It used to be that spending less on an entry-level refrigerator meant settling for a bare-bones design and limited features. Picture the inside of an old top-freezer, with its wire shelves, single-bulb illumination, and freezer devoid of storage compartments. But our latest report on refrigerators tells a different story, with many low-priced models boasting features once reserved for the higher-end.

Even in a weak housing market, consumers still prefer countertops with the look of luxury. A recent survey of potential home buyers found that granite or another natural stone was the most preferred material, with 20 percent of the respondents saying it was essential and another 53 percent who deemed it desirable.

Ever since phosphates were eliminated from dishwasher detergents two summers ago, consumers have been complaining about "clean" dishware coming out of the dishwasher covered in a frosty-white film. The chorus of complaints caused Consumer Reports to add hard-water performance to its dishwasher detergent tests and the results changed the rankings of some products. When the new test was factored into the ratings, Finish Quantum, the detergent that was formerly number one for cleaning dropped to number three. Method Smarty Dish, formerly a fourth place finisher, scored the worst on the new test and tumbled to tenth.

Energy and water efficiency standards released today by the U.S. Department of Energy will deliver clothes washers that use as much as 35 percent less energy and water and dishwashers that use about 14 percent less energy and 23 percent less water. While the standards don't take effect until 2013 for dishwashers and 2015 for clothes washers, many top models in Consumer Reports' current Ratings of these appliances already make the grade.

Getting dinner on the table night after night can be one fine juggling act. Fortunately, many of the ranges on the market today have new features that trim cooking time and offer flexibility. If you haven't replaced your range in a decade or so, you'll be happy to see models with one or two high-powered elements, warming drawers and elements, and convection oven modes that speed baking.

Americans will spend about $18.6 billion this year on Mother's Day gifts, according to the National Retail Federation. Do the math, and that works out to about $150 per mom. With that figure in mind, here are five ideas for the kitchen from Consumer Reports' test labs that Mom will enjoy for years to come.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released this week a list of 28 chemicals and two viruses that it will monitor from 2013 to 2015 as part of its drinking water contaminant monitoring program. The list Includes hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, a likely carcinogen made famous by the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, about a real-life single mom played by Julia Roberts who learns that a major utility company might be poisoning local residents by illegally dumping toxic waste.

Stainless steel has been the most popular appliance finish for decades, but some experts say its reign is coming to an end. "Ten years from now I think we're going to look back at stainless steel and say 'wow,' that's really a 1990s or 2000s kitchen," says Greg Harth, a design-build contractor based in Spring House, PA, and one of many renovation specialists we interviewed for our upcoming kitchen remodeling package. The question is, if stainless steel does become the next harvest gold, what appliance finish will take its place? Based on the buzz at this week's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Chicago, the answer may be a fresh take on classic white.

Drinking water filtration systems were requested in 29 percent of kitchen remodeling projects in 2011, up from 26 percent the year before, according to the American Institute of Architect's latest Home Design Trends Survey, which draws from a nationwide panel of 500 residential architecture firms. The demand should only grow as tap water safety concerns and the environmental backlash against bottled water intensify. But as Consumer Reports' water filter Ratings show, some filtration systems are more effective than others, and the costs vary significantly.

Induction is the fastest cooktop heating we've tested—typically 25 percent faster than an electric smoothtop. Better yet, the price of many induction cooktops and ranges has come down, as manufacturers woo consumers with a speedy technology that's been slow to catch on in the U.S.

That mustard that's been in the refrigerator since last summer's cookout should still be okay to slather on a hot dog this weekend. But if you're pulling out pickles and ketchup of the same vintage, it's safer to toss them than dress your burger with them. Mustard typically keeps for a year in the refrigerator but the shelf life of most other condiments is much shorter.

All you need to make ristorante-grade pizzas at home are "some confidence, practice, and a food processor," writes Mark Bittman in today's Dining section of the New York Times. As luck would have it, we just posted our latest batch of food processor Ratings, including several brands that make it particularly easy to prepare dough from scratch, whatever your confidence level.

By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled today in favor of Samsung and LG in a year-long anti-dumping case initiated by Whirlpool. The decision came as somewhat of a surprise after the U.S. Department of Commerce found last month that the South Korean manufacturers were illegally dumping certain foreign-made refrigerators in the U.S. market by selling them at prices below their fair market value. As a result of today's decision, duties ranging from 5 to 30 percent will not take effect.

Crimson walls, worn carpeting, outdated light fixtures. Prospective home buyers may balk when a home they're touring isn't picture perfect. But don't be put off by overgrown shrubbery or an avocado range. Such flaws can be easily, and cheaply, fixed and by accepting the house as is you may be able to bargain down the price and spend what you save to realize its true potential.

Some time-worn habits are hard to break like rinsing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. But stopping this ritual pays off in time and money. Not only will you save water but the energy it takes to heat it as well. Dishwashers are made to do dirty jobs so just scrape the excess food from the plates and let the machine do the rest of the work.