Matthew Zahnzinger

Customize your home automation system with alarms, thermostats, even doggy doors!

The urban weather station, a fancy little toy made by French company Netatmo, is more or less an expensive thermometer. Despite its seemingly superfluous—and overpriced—nature, it actually holds a lot of promise, as well as some lifestyle-changing components that can improve your overall health.

Three accessories to give you the perfect dinner experience.

Appliances that provide the biggest bang for your buck.

The Miele T9802 electric dryer, along with other appliances made by its German manufacturer, won't be available much longer. Miele announced that this particular product line is going to be discontinued in the United States. We got ours a bit before the announcement was made, and we're a rather disappointed that it won't be available any more. The T9802 proved to be one of the more effective dryers we've tested, with a stainless steel drum and lower temperatures that are meant to be gentler on clothing than what we're otherwise used to. It's certainly not the most intuitive dryer we've tested—the cycle names didn't quite translate perfectly into what we're used to seeing—but it performed just as well as anything else that's come into our labs, and the fact that it did so well at cooler heat levels is a big mark in its favor. The MSRP for this machine was $1429, but with the growing lack of availability, expect to see either big cuts or big boosts in price. If you find one with a price tag that has moved in the consumer's favor, definitely consider picking it up.

A steam-equipped dryer that does its job as well as this one does is hard to come by.

The Kenmore 72023 is a stainless steel French door fridge that holds its own with some of the best models we've tested to date. Similar to the LG LFX31925ST and made by the same manufacturer, this Kenmore is pricier than a lot of our tested appliances, but we quickly found justification for that financial blow within our test results. It has enough storage space to satisfy the whole family during the holidays, energy savings that may make the initial hit to the wallet more bearable, and a refrigeration quality that the manufacturer can be proud of. If you've got the money and are looking to upgrade from an entry or mid-priced fridge, the Kenmore 72023 (MSRP $2349.99) is a great model to consider.