HP Color Laser Jet 2605dtn Printer

HP’s newest color laser jet printers strike us as a nice step forward in terms of usability, industrial design, performance, and pricing. The series of three printers, which the company markets as good, better, and best models, has a distinctive appearance that reminds us of bread machines, but is nonetheless elegant. They operate quietly and produce great results. The paper tray of the 2605dtn model – the one we ended up buying –is easy to refill and infrequent paper jams are easy to clear.

Nespresso C100 Espresso Machine

We’ve admired Nespresso’s espresso machine before. But, they’ve caught our attention once again with their affordable C100 machine. We like its extremely simple operation. To make coffee, you fill a water tank that snaps on to the machine’s back, lift the stainless steel handle on top, drop in a coffee pod, and press a button. There’s essentially no cleanup due to the automatic ejection of used coffee pods. So, there’s no need to handle new or used coffee grinds, which could get messy, particularly in an office environment. The coffee pods come in many flavors, taste great, and has good “crema,” reportedly because the machine has a high pressure (19 bar) pump. Impressively, the whole machine weighs less than 7 lbs. and is the size of a gallon milk jog.

Garage Storage System – Gladiator Cadet™ Series

In a world full of cheaply built and over-priced storage products, we are drawn to the Gladiator Cadet™ Series of storage cabinets and benches. The units’ drawers move smoothly. Their cabinet doors swing smoothly. Their sizeable casters enable them to roll across a floor smoothly. And, they look nice and functional without being over-styled. We especially like the tough-looking, diamond texturing on the front panels. They incorporate many conveniences, such as pegboard side panels, adjustable shelves, and locking doors.

Nabisco Oreo 100-Calorie Packs

OK. We’re not nominating Nabisco Oreo 100-Calorie packs for a nutritional award. But, we admire the intelligence of packaging junk food for consumption in relatively small quantities, which nutritionists say is a good step toward healthier eating.