Installing a cooktop and wall oven typically costs more than buying a range so when you make the investment to customize your kitchen you want to make sure the appliances deliver when company is coming. Unfortunately, some don't. Jenn-Air was the more repair-prone brand of both electric and gas cooktops according to 11,000 of our readers who purchased a cooktop between 2008 and the first half of 2012. That's what we found in the latest Annual Product Reliability Survey from Consumer Reports National Research Center.

At Nintendo's pre-release event for its new game console yesterday, the company announced, as expected, the Wii U's price and release date—but there were a few surprise announcements too, including the TVii service. Even better, we were able to get some hands-on time with the Wii U and a few new games.

Giving blood for your job sounds a little extreme, but it's exactly what our panel of volunteer staffers did for our latest tests of 21 blood-glucose meters. For our tests, phlebotomists took blood from staffers with and without diabetes and compared multiple readings from the meters against those from our lab glucose analyzer. But there were some perks for the 15 panelists, including Angry Birds and SpongeBob bandages and Oreo cookies!

Several recent press articles indicate possible ill effects of statin drugs on the brain, especially with regard to cognitive capabilities. As an 86-year-old male, generally in good health, but taking 20 mg of simvastatin daily, what should I know about this, even before discussing it with my physician?

Buying used cars has long been a common strategy to save money. But now shoppers are being squeezed between higher-than-usual used car prices and a growing selection of increasingly fuel-efficient new cars.

If refrigerator storage capacity was a game of high-stakes poker, the pot would have grown again with the launch of the Samsung RF323TEDSPR, described by its manufacturer as the "largest capacity of all French Door refrigerators in its class." Testing is currently under way of the Samsung, along with a fleet of new models, in the Consumer Reports refrigerator labs.

With the change of seasons, many consumers are looking for a change of tires. Fortunately, we just posted the results from our largest tire-testing project to date--78 family car tires--with several newly introduced models and many old favorites. And as the ratings show, performance varies significantly, even within tire categories.

Finovate Fall 2012's afternoon session today included free e-solutions to two widespread needs that don't get much attention: Managing college loans and helping loved ones--and others--who need extra funds to pay their own bills.

How do I conduct my own energy audit? Is installing a tankless water heater worth it? How do I know if I have enough insulation? Those were just some of the questions asked in today's Twitter #askEnergy chat sponsored by the Department of Energy. Clearly, with the arrival of cooler temperatures, saving energy and money is on the minds of consumers. And the DOE advised, much as Consumer Reports always does, that the best place to start is by sealing the leaks in your home.

Priced at about $50,000, the upcoming pure-electric RAV4 EV is government-rated at 76 mpg equivalent (MPGe) with a 103-mile range. This electric SUV will go on sale in California on Sept 24th.

What's fascinating about Finovate Fall, the financial technology showcase presented in New York each year, is how the innovations it features reflect what 's newsworthy and worry-worthy among companies and consumers.

Kawasaki has become the latest motorcycle manufacturer to make ABS available on an entry-level motorcycle with the launch of the Ninja 300.

Every year Finovate Fall, the financial-technology showcase held in New York City, features a number of new and/or improved web-based services and apps intended to help consumers handle their finances, and to help companies handle their consumers.

This year's outbreak of West Nile virus is on track to be the deadliest on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The human toll from the mosquito-borne disease rose by about 35 percent, overall, since Sept. 6, to 2,636 cases, including 118 deaths.

Nikon just unveiled its lightest, smallest and cheapest full-frame SLR—just one day after Sony announced two advanced cameras with full-frame sensors.