Productopia | Sarah Burns

Once the butt of bad holiday jokes, fruitcakes are making a comeback. Gone are the liquor-laden, rock-hard confections of yore. Today's cakes literally offer a lighter touch and contain more interesting ingredients.

For instance, Southern-style fruitcakes, like the best-reviewed Mary of Puddin Hill Pecan Fruit Cake, are typically chocked with nuts and contain no alcohol.

Monastery fruitcakes (usually bathed in booze) offer a more balanced cake-to-fruit ratio and are light on nuts. The Gethsemani Farms Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake, made by Trappist monks, is dubbed by one reviewer to be "the cake against which all past and future fruitcakes will be judged."

Steam mops are a good way to clean tile and vinyl kitchen floors, but the bet models are pricey. Target's leaked Black Friday circular reveals that the store will offer the Bissell Steam Mop Deluxe, normally $100, for only $50 that day. We think this is a good deal, since the regular Bissell Steam Mop is a Best Reviewed item in the most recent ConsumerSearch report on steam mops.

Swine flu fears have prompted a renewed interest in hand sanitizers. We found reviews that should be interpreted cautiously, however. Why? Fraudulent products claiming to fight the H1N1 flu virus have been popping up, including some hand sanitizers. In September 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to three companies that claimed their alcohol-free hand sanitizers could protect against H1N1. The makers of SkinWear and Viraban have since removed the claims from their websites, but although the Soapopular website says it has removed the claims, ConsumerSearch found the words "H1N1, swine flu" in white-on-white text on one of the website's pages as of November 2009 -- invisible to readers (unless you highlight the text), but not to a search engine.

In leaked Black Friday circulars, every retailer seems to be pushing at least one discounted vacuum cleaner. We've taken a look at all of them to figure out whether any are worth the hassle and lines of Black Friday.

Shoppers trying to score a cheap, reliable mixer this Black Friday may be tempted to head to Target. A recently-leaked circular revealed that the store will be offering the Sunbeam Mixmaster Hand/Stand Mixer for only $25. Normally priced at $50, this seems like a great deal. The hitch? We found iffy reviews.

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, many cooks will be breaking out their Dutch ovens. Don't have one? These versatile pots can bake, deep-fry, braise and even boil foods. Many cooks also conveniently use them to whip up soups and stews.

So how do these products differ from stockpots? Popular Dutch oven sizes are in the 5- to 7- quart range, while stockpots are usually 8 or 12 quarts. Unlike stockpots, Dutch ovens can be easily transferred from stovetop to oven, right to the table. Current Dutch ovens consist of uncoated cast iron, enameled cast iron or feature stainless steel construction.

Trying to slim down? Stride over to Sears this Black Friday. A recently leaked circular reveals the store will be offering three solid treadmills.

The first: The ProForm XP Crosswalk 580, normally $900, will be on sale for $570. Overall, we found this product gets decent reviews. It has a 2.8-horsepower motor, a 20-by-55-inch walking belt and 12 personal trainer workouts. However, parts and labor are only covered under warranty for 90 days. About 80 percent of owners at Sears.com say they would recommend this treadmill to a friend, but several reviewers say the 580 shakes or buzzes loudly when jogging or walking fast.

Need a new vacuum? You'll encounter a bevvy of dirt-busting options this Black Friday. Kohl's will be offering the widest selection this year. A little preview:

• The Hoover Wind Tunnel Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $250, will be knocked down to $150 that day.
• Dyson's DC14 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $450, will be sold for $320.
• The Dyson DC25 All Floors Bagless vacuum, normally $550 will be on sale for $400.
• Bissell's Momentum Bagless vacuum, originally $130, will be only $80.
• Bissel's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum, normally $220, will be sold for $180.
• Shark's UltraLite MultiVac, regularly $140, will be offered for $120.
• Hoover's WindTunnel Self-Propelled Bagged Vacuum, normally $240, will be $215.
• Bissell's Lift Off Multi Cyclonic vacuum, regularly $220, will be offered at $180.
• Hoover's Linx Stick vacuum, regularly $210, will be discounted down to $180.

With bake, toast, broil and convection settings, today's toaster ovens are giving full-size ovens a run for their money. Unlike standard toasters, these small counter top ovens can do more than just toast bread. They can bake cookies, heat up a frozen pizza or even roast a small chicken. However, contrary to popular belief, a toaster ovens can't toast bread as evenly or as quickly as a traditional, slot-style toaster.

Ah, bed bugs.....Think these tiny bloodsuckers only plague high-rise apartments and hotels? Think again. The truth is, more and more people are getting bed bugs from brand new mattresses. That's right, this seemingly innocent purchase can quickly morph into an unbelievable nightmare.

So, how does this happen? To increase their "sell," many companies now offer to discard a shopper's old mattress when they deliver a new one. What they don't tell you: It's a common practice to toss old mattresses in the back of the truck with brand new ones yet to be delivered, and this can easily spread bed bugs.

So what can you do to protect yourself?