Kitchen Deals -> Cook's Tools

The EnergyGuide label on new refrigerators will tell you how much electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) a particular model uses in one year. The smaller the number, the less energy the refrigerator uses and the less it will cost you to operate. In addition to the EnergyGuide label, don't forget to look for the Energy Star label. A new refrigerator with an Energy Star label will save you between $35 and $70 a year compared to the models designed 15 years ago. This adds up to between $525 and $1,050 during the average 15-year life of the unit.

A large number of freezers have eliminated defrosting by continually circulating the air inside the freezer compartment, thus avoiding frost build-up -- a feature well worth paying a little extra for.

Of course the market for bottled water is still massive, but you might be interested, even surprised to know that one of the largest growing sectors in water consumption at home is in the installation of water filter systems, that provide virtually unlimited quantities of pure water, straight from the mains, through a dedicated tap that provides water, pure and simple.