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Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

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Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#361

Post by askvictor »

jareds wrote: post #230
askvictor wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even for people with good eyesight, an instant read thermometer is a game changer. Completely takes the guesswork out of cooking meat perfectly, also excellent for cakes, potatoes, and more. There are very decent ones for less that $20.

The advantage of this one is that I know it works with an app on my phone. ALso it's my understanding that instant read ones can't stay in the food while it cooks? This one can handle temperatures over 500 degrees farenheight.

For oven cooking I have one with a probe and a display that's outside the oven; though I rarely use that, and just open the oven and stick the instant-read. I can't say I have any interest in stuffing around with my phone while I'm cooking.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#362

Post by askvictor »

sn9 wrote: post #180
askvictor wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even for people with good eyesight, an instant read thermometer is a game changer. Completely takes the guesswork out of cooking meat perfectly, also excellent for cakes, potatoes, and more. There are very decent ones for less that $20.

I would add an immersion circulator to cook food sous vide as similarly impactful here, though getting a good thermometer is more necessary. It's made meal prepping incredibly easy and food is always perfectly cooked. You never have to eat a dry or overcooked piece of meat again.

Agree; though I've gone for an instant pot with a sous vide mode. Temperature controlled cooking is something of a revolution.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#363

Post by dzhiurgis »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #26

Under $1000: - Schlage Encode Plus: not the nicest looking smart lock, but the best battery life and most reliable (works with Apple Home Key so you can open your door with your watch). You can also program it to auto lock, so it solves multiple problems. - Meta/Oculus 1/2(/3?): BeatSaber + other apps is a great way to get video game and exercise time in at the same time. - I recently bought a $200 non-stick wok (the…

I second on the smart lock, albeit ours is garage door opener. So nice being able to carry only smartphone with you.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#364

Post by mmh0000 »

rdoherty wrote: post #76
oezi wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who does the dishes? Do you mean cooking? Dishwasher should take care of all dishes.

I mean washing pots & pans and things that can't go into the dishwasher and loading and unloading the dishwasher.

Everything can go in the dishwasher at least once. ;)

But, on a more serious note. Over the years I've replaced everything in my kitchen that isn't dishwasher friendly with something that is. I do not want to waste the small amount of free time I have doing any dishes.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#365

Post by alpaca128 »

MrMcCall wrote: post #124

( Living in American public housing, we used our pandemic stimulus money to buy two RabbitAir MinusA2 HEPA air purifiers. At $600 each plus $95/yr (for filter change) they're utterly fantastic and the pre-HEPA stages are easily cleanable with a cheap air compressor and wet paper towels. The multi-stage filter system is quite quiet on level 3 (of 5) but will really blow at 5 and be nearly silent at 2. You can tell how…

If you're into DIY it's possible to make a cheaper, more efficient and quieter air purifier than many consumer models. From what I understand the problem is that most devices on the market are designed to be small, which reduces the filter area and that again requires a stronger (louder & less efficient) fan. Going DIY also means no dependence on a specific brand's replacement filters.

Then again that doesn't mean off-the-shelf products are bad, for a single room even quite cheap ones can do the job. And they don't look like a fan taped onto filters, so there's that.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#366

Post by gabrielrdz »

bkandel wrote: post #13
sharatsc wrote: post #5

TSA pre-check. Best $85 spent to date.

Yes! Especially if you have kids -- minors go through TSA pre-check lines with parents with pre-check, even if the kids don't have pre-check on their own.

they just made Global Entry free for kids under a certain age, I think, as long as their parent(s) have GE.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#367

Post by technothrasher »

andrewstuart wrote: post #319
technothrasher wrote: post #109

In 2020, I bought an old broken clock on eBay for $60 on a lark. I wanted to tinker with something and see if I could figure out how it works. Since that time, I spent literally thousands of hours immersed in horology. Everything from clock repair where I started, to learning how to use a lathe and a mill, studying the impact of clockmaking on the industrial revolution in early America and the history of maritime nav…

Careful, many vintage clocks are radioactive.

I haven't done any work with radium dialed clocks and/or watches... yet.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#368

Post by Kailhus »

yen223 wrote: post #338
wonger_ wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electric toothbrush on the list? And possibly over $100? What benefits have you experienced? Just curious, asking as a lifelong boring toothbrush user.

Electric toothbrushes clean a lot better than hand-cranked toothbrushes

And don’t mess with your gums as much as. Learnt my lessons after having the pain of my life due to receding gums, switch with sensitive toothpaste and it’s much better now but they never really fully heal. Take care of your gums people!

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#369

Post by technothrasher »

sahmeepee wrote: post #344
technothrasher wrote: post #109

In 2020, I bought an old broken clock on eBay for $60 on a lark. I wanted to tinker with something and see if I could figure out how it works. Since that time, I spent literally thousands of hours immersed in horology. Everything from clock repair where I started, to learning how to use a lathe and a mill, studying the impact of clockmaking on the industrial revolution in early America and the history of maritime nav…

You thought you spent thousands of hours, but then your clock is broken so maybe not!

I know you're joking, but actually, that is true. That original clock never got fixed. I damaged and lost enough parts that I'd have to fabricate too much for it to be worthwhile, and I have plenty of more interesting clocks to work on now.

Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)

#370

Post by skizm »

madamelic wrote: post #2

Under $100: - Ember mug - Why: lets me drink tea because I hate cold tea. Bleck. Under $1000: - 49" ultra-wide monitor to replace my dual monitor - Why: I use i3-wm. It works fantastically on it. - 5.1 Soundbar for computer - Why: I don't have to wear headphones constantly and also sound quality is so much better - Mount 50" TV above my desk - Why: Allows others to hang out in my office with me while I work / play ga…

Is there anything similar to 8sleep that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and doesn’t require an app? I don’t care about any of the tracking or alarms or whatever else besides the temp control.
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