New Gadgets Add Zing to Your Chores

For most homeowners, the real excitement of a project begins when we start kicking the tires on the new appliances, plumbing fixtures, materials and tools these projects require.

Thanks to the ingenuity of today’s manufacturers, that new faucet--or range, circular saw or ceiling tile--is likely to be sleeker and more capable than the one we’re replacing. But the choices can be overwhelming, so we’ve done what editors do best: a little presorting.

Here are some of this year’s best new products, selected from the thousands that will hit the market this year. We chose them based on quality, innovation, value, style, ease of installation and use, and long-term reliability.

Although we didn’t test them all extensively, we did talk to product engineers, tradespeople and retailers before we arrived at the winners.

Double Ovens

Now you can have the flexibility of double ovens without giving up any added wall space. Maytag’s Gemini range features two ovens in one electric appliance. The design lets you prepare more than one dish at a time at different temperatures. For example, meat and vegetables can roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit in the larger lower oven, while rolls bake at 400 degrees in the upper compartment.

The upper unit preheats in half the time of a conventional oven, and it bakes, broils, warms (at an autoset 170 degrees) and toasts.

The combined cooking capacity of the ovens is a generous 5.2 cubic feet--more than most single-oven ranges. It can slide into the same 36 inches occupied by an ordinary range, and requires no electrical upgrades. In a white or black finish, the suggested retail price is $1,400; with a fashionable brushed-chrome finish, it’s $1,500.

Maytag can be reached at (877) 436-4642; https://www.gemini.maytag.com

Cool Tools

The Oxo line of Good Grips Hand Tools first caught our attention because these are among the coolest-looking tools ever. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that these tools are also very well engineered and extremely comfortable to use.

Each tool is designed to fit the natural contours of the hand. Molded into every one is a soft, nonslip elastomeric grip that offers superior comfort, even in tough, sweaty conditions. The Good Grips line contains 19 hand tools; including a 25-foot tape measure (about $16), retractable utility knife ($12), slip-joint pliers ($13) and 10-ounce nail hammer ($20). The hammer features a MarGuard protective wedge on top of its head, which helps prevent scratches and dents when yanking nails.

Oxo International can be reached at (800) 545-4411; https://www.oxo.com.

At-Home Water Tests

How safe is your tap water? Find out quickly and easily with a PurTest water-quality test kit. Each of the four kits in the line ($7 to $16) tests for a specific contaminant (bacteria, lead, pesticides and water hardness), and there’s even a kit that tests for 12 possible contaminants ($33). An easily detectable color change indicates the presence of a problem.

American Water Service can be reached at (800) 788-4825; https://www.americanwaterservice.com

All Quiet on the Range Front

The Allure range hood from Broan-NuTone is so quiet that some models in the line make less noise than the hum of a refrigerator. But the innovative thinking goes well beyond the fan.

All have fully enclosed bottoms, dishwasher-safe filters and two halogen lights.

In the style department, all models share soft curves and edges. The deluxe Allure III ($437 for 30-inch unit) is the quietest, operating as low as 0.9 sones, and has a 250-cubic feet per minute fan.

It also features sleek electronic controls, three operating speeds, delay-off operation and three light settings. The Allure II ($355) and III have a nonstick surface under the filters for easy cleaning.

The Allure I ($210 for 30-inch model) offers rocker controls, two-speed operation and two light settings. All models come in 30-, 36- and 42-inch sizes and five finishes.

Broan-NuTone can be reached at (800) 558-1711; https://www.broan-nutone.com

Signals When Ready

Spackling a dent or crack is not the most demanding maintenance task. But sometimes it’s hard to resist the urge to start sanding or painting before the patch is dry.

When that happens you end up with a mess that often has to be repaired all over again. DryDex from DAP will help you avoid that mistake. The Spackle is bright pink in the container.

But after application, it turns white once it’s dry. That’s your signal to sand and paint as needed. DryDex comes in 8- ($2) and 32-ounce ($4.50) containers.

DAP can be reached at (888) 327-8477; https://www.dap.com

Lead-Sealing Paint

Outlawed in 1978, lead paint remains a health hazard in millions of older houses because of toxic paint dust and chips that are easily ingested, especially by young children.

ChildGuard ($35 per gallon), a new coating from Fiberlock Technologies, offers a safe, economical way to isolate lead paint beneath a topcoat. The paint, which is far more flexible and abrasion-resistant than conventional paint, meets stringent American Society for Testing Materials and requirements as an encapsulant, and even contains an additive to make it taste bad.

It can be applied just like regular paint over wood, masonry, plaster and drywall. The paint is formulated in a tintable white base.

Fiberlock Technologies, Inc. can be reached at (800) 342-3755; https://www.fiberlock.com

Shatterproof Bulbs

Cov-R-Guard fluorescent tubes from GE Lighting take the mess and danger out of shattered bulbs. The glass tubes are encased in a clear polycarbonate shell that will safely contain broken glass if the bulbs break.

They’re designed for use in areas like a shop or garage where fluorescent bulbs are likely to get broken, or where a shattered tube would be a particular hazard such as a kitchen.

The polycarbonate won’t yellow and doesn’t reduce light output. The bulbs (about $3 to $10) are available in three lengths: a 4-foot bulb for shops (25 and 45 watts), and 18-inch (15 watts) and 24-inch sizes (20 and 40 watts) for kitchens.

GE can be reached at at (800) 435-4448; https://www.gelighting.com

* Reprinted from the pages of Today’s Homeowner Magazine. To receive more expert advice on improving your home, call (800) 456-6369 or visit the Web site at https://www.todayshomeowner.com.