Prices to make your eyes water

Pricewatch: A reader has been in touch to complain about high prices for vegetables at her local Tesco. Siobhán O'Connor bought a single onion and enough broccoli for two people at the Rathmines branch and was astonished when she was charged almost 3.60. Her receipt showed that onions cost €1.39 a kilo and broccoli costs €3.68 a kilo, writes Conor Pope

"This is really expensive," she fumes. "Tesco may get away with it, as you cannot weigh your own vegetables and may not notice the price until you get home and look at your receipt." She later found that her local Dunnes Stores was selling onions at just 0.78 a kilo, almost half the Tesco price.

A spokeswoman for Tesco Ireland defends the company's prices, pointing out that both vegetables when sold loosely cost the same at Tesco, Dunnes Stores and Superquinn. Tesco also sells bags of Value onions for 79 cent a kilo, she says.

"A number of factors determine the price of loose broccoli. The Tesco product is a very high specification, and we only charge for broccoli head with a small amount of stalk - hence less waste and better

value for the customer and the freedom to self-select the product."

She points out that broccoli is also "notoriously difficult to grow" and so commands high prices.

"We do offer pre-packed broccoli to customers, which retails at 2.64 per kilo, but the specification includes a greater proportion of stalk."

The spokeswoman says that when the company switched to weighing fruit and vegetables at checkouts, it also put weighing scales in its fruit and vegetable departments.

"However, after several months we found these were not being used at all, and we took the decision to remove them. To date we've had no negative response or requests from customers for their reintroduction. We would, of course, consider this should customer feedback be to that effect."

Cross about croissants The price of croissants in the capital has angered Jan Wheeler, who writes that she paid just 75 cent for a croissant in the post office on Earlsfort Terrace but was charged €1.15 in Bewley's on Grafton Street and 1.75 across the road in O'Briens.

Sky high? Seemingly arbitrary prices at Dublin Airport have been highlighted again, this time by Neil Kelly, who bought a bottle of Ballygowan Sports Pack water for €1.50 and 1.65 in shops in Gorey, Co Wexford, last month. The same bottle cost him €2.50 at Hughes & Hughes at the airport.

If you notice a significant price increase or discrepancy, let us know by e-mailing pricewatch@irish-times.ie

Value4Money Electric toothbrushes

Colgate Actibrush

€19.30

Highs: To its credit, it doesn't take a scissors or carving knife to free it from its packaging (all of the other toothbrushes tested are encased in such rigid plastic that just prying the damned things free is a chore). The non-slip rubber grip is effective, and the wildly oscillating brush head cleans well and is easy to replace.

Lows: Presumably a great deal of effort was spent designing this brush. So why does it topple over at the most inopportune of moments? And at 19.30 it's hardly good value. It doesn't come with a protective guard for its bristles either, which is mildly irksome.

Verdict: Pricey but easy to open.

Star rating: **

Oral-B Battery Toothbrush

€21.50

Highs: Has a pleasing heft, and the rubber-encased handle makes it easier to grip as you stare bleary-eyed at yourself on a Monday morning. It comes with a protective plastic guard, and two AA batteries will keep it going for three months if used for two minutes twice a day. It is better balanced than some of its rivals and, because it is made by Braun, the market leader, new heads are easy to source.

Lows: It's impossible to justify the cost. It is 9.10 more expensive than the virtually identical Boots model and pricier still than the other Braun/Oral-B brush tested.

Verdict: Not at this price.

Star rating:**

Boots Power Toothbrush

€12.40

Highs: Of the brushes that stand unaided, this is the cheapest by a huge margin and is the bargain hunter's choice. It also has a natty timer that tells you when you've been brushing for two minutes. This is something of a mixed blessing, mind, as turning it off early can leave faint pangs of guilt that have no place in the tooth-cleaning ritual.

Lows: The handle is a bit light on rubber, which makes is harder to grip when wet. Also, once you choose this model you'll have to rely on Boots for replacement heads. So if you shop in, say, Clifden, you might want to give this one a skip.

Verdict: Good, sturdy and cheap.

Star rating:****

Oral-B Cross Action Power

€12.25

Highs: Shaped most like a regular toothbrush of the electric models tried, this will sit comfortably in any old glass. Made by Braun, it is the cheapest, too, and has a rotating circular head (as do all the others) and a separate set of bristles (cross action, apparently) that hum furiously. Whether this makes any difference to the tooth cleaning, is, however, pretty difficult to ascertain.

Lows: Although it is a minor quibble, replacing the head is slightly more cumbersome than with the others, and it appears they only come in bristle strengths ranging from medium to, er, medium.

Verdict: Fine but non-upstanding

Star rating:****