While quality control is a great topic of discussion in the board room or a phrase we hear in the news given the recent car recalls, it's not exactly what we'd consider table talk at home.  And why isn't it?  Surely, we are just as concerned about maintaining good standards at home as we are at work, so maybe the problem lies with associating quality control with trends and efficient appliances, rather than with product safety.  But safety is an important element of a quality product or appliance.  Have you given any thought to whether a product you buy is certified?  Do you know what certification mark you should look for?  And what about those appliances you've been using for eons - are they still safe?  Appliances can and do deteriorate over time and we can miss important clues if we aren't pro-active.  Product safety should be foremost in our minds when we use an appliance or buy a new (or used) product.

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Apart from housing costs, food tends to take the largest portion of a family's household budget and though there are various ways to save on food, a good start is to reduce food waste. Wasting food is something I know I'm often guilty of, whether it's not closing the package properly and letting moisture in, or having good intentions and not cooking or eating all those vegetables I stocked up on. And depending where you live, pests in the pantry may be the biggest food waste culprit and keeping foods fresh and safe - your biggest challenge.  Find out more about safe food storage and save on your food budget in Safe Food Storage & Reducing Waste.

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Busy day tomorrow?  When you don't have time to cook a dinner, it's the perfect time to make a slowcooked meal.  It's the easiest kind of meal because you place all the ingredients in the slowcooker early in the day, turn it on low or high depending on time required and your recipe, and there's no need to stir or watch it.  And voila at dinner time - it's ready to eat.  With a Crock-pot or slowcooker, simple wins.

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If you do a lot of standing baking, cooking, canning or even doing laundry, you should consider an anti-fatigue mat for those areas.  And if you're a caterer that stands all day, a comfort mat should be an essential part of your equipment.  These shock-absorbing cushioned mats make standing for any length of time much more enjoyable, reducing the risk of pain and discomfort.  They're not cheap though; expect to pay more than for a nice floor mat, but you'll quickly feel the difference and be glad you made that purchase.

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There are lots of choices when it comes to bakeware, so how do you know which type to get?  If often depends on what you intend to do with it.  And silicone bakeware - well, it's a breed all its own.  Learn more about each type of bakeware from nonstick to ceramic bakeware and choose the baking dishes that are right for your kitchen.

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When your washer dances more than you do, it's time to look for an anti-vibration solution.  Some things can cause a washing machine to shake-rattle-roll during the spin cycle and most times this is an easy fix.  Other times, you need a little help.  Learn the causes of washer vibrations and what you can do to stop the shimmy and return your washer to the contented appliance you bought in Washer Vibrations - Causes & Solutions...

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I recently tested two Oster Coffee Makers with programmable features and both are 12-cup brewers. They both have a feature that I wish was available with all coffee makers - a cleaning cycle.  While we know our coffee makers should be cleaned regularly, this is a maintenance task we often defer till whenever.  This cleaning cycle makes it easy and it also serves as a reminder to clean the coffee maker.  Either of these coffee makers brews a good cup of coffee and while there were some small things that could be improved, they offer a lot of value and are good coffee machine choices for the price.  Find out how the Oster coffee makers performed in my home tests:

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Did you know that if you place glassware too close together in the dishwasher rack, during operation the vibrations can cause them to nudge each other and chips or cracks to form?  It's nice to get the most dishes you can in the dishwasher, but give them a little space if you want to protect them.  Learn how to not load a dishwasher in Dishwasher Pitfalls.

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If you love a frappe, iced coffee, cappuccino or iced tea, the Café Frappe Maker is one machine you'll want to try out. You can make these icy gourmet coffees and teas at home for a fraction of the cost and that means more money in your pocket.  And this iced coffee machine can handle the brewing as well as the blending, so there's less mess to clean - a frappe has never been so easy.

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Whether to skimp on your knife purchase or go for broke, is often a difficult decision and the wide range of prices doesn't really help much. We're also often mislead by claims of sharp knives that promise to be like new forever. Well, sharpness is not necessarily the real indicator of a good knife - after all, even paper can be sharp - we've all had paper cuts from time to time. There are other factors to consider when it comes to quality knives. Buying expensive knives may not fit in everyone's budget, but if you know what to look for in a good knife, you can buy what you can afford and upgrade later. Learn the differences in knife quality to help you make a decision on whether to splurge or save on kitchen knives.

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