All posts by: Scott Nyerges

Samsonite X-Lite luggage: Iffy durability in reviews

Family & Pets
By Scott Nyerges on September 15, 2009 in

Among the many brands and models of luggage ConsumerSearch reviewed for our full report on luggage, one stood out -- and not in a good way. Although Samsonite has earned a reputation for durable luggage in the past (check out this wacky commercial from the '70s, where luggage is trampled by a marching band), reviewers say its Samsonite Black Label X-Lite line doesn't measure up.

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A sticky situation

Kitchen & Food
By Scott Nyerges on September 4, 2009 in

Growing up in the Midwest, it was a tradition to fire up the grill and cook outside once the weather got warm. Much as I'd love to own a grill today, there's just no room for one in my cramped New York City apartment. But thanks to my Sanyo Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill HPS-SG3, a ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed pick, I can cooks meats, fish and vegetables indoors and (almost) replicate perfectly my childhood memories of backyard grilling.

Like a traditional grill, I've found the Sanyo needs a good coat of nonstick cooking spray to ensure that what I'm cooking won't stick to the grill itself. Even though it's coated with a nonstick surface, my earliest attempts to cook steak and poultry ended with bits of the meat stuck to the metal, making for a laborious clean-up.

But what cooking spray to use? I thought that a basic cooking spray (in my case, Trader Joe's Canola Oil Spray) would suffice, but after a couple uses I discovered that it left a nasty black residue on the grill surface. So, like any good consumer, I turned to the Internet to see if I could find some information on the best cooking spray for an electric grill. Unfortunately, there's not a lot out there. Read more

Stuck on choosing the right bandage

Health & Beauty
By Scott Nyerges on September 3, 2009 in

Is there a difference between bandages?

Sheer strips, clear strips, fabric, antibiotic, waterproof, foam. Dozens upon dozens of shapes, sizes and styles. Name brands. Store brands. How to choose?

As commonplace as the adhesive bandage is, there's precious little info online that will help you choose the right bandage. Type "choosing the best adhesive bandage" or "best Band-Aid" into Google and you will get a lot of links to message boards, but not much in the way of professional advice. I did find few somewhat useful links, including a wound-care tutorial on PlanetRX.com, which offers pros and cons on different bandage types without recommending one or another; a not-too-scientific comparison of bandages by a doctor on Detroit TV station WDIV, who found that a waterproof Band-Aid bandage promoted healing best; and an entertaining video at 5min.com that recommends waterproof bandages for most cuts and liquid bandages for joints and digits. Read more

Corn on the cob in a toaster oven?

Kitchen & Food
By Scott Nyerges on September 2, 2009 in

As we note in our full report, toaster ovens are remarkably versatile appliances that can do more than just toast bread and bagels. Models like the Cuisinart TOB-175BC (a ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed pick) can also be used to reheat leftovers, bake a frozen pizza, even roast a chicken. They're particularly useful in the summertime, when you don't want to heat up the kitchen by turning on the oven.

Is there anything a toaster oven can't do?

Recently, a reader emailed us, asking whether she could cook corn on the cob -- a summertime treat -- in her toaster oven. We turned to Linda Larsen, About.com's guide for busy cooks, for guidance. Her answer? Yes! Here's how to do it:

Husk the corn and remove the silk. Butter the corn ears and wrap them in foil. Place them in the toaster oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

If you don't have foil, you also can cook the corn in its husk. Pull the husks back from the ear -- but don't detach them -- and remove the silk. Next, butter the corn and smooth the husks back over the corn ears. Bake as above. The husks will protect the corn like the foil would. Read more

Summertime, and the cooking is slow

Kitchen & Food
By Scott Nyerges on September 2, 2009 in

A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to buy a slow cooker: a Hamilton Beach Stay-or-Go 33162H, a ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed pick. Like a lot of New Yorkers, I'm too busy to stay home and prepare complex meals on a nightly basis, and especially in the summertime, who wants to turn on the oven and heat up the apartment? With a slow cooker, I can make healthy meals in a snap, and the apartment stays (relatively) cool.

But slow cookers won't make meals by themselves -- you need recipes for that. Several friends have turned me on to the blog A Year of Slow Cooking. Blogger Stephanie O'Day writes in a friendly, conversational tone that's easy to read. And she's honest: She lets us know which recipes work, which don't, which her kids hate (but she loves), and so on. What's great about this blog is that she illustrates every single recipe with several photos: all of the ingredients needed, as well as before and after shots. Better still, she's got recipes that run literally from soup to nuts, with suggestions for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Read more

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