321–330 of 994 posts
US Forest Service picnic table. 3 kinds of simple flat cement castings. Held together by their own weight. Easily carried and assembled by two men. Cheap. Almost indestructible.
This may be a normie response - but Apple Airpods Pro are one of the best products I've used. After years of using several bluetooth headsets that get finicky (with connections that is), having a set that just connects and works every single time is refreshing. They really changed my behavior - I went from not liking phone conversations at all (getting agitated after a few minutes)to comfortably having long phone cal…
And I would rank them near the bottom because they don't fit in my ears without causing significant pain within a few minutes.
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Oddly enough, my answer would be Secura's french presses. All metal, no seals. Just works...seemingly forever.
I have a Secura french press, and while it works well, I seem to have to use so much coffee to make a reasonably strong brew. I've been sticking to some no-name steel version of a Bialetti moka pot for a few years now.
It works for me because I don't mind letting it sit while I prepare lunch. If in a hurry, you can keep stirring it to get slightly faster results.
I find it interesting that most of the comments are about physical products. The 'best design' is often something that's so frictionless and easy to use that it's invisible in day-to-day use. Everyday infrastructure like steps are something that's noticeable when they're off (e.g. spaced too far apart, or too steep); most are designed well. It's easy to find things that are designed poorly. But much less tangible to…
OK, here's something I use every day that's reliable and clever and works almost as if by magic, even though nobody appreciates it: a three-way light switch. Simple, elegant, interesting -- and nobody notices or cares.
I genuinely loved the second-generation Zune. The aluminum case felt lovely in the hand, it had swipe-based momentum scrolling before that was common (without even a touchscreen!). It had a matte paint on the front that felt almost like velvet, the buttons clicked nicely, the UI was both gorgeous and practical, the desktop software was the same (after the first couple revisions). I was really sad when mine got stolen…
If you split your own firewood by hand, a Fiskars splitting axe is insanely better than any standard splitting maul you'd find in a typical hardware store: https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/produc... For mechanical pencils, the Rotring 600 is the best thing I've ever written with: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZWYUA4/
Other great pen/pencil:
- Pentel Ortez. I have the 3 mm and, if used properly, the lead wont break
- Zebra delguard. Also wont break. I have it in 0.5 mm
- Rotring’s artpen. My favorite fountain pen, but it appears discontinued :S
In the random order I thought of them here are a few that stand out:
Miller 35s Mig Welder, Victor Cutting Torch, Mac Mini, Vise Grips, Suzuki Samurai 4x4, 1985 Toyota Pickup 4x4, LED Flashlight, Handheld compass, Handheld Garmin GPS with Maps, BBedit, Beverly Shear, Super Cat Alcohol Stove, Raspberry Pi, Lancaster Metal Shrinker/Stretcher.
The Bic Cristal pen. Works flawlessly and uses the ink all the way until it is gone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bic_Cristal
As long as I dont have to write w/ it for too long ;)