Consumer Reports January 2023

AS CR LOOKS to the important consumer work ahead in 2023, I find myself reflecting on the 1936 founding of our organization. At that time, the marketplace was full of exciting new technologies—automobiles, telephones, and more. But along with those new advances came the task of ensuring that people would be safe using them and that the advertisements used to promote those advances were kept honest. To meet that moment, CR’s founders had a plan: Empower people with helpful information from research and testing, and advocate for laws and standards that put consumers first. That was our sacred promise then, and it remains so today as we focus on new challenges and opportunities to grow consumer power. This month, we are examining the risks posed by the mostly unregulated world of dietary…

Making Chicken Safer to Eat Poultry is a staple of many American diets, but it often comes with a risk of food poisoning. Each year, some 1.35 million people become ill from salmonella in the U.S., nearly a quarter of them after eating chicken or turkey. A recent CR investigation found salmonella in almost a third of the ground chicken samples we tested. And every strain we found was resistant to at least one antibiotic, which can make infections harder to treat. Poultry producers can do better: We know, for example, that the problem is partly caused by the crowded conditions in which animals are often raised. Government regulators can do more as well. Though the Department of Agriculture requires poultry processors to test for salmonella, up to 9.8 percent of whole…

THANK YOU SO much for addressing the important subject of indoor air pollution. Our family experienced the effects of a natural gas leak. Symptoms included nonhealing wounds, brain “zaps,” learning disabilities, a lack of energy and depression. After several years, our doctors determined that something within our home’s environment could be triggering our problems. Sure enough, it was an external gas meter leak being drawn into our home due to its location and the “tight” building design of our new house. The seven steps to improve one’s home air quality in the article are right on! If you suspect a leak, call your local gas and electric company for an inspection of all interior and exterior natural gas or propane line fittings. —Steve Munson, Mount Horeb, WI I JUST READ your cover…

Dish Detergents WE TESTED: 23 models WE TEST FOR: How well a detergent cleans dishes with baked-on food and resists mineral deposits on glassware. Prices are per load. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 75 Range: 47-92 TOP-PERFORMING PACKS Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club) Ultimate Clean Dishwasher Pacs 10 cents 92 OVERALL SCORE BARGAIN GEL Great Value Dishwasher Gel (Walmart) 5 cents 74 OVERALL SCORE EXCELLENT AT REMOVING BAKED-ON FOOD Cascade Gel with Dawn 10 cents 68 OVERALL SCORE Green Choice Dishwashers WE TESTED: 22 24-inch models WE TEST FOR: How clean they get dishes when set on the normal cycle, the machine’s environmental impact based on its water use, reliability, and more. ABOUT THE SCORES: Median: 71 Range: 59-85 MOST RELIABLE BRAND Bosch 100 Series SHXM4AY55N $900 85 OVERALL SCORE QUIETEST & WIFI-CAPABLE Cafe CDT845P2NS1 $1,260 74 OVERALL SCORE SPARKLING DISHES FOR LESS Whirlpool WDTA50SAKZ $750 72 OVERALL SCORE Ask Our Experts Do I need to put a rinse aid as well as detergent in my dishwasher? MOST DISHWASHERS HAVE a designated spot for you to…

Will lowering my tire pressure help my car get better traction in the snow? NO, LOWERING TIRE pressure won’t improve traction in tough winter conditions. But we understand why you’d ask that question: Drivers of off-road vehicles sometimes deflate their tires a bit to improve traction. Softening the tire helps expand the surface area that comes into contact with dirt, mud, and sand, and helps prevent it from sinking into the softer terrain. While this is a useful trick for certain off-pavement situations, it doesn’t transfer to regular roadways, even in winter. On snow, you want your tires to be fully inflated so that the tire digs through the snow to make contact with the road surface beneath it for better traction. With winter tires in particular, the inflated edges of the…

IN THE KNOW The Secret to Perfectly Cooked Meat NO MATTER HOW you like your steak, turkey, or chicken cooked, the best way to get it your way is to use a meat thermometer. While old-school kitchen thermometers (which must be inserted each time you want to get a reading) do a good job, the new “smart thermometers” are real game-changers: They’re designed to be left in your meat while it cooks, and then wirelessly transmit the temperature to an app on your smartphone. Three of the models we tested—made by Meater, Yummly, and The MeatStick—are wireless rechargeable pen-style probes, but the ThermoPro has two wired probes connected to a countertop display. It still transmits temps wirelessly to your phone, but you’ll need to close the oven door on the wires. All…