7 New Products Deemed Game Changing in 2012
Good Housekeeping magazine announced the winners of its 4th Annual VIP (Very Innovative Products) Awards in its February issue. The winners, which include a game-changing thermostat that senses when you're home-and not-and adjusts the heat and air conditioning accordingly and a dessert-lover's dream gadget which turns fruit into frozen treats, were chosen by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute staff from a pool of more than 1,500 new products. Plus, Good Housekeeping readers voted for one Hall of Fame winner.
Without further ado, the 2012 Good Housekeeping VIP Awards go to:
-- Nest Learning Thermostat ($250) - A programmable thermostat reduces your home energy bill by adjusting temperatures to your needs.
-- Hamilton Beach The Scoop Coffeemaker ($70) - The Scoop brews a single serving with any ground beans and can fill an eight-ounce cup or a 14-ounce travel mug.
-- Replenish Multi-Surface Cleaner ($8 for starter kit; $4 per refill) - Thanks to a unique built-in cup, you can measure the concentrate to make four bottles of Replenish cleaner from one twist-on pod. And while many green cleansers don't clean so well, this one is a powerhouse.
-- Yonanas ($50) - It transforms frozen bananas into a creamy soft-serve treat, while frozen berries become a sorbet-like sweet — without added cream or sugar.
-- GE Energy Smart Bright from the Start Lightbulb ($6) - A halogen provides nearly full brightness pronto, giving the more energy-efficient CFL time to warm up.
-- Frigidaire Gallery Double Oven Range ($1,700) - Ever dream of having a second oven? This splurge-worthy new range makes it a reality, fitting two 3.5-cubic-foot ovens into the space of a standard 30-inch appliance.
-- Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations ($250) - Replacing a worn laminate countertop with granite or another stone surface is pricey and decidedly not DIY. Rust-Oleum's new kit gives counters an attractive, durable stone-like surface in just a weekend of work.
-- 2012 Hall of Fame Winner: Scotch Tape (Introduced in 1930)
Can you picture life without it? The respondents to Good Housekeeping magazine's reader poll couldn't either, choosing Scotch Tape over 27 other time-tested products for our annual Hall of Fame Award.
Click here to find out more details about all these products.
Without further ado, the 2012 Good Housekeeping VIP Awards go to:
-- Nest Learning Thermostat ($250) - A programmable thermostat reduces your home energy bill by adjusting temperatures to your needs.
-- Hamilton Beach The Scoop Coffeemaker ($70) - The Scoop brews a single serving with any ground beans and can fill an eight-ounce cup or a 14-ounce travel mug.
-- Replenish Multi-Surface Cleaner ($8 for starter kit; $4 per refill) - Thanks to a unique built-in cup, you can measure the concentrate to make four bottles of Replenish cleaner from one twist-on pod. And while many green cleansers don't clean so well, this one is a powerhouse.
-- Yonanas ($50) - It transforms frozen bananas into a creamy soft-serve treat, while frozen berries become a sorbet-like sweet — without added cream or sugar.
-- GE Energy Smart Bright from the Start Lightbulb ($6) - A halogen provides nearly full brightness pronto, giving the more energy-efficient CFL time to warm up.
-- Frigidaire Gallery Double Oven Range ($1,700) - Ever dream of having a second oven? This splurge-worthy new range makes it a reality, fitting two 3.5-cubic-foot ovens into the space of a standard 30-inch appliance.
-- Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations ($250) - Replacing a worn laminate countertop with granite or another stone surface is pricey and decidedly not DIY. Rust-Oleum's new kit gives counters an attractive, durable stone-like surface in just a weekend of work.
-- 2012 Hall of Fame Winner: Scotch Tape (Introduced in 1930)
Can you picture life without it? The respondents to Good Housekeeping magazine's reader poll couldn't either, choosing Scotch Tape over 27 other time-tested products for our annual Hall of Fame Award.
Click here to find out more details about all these products.