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Category: Information
Which Batteries Perform Best?
You probably have AA batteries scattered around your house. You use them for your remote controls, your grandkids’ toys and many other everyday items. Face it, you can’t live without batteries, but somehow we always seem to run out of them.
But before you buy AA batteries, you need to know a few things. First, there are two types of batteries: alkaline and lithium. More to the point, not all batteries are a good value. Does paying more mean you’ll get a better, longer lasting battery?
No, not according to Consumer Reports. They tested 15 brands of AA batteries, including Amazon-branded batteries and Costco’s Kirkland batteries.
The prestigious magazine found that some lower cost batteries are just as good or nearly as good as the most expensive brands. In fact, you’ll be shocked by how you don’t need to break the bank for high-quality batteries that will keep your Christmas presents humming for weeks or months.
Note: Consumer Reports tested batteries in two ways: They used the batteries until they died in toys for one hour a day and in flashlights for four minutes every eight hours.
Alkaline vs. Lithium
First things first. You’ve probably noticed that generally speaking, lithium batteries are expensive.
You might be tempted to buy them, thinking that if they cost more they probably last longer. As it turns out, Consumer Reports suggests using lithium batteries sparingly, like in devices that need a quick burst of power or that you don’t use very often.
Note: You can store lithium batteries for up to 15 years. They don’t need to be stored in the refrigerator and they don’t usually spew liquid like older, carbon-zinc batteries did.
Some alkaline batteries performed as well as lithium batteries in Consumer Reports’ test. These batteries are typically less expensive. You may want to use them in devices you use a lot, like your TV remote control and your computer’s wireless mouse.
So, which brands performed best in Consumer Reports’ tests? Both alkaline and lithium batteries were among the best values.
This might surprise you. The top performers included two brands that might have the perception of being “cheap.”
Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand AA alkaline battery had an overall score of 80, out of a possible 100. AmazonBasics Performance AA Alkaline had a 71.
That compares to top-rated brands such as Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA (89), Duracell Quantum AA Alkaline (89) and Rayovac Fusion Advanced AA Alkaline (85).
Lithium batteries
- Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA – CR only tested two lithium style batteries and this one came out on top. It received an overall score of 89.
- Energizer Advanced Lithium AA – This one came in second with an overall score of 82.
Alkaline batteries
- Duracell Quantum AA Alkaline – CR tested a total of 13 alkaline batteries and this one is the best. It received an overall score of 89.
- Rayovac Fusion Advanced AA Alkaline – Overall score of 85.
- CVS Max AA Alkaline – Overall score of 82.
- Duracell Coppertop Duralock AA Alkaline – Overall score of 80.
- Kirkland Signature (Costco) AA Alkaline – Overall score of 80.
- Rite Aid Home AA Alkaline – Overall score of 79.
- AmazonBasics Performance AA Alkaline – Overall score of 71.
- Walgreens W Alkaline Supercell AA – Overall score of 71.
- Energizer ecoAdvanced AA Alkaline – Overall score of 68.
- Energizer MAX +PowerSeal AA Alkaline – Overall score of 67.
- CVS AA Alkaline – Overall score of 62.
- Dynex (Best Buy) High Capacity AA Alkaline – Overall score of 60.
- EcoAlkalines AA Alkaline – Overall score of 59.
How Aspirin Was Discovered
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4000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery: if they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree and ate it, their pain disappeared. Little did they know that what they’d found was destined to influence the future course of medicine. Krishna Sudhir, of TED-Ed, traces the history of aspirin.
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The Color Of Feeling Better
A pill’s color can affect how it’s judged by patients, how it’s marketed, and even how well it works.
When you take a pill, it makes its way to your stomach where it eventually dissolves. The stuff the pill is made of (or for capsules and the like, the stuff inside the pill) makes its way into your bloodstream. Some cause chemical reactions which block pain, reduce swelling, open blood vessels, or which go to war against infections. Regardless, taking a pill — beyond putting it in your mouth and swallowing — doesn’t take much, if any, thinking. It just works on its own. Except that it doesn’t. Before we put the pills into our mouths, something happens: we look at what we’re taking. And, perhaps subconsciously, we notice something about the pill that shouldn’t matter: We see what color the pill is. The color of the pill shouldn’t affect how effective the pill is, of course — by and large, what a pill’s design is decided only after we determine the pill’s medicinal value. But, studies have shown — here’s one of many — that while we shouldn’t judge a pill by its cover, we can’t help ourselves. It’s a pretty standard example of the placebo effect — we already associate certain colors with certain moods, outcomes, etc., and those associations don’t disappear simply because the colored item is our medication. As a result, different colored pills thrive at reaching different medical goals. The Atlantic shares the basics of the color code:
And, as the Atlantic further explains, that color system isn’t universal — our cultural differences can have an impact:
The good news is that drug manufacturers are aware of this quirk of our consciousness and act accordingly. (That’s why you don’t often see black pills, which we’d associate with darkness, despair, and death.) It’s not foolproof, of course; there’s no way to account for how we, individually, associate colors with the world around us. But the only other solution is to take your pills without looking at them first, and that would be a very, very bad idea. |
Farmer Shares Brilliant Tips To Keep Strawberries Fresh
Lots of us like to stock our refrigerators with delicious fruits and vegetables during a trip to the supermarket. Especially in the summer!
Fruits, like strawberries, are refreshing and packed with vitamins and minerals that are good for us and keep us healthy.
Strawberries are filled with antioxidants, vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese, fiber, and magnesium, according to Organic Facts.
The are even said to improve eyesight, brain function, high blood pressure, arthritis, gout, and several cardiovascular diseases. Strawberries are even linked to boosting the immune system and preventing certain cancers, as well as premature aging.
It’s a shame to spend all that money on our strawberries only to find that they get slimy or covered in mold when we reach for them in our refrigerators after having only bought them a few days prior.
It’s a total bummer and a giant waste.
Thankfully Hip2Save has shared a brilliant way to make sure that your strawberries stay fresh and last longer in your refrigerator. This hack will extend the life of your strawberries for days, or maybe even a week or two after you take them home and put them in your fridge.
You’ll need:
- White vinegar
- Water
- A Colander or salad spinner
Directions:
Step 1) Pour 1 part white vinegar and 5 parts water into a large bowl. About 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 1/2 cups of water should do the trick.
Step 2) Soak your berries in the mixtures for a few minutes. The vinegar will get rid of mold spores and bacteria. That’s the stuff that makes your strawberries spoil quicker.
You’ll probably be grossed out by what the water looks like after your rinse your berries in this solution.
Step 3) Dry your strawberries thoroughly. You can place some paper towels into a salad spinner or let them air dry in a colander.
Making sure you remove all of the moisture will prevent them from getting moldy.
Step 4) Place your strawberries into the refrigerator on top of a paper towel.
Don’t worry your strawberries will not taste like vinegar after using this method.
Here are a few other tips that will help your strawberries last longer:
- The Kitchn says you should keep the stems of your strawberries on until you’re about to eat them. this will prolong their shelf life.
- Also, if you notice any spoiled berries in your bunch that has mold on them, be sure to immediately remove them. This will prevent the mold from spreading and ruining the rest of them.
Enjoy your delicious tasting, longer lasting strawberries!
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