The best cheese boards for effortless entertaining

• February 7, 2025

Which cheese board is best?

If you’re having people over and serving cheese, a cheese board is a beautiful and practical centerpiece for presenting your appetizers. The aptly named cheese board offers an easy solution for serving a variety of accoutrements. These boards provide a flat and level surface for cutting and encourage guests to mingle throughout the room.

There are various sizes, shapes and materials of cheese boards, so choosing one can be time-consuming. If you’re looking for a top-tier cheese board, the Kota Japan Premium Nonstick Marble Pastry Cutting Board is the best choice.

What to know before you buy a cheese board

Before choosing a cheese board, consider a few main elements to help you decide which board is best for you, like size, extra compartments and cleaning requirements.

Size

Cheese boards come in various sizes. Most boards are rectangular and are comparable to cutting board sizes. If you generally serve one to three types of cheese, standard and smaller boards should work well. If you plan to serve more types of cheeses or add other appetizers to your board, opt for a larger size so that all items can fit comfortably.

Handles

Some cheese boards come with handles for convenient carrying. Handles can make moving your board around the room much more manageable. The handles may rise from the board, stick out from the sides or be carved into the sides of the board. If you plan to plate and serve your board in multiple areas, consider a board with handles.

Compartments

High-end cheese boards often come with hidden compartments for storing knives or expanding the board’s surface area. This separate knife storage helps keep cheese knives ready and accessible when you’re preparing your board.

Labels

Some cheese boards allow you to write on them with chalk to label your cheeses, such as slate boards. If you opt for another material, you can always add labels on signs wrapped around toothpicks to help guests identify the cheeses.

Cleaning

For most boards, you can simply wash them with mild soap and warm water. Be extra gentle handling stone boards in the wet sink. For wood cheese boards, be sure to dry the board thoroughly before storing. For dry marble and slate boards, use a microfiber cloth.

What to look for in a quality cheese board

Investing in a few key features can elevate a regular cheese board and add to the overall experience of serving your guests. When shopping for the best cheese board for you, consider materials, design and additional utensils included with the board.

Materials

Choosing boards made of high-quality materials ensures your board holds up against normal wear and tear. Boards made of marble, slate and hardwoods tend to last the longest. If the board has handles, check to see if they are wood, metal or plastic. Plastic handles may break more easily than other materials. If you’re looking for a wooden board, check if it’s been sealed already, and be sure to purchase mineral oil to preserve the wood over time.

Design

When deciding on your cheese board’s size, shape, and style, consider how you plan to use it. Most design choices are up to personal preference, but making sure your board fits your needs is essential. Think about how often you plan to use it, whether you want a high or low-maintenance board, if you want it to match your existing kitchen decor, and how many people you plan to serve with it.

Utensils

Some cheese boards offer even more value for the money by providing high-quality cheese knives or utensils. Having a dedicated set of cheese knives helps serve as well as preserve your boards. Their blades are not as sharp as regular knives, so they’re less likely to scratch the surface of your board. They also tend to come in many different shapes and styles so multiple guests can enjoy the cheese board at once, rather than waiting to share one knife.

How much you can expect to spend on a cheese board

Generally, cheese boards cost between $20 and $60. Inexpensive options are generally simple slabs, while more expensive options tend to offer premium materials and accessories.

Cheese board FAQ

Can I use my cheese board for more than cheese?

A. Probably, depending on the material of your board. Some surfaces are more porous than others, so keep that in mind if you plan to add jams, jellies, meats, fruit or veggies. If you want to use your board for more than cheese but don’t want to worry about residue or cross-contamination, choose a board made of marble or slate rather than wood.

How do I protect the surface of my cheese board?

A. If you have a dedicated cheese knife, that’s the best tool to use as it’s designed to be mild on cutting surfaces. Cut your cheese beforehand on a regular cutting board if you’re cutting hard cheeses and don’t want to leave knicks or scratches. Then, transfer it over to your cheese board for serving.

What are the best cheese boards to buy?

Top cheese board

Kota Japan Premium Nonstick Marble Pastry Cutting Board

What you need to know: While technically a cutting board, this marble board works perfectly as a cheese board and is easy to clean.

What you’ll love: This board is large enough to hold lots of cheeses and it’s really easy to clean. It also keeps cheeses cold.

What you should consider: Some boards are unevenly cut and don’t lie flat on the table. The edges are not always well-cut or sealed.

Top cheese board for the money

TOSCANA Circo Cheese Board and Knife Set

What you need to know: This durable cheese board stands out for its swivel opening and included high-quality utensils.

What you’ll love: It includes a swivel-open section with four full-tang cheese tools, including a cheese plane, a hard cheese knife, a spreader knife and a pronged-tip knife. It also has a groove to catch crumbs.

What you should consider: It’s difficult to open if the swivel part is out all the way.

Worth checking out

Thirteen Chefs Tramanto Olive Wood Board

What you need to know: This is a high-quality rustic cheese board made from real olive trees.

What you’ll love: The natural edge of the board makes each piece unique. It comes in three sizes. All the sizes available are large enough to fit multiple kinds of cheese, spreads and charcuterie. It comes gift-ready in a drawstring bag, making it easy to send a thoughtful gift to cheese lovers.

What you should consider: To preserve the wood board, you need to protect it with mineral oil periodically. Raw edges add to the appeal but may cause splinters when handling.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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​ Orange County Register 

The quintessential at-home Valentine’s Day checklist

• February 7, 2025

There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to making Valentine’s Day plans, but taking your valentine to a posh restaurant isn’t your only option. Spending Valentine’s Day at home can be just as romantic or as fun as a night out on the town.

Whether you want an intimate celebration with your partner, a cozy, relaxed night with a significant other, or a fun, anti-romance night with friends, check out these essentials for celebrating Valentine’s Day from the comfort of your home.

Romantic at-home Valentine’s Day essentials

Light In The Dark Votive Candles

Set the perfect mood for a romantic Valentine’s Day at home with these votive candles. Each box contains 72 red candles that are perfect for the holiday. They’re also made of high-quality wax that burns cleanly and lasts for up to 10 hours. They fit in most standard votive holders, too.

Benevolence LA Highly Scented Candles for the Home

These scented candles can create the perfect vibe for a romantic night. They’re infused with natural essential oils and made of natural soy wax. They come in various scents, but the rose and sandalwood fragrance is ideal for Valentine’s Day. These candles also burn for up to 45 hours.

Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker

Play your favorite romantic songs for Valentine’s Day with this portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s made of durable materials and is waterproof, making it perfect for use around the bathtub. It has a long-lasting battery, too, so it can run for up to six hours on a single charge.

Artestia Swiss Design 2-QT Electric Fondue Pot

There’s a reason fondue is such a popular choice for romantic dinners, and this electric pot makes it easy to prepare at home. It comes with a 2-quart pot and fondue forks with heat-resistant handles. The ceramic inner pot is also removable for easy cleaning.

Godiva Chocolatier Signature Truffles Assorted Chocolate Gift Box

Chocolates are essential for a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration, and these chocolate truffles offer an assortment that can appeal to nearly everyone. The box includes 24 candies with fillings, including fruit, caramel and more. The striking black-and-gold packaging is perfect for gifting, too.

Fox Envy Massage Oil

This lightweight, vanilla-scented oil is perfect for giving your partner a soothing massage. It absorbs quickly and glides effortlessly across the skin for smooth, frictionless massaging. The easy-to-use pump dispenser allows you to dispense the right amount of oil every time, too.

Cozy at-home Valentine’s Day essentials

NY Threads Women’s Fleece Bathrobe

Get cozy for a relaxed Valentine’s Day at home in this super-soft fleece bathrobe. It has a long hem for added coverage and an adjustable belt for the perfect fit. The front also has two pockets to carry your phone and other essentials.

Fruit of the Loom Men’s Signature Fleece Raglan Sleep Top and Plaid Pants Set

This comfy pajama set is ideal for a relaxed Valentine’s Day at home. The top is made of soft, skin-friendly fabric and features long raglan sleeves. Both the top and bottoms are lined with fleece, too, so they’re perfect for cold weather.

Chanasya Faux Fur Throw

Cuddle up with your partner under this luxurious faux fur throw. It’s extremely soft and thick, so it’s ideal for winter. It’s also machine washable to make cleaning easier. You can choose from multiple sizes and colors, too, making it easy to match your existing decor.

Roku Ultra Streaming Device

Spend Valentine’s Day watching your favorite romantic movies with this easy-to-use streaming device. It offers extremely quick operation with its quad-core processor that supports 4K HDR. It also boasts a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to find your favorite streaming services and movies. Its remote has a “lost” feature that helps you track it down if you misplace it, too.

Betty Crocker Pizza Maker

You and your valentine can whip up homemade pizzas with this convenient countertop pizza maker. It heats up in just five minutes and takes only 10 minutes to cook the pizza. You can also use it to make flatbreads, quesadillas, cookies and more.

Anti-Valentine’s Day at-home essentials

Single and Happy Coloring Book for Adults

Celebrate your single status this Valentine’s Day with this fun adult coloring book. It includes 25 geometric patterns to color in and is suitable for all skill levels. It also features sarcastic and funny quotes about being single on each page.

Cards Against Humanity Party Game

This adult fill-in-the-blank game is perfect for an anti-Valentine’s Day party. It has simple rules that lead to plenty of silly, raunchy jokes. It also lends itself to replaying again and again because the base game comes with 600 cards. You can purchase expansion packs, too.

Microsoft Xbox Series X

Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day, host a video game tournament for your friends with this top-of-the-line gaming console. It offers 4K and 8K HDR gaming with near-instant loading times. It also comes with a controller and is compatible with games for previous models, such as the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

​ Orange County Register 

Search underway along Alaska’s western coast for plane carrying 10 people

• February 7, 2025

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Rescuers searched Friday for any sign of a plane that went missing while carrying 10 people across Alaska’s Norton Sound south of the Arctic Circle.

The Bering Air Caravan, a single-engine turboprop, was heading from Unalakleet to Nome on Thursday afternoon with nine passengers and a pilot, according to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety. Authorities were working to determine its last known coordinates.

Unalakleet is a community of about 690 people in western Alaska, about 150 miles southeast of Nome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage.

The disappearance marks the third major incident in U.S. aviation in eight days. A commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near the nation’s capital on Jan. 29, killing 67 people. A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing the six people onboard and another person on the ground.

The Cessna Caravan left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m., and officials lost contact with it less than an hour later, according to David Olson, director of operations for Bering Air. The aircraft was 12 miles offshore, the U.S. Coast Guard said. It was operating at its maximum passenger capacity, according to the airline’s description of the plane.

“Staff at Bering Air is working hard to gather details, get emergency assistance, search and rescue going,” Olson said.

Bering Air serves 32 villages in western Alaska from hubs in Nome, Kotzebue and Unalakleet. Most destinations receive twice-daily scheduled flights Monday through Saturday.

Airplanes are often the only option for travel of any distance in rural Alaska, particularly in winter.

The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said in a statement on social media that ground crews were searching across part of Alaska’s western coast, from Nome to Topkok.

“Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time,” it said. People were told not to form their own search parties because the weather was too dangerous.

In an update early Friday, the department said that “crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible,” but that “we do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft.”

A U.S. Coast Guard airplane crew was expected to search the missing aircraft’s last known position. The National Guard and troopers were also helping with the search, the fire department said.

It was 17 degrees in Unalakleet around takeoff, according to the National Weather Service. There was light snow falling and fog.

The names of the people onboard weren’t yet being released.

Nome, a Gold Rush town, is just south of the Arctic Circle and is known as the ending point of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Alaska’s U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, issued statements about the missing plane on X, saying their thoughts and prayers are with the passengers, their families, rescuers and the Nome community. U.S. Rep. Nicholas Begich posted on X that he was ready to assist the community of Nome and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy “ in any way we can.”

​ Orange County Register 

Iran supreme leader criticizes proposed nuclear talks with US, upending push to negotiation

• February 7, 2025

By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader said Friday that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after President Donald Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also suggested that “there should be no negotiations with such a government,” but stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage with Washington.

Khamenei’s remarks upend months of signals from Tehran to the United States that it wanted to negotiate over its rapidly advancing nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of crushing economic sanctions worth billions of dollars. Following Khamenei’s comments, the Iranian rial sunk to a record low of 872,000 rials to $1 in aftermarket trading.

What happens next remains unclear, particularly as reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian promised as recently as Thursday to enter into a dialogue with the West.

Khamenei’s remarks to air force officers in Tehran appeared to contradict his own earlier remarks in August that opened the door to talks. However, the 85-year-old Khamenei has always been careful with remarks about negotiating with the West. That includes balancing the demands of reformists within the country who want the talks against hard-line elements within Iran’s theocracy, including the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Khamenei noted that Trump unilaterally withdrew from the earlier nuclear deal under which Iran drastically limited its enrichment of uranium and overall stockpile of the material, in exchange for crushing sanctions being removed.

“The Americans did not uphold their end of the deal,” Khamenei said. “The very person who is in office today tore up the agreement. He said he would, and he did.”

He added: “This is an experience we must learn from. We negotiated, we gave concessions, we compromised— but we did not achieve the results we aimed for. And despite all its flaws, the other side ultimately violated and destroyed the agreement.”

Mixed messages from both Iran and Trump

It’s not clear what sparked Khamenei’s remarks. However, they come after Trump suggested he wanted to deal with Tehran, even while signing an executive order to reimpose his “maximum pressure” approach to Iran on Tuesday.

“I’m going to sign it, but hopefully we’re not going to have to use it very much,” he said from the Oval Office. “We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran.”

“We don’t want to be tough on Iran. We don’t want to be tough on anybody,” Trump added. “But they just can’t have a nuclear bomb.”

Trump followed with another online message on Wednesday, saying: “Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.”

“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,” he wrote on Truth Social. “We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed.” He did not elaborate.

Nuclear enrichment sparks concerns

Khamenei, like other Iranian leaders, uses elliptical comments to indirectly govern policy while not boxing himself into any one decision. As supreme leader, he’s also created a vast bureaucracy that competes with itself for influence, including with its civilian leadership under Pezeshkian.

As recently as Thursday, Pezeshkian suggested Iran could open itself up to even more inspections from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“They (can) come and inspect one hundred times more since we are not supposed to go after” a nuclear weapon, Pezeshkian told foreign diplomats.

Iranian diplomats have long pointed to Khamenei’s preachings as a binding fatwa, or religious edict, that Iran won’t build an atomic bomb.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, it now enriches uranium to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iranian officials increasingly suggest Tehran could pursue an atomic bomb. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.”

Iran calls U.S. sanctions on oil trading firms ‘unjustified’

Earlier in the week, Trump also said that displaced Palestinians in Gaza could be permanently resettled outside the war-torn territory and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Khamenei appeared to reference Trump’s Gaza proposal in his remarks.

“The Americans sit, redrawing the map of the world — but only on paper, as it has no basis in reality,” Khamenei said. “They make statements about us, express opinions and issue threats. If they threaten us, we will threaten them in return. If they act on their threats, we will act on ours. If they violate the security of our nation, we will, without a doubt, respond in kind.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry separately criticized the U.S. Treasury’s move to levy sanctions Thursday against firms trading sanctioned Iranian crude oil to China. The Treasury described the firms as forming an “international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called the Treasury’s decision “completely unjustified and contrary to international rules and regulations.”

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Enjoy every Super Bowl moment with the best Ultra HD TV

• February 7, 2025

Which Ultra HD TV is best for watching the Super Bowl?

Ultra HD TVs give you significantly more pixels on the screen than HD TVs, resulting in better image quality. (A pixel is one tiny dot on the screen; the image you see consists of millions of these dots.) In fact, the Ultra HD TV has nearly four times more pixels than an HD TV, creating a noticeable difference.

To clear up one point of potential confusion, Ultra HD and 4K TVs are the same. Manufacturers and salespeople will use the terms Ultra HD and 4K interchangeably. Watching the big game this weekend? Catch all the best moments of the Super Bowl with these top Ultra HD TVs.

What to know before you buy an Ultra HD TV

One of the most important technologies to have in an Ultra HD TV is HDR (short for high dynamic range). HDR technology delivers a bigger number of specific colors on the screen versus non-HDR TVs. You’ll have an image on the screen that looks brighter with more contrast with HDR technology.

Not all Ultra HD TVs have HDR technology, and not all Ultra HD programming is shot with HDR enabled. But, where available, this technology makes a big difference in the quality of the images on the screen. So always search for HDR technology in the TV and in the programming wherever possible. At this point, unfortunately, HDR programming is not common, but it will be in a few years.

The type of technology used to light the screen may differ among 4K TVs too. LED backlighting is the most common type of TV backlighting. It carries an affordable price point and delivers fast performance levels. However, because LED backlights never quite go fully dark, you don’t receive the highest level of contrast on the screen with LED.

An OLED Ultra HD TV gives you true black, delivering a high level of contrast that makes a difference in image quality. If you love watching movies, the contrast advantage in OLED will be noticeable. OLED TV prices are significantly higher than LED TVs, though.

Don’t confuse OLED and LED with some other acronyms TV manufacturers use. For example, Samsung says its TVs have QLED technology. This refers to the style of the screen, rather than the type of backlighting.

Another differentiator with Ultra HD TVs is the number of input ports they offer. If you have a lot of external devices, look for a television with multiple HDMI ports. With enough inputs, you simultaneously can connect things like a set-top box, gaming console, and Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

What to look for in a quality Ultra HD TV

You may be hoping to save a bit of money on your TV by going with an HD TV instead of an Ultra HD TV. However, this really isn’t much of a bargain anymore.

Ultra HD/4K TVs cost several thousand dollars five to seven years ago. This was quite a price premium to HD TVs at the time. In today’s market, though, 4K TVs and HD TVs are nearly identical in price. In fact, TVs limited to an HD resolution are difficult to find, especially in any screen size larger than 40 inches.

The biggest price differences among Ultra HD TVs involve screen size. Larger screens will cost more. You’ll find 50-inch and smaller 4K TVs for $700 and less. For a 65-inch Ultra HD TV, you may pay $1,000-$1,200.

Ultra HD TVs that have HDR technology built into them will cost roughly 5% to 15% more than those without HDR.

How to find Ultra HD shows

Finding Ultra HD programming can be a little frustrating, as most current TV shows are shot in HD resolution, not Ultra HD. But you do have some options to find Ultra HD/4K resolution programming.

• Subscription service: Cable and satellite TV providers have 4K packages you can order. These packages may run an extra $5 to $20 per month. At this point, you’ll be limited to certain channels that are available in 4K, usually showing sports or movies. You also might need a new set-top box. Understand, though, that 4K programming is very limited from these services currently.

• Streaming service: Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have some 4K programming. Often, movies and original series from the streaming services will be in 4K. You usually don’t have to pay extra for 4K resolution programming with a streaming service. You will need really fast internet service to stream Ultra HD programming at a smooth level, though.

• Ultra HD Blu-ray player: An Ultra HD/4K Blu-ray Disc already uses Ultra HD/4K resolution. So, if you have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, it’s perfectly matched with your Ultra HD TV.

Ultra HD/4K resolution programming is steadily becoming more prevalent. So, even if you don’t like your options now, keep checking. You may find a really good deal on 4K programming a few months from now.

Ultra HD TVs FAQ

I don’t notice much of a difference in Ultra HD TV image quality. Why?

A. You may not notice a huge difference if you’re watching 4K/Ultra HD resolution programming. To take full advantage of the Ultra HD TV, it needs to show Ultra HD resolution programming. What you’re likely watching is a technology called upscaling. The Ultra HD TV will use upscaling when showing HD-resolution programming. Upscaling creates extra pixels to fit the Ultra HD TV, making HD programming look a little better.

Is Ultra HD the last major change we’ll receive for TV quality?

A. Don’t count on it. It’s doubtful we’ll ever experience again the huge jump in quality we saw when going from SD to HD TVs. But Ultra HD/4K does give an improvement over HD in terms of image clarity. And manufacturers are already working on an 8K TV technology. So, as with all kinds of technology, expect Ultra HD to be obsolete at some point in the future too.

What Ultra HD TVs are best to buy?

Top Ultra HD TV

SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class 4K Crystal UHD DU8000 Series HDR Smart TV

What you need to know: This thin TV contains all the bells and whistles you expect for a 4K TV at this price point. The picture quality is extremely impressive, even when compared to other Ultra HD TVs.

What you’ll love: It has 3D object-tracking sound, where the sound follows the direction of the objects on the screen. It has dynamic crystal color with one billion colors to make the picture look closer to real life.

What you should consider: Some people thought the remote control was a bit basic and thought the smart TV interface was a bit confusing.

Top Ultra HD TV for the money

Hisense 65-Inch Ultra HD Smart TV with Roku

What you need to know: It’s available at a desirable price point for an Ultra HD resolution television. It doesn’t excel in any particular area, but its features are more than adequate for a low-priced UHD TV.

What you’ll love: The color and image quality are really nice. It includes built-in Roku software to provide smart TV functionality, simplifying its use.

What you should consider: The viewing angle isn’t as wide as we’d like.

Worth checking out

Sony 65 Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV BRAVIA 3, Google TV with Google Assistant

What you need to know: It offers a lot of advanced features, including a voice command remote control. The sound quality is so strong that you probably won’t need extra speakers or a soundbar.

What you’ll love: It has a huge screen with HDR technology to provide colors that pop off the screen. It has good screen responsiveness for gaming, with exclusive features for the PS5.

What you should consider: The smart TV software has some bugs.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

​ Orange County Register 

The best laser printers for all your printing needs

• February 7, 2025

Which laser printers are best?

Laser printers can save you space and money, especially if you purchase an all-in-one that can scan and copy. And laser printers use toner, which lasts longer and needs to be replaced less frequently than ink. If you’re looking for a powerful, fast and high-quality printer, the Brother INKvestment Tank All-in-One Printer is a great choice.

What to know before you buy a laser printer

Consider the materials you print on

It’s important to consider the kinds of material that you usually print on before deciding to purchase a laser printer. For example, some laser printer devices won’t accept envelopes or cards, while others ask you to feed these non-standard sizes by hand rather than automatically. Keep this in mind before purchasing a laser printer if you usually print on a variety of different materials.

Think about the duty cycle and team size

Laser printer manufacturers usually use phrases like “team size” and “duty cycle” to give you a sense of how hard their devices can work. For example, if you usually crank out 150,000 pages per month and the device has a recommended duty cycle of only 1,500 per month, then the machine will probably not last very long. On the flip side, the device should be an excellent choice for an office environment if it has a team rating of four or five.

Decide between monochrome and color

It’s important to decide whether you need a color printer or if you can get by with a monochrome printer. Most basic home printing can be accomplished with a budget-friendly monochrome laser printer, but if you are buying a laser printer for an office, then a color laser printer that can fax, scan and copy is probably a good bet.

What to look for in a quality laser printer

Print speed

Keep in mind that color laser printer devices tend to be slower. Excellent color printers print at least 15 pages per minute, while the fastest monochrome laser printers boast rates of 25 to 30 pages per minute.

Print and scan resolution

Look at the print and scan resolution before making your purchase. A print resolution of 600 by 1200 dots per inch is considered a superb resolution for both monochrome and color laser printers. A resolution of 600 by 2400 dots per inch offers the best quality black and white text and line work.

Paper tray capacity

You definitely don’t want to continue re-filling the paper tray every five minutes, especially if you are purchasing a device for high volumes of printing. Laser printer manufacturers usually quote the paper tray capacity in the product details, and some of the top laser printers feature a paper tray capacity of 150 to 250 sheets.

How much you can expect to spend on a laser printer

You usually have two separate expenses when you purchase and own a laser printer: the cost of the device and the recurring cost of the replacement toner. A budget monochrome laser printer can cost $100 or less, while a high-end wireless color printer can cost $300 or more.

Laser printer FAQ

How do you decide between an inkjet printer and a laser printer?

A. The best printer comes down to your individual needs. Purchasing an inkjet printer is a good idea if you usually print a lot of photos and a low volume of documents. You should buy a laser printer if you typically print a high volume of reports, text and documents.

Are remanufactured laser toner cartridges a good way to save money?

A. Some remanufactured laser toner cartridges are okay, but it’s hard to know which cartridges are acceptable to use and which are not. There is usually much less toner in the cheap remanufactured versions, so you typically are not saving much money, if any.

You also need to consider the quality of the cartridges. For example, if the ink leaks from the cartridges, it can be very difficult to clean. And if the cartridge damages something in your printer, your warranty could be invalidated.

What are the best laser printers to buy?

Top laser printer

Brother INKvestment Tank All-in-One Printer

What you need to know: This all-in-one printer provides powerful functionality and user-friendly features with an large sheet tray and a wireless connection.

What you’ll love: This laser printer features LED control that enables users to customize their own settings and connects with a mobile app to securely print from several different devices.

What you should consider: Keep in mind that this laser printer only offers monochrome printing.

Worth checking out

Xerox B210DNI Monochrome Laser Printer

What you need to know: This compact, monochrome printer features a 250-sheet paper tray, duplex printing and wireless connectivity.

What you’ll love: This affordable laser printer supports wireless connections, including AirPrint and Google Cloud Print. The printer also handles duplex printing and prints 31 pages per minute at a resolution of 600 by 600 dots per inch.

What you should consider: One drawback of this laser printer is that it’s single-function only.

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​ Orange County Register 

US employers added just 143,000 jobs last month, jobless rate slips to 4% to start the year

• February 7, 2025

By PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added just 143,000 jobs last month, but the jobless rate slipped to 4% to start 2025 and the government revised November and December payrolls higher.

The first job report of Donald Trump’s second presidency suggested that he inherited a labor market that is solid but unspectacular. Economists had expected about 170,000 new jobs in January.

It’s a downshift from 2024 which averaged 186,000 new jobs a month, including a surge of 256,000 in December. The unemployment rate is expected to remain low at 4.1%.

The future is cloudier.

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to push out federal workers by offering them financial incentives, yet a federal hiring freeze that Trump imposed Jan. 20 is a “negative for employment growth,’’ Bradley Saunders, an economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a commentary last week. The freeze came after the Labor Department collected the January jobs numbers, so any impact would be revealed in upcoming employment data.

Likewise, a cold snap that probably increased seasonal layoffs in the Midwest and Northeast occurred late in January and won’t register in government jobs data until the February numbers come out, Saunders wrote.

Economists are also worried about Trump’s threat to wage a trade war against other countries. He’s already imposed a 10% tax on imports from China.

Canada and Mexico – America’s two largest trading partners — remain in his crosshairs though he gave them a 30-day reprieve from the 25% tariffs he was planning to sock them with on Tuesday, allowing time for negotiations. Trump says that America’s two neighbors and allies haven’t done enough to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants and fentanyl into the United States. Trump is also itching to slap tariffs on the European Union; pointing to America’s deficit in the trade of goods with the EU, which came to $236 billion last year, he says that Europe treats U.S. exporters unfairly.

The tariffs, which are paid by U.S. importers who generally try to pass along the cost to customers, could rekindle inflation – which has fallen from the four-decade high it reached in mid-2022 but is still stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. If the tariffs push prices higher, the Fed may cancel or postpone the two interest-rate cuts it had forecast for this year. And that would be bad for economic growth and job creation.

The job market has already cooled from the red-hot days of 2021-2023. American payrolls increased by 2.2 million last year, down from 3 million in 2023, 4.5 million in 2022 and a record 7.2 million in 2021 as the economy roared back from COVID-19 lockdowns. The Labor Department also reports that employers are posting fewer jobs. Monthly job openings have tumbled from a record 12.2 million in March 2022, to 7.6 million in December – still a decent number by historical standards.

As the labor market cools, American workers are losing confidence in their ability to find better pay or working conditions by changing jobs. The number of people quitting has fallen from a record 4.5 million near the height of the hiring boom in April 2022, to December’s 3.2 million, which is below pre-pandemic levels.

Still, layoffs remain below pre-pandemic levels, creating an unusual situation: If you are employed, you probably enjoy job security. If you’re looking for one, things have gotten tougher.

The Labor Department is also expected to report annually released revisions Friday that will show job creation from April 2023 through March 2024 wasn’t as strong as originally reported.

A preliminary version of the revisions, released in August, showed that 818,000 fewer jobs were created over those 12 months – lowering average monthly hiring during that span from 242,000 to 174,000. Because they are not final, the August estimates have not yet been added to the official government payroll numbers. The revisions out Friday will become official and part of the historic data.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers confident they found ‘perfect guy’ in trade for Mark Williams

• February 7, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Just 36 hours before acquiring the player who the Lakers hope will be the big man of their present and future, General Manager Rob Pelinka described the type of center the organization was searching for after acknowledging it was the team’s biggest need.

“Versatility, mobility, a vertical lob threat, I think that’s a key to the spacing that Luka [Doncic] likes to play,” Pelinka said during Doncic’s introductory press conference on Tuesday morning. “Competitive – those are some of the core things there. Those players are hard to find. But we’ll accomplish the task that’s before us. We’ll find a way.”

The Lakers indeed found a way and their guy, acquiring 7-foot, 241-pound center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a trade that finally became official on Thursday night after the Lakers’ 120-112 home win against the Golden State Warriors.

“Once Luka was on board, we’ve had some really good sort of basketball philosophy discussions just in terms of our roster, the players on it and just how he sees it in the spirit of just really talking about basketball at a high level,” Pelinka said to a group of beat reporters at Crypto.com Arena. “Those have been fun. One of the things we talked about is whether it would be at the deadline or potentially the summer, seeing if we could add a vertical big, a mobile big that fit also within JJ Redick’s coaching style.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Go get this.’ That was not the spirit of the discussions. More like ‘Stylistically, some of the bigs I had in Dallas were really effective to how I play and how I make my reads.’ And I said, ‘Hey, I’ll do my best for the deadline to see if something like that’s available. If not, it’s something we’ll attack this summer.’”

Doncic, who is likely to make his debut on Monday, and the Lakers won’t have to wait until the summer, with Williams fitting the archetype of big men who have thrived alongside the Slovenian star: an athletic and mobile lob threat who can make his presence felt at the rim.

“He fits that perfect archetype,” Pelinka said. “He’s got great hands, catches the ball above the rim, can finish, gives us a defensive paint presence. There’s a lot of teams in the West that have formidable size that are around the standings with us, Memphis and Houston and OKC. And we just felt like we needed to address that, and we felt like we got the perfect guy.”

Williams, who was drafted with the No. 15 pick out of Duke in 2022, is averaging 16 points (59.7% shooting), 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game in his third NBA season.

He’s averaged 11.7 points (62.6% shooting), 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocked shots and 1.1 assists for his career.

“We feel that Mark is a young, starting center in this NBA and he provides that vertical threat,” Coach JJ Redick said. “We as a staff have a job to do in developing him as a screener, decision-maker in the pocket and on the defensive end. But we’re confident with his character, work ethic, IQ that he’s going to be a really good player for us.”

While acknowledging the team’s need for another big man on Tuesday, Pelinka also said that the market for bigs was “dry.”

His comments opened the door for a conversation he wasn’t anticipating.

“You guys gave me help with the press conference by asking about the bigs – that was like a billboard when I said we needed a big,” Pelinka said. “Of course I got several calls and [one] was an incoming call from [Hornets president of basketball operations] Jeff [Peterson]. Great guy. Straightforward. Easy to negotiate with a person of integrity and he just said, ‘hey, this isn’t a player that we’re putting on the market, but just wanted to have a discussion and to see if there’s a fit because you have some stuff on your cap and players in your stable of players that we really like.’ And we just opened up an honest dialogue that went from there.”

Pelinka added: “He lined up so well just in terms of his age and career trajectory with Luka and other parts of our roster. When the opportunity came our way, we were aggressive and brought him to our team. We’re super excited to add Mark Williams.”

The Lakers sent the Hornets rookie wing Dalton Knecht, veteran wing Cam Reddish, their 2031 unprotected first-round draft pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

The ’31 pick was their last tradeable first-round pick. They sent Dallas their 2029 pick, along with 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and third-year guard Max Christie, in the trade for Doncic.

“We’ve said all along we were willing to use our picks if the right opportunity came,” Pelinka said. “We feel like we have two top-five, top-10 players in the world on our team right now. And just saw this as an opportunity to give those two players all the resources they need to make a playoff run.”

The concerns with Williams begin with this durability.

Williams has only played in 85 NBA games: 43 as a rookie (he also played 11 G League games), 19 the following year and 23 of the Hornets’ 48 games this season.

He dealt with multiple sprained left ankles as a rookie and had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb during the offseason after his first season.

Williams missed most of last season because of a lower back issue.

He sat out the first 20 games of this season because of a strained tendon in his left foot before playing in 23 of 28 games.

But the Lakers are making a bet that Williams will continue to develop and put his early-career injury woes behind him.

“We fully vetted his health stuff, led by Dr. Khris Jones at UCLA Health and Dr. Leroy Simms on our team and he’s had no surgeries,” Pelinka said. “So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he’s had and we’re not concerned about those.”

​ Orange County Register