Choice. Make the right one.

A-Z Guide

 

Obesity

Childhood obesity

Obesity in children has reached epidemic proportions.

22 Sep 2006 | Children need better protection from unhealthy food marketing, and a large proportion of people we surveyed think the government should help.

Olive oil

Mayonnaise review and compare

Food science can't replicate the creaminess of oil and eggs

20 Oct 2009 | Traditional homemade mayonnaise is a luscious blend of oil, egg yolk and vinegar or lemon juice. Supermarket mayo can be a different beast altogether, found our taste testers.

Online

ISP satisfaction survey

CHOICE's latest survey shows which internet providers you can count on for great service.

4 Dec 2009 | The survey results show which ISPs performed best and how satisfied users were with service, speed, costs and billing.

The power of the web

Unhappy with a product or service? Use the power of the web to get heard.

26 Nov 2009 | Forget hanging on the end of a customer service line if you have a gripe. Switch on your computer, log onto the internet and tell the world.

Second-hand shopping online

CHOICE explores risks of shopping and swapping second-hand items online.

14 Sep 2009 | Despite the credit crunch, the second-hand trading market is booming as bargain-hunters turn to buying quality second-hand items online, from the latest plasma screens to designer togs.

Ten ways to save online

Put your computer to work with these top money-saving tips.

15 Jul 2009 | Your computer is a powerful tool, and there are ways to save a few dollars — or more — while using it.

Online office suites

Head for the cloud and work from anywhere with the new wave of web apps.

15 May 2009 | Online office suites come under the category of cloud computing, in which the programs and documents are stored on the internet "in the cloud".

Spam filtering review and compare

Clean up your inbox with these no-cost junk email fighters.

3 Mar 2009 | Spam is not only annoying, but also potentially dangerous. Here's how to combat the ever increasing stream of junk.

Save with VoIP and naked DSL

Can using VoIP with Naked DSL cut your phone bill in half?

21 Jan 2009 | VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and uses an Internet connection to make and receive telephone calls.

Interview Laurel Papworth

The social network strategist tells us that the future is online.

30 Oct 2008 | In the future, we will turn to the internet to get a job, for a loan and to take out health insurance, but we’ll apply through our online social network.

Google Chrome review

Google polishes up its web presence.

1 Oct 2008 | Do we need another web browser, when we already have Interet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and others to choose from?

Online restaurant guides

Deciding where to eat on Friday night? Check out a restaurant guide website.

29 Sep 2008 | CHOICE's verdict on which ones offer the most useful information, and how to know which reviews you can trust.

Running a small business on eBay

Ordinary people are making big profits using the online auction house.

26 Feb 2008 | According to 2006 ACNielsen research, there are more than 52,700 professional eBay sellers in Australia gaining their primary or secondary income through the site.

ISP satisfaction survey

CHOICE's latest survey shows which internet providers you can count on for great service.

28 Oct 2007 | The survey results show which ISPs performed best and how satisfied users were with service, speed, costs and billing.

Digital Life

Virtual worlds could be the future of the internet.

13 Sep 2007 | There are different types of virtual worlds — some are more like games, some are chat forums and others simulate a life-like world.

Buying tickets on eBay

Is it worth the risk?

6 Jun 2007 | Here’s a few tips on how to avoid being ripped off if you miss out on buying tickets first-hand.

Shopping comparison sites

Shopping comparison websites can help you sniff out a good deal.

3 Apr 2007 | Where do you go to find the best deal? Let your mouse do the walking and search for the best price on one website.

Shopping online buying guide

With a few precautions, shopping on the internet can be a safe and enjoyable experience.

10 Jan 2007 | With some simple precautions, shopping online can be relatively trouble-free.

Online business

Running a small business on eBay

Ordinary people are making big profits using the online auction house.

26 Feb 2008 | According to 2006 ACNielsen research, there are more than 52,700 professional eBay sellers in Australia gaining their primary or secondary income through the site.

Online fraud

Email scams how to avoid them

Email scams are on the rise, but commonsense is the best defence.

3 Dec 2008 | Almost 70 percent of all email in Australia in August 2008 was spam and we rank in the top 10 list of countries.

Online shopping

Second-hand shopping online

CHOICE explores risks of shopping and swapping second-hand items online.

14 Sep 2009 | Despite the credit crunch, the second-hand trading market is booming as bargain-hunters turn to buying quality second-hand items online, from the latest plasma screens to designer togs.

Ten ways to save online

Put your computer to work with these top money-saving tips.

15 Jul 2009 | Your computer is a powerful tool, and there are ways to save a few dollars — or more — while using it.

Online restaurant guides

Deciding where to eat on Friday night? Check out a restaurant guide website.

29 Sep 2008 | CHOICE's verdict on which ones offer the most useful information, and how to know which reviews you can trust.

Buying tickets on eBay

Is it worth the risk?

6 Jun 2007 | Here’s a few tips on how to avoid being ripped off if you miss out on buying tickets first-hand.

Shopping comparison sites

Shopping comparison websites can help you sniff out a good deal.

3 Apr 2007 | Where do you go to find the best deal? Let your mouse do the walking and search for the best price on one website.

Shopping online buying guide

With a few precautions, shopping on the internet can be a safe and enjoyable experience.

10 Jan 2007 | With some simple precautions, shopping online can be relatively trouble-free.

Operating systems

All about Linux

Free, stable, fast — there's a lot to like about Linux. We take an in-depth look at this powerful, open-source operating system.

31 Mar 2008 | Linux is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, and traditionally the domain of hardcore computer geeks. But that’s changing.

Options trading

Options trading seminars

Is options trading a dangerous get-rich-quick scheme or a low-risk strategy to profit from volatile markets?

15 Sep 2009 | Options trading is promoted as a "high profit and low risk" strategy to make money. It sounds great, especially if you believe the claims.

Organic

Ground coffee review and compare

CHOICE’s expert tasters find some of the best brews at very affordable prices.

5 Dec 2009 | CHOICE asked three experts to rate 14 popular brands of ground coffee to find out which offer the best value. We uncover pointers for picking a winner.

Is natural toothpaste worth the price tag

Read the fine print, and you’ll find some "natural" toothpastes may not be as pure as you think.

1 Aug 2009 | Many of the so-called “natural” brands aren’t so different from conventional toothpaste, yet they’re often far more expensive.

Free range eggs

How free are the hens that lay free-range eggs? Have big producers redefined free range to suit themselves?

20 Jun 2008 | If you’re buying free-range eggs because you believe in animal welfare, the brands in the big supermarkets may not be meeting your expectations.

Roast chicken  

Thirty years of intensive farming practices means expensive organic and free-range chickens don’t taste any better than a standard factory chook.

3 Mar 2008 | So what’s the tastiest chicken? Do the more expensive organic and free-range chooks really taste better than standard factory-farmed ones?

Farmers markets

Should you trade in your supermarket trolley for food straight off the farm?

13 Feb 2008 | There’s no legislation defining farmers' markets in Australia—each has its own charter which sets out what the market allows and doesn’t. So can you be sure that farmers and producers are the ones getting your custom?

Strawberries

We tell you how to choose the sweetest and tastiest — but our test found pesticide residues in most conventionally grown strawberries.

29 Jan 2008 | We love our strawberries. They look beautiful and good ones taste delicious. But are there hidden dangers?

Organic food

Choosing organic food is easier than ever. But is it worth the extra money?

17 Jul 2007 | Not too long ago you had to go to special shops if you wanted organic food. Now you can find plenty in supermarkets, but mostly you’ll pay a pretty high premium over the cost of standard produce. Is it really worth it?

Are fresh vegies better?

Frozen vegetables can have higher levels of important nutrients, such as vitamin C, than fresh.

13 Mar 2007 | We wanted to compare the vitamin levels in a range of fresh raw, fresh cooked, frozen and canned vegies to see which were more nutritious.

Muesli recipe  

Our food in focus is oats, packed full of nutritional goodies, and yummy in our muesli recipe.

4 Dec 2006 | This simple home made museli recipe is both delicious and healthy. It won't last long.

Ovens

4 burner barbecues review and compare

These hooded gas barbies all cost less than $900, and come with trolley and side burner.

4 Dec 2009 | Roast a chicken, barbecue sausages or char-grill vegies. Today's modern barbecue doubles as an outdoor kitchen.

Double ovens review and compare  

We tested eight popular double ovens, for when a single oven won't do the job.

16 Oct 2009 | Double ovens are excellent for entertaining and large families, as you can bake and grill at the same time, or simultaneously bake two foods that need different temperatures and baking methods.

Ovens: $1,500 to $4,800

Looking for an oven that cooks and cleans itself as well?

15 Jun 2009 | Buying an oven is a decision you'll have to live with for a long time. To help you make the right one, CHOICE bought a selection of popular ovens and brought them back to our lab to test.

Dual fuel 90cm ranges

You can now buy "monster" ranges powered by gas and electricity. Are they worth the money?

2 Feb 2009 | These models wouldn't look out of place in Jamie Oliver’s kitchen and are designed for use as either freestanding units or to fit between cabinets.

Danoz Flavorwave Oven Turbo review

It sounds out of this world, but can it deliver scrumptious meals in a flash?

5 Jan 2009 | The DANOZ Flavorwave Oven Turbo claims to cook healthy meals, including frozen food, up to three times faster than ordinary methods, with no defrosting or preheating required.

Ovens buying guide  

Ovens aren't simple anymore – our buying guide takes you through the choices.

21 May 2008 | But while looks may be important, they're only one of many things to think about when buying an oven.

Daewoo Pizza Microwave Oven review

Short on space? A combination microwave pizza grill could be the answer.

16 Apr 2008 | If you don’t have room for a full-sized oven and don’t want to pay for a convection microwave, the Daewoo Pizza Oven Combo will make a crispier pizza than you’d get in a microwave.

Ovens $850 to $1900  

Modern ovens do a lot more than just bake.

16 Apr 2007 | If you haven’t been in the market for a new oven for a while, you might be surprised to discover what they can do these days.