Scoop Net Reviews

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Best table patio heater

Pros

• Fuel-tank versatility
• 11,000 BTUs
• Good value
• Safety features

Cons

• Ineffective in wind
• Warms only about a 10-foot circle

Consumer Reports tests an earlier but similar Endless Summer tabletop patio heater, but this review is more useful for understanding the uses and limitations of patio heaters than for ranking models. This is also true of Jim Dulley’s buyer’s guide at Dulley.com, though the Endless Summer tabletop patio heater is reviewed here. We found the best assessment of the Endless Summer 92000 at PatioExperts.com. This retail website notes pros and cons better than similar sites. We found about a dozen brief owner reviews at Walmart.com that represent a fairly diverse sampling of opinion, and most like the Endless Summer 92000 in mild conditions.

The budget-priced Endless Summer tabletop heater (also sold under the Uniflame, Blue Rhino and Charmglow brand names) is recommended in more reviews than any other patio heater. The hexagonal stainless-steel base is rustproof, and heat adjusts up to 11,000 BTUs, higher than on some competing tabletop patio heaters. An optional connection hose lets you save fuel costs by using a refillable 20-pound propane tank instead of restricting you to disposable 1-pound cylinders. This little patio heater is designed for use on an outdoor table, warming an area about 10 feet in diameter — as long as there’s no wind and the temperature isn’t too low. To warm a larger area, consider a freestanding patio heater such as the Garden Sun Outdoor Propane Patio Heater (*Est. $175).

Luxury smoker/grill combination

Pros

• Grills and bakes well, too
• Can maintain temps as low as 150 degrees Fahrenheit
• Lifetime warranty on body
• Conserves charcoal

Cons

• Expensive
• No hinged door for adding charcoal
• Heavy, difficult to move
• No water pan, so meat may be dry
• Wheeled stand costs extra

The 18-inch Big Green Egg is not strictly a smoker — this 140-pound ceramic Kamado-style grill can do anything from smoking a roast to baking a pizza. It is so well insulated and well vented, reviewers say, that it can cook at 700 degrees Fahrenheit or at 150 degrees. The lower range appeals to barbeque fans because you want a long, slow process that tenderizes the meat. The Big Green Egg also has a lifetime guarantee on its body, which is so thick that you end up using less charcoal to keep it going. Reviewers note one distinct disadvantage: the Big Green Egg requires you to take the meat off the grill to add more coals, and in one test, experts found that the lack of a water pan meant the meat came out drier than in other smokers. This heavy smoker is stationary unless you buy a wheeled “nest” (Est. $125). If you want to spend less, the Weber Smokey Mountain (*Est. $300 for 18.5-inch size) gets top rating in reviews.

The best recent review of the Big Green Egg is featured in Cook’s Illustrated magazine, where experts test it and two other smokers. While reviewers for AmazingRibs.com, Fine Cooking and Food & Wine magazines, and About.com all have vast experience with smokers and grills, none subject the Big Green Egg to head-to-head testing. AmazingRibs.com, generally the go-to source for smoker reviews, words its report so strangely that it isn’t clear whether the Big Green Egg was tested at all. About 60 owner reviews are posted at Buzzillions.com.

Budget yoga mat

Pros

• Terrific value
• Thick and comfortable
• Many different colors

Cons

• Made with PVC
• Chemical odor

Some yoga mats can cost nearly $100, which may be more than some students are willing to pay. The Yoga Accessories Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat gets very positive user reviews and at less than $20, it’s a real bargain. The mat is 74 inches long and 1/4 inch thick, so it provides more cushioning than the average yoga mat. This is a plus for heavier users and those who need more cushioning for their wrists and knees. Reviewers appreciate the Yoga Accessories mat’s plush feel, and they rave about the comfort and stability the mat provides. The Yoga Accessories Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat is made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), so it’s not an eco-friendly option. On the other hand, PVC is known for its durability, and the yoga mat comes with a limited lifetime warranty. While the vast majority of reviewers are happy with the Yoga Accessories mat, a number of users complain about a strong chemical odor. This odor should diminish with time, but some users say they can never get rid of it completely.

There are few resources available to evaluate budget yoga mats, so Amazon.com remains the best source of information on the Yoga Accessories Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat and other budget mats. Amazon.com sells a number of yoga mats, and the Yoga Accessories mat gets some of the highest ratings, with the largest number of reviews. Over 230 users review the mat on Amazon.com, providing a wealth of user feedback on this yoga mat.

WordPress.com reviews

Best blog hosting service

Pros

• Easy to use
• No coding needed
• Lots of templates
• Categories and tags
• Statistics available

Cons

• Limited customization
• Text ads on free plan

If you only want to start a personal blog, you don’t really need a full-featured web host, you can go with a free blog host instead. Reviews say WordPress.com offers plenty of features and is relatively easy to learn. Features include many templates, spell-checking, a private blog option, statistics and a support forum. It’s based on open-source software, so add-ins are available. Different pricing levels are available, but the free blog hosting plan now places unobtrusive Google text ads on your blog.

We found the best comparison reviews of WordPress.com at PC Magazine and PC World, both of which describe both advantages and drawbacks clearly. Blogging consultant Stephanie Booth recommends WordPress.com after evaluating even more free blog hosts, and Top Ten Reviews ranks WordPress.com in relation to a field of ten. Publishing expert Robin Good’s review is the most thorough, but aimed at very sophisticated bloggers with a lot of technical expertise.

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