Consumer Reports noticed, as so many of us have, that stainless steel is awesome until you have to clean it. With that in mind, they’ve tested a bunch of stainless steel cleaners and found that they all work just about the same.
tests
The 6 MPH Crash That Costs $8,000 To Repair
By 12.22.07
Minivan bumpers may not protect much, but they sure do cost a lot to repair, according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. The IIHS smashed six minivans to test their bumpers and found that all racked up repair bills exceeding $5,000. The Nissan Quest was singled out as a “miserable failure,” costing $8,000 to patch-up.
Air Purifiers That Work, And Ones That Don't
By 12.7.07
Consumer Reports tested 40 air purifiers by locking them in a closed room and filling it with smoke and dust—in other words, they recreated this writer’s childhood Christmases when Granny would visit with her angry poodle. Here are Consumer Reports’ selection of the best and worst devices.
Store Says It Can Prove There Is Seaweed In Its Clothing
By 11.16.07
The New York Times recently tested some “Vitasea” seaweed clothing from athletic clothing store Lululemon Athletica and could not find any evidence that there was any actual seaweed in the fabric. Lululemon disagrees.
By 10.11.07
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If you want decaf coffee on the go, your best bet is McDonald’s, says Consumer Reports: cups from Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and Seattle’s Best Coffee varied unpredictably, spiking as hight as 20-30 mg of caffeine per serving, while McDonald’s was consistently under 5 mg. [Consumer Reports]
Slate Tests Snoring Solutions
By 9.28.07
Living with a snorer brings out the worst in you—things you would never do while awake, like punching your partner in the face, seem trivial at three in the morning when your bedmate suddenly sounds like an old lawnmower. This chronic snorer tested several solutions to find what worked best, ranking them on ease of use, reaction of spouse, and how he felt the morning after. The surprising winner? A tennis ball tied to the back of a t-shirt to prevent him from rolling onto his back.
Toy Prices To Rise 10%
By 9.15.07
Toys will be 10% more expensive next year thanks the toy industry’s latest attempts to protect American children from defective merchandise. Toy makers will use the hike to offset the cost of retaining independent labs to both test for defective and dangerous toys, and provide a measure of PR security.
Consumers could also see higher prices on other Chinese imports such as fish and children’s apparel, but the big price gains in toys could be more jolting.
When You Can't Trust Your Eyes, Trust A Test Disc
By 6.9.07
Smart consumers don’t compare the picture quality of floor models when shopping for a new television; crafty salespeople try to subvert your senses with flashy media that highlights the strengths of expensive models. So how can you objectively judge which television has the best picture? Bring along your own test disc.
Crash Test Your Car!
By 6.8.07
Ever wanted to see what your car would look like if a dummy drove it into a wall (a dummy other than the cousin who borrowed your car for a joyride)? Admit it, you think about it when you get a lousy trade-in price. Thankfully, there’s the Consumer Reports Crash Test videos, where you can see how your car will hold up against things like short concrete walls and other typical objects found along a highway.
