3 top generators from Consumer Reports' new tests

A new generator champion for clean, ample power—plus Ratings of Kohler's first portable generators ever—highlight Consumer Reports' latest tests of portable generators, which brings our total of tested generators to 45 portable and stationary models.

Second only to our top-Rated, 5,500-watt Honda EU7000is, $4,000, which is an especially quiet inverter generator, the Ridgid RD906812B, $1,000 at Home Depot, edged out the Honda for power delivery in our demanding tests. But it has another claim to fame: a removable console that lets you plug in devices, monitor usage, and even start and stop the engine from within your home.

We've seen this feature before, in the Troy-Bilt XP7000 30477, $900, that we've tested in the past. While that model includes the 25-foot power cord needed to monitor the generator from indoors—it's extra for the Ridgid—only the Ridgid lets you turn the generator on or off from the console. We didn't get to try starting the generator cold from the console, but we know the power-off works as claimed. Still, we recommend you have a transfer switch installed to more safely power what you need.

Right behind the Ridgid with similar performance is the 6,300-watt Kohler PRO7.5E, $1,400, one of two we tested from Kohler's new series, the company's first generators that aren't stationary models. The Kohler offers many of the same features as the Ridgid, such as electric start, fuel shutoff (prevents leaks and keeps fuel from getting trapped in the fuel system and spoiling during storage), and low-oil shutoff, which protects the engine from overheating if the oil level dips too low. What it has over the Ridgid is a fuel gauge.

Another we liked, the BlackMax BM90700B, has a Honda engine and is rated at 7,000 watts. It's sold exclusively at Sam's Club for $1,000. The BlackMax also matches the Ridgid for the above features, right down to the lack of a fuel gauge. One interesting bit of advice from the company's website: "Use pure gas if available. Ethanol = poor engine performance." We've made similar warnings, though using ethanol-free fuel alone can get expensive. That model in particular would use 12 to 17 gallons of gasoline if run continuously over the course of a day.

Need less wattage than the top-scoring portable generators offer? The other Kohler we tested, the Kohler PRO5.2E, $1,300, ranked lower in our Ratings but mostly because of its 4,500-watt capacity, which resulted in only a fair score for power delivery. Its power quality was as clean as the best we tested, and it offers a fuel gauge along with the electric start, fuel shutoff, and low-oil shutoff of the others. One potential turnoff: You get more wattage and pay hundreds less.

The four new models join our generator Ratings of dozens of models. Before buying a generator, see our buying guide and determine your needs with the help of an electrician. For a stationary model, you might also need a permit from your town or other municipality. A professional installer should be able to take care of that paperwork for you.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)