Memorial Day says summer, and summer says relaxation. That's the idea, at least. So if you're shopping for lawn-care equipment, why not opt for models that offer time-saving features as well as fine performance? Electric start, power steering and blade-brake clutches are just some of the labor-savers we found in our recent tests of mowers, lawn tractors and riders, and string trimmers.

Even though the calendar doesn't say so, Memorial Day signals the start of summer. After the parades and the commemorations comes the barbecue. Nearly three-quarters of American grill owners fire up that day, according to a survey from grillmaker Weber. And what's on the menu? The three most popular items are hamburgers (73 percent), chicken (41 percent) and steak (40 percent). When Consumer Reports tests gas grills, we cook dozens and dozens of rib-eye steaks. As a result we've learned how to grill the perfect steak as well as how to choose the best grill to cook it on.

With such colors as Piccadilly yellow, Greenwich green, Palermo blue and Annapolis navy, Kohler has teamed up with Jonathan Adler, lead judge on Bravo's Top Design, for a line of bathroom and kitchen sinks in "colors that pop." Available for six models, the sinks are made of enameled cast iron. Unfortunately, that material did not hold up as well as others in Consumer Reports' recent sink tests.

If you're shopping for a new mattress and are considering a traditional innerspring, you're not alone: More than half of Consumer Reports readers we've surveyed have stuck with this time-honored variety for years. But specialty types are advancing, reports Furniture Today magazine, while innersprings are dipping in sales. And all types continue to get more expensive.

Frigidaire earned top marks among large and medium-size models in our latest report on dehumidifiers—with one caveat. Due to an initial design flaw that was later corrected by the manufacturer, a special adapter could be required on certain models in order to run the units on continuous-drain mode. As we reported, the adapter was supposed to be provided free to owners of defective units who contacted Frigidaire's customer service department. But two readers wrote to us saying that they were being charged $10 for the fix.

Starting this week more than 27,000 consumers who purchased certain vacuum cleaners and air purifiers made by Oreck will be getting checks for $25 from the Federal Trade Commission under an agreement between the government and the manufacturer. Oreck claimed its Halo vacuum and ProShield Plus air purifier could reduce the risk of flu and other illnesses, and eliminate virtually all common germs and allergens. Last year Oreck agreed to pay the FTC a $750,000 fine.

Two recent incidents in which metal bristles from a grill-cleaning brush were accidentally ingested are drawing attention to an unexpected grilling hazard. Men in New Jersey and Washington state were taken to local hospitals with stomach pain after barbecuing. In both cases, they had swallowed a bristle that had become attached to the food after the grill was cleaned. Both men underwent emergency surgery when the bristles perforated their intestines.

With some of the warmest months on record, folks took to calling 2012 the year without a winter. But we're certainly going to have a summer. Three-quarters of the nation will experience temperatures that are higher than normal from June through August, according to the federal Climate Prediction Center. To help you beat the heat, Consumer Reports has new Ratings of window air conditioners. We also have the results of our central air reliability survey in which readers told us which systems worked for them, as well as energy-saving tips so you can run your A/C without running up your utility bill.

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.

A safety recall alert for breaking glass lids included in 13-piece Circulon cookware sets have been issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The lids for the 5-quart sauté pan in the sets may crack, break or shatter during use and pose cut hazards to consumers, warns the federal safety agency.

Self-propelled walk-behind mowers are useful for most lawns under a half-acre, especially if you have any hills. If you don't want to shell out $350 to $600 for the better self-propelled models, which have multiple speeds for various cutting situations, you might consider a single-speed model. We've separated out single-speed self-propelled mowers, which start at $250 for recommended models, from multiple-speed in our recently updated Ratings for self-propelled mowers.

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.