July 14th, 2007
10:54 am by Sandra F
Do you want a more attractive kitchen? Do you go to the trouble of window shopping for a new kitchen, collecting numerous samples & brochures, but never seem to quite “get there”? Here is some insight into your potential “procrastination”:
“I don’t think you are describing procrastination so much as a form of paralysis caused by fear of making the wrong decisions,” says David Gray, owner of Kitchen Cabinet Expo in Rancho Cordova.
“A kitchen remodel is a major undertaking. When you consider all the choices, time, effort and money involved, it is not hard to understand why many people feel overwhelmed. I think the solution is to find the right professionals you can trust to listen to your needs and help you make the right choices, provide a good experience and do a good job,” he says.
Find more insights and answers to your remodeling jitters at the Sacramento Bee.
July 12th, 2007
7:57 pm by Sandra F
4,400 Bonjour Professional Culinary Torches are bing voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer, Meyer corporation. The cooking torches are a fire hazard, as there is a fuel leak problem in the torch assembly near the nozzle.
From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release:
Description: This recall involves the BonJour® Professional Culinary Torch sold alone and as part of the BonJour® Bain Marie Set. The torch is 7.5 inches high and has a visible fuel gauge. The base is black, and the handle is either black or brown. The torch assembly is silver-colored with the word “BonJour” printed on the side.
Four consumer complaints have been filed but no injuries or property damage has resulted so far. Consumers are advised to stop using these torches immediately and contact Meyer for a full refund.
How to contact Meyer: Call 1 (800) 226-6568 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. I wasn’t able to find recall information on the Meyer website.
July 11th, 2007
11:00 am by Sandra F
Limestone? Concrete? Granite? Corian? Tile? Laminate? Marble?
The answer none of the above. The toughest, most resilient and stain resistant counter top material is Quartz.
… the fastest-growing countertop surface. Also known as engineered stone, quartz outperformed even granite in our tests, especially in stain resistance. The latest examples also mimic granite, marble, and other natural stone better than before … While you’ll pay about the same for quartz as you will for granite (about $45 to $90 per square foot, installed), you’ll never have to reseal this engineered stone like the real stuff.
More countertop insights at the Consumer Reports Home & Yard blog.
July 2nd, 2007
4:38 am by Sandra F
BSH Home Appliances and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 42000 Thermador Built-In Ovens Friday. Consumers are advised to not use the oven’s self-cleaning mode and contact BSH Home Appliances to schedule an inspection. Repair, if needed, will be at no charge to the consumer.
Incidents/Injuries: BSH Home Appliances has received ten reports of incidents including one which resulted in a fire that caused extensive property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves Thermador® Brand built-in single ovens and combination models which have a conventional oven and a microwave. The model numbers of the single ovens are C271B, C301B, SEC271B and SEC301B. The model numbers of the combination models are SEM272B, SEM302B, SEMW272B and SEMW302B. The ovens have date codes between FD8403 and FD8701. The model number and date code can be found on the underside of the control panel.
For more details, see the Consumer Product Safety Commission press release.
Read Thermador’s safety notice about the matter. For enquiries, call BSH Home Appliances at 1-800-701-5230 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
