Best Places to Buy Large Appliances

These large-appliance stores, as well as independent retailers and websites, earned top marks in the most recent Consumer Reports survey of appliance retailers, conducted between January 2023 and May 2024. The survey responses were from 9,721 CR members who shared their experiences shopping for 12,970 large appliances. Overall, 17 of the 23 major appliance retailers…

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6 Best Espresso Machines of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

We evaluated both single-boiler and dual-boiler espresso machines. Each one operates a little differently. All of these models require you to pack coffee grounds into a portafilter, which you lock into the machine to brew espresso (as opposed to coffee makers that take pods or espresso machines that dispense the beans themselves), and they all…

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Is It Safe to Use a Space Heater in the Bathroom?

For additional protection, look for a space heater equipped with an appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI) plug, says Samantha Ostrander, who oversees CR’s space heater tests. These bulky plugs—similar to those seen on hair dryers—safeguard against differences in current and can also protect against a dangerous electrical shock. Like GFCI outlets, ALCI plugs typically feature…

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Consumer Reports’ Guide to Defensive Driving

Look ahead, around, and behind. “It’s important to look where you want to go, scanning both far ahead and right in front of you,” Crossen says. “But don’t forget about what’s going on to the sides and behind you. You should check your rear- and side-view mirrors every 5 to 10 seconds. That can help…

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A Gene Editing Therapy Cut Cholesterol Levels by Half

In a step toward the wider use of gene editing, a treatment that uses Crispr successfully slashed high cholesterol levels in a small number of people. In a trial conducted by Swiss biotech company Crispr Therapeutics, 15 participants received a one-time infusion meant to switch off a gene in the liver called ANGPTL3. Though rare,…

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Trump’s Hatred of EVs Is Making Gas Cars More Expensive

This story originally appeared on Mother Jones and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. As President Donald Trump sees it, environmental regulations that attempt to improve efficiency and address climate change only make products more expensive and perform worse. He has long blamed efficiency regulations for his frustrations with things like toilets and showerheads….

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CR’s Holiday Tipping Cheat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how much you should tip at the holidays, but some tipping norms have become a social convention. For example, giving your barber a holiday bonus equal to the cost of one haircut has become a customary way to show thanks for year-round service. (See “Your Giving Guide,” below, for…

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