RATINGS Gas & Electric Ranges Family Sedans SUVs Coffee Makers & Coffee Nut Butters SMARTER CHOICES FOR A BETTER WORLD How to Protect Your Privacy Smart and easy ways to keep your data safe PLUS Top-Rated The End of Cash? Chain Restaurants The good, Including notable the bad, and newcomers the risks NOVEMBER 2016 CR.ORG Contents NOVEMBER 2016, VOL. 81 NO. 11 66 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Right Now There’s plenty you can do to prevent hackers and crafty companies from capturing your data. We bring you easy, effective solutions, as well as reporter Julia Angwin’ s essay on how she got started on her own data-protection journey. P. 24 38 Where America Eats 48 Cashing Out 54 What’s Cooking in Ranges Our biggest-ever subscriber survey Digital payment technologies are Thanks to a wave of new styles about restaurant chains dishes up which making life tough for legal tender. and features, you have a wealth of hot ones hit the spot—and highlights some Our examination of our increasingly new options when it comes to your tasty new trends. RATINGS cashless society investigates the kitchen’s key appliance. RATINGS conveniences as well as the risks. ILLUSTRATION: MICHAEL BRANDON MYERS MYERS BRANDON MICHAEL ILLUSTRATION: COVER ILLUSTRATION BY ROB DOBI NOVEMBER 2016 CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG 3 Contents IN EVERY ISSUE INSIGHTS 5 From the President: 20 Your Health The Evolution of Is Priceless Consumer Reports But health insurance is To serve you better, we expensive. During open- introduce a clearer, crisper enrollment season, we offer Consumer Reports while up a streamlined guide to also preserving our bedrock picking a plan that saves principles. money and still gets you the protection you want. 6 Your Feedback 23 Ask Our Experts Readers’ comments about our recent content. How to stop a smoke detector’s false alarm, the 10 Building a Better best money-back credit cards World, Together for groceries, and the right way to load flatware in your Calling out self-driving car dishwasher. claims, combating consumer- unfriendly mergers, and PRODUCT UPDATES protecting your right to publicly critique goods and services. 11 Escape Your 16 Start Spreading Daily Grind the News … 19 Recalls Elevate your morning ... about nut butters. We wake-up cup to a dream pass on the peanuts and go 70 Index caffeine fix with our top nuts testing the best almond A year’s worth of products. recommendations for coffees, and cashew choices. coffee makers, and best RATINGS 71 Selling It brewing practices. RATINGS Goofs and gaffes. OUR NEW LOOK ROAD REPORT 2 We’ve Always 60 Best Family Cars 66 Road Tests Been Changing Car choices get personal We rate the new and Key covers over the last when it comes to fitting improved Audi A4, the 80 years show how our different family needs. Our remastered Chrysler Pacifica, name and logo underwent recommendations take the stylish Mazda CX-9, and various makeovers. those into account. the problematic Nissan Titan. RATINGS RATINGS 8 Welcome to What’s New Use this handy guide to get the most out of our new, more intuitive ratings format, created with your input. 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Tellado Senior Vice President, Brand & Strategy Leonora Wiener The Evolution Editor in Chief Diane Salvatore Executive Editor Kevin Doyle of Consumer Senior Editor Jessica Branch Design Director Matthew Lenning Reports Associate Design Director Mike Smith Manager, Art Operations Sheri Geller Art Directors Tammy Morton Fernandez, Janice Hogan, “EvEryonE thinks of Ewelina Mrowiec, Lisa Slater, Tracy Stora, Joseph Ulatowski changing the world,” the Photo Editors Emilie Harjes, Karen Shinbaum celebrated author Leo Tolstoy Vice President, Publishing & Marketing Operations Brent Diamond once wrote, “but no one Vice President, Integrated Content Creation Liam McCormack thinks of changing himself.” Vice President, Digital Jason Fox Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Kim Miller At Consumer Reports, we Vice President, Consumer Policy & Mobilization Lau ra MacCleery strive every day to change Executive Director, Content Gwendolyn Bounds the world by working with Senior Director, Product Testing Mark Connelly consumers to build a fairer, Director, Content Development Glenn Derene safer, healthier marketplace. Though our Associate Director, Content Development Scott Billings And today, in the service Director, Special Projects Sandy Keenan Director, Content Impact & Corporate Outreach Jen Shecter of that enduring mission, colors may be we are changing ourselves. Cars Editors: Jeffrey Bartlett, Jonathan Linkov, Mike Monticello, Michelle Naranjo new, the Auto Test Center: Jake Fisher, Jennifer Stockburger, Directors Let’s start with what’s new. Product Testers: Mike Bloch, John Ibbotson, Chris Jones, Anita Lam, You may have already Emily A. Thomas, Tom Mutchler, Gene Petersen, Ryan Pszczolkowski, principles they Mike Quincy, Gabe Shenhar, Shawn Sinclair, Joe Veselak, Seung Min “Mel” Yu noticed our cover and the Electronics Jerry Beilinson, Content Lead fresh look and feel of Consumer reflect are Editors: Patrick Austin, Tercius Bufete, Michael Gikas, Christopher Raymond, Reports, including our new Terry Sullivan, James Willcox timeless and Product Testers: Maria Rerecich, Testing Lead; Kerry Allen, Elias Arias, color scheme and new “CR” Claudio Ciacci, Charles Davidman, Richard Fisco, Dean Gallea, logo built to represent us unshakable. Joseph Lazzaro, Richard Sulin, Maurice Wynn to the world consistently— Health & Food Ellen Kunes, Content Lead Editors: Orly Avitzur, M.D.; Trisha Calvo; Julia Calderone; Lauren Cooper; to subscribers, on every Chris Hendel; Jeneen Interlandi; Joel Keehn; Marvin M. Lipman, M.D.; newsstand, and on all sorts of Diane Umansky screens. 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The Best Buy Drugs Lisa Gill, Deputy Editors: Teresa Carr, Ginger Skinner, Steve Mitchell Created with your input changes you’ll see beginning Consumer Safety and Sustainability Doris Sullivan, Henry Akinleye and feedback, these new with this issue add up to a Home & Appliance Eric Hagerman, Content Lead ratings are easy to interpret, clearer, crisper, more intuitive Editors: Dan DiClerico, Mary Farrell, Kimberly Janeway, are digital-friendly, and don’t Consumer Reports, one that Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman Product Testers: John Galeotafiore, James Nanni, Testing Leads; Peter require any special knowledge delivers the same quality Anzalone, John Banta, Susan Booth, Tara Casaregola, Lawrence Ciufo, (or especially strong reading you’ve always relied on in ways Enrique de Paz, Bernard Deitrick, Cindy Fisher, Emilio Gonzalez, Ginny Lui, Joan Muratore, Joseph Pacella, Christopher Regan, Peter Sawchuk, Pat Slaven, glasses) to decode, whether that reflect your life today. Frank Spinelli, David Trezza, Michael Visconti you’re a longtime reader Though our colors may be Money Margot Gilman, Content Lead or brand new to Consumer new, the principles they reflect Editors: Jeffrey Blyskal, Anthony Giorgianni, Nikhil Hutheesing, Tod Marks, Donna Rosato, Tobie Stanger, Mandy Walker Reports. As one of the many are timeless and unshakable. subscribers who got a sneak We will never compromise our Content Systems & Operations Strategy Peter Meirs, Director peek at our new ratings system ironclad independence. We Content Operations David Fox, Director; William Breglio; Wayne Lizardi, Anthony Terzo told us, “It’s easy to read, easy will never sacrifice substance Production Eric W. Norlander; Terri Kazin, Aileen McCluskey to follow … it’s more accurate … for style. 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Statistics Michael Saccucci, Director; Keith Newsom-Stewart, Martin Romm, Andrew Cohen As consumers, you face Survey Research Steven Witten, Director; Karen Jaffe, enough complexity in the Simon Slater; Mei Fong, James David Gopoian, Kendra Johnson, marketplace. We owe it to you Debra Kalensky, Martin Lachter, Olufemi Olu-Lafe, Adam Troy to do everything we can to Consumer Insight Ed Farrell, Director; Karen Hoffman; Chris Holmes, make getting reliable ratings, Rachel Lynch, Teneisha Thomas Marta L. Tellado, Newsstand Marketing Patricia McSorley, Associate Director reporting, and analysis as President and CEO Procurement Operations Steven Schiavone, Associate Director simple as possible without Follow me on Twitter PHOTO: MELANIE DUNEA sacrificing any of the rigor or @MLTellado NOVEMBER 2016 CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG 5 Your Feedback Reader’s comments about our content, in email & social media symptoms. As a physician assistant