Matching washers and dryers that cleaned up in our tests

Matching washer and dryer pairs are a popular choice but some don't make a great couple. Their coordinating look makes a statement, but you'll question how a terrific washer and a noisy dryer that's tough on clothes ended up together. Enter the matchmaker. Consumer Reports' latest dryer tests found three standouts with matching washers that are CR Best Buys, offering high performance at an appealing price.

Among consumers who bought laundry appliances in the past three years about 60 percent chose matching pairs, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, a trade group. Special pricing and promotions help move these pairs from the warehouse to your house and so does their appearance. No longer destined for a basement corner, these washer and dryer pairs offer a complementary look that's often stylish and come in colors like cranberry and lemongrass (although the ones we tested are white). Here's a glimpse at three matching pairs that performed well in our tests and are top picks. See our Ratings of washers and dryers for details on their performance and features.

Two duos from LG
The LG WM3470H[W]A washer and DLEX3470[W] electric dryer, about $1,000 each, make a dynamic duo. The front-loader tops our washer Ratings and was superb overall. It's a CR Best Buy. But like all front-loaders, it uses less water to wash so it takes time to get laundry clean—85 minutes for a normal cycle. The dryer tops the Ratings and was one of the quietest we tested. Both offer large capacities and the washer's excellent water efficiency and water extraction means the dryer doesn't have to work as hard. That saves energy and money. The gas dryer is DLGX3471[W].

Also from LG, the WM2250C[W] front-loader, $720, and the matching DLE2250[W] electric dryer, $800, are both CR Best Buys. The washer aced our cleaning tests and was one of the gentlest on fabrics we tested. But it's relatively noisy and normal cycle time is 95 minutes. The dryer, on the other hand, was relatively quiet and excellent in drying. The gas dryer is DLG2251[W].

Samsung set
Samsung's WA5451AN[W] top-loading washer and DV5451AE[W] electric dryer, each around $900, are also CR Best Buys. Both have large capacities, and are relatively quiet. The high-efficiency top-loader does an impressive job cleaning clothes and gets it done in 65 minutes--that's brisk when compared to front-loaders. The gas dryer is DV5451AG[W].

Via: Matching washers and dryers that cleaned up in our tests

More about → Matching washers and dryers that cleaned up in our tests

Uptick in kitchen remodeling boosts sales at Home Depot

Robust sales of paint, bathroom accessories and kitchen installations have boosted Home Depot's bottom line as homeowners start sprucing up their homes again. The retailer reports that transactions of $900 and over are up 3.4 percent as demand grows for appliances, flooring, kitchen remodeling products, and heating and air conditioning equipment. That's good news and we were ready for it with new tests of all the major products needed for a kitchen or bath remodeling project.

Lowe's and Sears haven't reported their earnings yet but the Los Angeles Times says that improved customer service at Lowe's, Home Depot and other home improvement stores has paid off in sales, profits and shopper satisfaction. That's one benefit of the bad economy. When the housing market was booming, it was hard for the lowly do-it-yourselfers to get attention at the big box stores. "Then we get into the economic downturn and people stop spending. Construction goes from bigger projects to smaller renovations, and customers shift from contractors to those wanting to do it themselves," a market analyst told the Times.

Whether you're a handyman or planning to hire a contractor to start a home remodeling project, check our ratings of the best appliances and where to buy them. We also have ratings of the best flooring, countertops and sink materials. And don't miss our two new guides to updating your kitchen and your bathroom.

Via: Uptick in kitchen remodeling boosts sales at Home Depot

More about → Uptick in kitchen remodeling boosts sales at Home Depot

Don't be left in the dark by these four lightbulb letdowns

Replacing a lightbulb isn't as easy as it used to be. The new energy-saving bulbs may not give off the type of light you're used to. In fact, some of the compact fluorescents and light-emitting diodes in Consumer Reports lightbulb tests give off a ghastly light color, or are dim. And there are some CFLs that take three minutes to fully brighten—that's enough time to make toast. But among the duds we also found bulbs that dazzled. Here are four lightbulb letdowns and how to avoid them.

Dim bulbs
The fix. More lumens. Check the Lighting Facts label on the packages of CFLs and LEDs for the number of lumens. The higher the lumens the brighter the bulb. When replacing a 60-watt incandescent look for an energy-saving bulb with at least 800 lumens, and 1,100 lumens or more for a 75-watt replacement. If you're wondering about watts, they tell you how much electricity the bulb uses so choose a bulb with enough lumens and the lowest wattage.

Weird light color
The fix. The right Kelvin (K) number. Light color is expressed by its Kelvin temperature. The higher the Kelvin number the cooler the light. If you prefer the warm light of an incandescent but want to trim your electric bills, pick a CFL or LED marked 2700K or so on the Lighting Facts label. At 3000K the light is whiter, like a halogen bulb, and it's cool and bright white at 3500K to 4100K. For bluer light buy bulbs marked 5000K to 6500K.

Unflattering light
The fix. A higher CRI. When the colors of things look off, find out the color rendering index of your lightbulbs. CRI indicates how accurately a lightbulb displays colors and the higher the better. Incandescent bulbs are at or near 100; most CFLs and LEDs we tested are in the low-to-mid 80s. CRI isn't on the Lighting Facts label but may appear elsewhere on the package and some online retailers note it.

Early burnout
The fix. Return the bulb to the retailer, like Home Depot or Lowe's, or contact the manufacturer. You may need the model number or UPC and a receipt. And when you're buying replacements be sure the bulbs can be used in your fixtures. Putting a CFL or LED in a fixture it's not meant for can shorten its life.

To find better lightbulbs, see our Ratings of dozens of CFLs and LEDs and note the Recommended bulbs. After 3,000 hours of testing these top-performing bulbs did not disappoint.

Via: Don't be left in the dark by these four lightbulb letdowns

More about → Don't be left in the dark by these four lightbulb letdowns

Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of

Evan here is one lucky five year old. In 2009 he received one of those Lightning McQueen Powerwheels, which would have been fun enough for someone his age. But according to the poster of this video, "after three years of use he had worn through the plastic wheels. We decided to upgrade the OEM plastic wheels with rubber tires."

But that was not the end. Not by a mile. His father, in a shop with some high-performance metal, continued to modify the Powerwheel, to the point that it now has a partial aluminum chassis, 24-volt gel batteries and a 500-Watt, 0.66-horsepower electric motor. The car also has disc brakes, Sparco battery cutoff switch, and a modulated throttle.

Further emphasizing that Evan here has the coolest parents, he races the custom Powerwheel at a dirt track, just like the dirt track in Cars. Check out the video below to see this awesome ride... and to think about how accomplished a driver you'd be now if you had a car like this at his age!
Via: Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of

More about → Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of

Home Depot adds three new major appliance brands

Home Depot may be the largest home improvement retailer but when it comes to selling major appliances it trails behind Sears, the leader, and Lowe's. In a seeming effort to change that, Home Depot has added three new appliance lines, Whirlpool, Electrolux and Frigidaire, brands that are already sold by its competitors. All three have fared pretty well in Consumer Reports appliance tests.

According to the Top 100 Major Appliance Retailers Report from Twice, Sears' appliance sales slipped three percent in 2010 to $7.3 billion, while sales declined nearly two percent at Lowe's, to $5.5 billion. In contrast, Home Depot saw a one percent increase, to $3.4 billion.

Home Depot already sells Whirlpool's brandmates Maytag and Amana. Frigidaire is in the Electrolux family. The big box store will be adding ranges, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and washer-dryer pairs. Starting this summer, the retailer will expand the appliance sections of a limited number of stores and make the new products available through the company's Depot Direct delivery network in all U.S. stores, according to a company press statement.

Overall, Whirlpool, Frigidaire and Electrolux are well represented in Consumer Reports top appliance picks although they do better in some product categories than others. Kenmore, the house brand of Sears, is also very well represented. Thirty models from Home Depot's three new brands appear on our recommended list of refrigerators including two bottom-freezer models, nine side-by-sides and 19 top freezers. They also fare well in our brand reliability for refrigerators, especially Whirlpool.

One-third of the models on our list of recommended freezers come from Whirlpool or Frigidaire including the self-defrost uprights Whirlpool EV161NZT, $700, and Frigidaire FFU21F5H[W], $650, which are both CR Best Buys. The brands' representation isn't quite as robust in the other categories and there are no models from those three brands on our list of recommended dishwashers.

No matter where you shop it's good to have a number of choices. Before you go, check the performance of the models you're considering and the reliability of the brand on this website. To get started, check the appliance section.

Via: Home Depot adds three new major appliance brands

More about → Home Depot adds three new major appliance brands

No wallflower, new Whirlpool wall oven stands out in our tests

When Consumer Reports names a product a Best Buy it gives the designation to models that performed impressively in our tests and also offer good value. Some product categories have more Best Buys than others and some, like wall ovens, haven't had any in recent years. Until now. A $1,300 Whirlpool electric wall oven has just earned this distinction.

In our wall oven tests, the Whirlpool WOS51EC0AS was very good at turning out evenly browned cakes and cookies and excellent at browning broiled burgers evenly. The oven capacity is large and the self-clean feature aced our tough tests, removing our baked-on mixture of eggs, cheese, pie filling and more. This 30-inch single wall oven has an extra large window that offers a great view and touchpad controls, giving it a sleek and modern look. And at that price for the stainless steel model, it's half what you'd spend on the top-rated Thermador ME301E[S], $2,600, and has more usable space. We also recommend the Bosch HBL54[50]UC, $1,900.

A wall oven's companion, naturally, is the cooktop. While ranges are more popular, cooktop-wall oven combos are perfect for homeowners who want to customize their kitchens. Consumer Reports recommends 19 electric cooktops including Best Buys from Whirlpool, Frigidaire and Kenmore. In our tests of gas cooktops, 10 models made the list of picks but there were no Best Buys.

Our latest cooking appliance tests also included five new Whirlpool electric and gas ranges. Most offer an appealing price, but performance wasn't impressive so none are high-scoring recommended models or CR Best Buys. There are plenty of other top range picks to consider including 15 smoothtop, induction and coil electric ranges and 18 conventional and pro-style gas ranges.

Via: No wallflower, new Whirlpool wall oven stands out in our tests

More about → No wallflower, new Whirlpool wall oven stands out in our tests

How to get your asking price as the housing market improves

Posting the first annual increase in five years, home values rose slightly over this time last year, reports Zillow the online real estate site. In fact, nearly one-third of the 157 metropolitan areas tracked by Zillow showed annual price increases. This is good news for homeowners who have been waiting to put their houses on the market. Before you do, a few simple spruce-ups can help get your asking price.

"The housing market's recovery continues to show tremendous variation market by market. Sixty-nine of the 157 markets covered by the Zillow Home Value Forecast are expected to see increases in home values over the next year, with the largest increases expected in the Phoenix metro (9.9 percent) and the Miami metro (6.1 percent)," said Zillow on its website. "We believe that 96 out of the 157 markets have already hit a bottom in home values, including Boston, Miami and Phoenix."

Improve the view. No matter where you live, it pays to keep your home well-maintained. Curb appeal is the first thing to consider. As the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Look at your entryway. Is the paint peeling or faded? Are your shrubberies overtaking the sidewalk? Take the time to scrape away any old paint and apply a new coat. Sherwin-Williams Duration Gloss, our top-rated semi-gloss is the only one in our exterior paint tests that has a primer built-in. After the equivalent of nine years' worth of exposure, the Sherwin-Williams was still looking very good and would be a good choice for painting a front door.

Whack the weeds. As for that overgrown walkway, a capable string trimmer can help you vanquish the vines and weeds in no time. In Consumer Reports' string trimmer tests, the top-rated gas models were best at slicing through tall grass and weeds. But if you don't like the hassle of a gas-powered unit, several light duty electric models, including the Homelite UT41110, at $30 a CR Best Buy, were very good or better at this job.

Neutralize garish rooms. Sprucing up the paint inside the house also makes your home more attractive, especially if you've painted some rooms bright colors that might not appeal to the average buyer. The best course of action is to choose white, off-white or another neutral color. "Safe colors like this will appeal to most people, increasing the odds that your home will sell," advises the Paint Quality Institute. And it'll cost you well under $100. Check our top-rated interior paints for the best choices.

Brighten the bathroom. Outdated kitchens and bathrooms are typically the chief complaint of prospective home buyers. But you don't have to invest in an entire remodel to improve their appearance. Here again paint can do wonders but so can replacing the countertops, sink or floor. Bathrooms have replaced kitchens as the most remodeled room in the home because they tend to be smaller and you don't have to buy all those appliances. As we reported in our Bathroom remodeling guide, small details can make a big difference. Stain-resistant grout, framed mirrors and a heated towel bar are just some ideas.

Kick the kitchen up a notch. For the kitchen, you don't need a bottomless budget to get a top-notch kitchen. In the Luxury look for less, we suggest top-rated affordable alternatives to pricey appliances, countertops, flooring and more. But be forewarned, poor planning and shoddy workmanship are two of the costliest mistakes homeowners make when undertaking a remodeling project. If you're about to embark on one, best to invest a few months going to showrooms and talking to professionals.

Via: How to get your asking price as the housing market improves

More about → How to get your asking price as the housing market improves