watch it:
Bravo
Website:
Million Dollar Listing

“Flip or Flop” Really? Didn’t flipping real estate contribute to the last housing crisis?
Where to watch it:
HGTV
Website:
Flip or Flop

“Kitchen Crashers” Got three days? Get a new room free of charge. But the whole crew is working almost 24 hours each day, so it’s not exactly reality TV.
Where to watch it:
DIY Network
Website:
Kitchen Crashers

More on Remodeling

For more remodeling tips and tricks plus the best product picks from Consumer Reports tests see our Kitchen Planning Guide and Bathroom Remodeling Guide.

Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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The pizza oven you'd buy if you could afford it

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The pizza oven you'd buy if you could afford it

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas features the latest appliances, but most are not fully set up to run in the convention center. But this year Kalamazoo, maker of high-end outdoor cooking products, fired up its new Artisan Fire Pizza Oven and, knowing that I had grown up making pizza in my family's restaurants and built my own wood-fired ovens, invited me to give it a try.

A countertop version of the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven has been on the market for a few years but now Kalamazoo has a fully built-in version that can be set in an outdoor wall of masonry or stone just like a wood-fired oven would be. Powered by propane or natural gas, the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven heats up to 800 degrees, the ideal temperature for cooking true Naples Style pizza. You can also use it to cook roasted chicken, meat, vegetables, and cedar plank salmon, although you’ll want to adjust the temperature.

The oven has a flame in the back that creates the convection needed to cook the pizza and is lined with stone for optimal baking performance. The pizzas I cooked at the show took less than three minutes each, just like my wood-fired oven at home. And they tasted just as good. The oven has the added benefit of a quick 20 minute preheat without dealing with wood, fire, and smoke. Although for some, that is part of the true Naples style pizza experience.

I wish I could say that Consumer Reports will be bringing the Artisan Fire Pizza Oven into our labs for testing, but at $8,295 plus installation this is more of an aspirational product. The freestanding version is $6,795. For a lot less, you can try the BakerStone Pizza Oven Box, $150, which you place on top of the grill you already own. We tested it last summer and the pizzas were a crowd pleaser. Add in the top-rated midsized grill from our tests, the Weber Spirit SP-320 46700401, $600, and you're still ahead of the game.

—Michael DiLauro (@midilauro on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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5 reasons to skip saw palmetto pills for enlarged prostate

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5 reasons to skip saw palmetto pills for enlarged prostate

Constantly rushing to the bathroom is a common complaint among among the millions of men who develop an enlarged prostate gland, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It can be seriously inconvenient: Nature’s urgent call may wake you several times a night (even if you’re sleeping on one of our top-rated mattresses). So it’s easy to see the allure of herbal remedies touted on TV and radio, on the Internet, and in vitamin stores.

But what’s in those pills promising to restore healthy prostate function, improve urine flow, and deliver an uninterrupted night’s sleep? They can include the ingredient saw palmetto. Consumers shelled out $145 million in 2013 for saw palmetto products, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. It has been used to treat urologic conditions since the days of the ancient Egyptians. But that long history doesn’t mean it works.  

Here are five reasons you should skip saw palmetto and head to the doctor for advice instead.

1. It’s no better than a placebo.

Researchers gave 369 men suffering from symptoms of BPH either a placebo or doses of saw palmetto extract. They tracked their symptoms for up to 72 weeks and concluded that the extract (even at high levels) was no better than a placebo at alleviating symptoms. And a more recent review by the independent Cochrane Collaboration of studies involving a total of 5,666 men came to the same conclusion.

2. Its dosage may vary.

Even if you wanted to try taking a regular dose of saw palmetto, there’s currently no guarantee that the supplement you choose contains what it says it does. One study analyzed six different brands of the supplement and found that half of them contained less than 20 percent of the amount stated on the label.

3. It might not be safe.

Saw palmetto doesn’t seem to have any major side effects, but some users have reported headaches, nausea, and dizziness. However, we haven’t seen studies proving that saw palmetto is actually safe for the long term. In addition, supplements, including saw palmetto, are not well regulated by the FDA, and it’s not uncommon for wily manufacturers to distribute tainted products. You may think you’re taking a “natural” herbal remedy, but for all you know, you could be taking prescription, or even experimental, drugs.

Read more about supplements and find out why vitamin C won't cure your cold.

4. It might mask another problem.

If you have symptoms of an enlarged prostate, including frequent urination, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have an enlarged prostate. The same symptoms might pop up if you have prostatitis (an inflamed or infected prostate gland) or a bladder infection that can be treated with an antibiotic. Or the symptoms might even be a side effect of another medication. If supplements relieve your symptoms for some reason, you might neglect treating another ailment.

5. It's a waste of money.

Instead of throwing your dollars away on saw palmetto supplements, see your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and find out about approved drugs that can help. Common treatments include alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Visit Consumer Reports’ Best Buy Drugs to find out more about drugs it recommends for treating enlarged prostate.

—Lauren Cooper

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Kitchen faucets that combine flexibility with finesse

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Kitchen faucets that combine flexibility with finesse

Pullout faucets, which are ideal for rinsing dishes and spraying down the sink, have become fairly commonplace. Now we're starting to see more articulating models that offer even greater flexibility, including the Brizo Articulating Kitchen Faucet, which took home gold at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, part of Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas.

Brizo’s update on the pullout faucet features a spray wand that can be docked and undocked for maximum flexibility. It's available in Brizo's Solna and Artesso collections in a variety of finishes. Both are single handle faucets, which are generally easier to install than two-handled faucets, since you're dealing with just one sink hole. But remember that it's always easier to replace a faucet and a sink at the same time. Fittings that can be tightened with a screwdriver also streamline installation, while long water-supply hoses let you make connections lower in the sink cabinet where tools are easier to manipulate.

Here's a full list of the award winners from the Best of KBIS.

How Consumer Reports tests faucets

Tough finishes and top-notch valves are now common on all but the cheapest faucets. Most also have lifetime warranties that cover defects and even finishes. In Consumer Reports faucet tests, we found few performance differences between brands and that's why our advice is based on finish and not individual faucet models. We tested single-handle pullout faucets, the fastest growing style. They combine spray head and spout for added convenience and flexibility, but our findings are applicable to other faucet styles too.

The exterior of some faucets are bombarded with charged metal atoms that chemically bond to the surface of the base metal in a process called physical vapor deposition or PVD. PVD finishes resisted our best attempts at scratching them, but corrosives such as drain cleaner can stain them slightly. Here are some findings from our tests.

  • Chrome remains a popular finish and is pretty durable, but a heavy-duty scouring pad can scratch it.
  • Brushed stainless didn't show scratches or stains as easily as chrome.
  • Bronze offers a rustic look and we tested two bronze faucets. The one without a PVD finish was the least resistant in our abrasion tests. The faucet with a PVD finish was fine.

—Daniel DiClerico  (@dandiclerico on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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When it comes to the Super Bowl, Americans throw a few penalty flags

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When it comes to the Super Bowl, Americans throw a few penalty flags

What’s not to like about the Super Bowl, that annual early-February football fiesta? Apparently a lot, according to a recent nationally representative survey of 1,015 Americans conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

The top three most-cited gripes are about the on-field action: Forty-six percent of Super Bowl watchers say that referees’ bad calls are highly annoying; 44 percent cite arrogant players; and 43 percent say unsportsmanlike conduct peeves them. (Watch our video, above, to see the differences between men and women when it comes to these issues.)

Check out Consumer Reports' top 10 TVs for Super Bowl XLIX and our top 10 TV bargains for the game

Farther down the list of gridiron grievances (see all the gripes, below):

  • 34 percent of watchers are highly annoyed when their own team does not make it to the Super Bowl.

  • 33 percent dislike TV cameras focusing on rowdy or drunken fans in the stands; the excessive media coverage before, during, and after the game; and long supermarket lines when picking chips, drinks, and other nosh on game day.

Of course, these issues haven’t stopped people from tuning into the game—68 percent of American adults have watched the Super Bowl either on television or at the stadium, in part or in its entirety, at least once within the past three years. (Find out how to stream the Super Bowl for free.)

One final gripe from a colleague: Since the Super Bowl, now in its 49th—make that XLIXth—edition has become something of a national holiday, the NFL should move the game to Saturday. (The TV audience will tune in.) Imagine being able to sleep in on a Sunday after all that pigskin partying.

—Susan Feinstein

Gripe

Percent highly annoyed

Bad calls by officials

46%

Arrogant players

44%

Unsportsmanlike conduct by players

43%

Their team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl

34%

TV camera focusing on rowdy or drunken fans

33%

Excessive media coverage before, during, and after game

33%

Long supermarket lines when getting chips and drinks on Super Bowl Sunday

33%

Cleanup after a Super Bowl party

32%

TV commercials that are suggestive or provocative

29%

Lots of commercials

29%

Losing money in a Super Bowl betting pool

26%

Dull game commentary by announcers

25%

Over-the-top halftime shows

24%

Focus on drinking alcohol

24%

TV timeouts, when the game is stopped for advertisements

24%

Uninformative player interviews

23%

Next-day hangover or eating-related complaints (e.g., heartburn)

22%

Long break between conference championship games and Super Bowl

18%

Focus on binge snacking

17%

Pregame show

14%

Hosting a Super Bowl party

14%

Having to watch the game on current TV (which could be better)

13%

Having to attend a Super Bowl party

9%

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Mr. Coffee gets smart but in a goofy way

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Mr. Coffee gets smart but in a goofy way

The very notion of the connected home implies a bevy of devices, fixtures, and appliances that you can control remotely to improve your life in some meaningful way. But as many of us warm to the idea of how convenient some of these products may be, products like the Mr. Coffee Smart Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91WE, $150, remind us that some smart technology can be a little goofy.

The Mr. Coffee Smart Optimal Brew is one of a line of products resulting from a partnership between Jarden Consumer Solutions and Belkin, whose WeMo smart home platform added several new products at this year’s CES, including the Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker, which Consumer Reports has tested.

As a coffeemaker, the Mr. Coffee Smart Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91WE is no slouch. It made our list of picks for drip coffeemakers by brewing at industry-accepted guidelines for temperature and speed, and we like its operation and features, which include a water filter, a removable reservoir, and an indicator that tells you when cleaning is needed. It lost points for an especially heavy carafe that needs to be held completely upside down to empty.

But here's the catch. While the 10-cup coffeemaker can be programmed, unlike most of the drip coffeemakers in our tests, it can only be programmed from your smart device and not from the machine itself. And, if you forgot to charge your phone or left it at work, there’s no way to manually program the machine. So you're back to pressing the “brew” button.

For the smart functionality, the Mr. Coffee Smart Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX91WE costs $50 more than its brandmate, the Mr. Coffee Optimal Brew BVMC-PSTX95GTF, which is exactly the same except for the wireless connectivity. Oh, and one other difference: You can program that machine anytime within a 24-hour period using the settings on the coffeemaker. The two machines scored roughly the same in our coffeemaker tests and both made our list of top coffeemaker picks.

In our coffeemaker tests of more than 125 models, top-notch brewing from a drip coffeemaker costs as little as $30. For more choices, see our coffeemaker Ratings of more than 40 single-serve, “pod” machines, and check out our buying guide.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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5 Tips for deciding whether to shop online or in the store

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5 Tips for deciding whether to shop online or in the store

When it comes to getting the best price when you go shopping, don't assume that a retailer charges the same prices in the store as it does online. Shop online, then check the prices in the store. What you find might surprise you. 

For example, we recently found a backpack selling on Target.com for $47, compared to the in-store price of $68. And a few days later, the website had the item on sale for 37, the best price we could find anywhere, while the in-store price remained the same.

Such differences between a retailer's online and in-store price are not unusual.

Other's have found similar discrepancies in price. During the holidays, a spot check of product prices by ConsumerWorld.org found differences between retailers' online and in-store prices ranging from 50 cents to nearly $200. Even more surprising, prices at retailers' walk-in stores were sometimes lower than on their websites.

“There is no universal rule-of-thumb that prices are always cheaper online compared to the retailer’s own brick-and-mortar store,” said Edgar Dworsky, the founder of ConsumerWorld.org in a prepared statement.

For instance, Dworsky found that in October, Kmart’s retail stores had a clearance on barbecue grills with prices much lower than on the retailer’s website. But he also found a Canon digital camera that Walmart was selling for $99 online, but for $139 in the store.

There are plenty of online tools to help you get the best price when you go shopping. Read about how to get the best deal on practically anything.

What to do

  • Compare retailer’s online and in-store prices. Don't just assume the prices are the same. Of course, you should look at competitors' prices, too.
  • Check a retailer’s price matching policies. Some retailers’ walk-in stores match their websites and vice versa. (Target stores price match Target.com, but Target.com doesn't match stores prices, which, incidentally, can vary by location). ConsumerWorld.org says it was able to save $180 at Staples by having the store match the retailer’s online price for a desktop computer. 
  • Don’t just consider price. When comparing, don’t forget to take into account shipping charges for online purchases. You may be able to avoid them if the retailer's website has free shipping to one of its stores.
  • Do some showrooming. Even if you have to buy a product online to get the best deal, there's no reason why you can't thoroughly check it out in the store before buying. So go ahead and ask questions and get a feel for the product before ordering online. Ask to see any manufacturer's warranty. By law, a store must show it to you before you buy the item.
  • Protect your rights. Keep in mind that you may have greater warranty rights when buying in a store. That's because most retail websites we've checked disclaim so-called implied warranties, which means they're technically selling their products "as-is." Although the websites usually have policies allowing returns, including for defective merchandise, implied warranties can give you even greater protection. In contrast, retailers generally don't sell items "as-is" in their walk-in stores. 

— Anthony Giorgianni

.

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5 reasons not to use your lawn tractor to plow snow

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5 reasons not to use your lawn tractor to plow snow

Anyone with a lawn tractor or riding mower who lives in a snowy region has likely pondered the notion of attaching a plow or snow blower to it, especially when the snow falls heavy and deep. But for many of us, particularly those who’ve taken advantage of the latest wave of snow blowers that cost $2,000 or less, a beefy snow blower is probably the better bet for a number of reasons:

Shorter tractor life. The transmissions of most residential lawn tractors and zero-turn-radius riders are best suited for one use: cutting grass. Pushing or blowing snow is another story. A number of companies, such as Nordic Plow, sell sturdy plowing attachments designed for specific models. But unless you have a high-end lawn or garden tractor, you could shorten the life of your tractor by pushing a plow or snow-blower attachment against significant snow.

More expensive than you think. At about $300 to $800, a plow attachment can cost as much as a decent snow blower. For a snow-blower attachment, it’s closer to $1,300 to $1,400. Add in at least $50 for chains and more still for wheel weights, both of which you’d need for traction.

Cumbersome clearing. One plus to a snow blower is that you can maneuver it around vehicles and other obstacles in your driveway. But a snow-blower attachment adds at least two feet to the front of your tractor, making for clumsier movement. If it’s a plow, passage is restricted by the width. A bigger consideration, though, is that the engine and transmission themselves will limit you to snow accumulations better suited for a compact two-stage snow blower such as the 24-inch Craftsman 88173, $680. As for the plow pile at the end of your driveway, forget about it.

Lots of hassle. Before you install a plow or snow-blower attachment, you have to remove the tractor deck. Each spring, you’ll have to remove the attachment and reinstall and level the deck. Each of these tasks is a major headache, requiring at least an hour’s work each time.

Tricky storage. Any attachment, figuring in the mechanism to connect it to the tractor, will need garage or shed space. And as long as the plow or blower is attached, you’ll need space for the tractor’s deck. Any of these will take up more space than the average snow blower.

For most of the country, the thought of driving a lawn tractor is still a few months away.  If you want a reliable machine for dealing with the snow, models such as the high-performing Cub Cadet 31AH57S, $1,500, and Ariens 921032, $1,300, both 30-inch models, might be hard to find this late in the season. Still, they’re among the many in our Ratings of more than 110 snow blowers that do the job without compromise. See our snow blower buying guide before making your selection.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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8 steps to keeping your cell phone working in a blizzard

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8 steps to keeping your cell phone working in a blizzard

Today's smart phones can do just about everything, but when a blizzard, hurricane, or other disruptive weather condition threatens to trap you without power, the device's most important job is to act as a lifeline. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, thousands of ConsumerReports.org subscribers in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York—three of the states hardest hit by Sandy—told us about their experiences in the storm. With their feedback in mind here are 8 ways you and your cell phone can be primed to handle a weather disaster. (And here is more information for keeping your family safe during winter storms.)

1. Top off your cell battery

Keep your cell phone plugged into an AC outlet at all times. That way if there's a power outage, you'll have a hundred percent battery on your cell phone. If your family has several phones, use only one and keep the others turned off until needed.

2. Switch to economy mode

Samsung and LG phones both have a mode that shuts down all but essential functions, potentially stretching battery life for several days. You'll find the switch in the notifications bar. Switch them on the second you lose power. 

If you don't have such a phone, turn off auto brightness in the display settings and set display brightness to 20 percent. Make sure display time-out is set for 30 seconds or less. Open your email and social network apps, such as Facebook, and set them for less frequent notifications. 

3. Hold off on Tweets

If you lose power, don't waste your phone's precious energy reserves posting pictures of your harrowing situation. You can update your friends after you get the power back.

4. Consider buying an extra battery

If you can't replace the battery—on an iPhone, for instance—you can get a charging case (juice pack) that extends the battery life. Make sure you have enough wall and car chargers for your family and for your devices, since you might want to recharge your phone at your sister's house while your spouse charges up a phone and tablet at work or on the commute. Consider getting a charger that uses solar power, batteries, or hand cranking instead of an outlet.

5. Find places to charge up

Don't be shy about taking devices elsewhere to recharge. Take a cue from the resourceful consumers in our survey: 65 percent of the respondents charged up in their cars, 44 percent at the homes of friends or family, 27 percent at their workplaces, 17 percent at public spaces such as malls, 10 percent at retailers, and 7 percent at service providers such as dentists or hairdressers.

Stay safe in winter. And learn how choose the best smart phone and mobile plan.

6. Text if you can't talk

If you can't get a voice call through, try sending a text. The data demands are smaller, and a text message might work when voice calls can't on networks that are congested or disabled. (If you have any family members who rarely or never text, teach them.)

7. Consider multiple carriers

If there's still time before the storm hits, consider getting a spare prepaid phone that uses a carrier other than your main one. You may just double your chance of getting signals if service in your area begins to fail.

8. Call on friends and neighbors

If your home becomes a cellular dead zone, you can do what 18 percent of our survey respondents did: Seek out friends or family members who have service, or join the 10 percent of respondents who spent more time than usual at work to make calls or send e-mail.

—Mike Gikas

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Super gas grills for your Super Bowl bash

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Super gas grills for your Super Bowl bash

Any party that starts with an array of dips and ends with brownies is my kind of bash. Toss in the Super Bowl and a halftime show that dazzles, and suddenly that first day of February seems like a winner. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the top grilling days of the year and it’s estimated that over 30 percent of Americans will fire up their grills. Beyond burgers, why not use your gas grill to slow cook a brisket, turn out crispy pizzas, or sear fruit that adds zing to pitchers of sangria. To make your party super try these grilling tips from the experts at Consumer Reports. But first, more about the menu. 

Leave it to Stephen Raichlen, author of the popular "Barbecue! Bible" to raise the bar for dips. He recommends grilling bell peppers to add a smoky sweet flavor in his recipe for grilled pepper and feta dip. Even onion dip gets an upgrade by grilling sweet onions. For more menu ideas check out  the Super Bowl Party Recipes and Drinks on Epicurious.com, including their tips for building the ultimate nachos

Three ways to make a basic grill more versatile

Add that smoky flavor (without a smoker). Soak wood chips in water for an hour, drain, and wrap in heavy-duty foil (1 cup per pouch). Hickory, oak, mesquite, and pecan are possibilities. Poke holes in the top of the pouches and put them under the grates above a burner. Use two pouches for a midsized grill, four for a large. Turn the heat on high until the pouches smoke, then lower heat to about 350°F—check with a temperate gauge.

Go slow. Cook briskets, pork shoulders, other tough cuts of meat, and whole fish or poultry on your grill. This grilling technique is known as indirect cooking. Consumer Reports tests grills for their ability to cook over indirect heat and you’ll see the scores in our gas grill Ratings. Preheat the grill and once it’s warm, set one burner on high and turn off the other. Put the meat over the burner that’s off. If you have three or four burners keep only the front and back or outside burners on; put the meat over the burners that are off. Keep the lid closed to retain heat.

Pizza, anybody? White stone pizza stones are harder to keep clean than darker ones, but all get really hot and require watching so the pizza doesn’t burn. You can even turn your gas grill into an outdoor pizza oven with the BakerStone Pizza Oven Box. We paid $150 for it and the pizzas were fun to bake and took about four minutes. Even more fun was eating the pizza. The crusts were crispy and toppings were nicely cooked.

Recommended gas grills to consider

You’ll see dozens of models in our gas grill Ratings. We test how hot and evenly heated the grill’s surface is after 10 minutes; heating evenness at the highest setting and also when the main burners are set to low; indirect cooking, a terrific way to slow cook tough meats until tender; temperature range, and convenience. Here are some top gas grill picks:

Small: Room for 18 or fewer burgers
Weber Spirit E-220 46310001, $450
Broilmate 165154, $200
Napoleon Terrace SE325PK, $600

Midsized: Room for 18 to 28 burgers
Weber Spirit SP-320 46700401, $600
Weber Spirit E-320 46710001, $550
Landmann 42712 (Costco), $460

Large: Room for 28 or more burgers
Napoleon Prestige Pro 665RSIB, $2,600
Kenmore 16156, $700
Master Forge 3218LTN(Item#6554) (Lowe’s), $650

Kimberly Janeway

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Don't miss out on these federal energy tax credits

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Don't miss out on these federal energy tax credits

While you were busy with the holidays and worrying about the weather, there was some good news about saving money on your taxes. Hidden in a huge federal appropriation is an extension of residential energy tax credits for certain home improvements made in 2014. So if you replaced your windows, added insulation, or sealed leaky ducts, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit. Here are the details.

Windows, doors and skylights

If you replaced any windows, doors or skylights or installed new ones that meet Energy Star standards, you are eligible for a tax credit. You don't have to replace all your windows and doors to qualify and you can claim the credit if you installed a window or door where there wasn't one before.
Tax credit: 10 percent of the cost, up to $500, but windows are capped at $200. Does not include installation.

Roofs (metal and asphalt)

Roofing materials that meet Energy Star requirements reflect more of the sun's rays and can lower roof surface temperature by up to 100 degrees F. Qualifying roofing materials include metal roofs with appropriate pigmented coatings and asphalt roofs with appropriate cooling granules.
Tax credit: 10 percent of the cost, not including installation, up to $500.

Non-solar water heaters

Water heating can account for up to 25 percent of the energy used in your home. Qualifying water heaters include gas, oil or propane units with an Energy Factor (overall efficiency) of 0.82 or more or a thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent. Electric heat pump water heaters with an energy factor of 2.0 or more also qualify.
Tax credit: $300

Insulation

Typical bulk insulation products can qualify for a tax credit, such as batts, rolls, blow-in fibers, rigid boards, expanding spray, and pour-in-place, according to Energy Star. Products that air seal (reduce air leaks) can also qualify, as long as they come with a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement, including weather stripping, spray foam in a can, caulk and house wrap.
Tax credit: 10 percent of the cost, up to $500. Does not include installation but you can install the insulation/home sealing yourself and get the credit.

Biomass stoves

To heat a home or water, biomass stoves burn wood and wood waste and residues (including wood pellets), agricultural crops and trees, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues and fibers. To qualify, stoves must have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75 percent.
Tax credit: $300

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

Some heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment qualifies for an energy tax credit. For full details see the Energy Star website. Here are the improvements.

  • Central air conditioning, $300 tax credit.
  • Advanced main air circulating fan, $50 tax credit.
  • Air source heat pumps, $300 tax credit.
  • Gas, propane or oil hot water boiler. $150 tax credit, including installation costs.
  • Natural gas, propane or oil furnace, $150 tax credit.

How to claim your tax credit

You'll need to file IRS form 5695 with your 2014 taxes. Be sure to keep a copy of the Manufacturer's Certification Statement and any receipts or itemized bills. Tax credits for such renewable energy sources as wind, solar and geothermal will be available until the end of 2016. Check Energy Star for more information.

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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How to get your money's worth when buying an LED

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How to get your money's worth when buying an LED

The guy standing in the lightbulb aisle at the home center was helpful this time. He knew plenty about LEDs, even which dimmers worked with them. But it turns out he didn’t work there. He was an electrical engineer just passing by. That’s too bad, because there are a few things you need to know before you choose an LED.

In “How to find an LED lightbulb that fits your fixture” we offered ways to make shopping easier. But our user reviews tell us that some readers had other concerns so we asked the experts at Cree, GE, and Philips for advice on properly using their LEDs. Here’s how to get the most from your LEDs.

Don't mix bulb types

A combination of bulbs—CFLs, halogen, incandescents, and LEDs—should not be used in a multi-bulb lighting fixture, especially if it’s an enclosed fixture. Halogen and incandescent bulbs generate heat and that can affect the LED’s performance and shorten its life. And then there’s dimming. Silvie Casanova of Philips says that different electrical technologies are used in CFLs and LEDs and mixing these bulbs can interfere or disrupt the interaction between the lightbulbs and dimmer, and cause flickering or flashing. So no mixing, just matching.

Pick the right dimmer

This is when you might start to miss incandescents, but most were phased out and are no longer available. We’ve seen good LEDs flicker when they’re used with an old dimmer meant for incandescents. So choose a dimmer that’s compatible with your dimmable LEDs and recommended by the manufacturer.  You’ll find this information on the manufacturer’s website, including the sites for Cree, GE, and Philips.

Use as intended

If an LED is put in an enclosed fixture but wasn’t designed for that, the bulb can overheat and over time it can give off less light, change light color, or fail earlier than expected. And if you’re planning on using the LEDs in exposed locations outside, check that the LEDs are intended for that. You’ll usually see this information stated on the package and our lightbulb Ratings tell you too.

What’s good about LEDs?

Replacing your halogen or old incandescent bulbs with LEDs will save you energy and trim your electricity bill; LEDs use about 80 to 85 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and are better, but more expensive, than compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). LEDs are claimed to last 20 to nearly 50 years, depending on the bulb, when used three hours a day. Their long life makes them even more appealing if you have to get up on a ladder to change the BR30 bulbs in your recessed lighting fixtures.

Some recommended LEDs to consider

In addition to 60-watt replacements, our lightbulb Ratings include LEDs and CFLs that replace 40-watt, 75-watt, and 100-watt general purpose bulbs. You’ll also see LEDs and CFLs that replace BR30 bulbs and PAR38 bulbs. Whatever you need, look for utility rebates online before you shop. Here are some top LED picks to replace 60-watt lightbulbs, the most common type:

60-watt replacements
Feit Electric A19/OM/800/LED, $9
Philips A19 11W 60W Soft White 424382, $12
Great Value (Walmart) 60W Soft White A19 Dimmable LED, $10
Cree 9.5-Watt (60W) A19 Warm White Dimmable LED, $8.50
GE Energy Smart 60W(11W) A19 LED Soft White LED 11DA19V-W/TP, $11

Kimberly Janeway

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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The best blenders for frozen drinks

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The best blenders for frozen drinks

As any host knows, it can be difficult to enjoy your own party when you’re fussing over food and frozen drinks. That’s why any game plan should include dishes you can prepare ahead of time. A slow cooker will take care of the chili but what about the icy drinks? Serious Eats has a recipe for a make-ahead margarita so at party time all you need to do is add fresh ice to a capable blender. That’s where Consumer Reports comes in.

Our blender tests are geared to getting the best frozen drinks and smoothies you can make. We prepare non-alcoholic piña coladas then strain the concoction through a sieve. The best blenders don’t leave any chunks or lumps behind. In another test, we time how fast it takes to crush seven ice cubes. In the end, four blenders made our list of top blender picks and a few other contenders were near misses.

Best blenders from our tests

The Vitamix Professional Series 750, $650, claims the top spot, cranking out superb frozen drinks and purées. It also aced our tough ice crush and durability tests, meaning it should hold up over time. But $650 is a lot to pay for a countertop appliance.  For much less, consider the Dash Chef Series Digital blender, $200, which was excellent in our smoothie and purée tests. Rounding out the list are the Blendtec Designer 725, also $650, which features several innovations, including intuitive, pre-programmed settings, and the Waring Xtreme MX1000R, $350, an 8-cup commercial blender that is one of the quietest models we tested. You’ll appreciate that at game time.

Other worthy contenders

The affordable Ninja Professional NJ600, $100, narrowly missed our recommended list. It performed very well overall, especially when it comes to smoothies and convenience. And if you plan to dedicate your blender to icy drinks and smoothies consider the Black+Decker Fusion Blade Digital BL1820SG-P. It’s only $50 and earned excellent scores in our icy drink test.

Make-ahead margarita. As for that margarita recipe, Serious Eats recommends making the margarita base a day, or even a week, before and keeping it in a sealed container in the freezer. The alcohol will prevent it from freezing. You can adapt this method for other frozen drink recipes.

—Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter)

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Top 5 ways to boost the value of your home

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Top 5 ways to boost the value of your home

This is a great time to be selling a house—or buying one. With housing prices at recent highs (in some neighborhoods they’re exceeding pre-2008 valuations), it’s no wonder about 5.3 million homes are expected to change hands in 2015, up about 30 percent from the bottom of the crash, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Buyers as well as sellers can benefit. That’s because purchasing a home is comparatively cheap right now, thanks to still-low interest rates (they recently dipped below 4 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage). “A home buyer with the U.S. median income who buys the median-priced home will pay 15.3 percent of their income on their mortgage now,” says Skylar Olsen, a senior economist at Zillow, the online real estate marketplace. “The historical number is 22.1 percent.” And although home prices will continue to climb in 2015, they’re expected to do so at a slower rate than in 2014.

So how do you make the most money, no matter which end of the transaction you’re on? For answers, the Consumer Reports National Research Center turned to the people most in the know for answers—the real estate professionals who broker almost 90 percent of residential sales.

A panel of 303 pros from around the country (covering markets big and small, hot and cold, city and suburban) completed our recent online survey, filled with essential questions: What are the costliest mistakes sellers make? When is the best time to put a home on the market? How negotiable are broker’s fees, really?

The answers may surprise you. If you’re a seller, advice from the pros on smart presale fix-ups, coupled with our expert product ratings and tips, can help you get the best sales price for your home—an additional 12 percent, on average. With median single-family home prices hovering at about $205,000, that’s a potential gain of $24,600. In pricier markets, the profits will go many times higher.

And both buyers and sellers can come out ahead with our guide to savvy financial and negotiating moves. Avoid the most typical mistakes and you could gain 11 to 20 percent, and even more in some markets, of the home sale’s price.

April through June is prime home-selling season. So let’s get started!

Cost range: $0 (DIY) to $2,500 (pro)

Potential return: 3 to 5%*

Nothing drives away would-be buyers faster than clut­ter, grime, and the weird smells that accompany a messy home. Bruce Irving, a renovation consultant and real estate agent based in Cambridge, Mass., tells clients to imagine their boss is coming to dinner with his or her spouse. “Your home should be at least that nice on the day of any open house,” he says.

Vital to the process is de-cluttering and depersonalizing the space as much as possible. Buyers will have a hard time imagining themselves in your home if it’s filled with family photos and other personal effects.

For severely cluttered residences, or if you’re downsizing and need help winnowing your possessions, consider hiring a professional organizer. Check the location-based member directory on the website of the National Association of Professional Organizers. “We’re not counselors, but we have skills to help people think through why they’re having trouble letting go of certain items,” says Jennifer Lava, president of the Austin, Texas, chapter. In addition to making your current home more sellable, a pro can help you get off to an organized start in your new residence.

Depending on the level of clutter, an organizer may need one to three months to get your home ready for sale, at a cost of $600 to $2,500—money well spent if it helps your property move more quickly. The service might even be worth it if you plan to stay put for the time being because living in a cluttered home takes a psychological toll.

Before hosting the open house, remember to open the curtains and blinds because natural light is just as important as order to making a home feel bigger. And give the entire interior a thorough cleaning, including vacuuming, dusting, and wiping down every surface. Your boss might not be coming over, but someone in the position to write you a very big check hopefully is.

*Potential increase in asking price, assuming home value of $205,000.

Cost range: $300 to $5,000

Potential return: 3 to 7%

It’s a real estate adage that the kitchen, more than any other room, sells the home. In fact, 53 percent of real estate professionals told us that the kitchen is among the most important rooms of the home to have in good shape before selling.

But that doesn’t mean you should drop tens of thousands of dollars on a new one before putting your house on the block. “Given all the volatility in the real estate market, you can’t spend megabucks on any project, even a kitchen, and expect to get that money back,” says Bill Wilson, a real estate professional in upstate New York. His first advice to clients is to make all of those minor repairs that can lead to serious second thoughts for buyers—the leaky faucet, the loose light fixture, the burn mark on the countertop.

Once you’ve made the kitchen fully functional, think about a gentle spruce-up. For a few hundred dollars, you can probably paint the walls, update the cabinet hardware, and add new curtains, which will give the space a clean, fresh look.

If the kitchen is badly outdated, increasing your bud­get to $5,000 might make sense, especially if you could be in the home for a few more years. A couple thousand dollars will get you a top-performing refrigerator, range, and dishwasher, all with popular stainless-steel finish. New countertops and floors will cost about the same, especially if you go for DIY-friendly laminate and vinyl, both of which proved very hard-wearing in our countertop reviews and flooring tests. That will leave about $1,000 for odds and ends, such as light fixtures and a new faucet, as well as any necessary labor costs.

Cost range: $300 to $1,000
Potential return: 2 to 3%

Buyers want to see that a home is clean and well-maintained, especially in the bathrooms. “Simple improvements like caulking the tub or re-grouting the tile floor will go a long way in the mind of a buyer,” says Bree Al-Rashid, an agent with Redfin, a real estate brokerage. And consider this: 42 percent of real estate professionals we survyed said the bathroom is one of the most important rooms of the home to have in good shape.

Installing new bathroom fixtures will make the space look brighter and more appealing. “I tell my clients to replace anything with a handle, especially if the home has hard water, since it causes so much metal corrosion,” says Ginny Ivanoff, a real estate professional in Carlisle, Pa. Updating the mirror and lighting will improve the sensory experience.

If you’re not looking to sell right away, there are several larger upgrades that shouldn’t cost a fortune, given the small dimensions of many bathrooms. For example, you might be able to add a new floor and vanity countertop for less than $1,000, especially if you use inexpensive vinyl and laminate.

Adding new toilets is also a smart upgrade because it can improve the look of a home while also making it more water-efficient. We recently tested toilets to see how well they handle solid waste (using sponges and plastic balls) without leaving unsightly stains inside the bowl or creating a deafening whoosh.

Cost range: $100 (DIY) to $1,000 (pro)

Potential return: 1 to 3%

A fresh coat of paint is the quickest way to transform a room. But it probably doesn’t make sense to have your entire house repainted prior to putting it on the market. “I’ve seen people spend three, four, even five thousand dollars on a massive paint job, when all they needed to do was hit the walls with a Magic Eraser and maybe redo one or two rooms,” says Redfin’s Bree Al-Rashid. (Sixteen percent of real estate professionals said interior painting is an important element in fostering the sale of a home.)

Kitchens and bathrooms are two candidates for a complete paint job given the high traffic they see. You should also paint any brightly colored rooms. “Most people do not have the vision of what a room could look like, and instead they walk away and later say, ‘Oh, that’s the house with the purple bedrooms,’ ” says Kim Parten, a real estate pro from Horseshoe Bay, Texas. “I’ve had homes not sell, or sell for less, because of purple bedrooms.”

Whites and off-whites tend to attract the most buyers; the neutral palette allows them to focus on a home’s attributes. “Grays and beiges are both very reliable,” says Al-Rashid. “They’re not too warm, not too cold, and they work with most types of furniture, so buyers will be able to see themselves in the space.”

As for the paint itself, if you’re getting your home ready to sell, choose a paint that does a good job of hiding old paint and leaves a fairly smooth surface; several in our interior paint Ratings meet those requirements for less than $30 per gallon. Invest in a top-quality product if you’re planning to be in the home for a while. Our tough tests, which include scrubbing the finishes with harsh abrasives, found eight winners. Because a brand’s flat, eggshell, and semigloss formulations perform similarly overall, we’ve combined the scores into one to simplify the process.

You can paint the walls yourself or pay a pro about $300 per room, paint included, with added rooms costing $200, says Debbie Zimmer, a spokeswoman for the Paint Quality Institute.

Cost range: $150 to $7,500

Potential return: 2 to 5%

You wouldn’t go to a job interview without brushing your hair and putting on a crisp, clean outfit. Nor should you try to sell your home without sprucing up its exterior. Start with basic maintenance: mowing the lawn, trimming overgrown shrubs, applying a fresh layer of mulch to garden beds.

As with your home’s interior, it’s also important to make minor repairs, such as replacing cracked siding boards or repointing brick walls. “Any house could probably also stand a good power washing,” adds agent Ginny Ivanoff. Follow with any necessary paint touch-ups, especially to the front of the building, which will get the most scrutiny. It might be worth completely repainting the entry door, provided that won’t make the rest of the facade seem tired and outdated. A top-performing semigloss exterior paint, such as Lowe’s exclusive Valspar DuraMax Semi-Gloss, $40 per gallon, provides maximum protection plus a bit of visual contrast and shine.

The roof is another area to pay close attention to because prospective buyers are sure to do the same. Indeed, 31 percent of real estate professionals said the roof is one of the more important parts of the home to have in good shape.

“They always, always ask how old the roof is,” says Bruce Irving. “To be able to say the roof is new signals to the buyer that this house has been cared for, plus the project is usually a lot cheaper than people realize.” That’s particularly true if you choose standard three-tab asphalt shingles, which often cost about $75 per 100 square feet; including installation, a typical reroof might cost as little as $6,000. If you’re not in a rush to sell, consider upgrading to laminated shingles, also known as architectural shingles. They can cost two to three times as much as the three-tabs but in our tests proved much stronger. Whichever type of shingle you choose, look for a product with a warranty that can be transferred to the next owner.

More on buying or selling a home

4 red flags that can ruin a home sale

The best ways to finance home repairs

Real estate agents confess their dirty little secrets

Home-sale mistakes that cost you money

This article also appeared in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Real estate agents confess their dirty little secrets

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Real estate agents confess their dirty little secrets

Unfortunately, the real-estate-agent business is saddled with a poor reputation. According to the real estate agents we surveyed, that reputation is sometimes earned. Here are a few of the top bad behaviors the real estate agents we surveyed say they’ve witnessed, all of which breach the ethical code of the National Association of Realtors. They’re listed in the order of how frequently they see them.

“I sometimes steer clients toward houses that will bring me a higher commission, rather than the best house for them.”

It’s obviously a money-making attempt. Know your budget and you won’t fall for it.

“You can’t believe everything I say about myself in my marketing material.”

Agents can misrepresent their experience and credentials on their websites and blogs. Others pay to rank high in Google and Yahoo searches. Follow our tips to check out an agent in “Seller Slipups.".

“I might persuade a client to sell a home for less than it’s worth.”

This one seems counterintuitive, but “some companies push their people to sell, sell, sell, so they’ll try to make sales quickly, even if it means they make less in commissions,” says Gianni Rosa, a Boston-area real estate agent.

Home buyers and sellers: Avoiding these mistakes can mean tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket. Plus, the top 5 ways to boost the value of your home.

“The school system isn’t as good as I say it is.”

GreatSchools.org will give you information and test scores for public (including charter) and private schools in a new town or city. You’ll also see how parents rate schools in terms of teacher quality, principal leadership, and parent involvement.

“I might encourage buyers to make an offer that is too high.”

Again, another way to earn a higher commission. Make sure you visit lots of homes in an area, so you’ll know what comparable homes are selling for.

“I sometimes reveal information about the lowest price a seller will take or a potential buyer’s top price.”

Another tactic that might be used by companies trying to close as many deals as possible, says Rosa.

“I might not disclose problems with the neighborhood to potential buyers.”

You can find crime data up to 2013 by city and county on the FBI’s website. You can also get a free comparison on violent and property crime in any U.S. city compared to your state and the national median at NeighborhoodScout.com.

More on buying or selling a home

Top 5 ways to boost the value of your home

4 red flags that can ruin a home sale

The best ways to finance home repairs

Home-sale mistakes that cost you money

This article also appeared in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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Home-sale mistakes that cost you money

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Home-sale mistakes that cost you money

Real estate is a local experience, so be prepared for varying conditions depending on where you live. In much of the Midwest, West, and South, for example, sellers have the most leverage, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors. But buyers have the advantage in the Northeast and Midwest. In especially hot markets like San Francisco, Seattle, and Dallas, final sale prices are usually at or above asking, and bidding wars are not unheard of.

Even so, there’s plenty you can do to affect how much money you make on a home sale or spend on a purchase, according to our survey of real estate pros. A lot, it turns out, rides on your choice of real estate agent. A disturbing finding of our survey was that 86 percent of agents said they witnessed other agents engaging in poor business practices, which could cost consumers money. About a third said they saw agents steer buyers toward homes that would give them higher commissions. Others said some brokers exaggerate when marketing themselves. And 27 percent knew of brokers who tried to persuade clients to sell a home for less than it was worth.

In a typical transaction, the money you stand to gain from making smart moves—or lose from making poor ones—can be substantial, from 11 to 20 percent of a home’s value, according to our survey. Dodging the following errors will lead to the smoothest, most profitable buying or selling experience.

Use these top 5 ways to boost the value of your home and avoid these 4 red flags that can ruin a home sale.

Rushing into a deal

One of the more costly mistakes home buyers make is agreeing to too high a price on a home, according to the real estate agents in our survey. A related mistake is overestimating one’s knowledge of the real estate market. “It’s not until you’ve been in the market in a particular area for a while that you know what homes are really worth,” says Brendon DeSimone, a real estate agent and author of “Next Generation Real Estate: New Rules for Smarter Home Buying & Faster Selling” (Changing Lives Press, 2014). “If you make an offer on the first house you fall in love with, you risk spending too much based on emotion, not practical sense.” So take your time, go see lots of homes, and get a good idea of the local price scale. A tip: If you do enter into negotiations on a house and they come to a standstill, don’t be afraid to walk away.

Biting off more than you can chew

Of the surveyed agents, 33 percent said another mistake customers make that puts them in a more financially untenable situation is underestimating the costs of home ownership. It’s not enough to calculate the monthly mortgage. You also need to factor in your closing costs and all of the additional fees you’ll owe. Many of the fees are negotiable, such as the home inspector’s fee, the cost to do a title search, and your attorney’s fee. And find out what the current homeowner pays for utilities, taxes, and other monthly costs, so you can be sure you can really afford that home. Also get estimates for repairs you want to make to the home before you move in.

Failing to upgrade your credit score

To get the most favorable rate on a loan, you have to have a strong credit profile, and that means a credit score of at least 740, says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com. Recently, if your score was 740 and you applied for a $300,000, 30-year fixed mortgage, you could qualify for a 3.75 percent interest rate, with monthly payments of $1,389. If your score was below 680, the best national rate we found on Bankrate.com was 4.25 percent, with a monthly payment of $1,476 for the same loan; over the life of the loan, you’d pay $31,130 more. Don’t wait until the last minute to scrutinize your credit reports and make any necessary changes to improve your profile. If you find errors, be sure to dispute them.

Not shopping around for a mortgage

When shopping for that mortgage, sticking with your regular bank could be costly. Approach several lenders, including banks and credit unions. You can search for national deals on Bankrate.com. We don’t recommend that you hire a mortgage broker to do that because he may be more focused on selling you a mortgage than getting you the best deal. And get pre-approved for a loan before you shop; sellers take preapproved buyers more seriously.

Skipping the home inspection

“One of the biggest causes of buyer’s remorse I see is people who do not do a home inspection and find out later there were big problems with the house,” says Betty Gross, a real estate agent in New York. You want to be present during the inspection to learn about any costly repairs that might be needed and to get basic info on the home, such as where the electrical panel is and where you shut off the water. A home inspector can also point out repairs that will need to be done in the next few years. You can find licensed home inspectors in your area on the website of the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Overpricing your home

This is the most costly mistake, cited by 43 percent of surveyed agents. “If you price it too high, it will just sit on the market, agents will stop showing it, and buyers will assume there’s something wrong with it,” says Jeanette Cook, a real estate agent in Burlingame Hills, Calif., a suburb of San Francisco. “You may have to drop the price far below what you think it’s worth just to entice people to look at it again.” A good agent will show sellers the sale price for at least five similar homes nearby that sold in the past two months.

Overpaying the commission

Unless your agent is a close relative or friend, he or she will charge a commission, or percentage of the sale price, and may even lead you to believe that the fee is inflexible. But, in fact, 63 percent of the real estate agents in our survey admitted that they negotiate their fees at least half of the time. And despite the widely held belief that 6 percent is the standard broker’s commission, almost half of the agents we surveyed typically charge just 4 percent or less.

Check out the best ways to finance home repairs.

Hiring the first agent you meet

Selling a home is one of the biggest financial transactions most people make, so you need to have someone you trust. Ask friends and family for recommendations and meet with at least three candidates. You can often find an agent’s state license number on his or her site, or you can ask for it. Then do a Google search for “(name-of-your-state) real estate licensing division.” Some state real estate licensing divisions will disclose complaints that have been filed or whether a license has been temporarily suspended. And see whether an agent you want to hire is a member of the National Association of Realtors; members are supposed to adhere to a strict code of ethics. Check references from at least three recent clients. (Related: Don't let a real estate agent's bad behavior cost you money.)

Neglecting to do a Google search for your address

Make sure nothing negative comes up, such as an old lawsuit or public records that have inaccurate information about your home’s number of bedrooms, say. Also check your home’s street view on Google Maps. If it fails to show improvements you’ve made, make sure your broker addresses that in the listing.

Putting your home on the market before it’s ready

Don’t put the “for sale” sign on your lawn until it’s show time, says DeSimone. With 92 percent of home buyers using the Internet as part of their search, according to the National Association of Realtors, photos are key. “You wouldn’t put a picture of yourself wearing a bathrobe on Match.com,” he says. “Your agent should arrange for a professional photographer to take shots of every room and your yard.”

If you're staying put, it’s not too late to refinance.

Mortgage rates are no longer at rock bottom—2013 saw rates of 3.24 percent—but they’re still low enough that you should consider refinancing. If your interest rate is currently 5 percent or so, even a 4 percent mortgage would lessen your payments, says Mari Adam, a certified financial planner in Boca Raton, Fla.

HSH.com, which publishes mortgage and consumer loan data, has a refinancing calculator that can help you decide whether a refi makes sense. You fill in the details about your current loan and the deal you’re considering, and it estimates how much less your monthly payments will be, how much you’ll save with the new loan, and how long it will take you to break even—in other words, recover your closing costs. A refi doesn’t make sense if you plan to move before your break-even date.

One warning from Adam: Avoid taking out money when you refinance—a problem that caused many loans to go underwater when the recession hit. “Cash-out refinancing is the sharpest knife in your butcher block; it can be dangerous,” she says. “I’ve seen too many people take money out to pay off debt, then continue to run up more debt.” A much better reason to refi, she says, is to shorten the term—say, from a 30-year fixed loan to a 15-year, and to reduce your interest rate.

This article also appeared in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports magazine

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.

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