Not long ago, you might not have pressed your roofer to assure you about the durability of the material being recommended unless you lived in an area prone to heavy storms. You could even go merely by what looked good and didn’t cost too much. What a difference a couple of years make. In an online survey of 1,005 homeowners conducted by Harris Interactive for polymer-roofing maker DaVinci Roofscapes and discussed at the 2012 International Builders’ Show, durability and longevity mattered significantly more to respondents than other factors.

To residents of coastal states, this is hardly news. But Kathy Ziprik, a spokesperson for DaVinci, related how in her own homeowner development in western North Carolina, several homes less than 10 years old experienced roof damage last year. Worse, because that part of the state typically does not experience heavy storms, no homeowner-insurance discounts are yet available for durable roofing with long warranties.

While more than 80 percent of respondents cited durability and longevity as important, the biggest losers were price (50 percent) and roof material (55 percent). The latter must be good news for DaVinci. Its product (see photo) is non-recycled polymer that’s claimed to resist fire, wind, and impact, and it’s warranted for 50 years with no pro-rating over the first 10 years. Some prospective buyers, though, can’t get past the word “plastic”—even though we heard separately of one installer who quietly replaced broken slate tiles in customers’ homes with matching DaVinci ones that won’t shatter.

This is the first survey DaVinci has commissioned, so no comparable data could tell us how homeowners in, say, the inland regions of mid-Atlantic states would have responded a couple of years ago. But DaVinci expects to conduct the survey every two years and to release further details from this survey—including details on windows, siding, doors, trim, and garage doors—over the coming weeks.

When you’re shopping for a vacuum you can pay as little as $50 or as much as $1,500 or more. But even a capable vacuum can bring some sacrifices at the low end of the price spectrum. A model may be light on features or unwieldy to use. So no matter where you end up buying one, you should go to the store first to push, pull, turn and lift the vacuums that you’re considering. Check out the controls and features and how easy or difficult it is to attach cleaning tools. Here are some drawbacks Consumer Reports found on a few lower-priced models in its recent vacuum cleaner tests.

More stooping
A low-mounted dial—rather than a foot pedal—requires bending to adjust the powerhead to the carpet height on Hoover’s new WindTunnel T-Series UH30300 upright ($140). Another feature it lacked was suction control for drapes. But this Hoover is still a relatively good value overall.

An extra step
To move from floor cleaning to using tools, Eureka’s AirSpeed AS1000A ($120) upright requires turning a dial before removing the hose and nozzle. Fortunately, at that low price it also had impressive cleaning and pet-hair pickup.

In the dog house
The Hoover Multi-Cyclonic SH40060 bagless canister's low price ($150) and 17-pound weight were overshadowed by subpar pet-hair pickup and mediocre carpet cleaning and airflow. And don't look for manual carpet-height adjustment (better for matching the brush to the surface) or suction control, which helps protect drapes when using tools. Because it was excellent on bare floors, this model is ideal for kitchens, bathrooms and hardwood floors.

Where’s the switch?
The Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900 bagged upright ($100) confirms that high performance needn't carry a high price. The Hoover's superb carpet, bare-floor, and pet-hair cleaning helped it leave much-pricier vacuums in the dust. But you must must bend to adjust the pile height and the on/off switch is inconveniently placed.

Not cool for tools
Consider the Eureka Boss Smart Vac 4870 ($160) a smart pick if you have carpets and pets but less smart if you do lots of cleaning with tools. Its carpet cleaning and superb pickup on bare floors were a definite plus. But it had an inconveniently placed on/off switch and mediocre airflow through the hose. This Boss also lacks suction control to help protect drapes when using tools.

Laminate countertops have gotten a lot better looking from the day-glo orange days of old, with subtle hues and patterns made to look like natural stone. But you still have to settle for the unsightly black line along the edge of the countertop, which gives away even the most convincing faux designs. Formica's IdealEdge, on display at the International Builders' Show, eliminates the black line by creating a virtually seamless decorative edge on all sides of the countertop.

IdealEdge is available in two profiles—bullnose, which is curved at the top and bottom for a smooth molded look and ogee, which has an angled profile that works particularly well with granite, marble, and other natural stone countertops.

Formica is also unveiling several new patterns that use the latest printing technologies to mimic the most exotic (and priciest) natural stones on the market. That includes Dolce Vita, a silver-gray faux granite with black and white striations (shown), and Silver Travertine, which is a more uniform shade of beige. Both laminate countertops retail for about $12 per square foot uninstalled, including the decorative IdealEdge.

Consumer Reports hasn't tested these particular products, but laminate countertops are included in our current Ratings of countertops, where it's touted for its low cost, resistance to heat and stains, and ease of installation.

“Upgrade your shower from ordinary to extraordinary.” That’s the promise of the new HydroRail shower column launched at the International Builders’ Show by Kohler. It combines a rainhead showerhead with a handheld shower. HydroRail uses existing plumbing, so Kohler claims it can be installed by a do-it-yourselfer for less than $400.

The column design also lets you reposition your showerheads, either higher or lower, to accommodate taller or shorter users. The handheld shower can even be positioned below head height, so you can shower without wetting your hair. Like other handheld showers on columns, it also improves usability for people with limited mobility.

Sold at stores nationwide, HydroRail is available in polished chrome or brushed nickel, and comes in a variety of rainhead showerhead sizes and shapes and several handheld shower options. Costs range from $380 to $560 depending on the finish and showerhead you choose.

Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman

Weatherizing the attic can slice your heating and cooling bills by as much as 30 percent, according to the Department of Energy. But to maximize the savings, you need to remember to insulate the attic hatch. Even a 1/4-inch gap around its perimeter can leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical heating duct. Here's where Battic Door Attic Stairs Insulator Cover, on display at the International Builders' Show this week, could lead to big energy and money savings.

Produced by the Battic Door Energy Conservation Products of Mansfield, Massachusetts, the cover is supposedly the only one of its kind to meet the latest energy and building codes, which require that all access doors from conditioned spaces to unconditioned ones be weatherstripped and insulated to a level equivalent to the surrounding surfaces.

The hatch covers come in three sizes (22”x54”, 25”x54”, and 30”x54”) costing between $30 and $40, plus shipping and handling. Assembly happens in the attic, where you first fold the cover into shape, using the self-locking tabs to create a sturdy box. Next you apply foam weatherstripping to the perimeter of your hatch. Finally, you drop the cover onto the weatherstripping as you leave the attic. The edges of the cover embed into the weatherstripping without actually adhering to it, forming an airtight seal. To get back into the attic, you simply lift the cover out of the way.

The cover can also be purchased as part of a kit that increases its thermal performance. The “better” option, $60 plus shipping and handling, includes a reflective aluminum shield that slips over the cover. The “best” option, $100 plus shipping and handling, includes the shield as well as R-50 insulation that sits inside the cover (shown).

Consumer Reports hasn’t tested the Battic Door cover, but it appears to follow the laws of thermodynamics. Could you achieve the same results with some caulk, weatherstripping, and insulation. Possibly. But it might not be as easy.

The Consumer Reports Home team leaves today for the 2012 International Builders' Show, taking place February 8-11 in Orlando, Florida. As in years past, our editors and product-information specialists will be filming, blogging and tweeting live from the floor of the Orange County Convention Center.

The opening ceremonies on Wednesday will be headlined by renowned magicians Penn & Teller, as well as Aron Ralston, the mountain climber and real-life subject of the film 127 Hours, who survived being pinned under a half-ton boulder by severing his forearm with a dull pocketknife. Those are fitting opening acts for a housing industry that's desperate to escape the clutches of a five-year recession.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will close out the show with a special session on Friday, underscoring the importance of housing to economic recovery. As Chairman Bernanke has said, "A number of factors—including the overhang of distressed and foreclosed properties, tight credit conditions for builders and potential home buyers, and the large number of 'underwater' mortgages—have left the rate of new home construction at only about one-third of its average level in recent decades."

Even as we report on these broader housing themes, we'll be on the lookout for products and practices that have the potential to make your home work better for you, in terms of its function, efficiency and style. Check back regularly throughout the week for more in-depth coverage.

Consumer Reports newest Ratings of interior paints include many subpar low- and no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints along with those that made our winners’ circle. You’ll also find a growing array of green logos, although some of those certifications are self-awarded. A new Asthma & Allergy Friendly certification is among the ones you’ll see when shopping for paint. Here’s a guide to six of the most common green labels.

Asthma & Allergy Friendly
This one comes from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The foundation measures VOCs emitted during application and prohibits certain harmful chemicals. Companies pay $7,500 or more to have paints tested and use the logo. Among tested paints, Valspar + has it.

Greenguard
This group allows only trace levels of VOCs, including formaldehyde and styrene. Manufacturers measure emissions from drying paint and pay $3,000 or more to Greenguard for testing and to use the logo.

Green Seal
This group limits VOCs, bars certain other hazardous substances, and assesses performance. Companies pay $2,500 to $9,500 to have paints evaluated and use the Green Seal logo.

Green Wise
This certification limits VOCs and odors and prohibits certain chemicals. As part of their membership fee, companies have products tested by the Coatings Research Group, an industry organization. Three Royal Interiors by Ace paints we tested have it.

GreenSure
This one was created by Sherwin-Williams, is self-regulated, and covers only the company’s own products. Paints must have VOCs of 50 grams per liter or less and be free of certain other chemical substances and meet durability requirements. Sherwin-Williams Duration has it but scored low in our tests.

Green Promise
This is from Benjamin Moore and covers its products. It requires VOCs of 50 grams per liter or less and zero-VOC colorant. The high-scoring Aura, Natura, and Regal Select have it.

Seafood Solutions, a California corporation, was sentenced in federal court to pay $1 million in fines and community service payments for its role in the false labeling of frozen fish fillets, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

The corporation was fined $700,000 and ordered to make a community service donation of $300,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as ordered to forfeit all remaining inventory of falsely labeled fish, among other stipulations of the ruling.

In our own investigative report about mislabeled seafood, we found that more than one-fifth of 190 pieces of seafood we bought at retail stores and restaurants in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut were mislabeled, incompletely labeled, or misidentified by employees.

The mislabeled fish at issue in the Seafood Solutions case was Pangasius hypophthalmus, a species in the catfish family that was misleadingly labeled as “Paradise Grouper” and “Falcon Baie Grouper.”

In 2004, Seafood Solutions began selling a fish it declared to customs as “ponga.” The fish being imported was actually Pangasius hypophthalmus. The fish was then sold under the brand names, and in boxes labeled in part as, “Paradise Grouper” and “Falcon Baie Grouper.”

The case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

For more about how mislabeled seafood—whether deliberate or not—hurts consumers, you can see our full report Mystery fish - The label said red snapper, the lab said baloney, and check out our video below.

California Seafood Corporation Sentenced to Pay $1 Million for False Labeling of Seafood Products [DOJ]

Designs Direct of Covington, Ky., has recalled about 2,000 of its Living Traditions rooster lamps, because the electrical cord can fray near the base of the lamp, posing a fire or shock hazard, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported today.

No incidents or injuries have been reported in connection with this recall.

The recall applies to the 21-inch Living Traditions rooster-themed lamps. The brown polyresin lamps have an off-white shade and a carved 9-inch rooster affixed to the base. A label on the underside of the base reads "Distributed By Fred's Inc" and "SKU 61589."

The recalled lamps were manufactured in China and sold for about $20 at Fred's stores nationwide between October and November 2011.

Consumers should stop using the recalled lamp and contact Designs Direct for a refund. For more information, call Designs Direct at 888-770-7062, or visit www.regcen.com/roosterlamp.

Designs Direct Recalls Rooster-Themed Lamps Sold Exclusively at Fred's Inc. Due to Risks of Shock and Fire [CPSC]

Jammy Sammy Strawberry Jam & Peanut Butter Snack Size Sandwich bars are being recalled by its maker, Nest Collective, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to the food safety group, some of snack bars are individually wrapped with incorrect labels that do not warn the product contains peanuts, which can be a life-threatening allergen to consumers with severe food sensitivities.

The snacks were sold in packages of five bars which correctly identify the product as Jammy Sammy jam and peanut butter sandwiches. However, some of the individually wrapped bars identify the product as "Grammy Sammy Honey Graham and Strawberry Yogurt" and show the ingredient statement of that product.

While the the boxes and wrappers warn consumers that the products were produced at a facility that processes peanuts and other allergens, the Jammy Sammy product specifically contains organic peanuts and peanut butter. The FDA warns that consumers with allergies to peanut-based products should not eat the Jammy Sammy bars and return the snacks to the retailer for a full refund. Consumers should also seek immediate medical attention if they're experiencing any health issues after eating the mislabeled snacks. (For more information, see Consumer Reports' What to pack in an emergency kit and Consumer Reports Health's Best Buy Drug advice on Antihistamines for treating allergies, hay fever, and hives. [PDF])

The recalled snacks were sold online and at retail stores nationwide. The Jammy Sammy Strawberry Jam & Peanut Butter snack packages bear the Revolution Foods brand name, with a Best By date of June 28, 2012 and a UPC code of 89676600116-6.

No illness have been reported.

For more information, consumers can call Nest Collective's toll-free customer service line (866-362-1562) or send the company e-mail: info 'at' nest-collective.com.

Nest Collective Voluntarily Recalls Select Revolution Foods Jammy Sammy - Strawberry Jam & Peanut Butter Snack Size Sandwich Bars Due to a Labeling Error (Undeclared Peanut on Inner Wrapper) [FDA]
Jammy Sammy Voluntary Recall [Revolution Foods]

As the jugs of laundry detergent in the supermarket get smaller and lighter, the liquid detergent within is becoming more concentrated. The containers are easier to lug home, but the variety of confusing caps is no help on laundry day. Some of the caps’ fill lines are hard to decipher, and the line for the largest load may be only halfway up the cap. Here are five we found particularly vexing in our laundry detergent tests. To avoid overdosing, use a permanent marker to highlight the fill lines.

Purex vs. Purex. (In photo, from left to right.) Both bottles, found side by side on a store shelf, contain 50 fluid ounces and claim 33 loads. Why the different caps? The company launched the newer, wider one, a customer rep said, to standardize its cap sizes.

Silly claim. “50% more loads,” says the 75-ounce bottle of Xtra. Great … until you read the fine print: “vs. 50 oz. detergents.”

X marks the spot. Era 2X Ultra contains 50 ounces and does 32 loads, two more than Tide Plus Febreze, whose bottle makes no Ultra or X claim. And 32 ounces of 3X Ultra All? It does 28 loads.

Easy does it. Sometimes the fill lines are so close together (about one-sixteenth inch between two doses in the Era cap) that you’d need an eyedropper to measure properly.

Hidden lines. You can’t see the lines in the All cap, but neither could we, unless we held it an inch from our eyes.

York International is re-announcing the recall of some 226,000 Coleman, Coleman Evcon and Red T gas furnaces for manufactured homes due to more than 300 incident reports since the 2004 recall involving the furnaces, which can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

York International has received reports of 393 incidents, including some involving extensive property damage that could be related to the fire hazard, 366 of those reports were received after the November 2004 recall announcement. No injuries have been reported.

The furnace can overheat and cause the heat exchanger to crack and create openings that allow flames to be exposed. When this happens, drywall and other nearby combustibles are exposed to the flames, posing a fire and smoke hazard.

Manufactured in the U.S. between 1995 and 2000, the recalled furnaces includes about 223,600 in the U.S. and 2,400 in Canada, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada reported today.

The furnaces are silver with white access panels. The brand names Coleman, Coleman Evcon, or Red T are located on the middle of the front access panel. The model number is written on a faceplate, found by removing both front access panels. The faceplate is mounted on the left inside surface behind the lower panel.

Recalled models included:

• DGAM075BDD
  
• DGAM075BDE
  
• DGAM075BDF
  
• DGAT070BDD
  
• DGAT070BDE
  
• DGAT070BDF
  
• DGAT075BDD
  
• DGAT075BDE
  
• DGAT075BDF
  
• DLAS075BDD
  
• DLAS075BDE
  
• DLAS075BDF

The recalled gas furnaces were sold nationwide between 1995 and 2000 as original equipment in manufactured homes and as replacement furnaces in manufactured homes.

If your home has one of these furnaces, you should immediately stop using it until it has been both inspected and repaired. Contact UPG to schedule a free inspection and repair of any furnace involved in the recall.

For more information, including questions about installation issues that may lead to the fire hazard, call UPG at 888-665-4640 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit www.dgatprogram.com. UPG Technical Services is also conducting a comprehensive notification and communications program and working with its distributors to locate owners.

Health Canada's press release is available here.

Fire Concerns Prompt York International to Reannounce Recall of Gas Furnaces for Manufactured Homes [CPSC]
CPSC, York International Corp. Announce Recall of Gas Furnaces [CPSC]

When washers and dryers were hidden in dimly lit basements, their appearance hardly seemed to matter. But now that they’ve moved upstairs, they’re curvy and stylish, chartreuse and plum, and available in matching washer and dryer pairs. Consumer Reports found some dynamic duos in its recent tests of washers and dryers.

While we typically test washing machines and dryers individually and not in pairs, we have found some standouts that are indeed sold as a matching set. You’ll find that improvements in washer technology deliver most of the energy savings; front-loaders and high-efficiency top-loaders use a lot less water than conventional top-loaders, and spin at such high speeds that much of the water is extracted, reducing dryer time. So if your working dryer has a moisture sensor, there’s little reason to haul it to the curb, unless you love the look of a coordinated pair. Here are four pairs from four brands that did well in our Ratings of washers and dryers.

Whirlpool
Whirlpool Duet WFW94HEX[W] washer and Duet WED94HEX[W] electric dryer, $1,000 each (in white). This front-loader tops our washer ratings. The dryer has a steam option, which our past tests found leave shirts visibly wrinkled, but did remove more odors than conventional dryers. The gas dryer model number is WGD94HEX[W] and costs about $50 more. The Duet duo is also available in silver and cranberry, which also ups the cost a bit.

Samsung
Samsung WF520AB[P] washer and DV520AE[P] electric dryer, $1,400 each (in platinum). This front-loading washer is among the few we’ve tested that rated excellent in vibration. Both machines have large capacities and steam options. In past tests we found that steam settings on washers cleaned stains slightly better, but machines with these settings washed very well even without the steam. The pair is available in white for slightly less, and the gas dryer is DV520AG[P].

LG
LG WM3875H[W]CA washer, $1,200 and DLEX3875 electric dryer, $1,300 (in graphite steel). The front-loading washer is among the quietest we tested, but be patient, cycle time is 100 minutes. The dryer is relatively quiet, too. Both are loaded with features, including steam, and hold lots of laundry. They also come in white. The gas dryer is DLGX3876.

Kenmore
Kenmore 2800[2] washer, $620, and 6800[2] electric dryer, $700 (in white). Both have a large capacity and an appealing price. The high-efficiency top-loader gets laundry clean in 45 minutes. But it isn’t as gentle on clothes as some others we tested and is relatively noisy. The gas dryer is model number 7800[2].

The National Mall consumes more electricity than any of the country’s 397 national parks. So this week federal officials did something to cut the mall’s utility bills and replaced the lightbulbs in 174 vintage Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. lampposts with LEDs. In addition to lighting the paths for the mall’s 25 million annual visitors, the LEDs are expected to last up to 25 years and save 65 percent in energy costs.

"Using energy-efficient LED light bulbs is an important way Americans can save money by saving energy," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu who switched on the lights Monday with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "There is no more fitting place to install these state-of-the-art, energy-efficient bulbs than right here in America’s front yard, the National Mall," added Salazar.

The LED bulbs were made in the U.S.A. and donated by lighting maker Osram Sylvania, which also contributed the kits to retrofit the historic lamps originally installed in 1936. Pepco, a local utility company, lent the overhead line crews to install the new lighting and remove the old high-intensity discharge and compact fluorescents (CFL). The lights extend from Third to 15th Streets. To see a photo gallery of the improvements, visit the DOE’s website. Or you can check Consumer Reports' Ratings of LEDs, CFLs and halogen lightbulbs.

West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma, has recalled about 5,750 of its Overarching Floor Lamps, because a short circuit can occur in the lamp's wiring, posing a shock hazard, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported today.

West Elm is aware of at least 39 reports of short circuits in the lamp, including three reports of shock, one minor burn and two reports of minor property damage.

The recalled lamp is 77 inches tall with a 19-inch diameter base and a curving arm that extends the lamp about 5 feet from the base. It has a three-way on and off switch. The arm and base are made of polished nickel, and the linen shade comes in three colors: natural, white or charcoal.

Manufactured in China, the lamp was sold for about $250 at West Elm stores nationwide, online at westelm.com and through the company's catalog from March through November 2011.

You should stop using the lamp immediately and return it to West Elm for full store credit. For more information, call West Elm at 855-236-1941, or visit www.WestElm.com/pages/safety-recalls/.

The CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are related to this recall, or involve a different hazard (with the same product). You can report an incident at www.saferproducts.gov.

Overarching Floor Lamp Recalled by West Elm Due to Shock Hazard [CPSC]
Safety recalls [West Elm]

Look at the packaging for an air purifier, and you’re likely to see one or more certification logos from testing organizations and even the government. But while a star or a golden emblem on a box might suggest high praise or an award, none of the certificates necessarily mean the purifier is right for you. To help you choose, Consumer Reports has decoded the labels.

CADR
CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate, a test developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. The higher the number, the better; we judge CADR above 350 excellent and below 100 to be poor.
What it won’t tell you. Because CADR is measured at an air purifier’s highest speed, a high number doesn’t give you any clue as to whether the model works well at lower, quieter settings. CADR also doesn’t tell you about the release of ozone, which can aggravate asthma.

Energy Star
Energy Star-qualified air purifiers are 40 percent more energy-efficient than non-qualifying models. The program uses a model’s CADR and wattage to determine what qualifies.
What it won’t tell you. The seal doesn’t say anything about how efficient a model is on low speeds, and it barely addresses performance. The requirements also allow models to emit up to 50 parts per billion (ppb) of ozone. We suggest you buy a filter-based purifier that doesn’t produce any ozone.

Asthma & Allergy Friendly
This certification, from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, means the unit has met criteria for dramatically reducing dust and dust mites, cat allergens, and pollen. Testing is done by labs approved by the AAFA.
What it won’t tell you. Like CADR and Energy Star, testing is done at a unit’s highest speed and allows for the same ozone levels as Energy Star.

ARB
The California Air Resources Board now requires that residential air purifiers sold in or marketed to consumers of that state for residential use must emit no more than 50 ppb of ozone. The certification label reads, “This air cleaner complies with the federal ozone emissions limit.”
What it won’t tell you. The seal is no indication that the unit is effective at removing dust, smoke, and other particles.

For more on air purifiers, check our Ratings and recommendations.

While human error is a common cause of residential appliance fires, the equipment itself is often to blame as well, according to a months-long investigation by Consumer Reports. Faulty refrigerator compressors, defective dishwasher circuit boards, and self-starting cooktops and toasters are just a few examples of the design flaws identified in our report. In fact, more than 15 million appliance units have been recalled in the past five years for defects that could cause a blaze. And our analysis of nationwide fire reports suggests the problem may run even deeper.

Fortunately, there's plenty you can do to protect yourself from appliance fires. First and foremost, be sure to register your appliances with the manufacturer so that you'll be notified promptly if a product is recalled. And make sure your home's fire-prevention equipment, including smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, is properly placed and in working order. For the complete safety information, as well as full details from our investigation, read "Appliance fires: Is your home safe?"

About 4,500 hurricane style electric lights sold at Christmas Tree Shops are being recalled today. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an electrical short can occur in the light's internal wiring and pose a fire hazard.

There has been one report of smoke coming from the defective lights, imported from China by Nantucket Distributing Co. Inc., of Middleboro, Mass. No consumer injuries or property damage have been reported however.

The recall affects Hurricane Style Light, a circular lamp with a white metal basket and moveable handle for hanging or carrying at the top. It has a colored glass insert in blue, pink, or green and uses a mini light bulb. The model number “DML0593” and SKU/UPC number “000015806710” are printed on the price tag attached to the product.

The lights were sold at Christmas Tree Shops in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions from December 2010 through November 2011 for about $7.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and return it to any Christmas Tree Shops location for a full refund.

For additional information, consumers should call Christmas Tree Shops toll-free (888-287-3232) or visit the firm’s website: www.ChristmasTreeShops.com.

Hurricane Style Lights Recalled by Christmas Tree Shops Due to Fire Hazard [CPSC]
Product Safety and Recalls [Christmas Tree Shops]

Nantucket Distributing has recalled about 5,700 holiday-themed tea light candle warmers because they can catch fire because the warming bowl is positioned too close to the tea light candle, posing fire and burn hazards, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported today.

Nantucket Distributing has received one report of the Snowmen candle warmer catching on fire causing a minor burn injury to a consumer’s hand.

About eight inches tall, the recalled tea light candle warmers in the shapes of snowmen and gingerbread houses. A warming bowl with wax fragrance tablets is suspended above the tea light candle. The Snowmen model has SKU/UPC 000016005396 and the Gingerbread house model has SKU/UPC 000016005372 printed on a label on the bottom of the product.

Sold for about $8 at the Christmas Tree Shops in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest from November through December 2011.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled tea light candle warmers and return them to any Christmas Tree Shops store to receive a full refund.

For more information call the Christmas Tree Shops at 888-287-3232, or visit www.christmastreeshops.com.

Holiday Tea Light Candle Warmers Recalled by Christmas Tree Shops Due to Fire and Burn Hazards [CPSC]

If you're shopping for a romantic box of chocolates to give as a Valentine's Day gift this year, there's good news. According to Consumer Reports latest test on chocolate gift boxes, you'll find very good tasting treats at modest prices.

Consumer Reports' techie tasters describe the top chocolates tested for our Ratings as having ultra-smooth chocolate and high-quality fillings that range from the usual (nuts, caramel) to the exotic (chili pepper, star anise). But most of the Recommended chocolates are pricey—about $40 to $90 per box—and available only online, which means tacking on shipping fees that range from $18 to $36.

So, if you're in a cash (or time) crunch for February 14, check out these other top choices in chocolates:

• Godiva Gold Ballotin 36-piece ($2.74/ounce)
• Ferrero Collection Fine Assorted Confections ($1.25/ounce)
• Leonidas Chocolate General Assortment ($2.25/ounce)
• See's Assorted Chocolates ($1.06/ounce)

Godiva, Ferrero, and See's All are sold in stores so you might be able to avoid shipping charges. (Leonidas has only one store, in New York City.)

[UPDATE: A reader has advised us that Leonidas chocolates are sold at other retail outlets outside of New York City. Check the company's website, www.leonidas,com, for the nearest store locations. —Ed.]

Check out our latest report on Best Chocolates to see which ranked the least favorite—for pieces that were "chalky, gritty, or hard"—among Consumer Reports' panel of expert taste testers.

As the New York Giants get ready to meet the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the question is, will store-bought frozen Buffalo wings be good enough for your Super Bowl party?

For tests of seven different store-bought wings, our tasters sampled more than 800 to see if any scored a touchdown.

According to our taste experts, the best wings are moist, tender chicken with a crispy coating, and spiciness—Although not so intense that you can't see the game through your tears.

Here are some highlights from our taste-off: The clear winner was Bell and Evans Buffalo Style Chicken Wings, and if you're looking to spend a little less money, the Café W Wings from Walgreens are also worth a try.

Some of the Buffalo wings we tested did not make the cut, however. The Weaver Buffalo Wings had a fake butter flavor, and Walmart's Great Value Buffalo Wings had chewy chicken and rubbery skin.

For more check out our video:

And although Super Bowl XLVI will live-stream to mobile devices and online, you may want to get the right big-screen TV for the Big Game. For more check out our guide to a great Super Bowl XLVI game plan.

Formerly at home on the mall in Washington D.C., the next Solar Decathlon will be held across the country at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The move should guarantee that the competition has something that was in short supply last year—sun. The Department of Energy also announced the 20 collegiate teams that will compete in the 2013 decathlon including nine returning teams, 11 new teams, and four international teams.

Last year’s Solar Decathlon was a soggy affair with rain inundating the 19 teams inhabiting the solar village. The winner was the University of Maryland’s WaterShed house, which proposed solutions to both water and energy shortages by capturing storm runoff, filtering pollutants from greywater and minimizing water use.

Sponsored by the DOE, the Solar Decathlon has been held every two years since 2005. Teams earn points in 10 areas in three ways: Completing household tasks such as cooking, washing dishes and doing laundry; meeting specified criteria, such as maintaining a comfortable (71 to 76 degrees F) indoor temperature and earning points from judges on features that can’t be measured such as aesthetics and design inspiration.

The Orange County Great Park is on the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which the City of Irvine is turning into sustainable parkland. In the fall of 2013, the 20 teams will set up a solar village on the paved runway where they’ll have more space and, hopefully, more sun.

At this time of year, most gardening activity is of the armchair variety. With the arrival of seed catalogs, it’s a good time to start planning what you’ll be planting in the Spring. But before you order any flowers or vegetables, consult the newly updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map because your zone may be warmer than you think. Compared to the 1990 map, the last time it was updated, zone boundaries have shifted by about 5 degrees F throughout much of the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The new version of the color-coded map includes two new zones—zones 12 (50-60 degrees F) and 13 (60-70 degrees F). (The higher the zone number, the warmer your average low temperature during wintertime.) Each zone is a 10-degree Fahrenheit band, further divided into A and B 5-degree Fahrenheit zones. The new map is searchable by state and by zip code. "This is the most sophisticated Plant Hardiness Zone Map yet for the United States," said Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics in a press release. "The increases in accuracy and detail that this map represents will be extremely useful for gardeners and researchers."

The zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. They do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time. Low temperature during the winter is a critical factor in the survival of plants at specific locations, according to the USDA.

The agency said the changes were the result of a number of factors including taking temperature data from over a 30 year period, rather than 13; taking changes in elevation and closeness to large bodies of water into account, and using data from many more weather stations.

Although the new map has provoked questions about climate change, USDA officials, were careful not to make claims about global warming. USDA spokeswoman Kim Kaplan, who was part of the map team, told the Washington Post that even though much of the country is in warmer zones, the map “is simply not a good instrument” to demonstrate climate change because it is based on just the coldest days of the year.

Forget Dickens—this is more of an outdoor-gear spin on the Aesop fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” a moral lesson on the virtues of hard work and planning ahead. But in this case it was a snow blower and not a winter food supply that stymied the grasshopper. And the ant learned that, when it comes to snow-blower maintenance, there can be a downside to having the only working machine in the neighborhood.

It happened last weekend, when a snowstorm hit the New York tri-state area dumping about eight inches onto my neighborhood. I’d been keeping up maintenance on my 24-inch Yard Machines snow blower. And I knew that our next-door neighbors had a beefy Ariens, at least a 28-inch model, that they’d bought before last winter's many storms. With a driveway twice as long as mine, they need it.

But as I worked on our driveway, my neighbor suddenly appeared. Her husband was traveling, and she didn’t know how to start their snow blower. I followed her back to her garage and checked out the Ariens. Choke, primer, key ... pulling the cord brought not a hint of ignition. I pulled a few more times and then tried the electric start. Then I asked: Had they emptied out the gas after last winter? Even a model from a trustworthy brand, after all, needs human intervention to keep it running well.

I realized, from the shake of her head, that I could skip further questions about, say, the spark plug. I understood, too, that unlike the Aesop fable, I couldn’t merely shrug and revel in my ant-like foresight. Maintaining outdoor power equipment is but one of many tasks that need doing in and around the home, and nobody gets to all of them. On that day I ended up clearing more than two driveways; our neighborhood has many grasshoppers.

Prefer to feel prepared for winter’s storms? Our comprehensive report on snow blowers covers snow-blower maintenance and safety as well as news from our latest tests. But if more snow has arrived and nothing you’re doing will get your snow blower started, check out the advice from our experts. It could make all the difference. At the very least, these tips may have done the trick for my neighbor.

The genius behind the genius bar at Apple is now reimagining JCPenney’s 1,100 stores. Penney CEO Ron Johnson, who made it more attractive to go to Apple stores than shop elsewhere, wants to do the same for the 110-year-old retailer. To do so he is creating stores-within-a-store and a “town square” where shoppers can hang out—just like they do at Apple. He’s also enlisting the help of such A-listers as Martha Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres and designer Nanette Lepore. Johnson described his plan as the six P's: Price, Personality, Product, Promotion, Place and Presentation. While there are no iProducts on the list, some of JCPenney's branded goods have topped Consumer Reports' Ratings.

The transformation begins on Feb. 1 but you may have already seen the JCPenney TV ad in which shoppers bemoan the confusing and overwhelming number of promotions and markdowns that were the hallmark of JCPenney. Now the retailer will offer three kinds of pricing: everyday, monthly specials and clearance. And instead of sending out multiple flyers, they will send out one catalog a month. Sounds like everything old is new again.

“We will transform each and every JCPenney store over the next four years with a month-by-month, shop-by-shop roll-out of exciting new merchandise initiatives,” said Johnson in a press release. DeGeneres has been chosen as the retailer’s spokeswoman and Lepore and Stewart will have stores within the store. That is unless Macy’s wins its suit to block Stewart from carrying out her partnership with JCPenney. Macy’s also sells Stewart-branded products.

At Consumer Reports, JCPenney’s Cooks 780-2403 Energy-Saving drip coffeemaker ($50) tops our Ratings due to its excellent brewing performance. We also liked its convenience and carafe handling. Cooks 10-Speed HM820 hand mixer ($30) is a CR Best Buy. It was excellent at whipping cream and meringue and at mixing cookie dough but noisier than others in our tests. Cooks Commercial SM248 stand mixer ($150) didn’t score quite as well as some of the others in our labs but we liked its kneading, whipping and mixing ability.

JCPenney also fares well in our upcoming report on where to shop, which will be online and on newsstands early next month. Consumer Reports’ subscribers praised the quality of the merchandise and said they liked to shop at JCPenney because of its convenient locations.