Consumer Reports February 2022

LONG GONE ARE the days when cell phones were optional. They enable us to work, travel, order food, and connect to entertainment, family, and the world. As with any essential product, we want the best choices, which is why this month’s issue includes a guide to picking the phone service best suited to your priorities and budget. (See “The Best Cell Plan Deals for Everyone,” on page 46.) But no amount of tactical advice protects consumers from a mobile service market with too much consolidation and too little competition. Until recently, there were just four major carriers. With 2020’s roughly $30 billion Sprint/T-Mobile merger, which CR opposed, we’re down to three. Fewer consumer choices, of course, means less competition in the marketplace, which tends to translate into higher prices, lower-quality goods…

More Accessible Broadband INTERNET ACCESS HAS BECOME a vital necessity, almost as essential to our lives as utilities like water and electricity. Yet far too many of us either lack access to broadband or struggle to afford it. Almost a quarter of households are not connected to the internet via broadband, according to a June 2021 nationally representative CR survey of 2,565 U.S. adults—32 percent of them because it costs too much, 25 percent because it’s not available in their area. Of those who do have broadband, 24 percent say it’s difficult to afford. CR has long urged policymakers to address these problems, and our efforts are now bearing fruit: The federal infrastructure bill signed into law in November includes $65 billion for new broadband access and affordability initiatives, many of which CR…

In our December 2021 article “The Trouble With Spices,” CR’s tests revealed that some popular products contained unsafe amounts of lead, arsenic, and cadmium. Readers wrote in with their concerns, as well as tips for DIY spices. To add your voice, go to CR.org/safespice0222. THANK YOU for your article. We were taking supplementary turmeric but, based on the article, have decided that without further study, it is not a good idea. That said, we were surprised about all the herbs that were on the list as potentially having contamination. For the last several years we have been growing our own herbs, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, and tarragon, as well as paprika peppers. In early fall, we harvest all our herbs, remove the stems, and dry each separately in…

Removing dust and fingerprints on an OLED, LCD, or plasma screen TV is easy, but it does require a careful touch or you could damage the screen. Turn off the TV: It’s easier to see dirt and smudges when the screen is dark. Use a soft, anti-static microfiber cloth—the kind used to clean eyeglasses. (Don’t use paper towels or tissues; they can scratch screens.) Wipe in circles with light pressure—pressing too hard could cause damage. For stubborn stains, slightly dampen the cloth with distilled water and gently try again. Never spray water directly onto the screen (water can get inside your TV and break it). Don’t use chemical cleaners, such as Windex, which can ruin screens.…

Convection Toaster Ovens WE TESTED: 49 models WE TEST FOR: How well a toaster oven bakes muffins and cookies, how evenly it toasts bread, how easy it is to clean, and more. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 57 Range: 35-74 GREAT TOASTING & BAKING WITH EASY-TO-USE CONTROLS Breville Smart Oven Air Convection BOV900BSSUSC $400 74 OVERALL SCORE QUICK TOASTING & LONG WARRANTY (3 YEARS) Cuisinart Deluxe Convection TOB-135N $180 69 OVERALL SCORE NICE PRICE & EASY TO CLEAN Black+Decker 8-Slice Digital Extra Wide TO3290XSD $100 67 OVERALL SCORE Big-Screen TVs WE TESTED: 55 models with 70-inch or larger screens WE TEST FOR: Picture quality, including detail and color accuracy of images; sound quality; versatility of included apps and services; and more. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 65 Range: 49-86 EXCELLENT ALL-AROUND (77") LG OLED77C1PUB $2,900 84 OVERALL SCORE SUPERB SOUND & RELIABLE BRAND (77") Sony XR-77A80J $3,000 84 OVERALL SCORE GREAT BIG-SCREEN DEAL (75") Hisense 75U6G $1,050 62 OVERALL SCORE For the latest ratings of these and other product categories, readers with a Digital…

IT’S NOT UNCOMMON for drivers to keep going after the pump clicks off to round up the dollar amount of the sale. But this is a potentially dangerous habit that could end up costing you, our experts caution. This practice can damage the onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) system, a charcoal canister that collects potentially harmful fuel vapors, by saturating it with fuel. When damaged, it might not do its job of collecting those vapors (emitting them into the outside air instead), triggering the “check engine light” to go on. Repairing the ORVR system can cost hundreds of dollars—money you’ll be spending on a part that otherwise should last the entire life of your vehicle. Additionally, when you overfill your tank, the likelihood that you spill a few drops of…