AT&T EL51209

The AT&T EL51209 is a very high-quality cordless phone at a very low price, according to reviews. This particular model has no answering machine; you can get one on the otherwise identical AT&T EL52209 (*Est. $50). Reviews give this phone high marks for performance -- it's easy to set up and use, voices sound clear, the handsets operate a good distance from the base, and we found no complaints of interference. It operates on the 1.9 GHz frequency (which is only for cordless phones) using the latest Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) technology. For $40, you get two cordless handsets and all of the features most people want, including a backlit keypad, caller ID memory and a voicemail indicator. A three-handset version is available, the AT&T EL51359 (*Est. $70). Reviews consistently point out only two real flaws: There's no headset jack and you can't buy additional handsets (the base can only accommodate three). The top-rated Panasonic KX-TG1032S (*Est. $55) solves these problems, offering a headset jack and up to six handsets, but its keypad is not backlit.

ConsumerReports.org provides the best guidance on the AT&T EL51209 with its exhaustive expert tests. Owner reviews can be found at Amazon.com and BestBuy.com.