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Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

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Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#421

Post by otterley »

einarvollset wrote: post #306
thih9 wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are peanut butter brands where the product is just blended peanuts. Though they can be more expensive and the texture is different.

AFAIK approximately all “no-stir” peanut butters only have peanuts in them. People don’t buy them because the oil floats to the top and causes a mess and if you don’t stir, then the bottom 1/5th is like glue.

My truck is to stir up separated peanut butter in the jar with a handheld electric mixer using the whisk attachment, then put the jar in the refrigerator to slow down future separation.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#422

Post by 2020random »

I used to have a large dobsonian telescope made by Orion. It had a good quality mirror. It came with features like automatic tracking.

In general, a dobsonion telescope has a simple design that made it cheap and easier to use compared to other telescope setups. The dobsonion mount also allowed for a large aperture that would have been unwieldy otherwise. For me, it is an example of how complex things can be made simpler and easier to use.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#423

Post by ycombinete »

hackertux wrote: post #33

- Palmer Monicon passive monitor controller https://www.palmer-germany.com/en/products/studio-monitors-a... - Olight Javelot Turbo https://olightworld.com/olight-javelot-turbo - Dirt cheap backpack with a Puma logo, extremely light and virtually indestructible. - Honourable mentions: Seasonic PSU, Fuji X100F and a Casio SL-807A solar powered pocket calculator. http://www.calcuseum.com/SCRAPBOOK/BONUS/63572/1.htm

How do you use the Monicon?

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#424

Post by ycombinete »

MildlySerious wrote: post #9

In terms of physical things, my Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones. I have been quite literally wearing them all day, every day for the past three years and got no complaints.

I’ve used my m50s so much over the last 10 years that I’ve replaced the cups, and worn out the headband. I fixed the headband with a tennis racquet grip

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#425

Post by steve_adams_86 »

gorbachev wrote: post #201
erikschoster wrote: post #51

Legos; also the ender 3d printer. I had a nostalgic time putting the ender together. Felt like a lego set. That's not saying it was trivial (it challenged me) but that I trusted it every step of the way not because of previous experience, but because of the obvious well-designed aspects of the experience as I was putting it together. For example: I put on a part sloppily, and trying to attach anther part was the firs…

I'm sorry, but 3D printers, while quite an innovation allowing cheap and fast prototyping, are not well designed things. I own three, and talk to friends who collectively probably own close to 100. They, including models with great reputation (e.g. Prusa printers), break all the time. Also the mere fact that there are thousands of mods for all of them on sites like Thingieverse to make them better is another indicati…

I agree. Inedible exciting and rewarding machines, worth the time investment, but it’s still very early. I’m sure I’ll be blown away by what’s possible in ten years or so. Today I’m still babying each print and the machine itself. Jams are the worst.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#428

Post by robk »

theduemmer wrote: post #91

McMaster-Carr has the best shopping website I've ever seen. The UI is beautifully intuitive; even if I don't know exactly what I need, odds are I can easily find something that will work and they can have it at my doorstep in under 24 hours, no matter how obscure. Even if I don't plan on buying anything, it can be helpful to click through the site just to see what is available. Because most categories of parts have s…

Raptor supplies is the non usa equivalent but less usable

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#429

Post by jiggunjer »

silisili wrote: post #323
pg5 wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Yeah, it's a very basic soaking method. You either have to add more grinds, or wait longer. I grind up about 60g for 2 large cups of coffee. 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.

Wow 60g would take me 20min on my cheap hand grinder.
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