Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

441–450 of 1001 posts

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#441

Post by TurkishPoptart »

spaceman_2020 wrote: post #154

An air fryer. It’s really a badly marketed product. Its real utility isn’t that it uses less oil, but that it cooks incredibly fast. Essentially an oven on steroids. It’s made cooking so much easier. I usually toss some boneless chicken in with a light coating of soy sauce and cornflour. While the chicken cooks, I prep a basic Asian sauce on the stovetop. The chicken and the sauce are both done within 10-15 minutes.…

I have the instant pot vortex, which is really cool. The weird thing is all the oil and grease that materializes on the bottom rack thing. Does anyone else use instant pot vortex?

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#443

Post by AdrianB1 »

A coffee maker and a pair of motorcycle jeans. The coffee maker is extremely easy to use (with capsules and a single button), while the jeans is something I was considering for 15 years, I always thought they are too expensive but then I bought it and found it extremely versatile, comfortable and safe.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#444

Post by satvikpendem »

Merad wrote: post #431
spaceman_2020 wrote: post #154

An air fryer. It’s really a badly marketed product. Its real utility isn’t that it uses less oil, but that it cooks incredibly fast. Essentially an oven on steroids. It’s made cooking so much easier. I usually toss some boneless chicken in with a light coating of soy sauce and cornflour. While the chicken cooks, I prep a basic Asian sauce on the stovetop. The chicken and the sauce are both done within 10-15 minutes.…

> Its real utility isn’t that it uses less oil, but that it cooks incredibly fast. > The chicken and the sauce are both done within 10-15 minutes. Normal sized boneless chicken breasts should cook in a pan in about 10 minutes or less, and you really don't need to do anything other than flip them once. If air fryers are convincing people to cook their own fresh food I would say that's a good thing, but I'm still strug…

It's a miniature convention oven. There are foods you can cook in a pan but also foods you can't and must cook in an oven, like pies. It's best useful for individuals that don't want to waste the time nor energy heating up their large oven just to make an individual portion, at least in my case.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#445

Post by kepler1 »

trynewideas wrote: post #294

A one-hour shopping session with a personal stylist, at about $175. I desperately wanted to break out of my t-shirt/blue jeans habit, but parsing clothes sizes, trying things on, and getting opinions is equal parts sorcery and torture for me. (I'd tried Stitch Fix and felt like it wanted to reinforce my habits rather than break me out of them.) After sending her details about my problems and the kinds of styles I adm…

Is there not a simple "look book" that exists and gives you examples of where you can find / buy the kinds of clothes that you see and like? (hopefully for less than premium prices)

I find it odd / annoying that all the clothing is made in low cost countries, but we need funnelers of information or access or recommendations who tack on a surcharge at every step until you're paying $50 for a simple t-shirt.

I equally find it very strange that, for companies making and selling clothing, I can only imagine it costs very little much more to make good-looking clothing and copy the latest styles. Why does cheap clothing always seem to be so unstylish?

Example: someone manufacturing a tie (if people wear those any more even), the material and labor scarcely costs more if it's ugly versus nice. Why are ugly ties still made?

Puzzled.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#446

Post by TurkishPoptart »

D13Fd wrote: post #123

Kagi search engine subscription is easily my top choice ( https://kagi.com ). I'm really glad something can finally, truly replace Google search and be just as good or better (neither Bing nor DuckDuckGo were good enough when I tried them). If we're talking physical products, I'd probably go with the Apple Magsafe wallet. It's a little thing but I love not having a separate wallet to keep track of every day.

Has anyone tried YOU.com? It's my new favorite search engine. Wiping Google from my searches is great.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#447

Post by MegaDeKay »

rockostrich wrote: post #340
sowbug wrote: post #299

I gave up on flaky WiFi mesh networking and connected the APs to my home's inactive cable wiring using MoCA adapters. Local bandwidth increased 4x, and I was able to achieve solid coverage throughout the house. I also replaced a rock, a brick, and a rubber wedge with magnetic door holders, each about $5. Now when we're bringing in the groceries, we can keep the door open without the rock, and it's easy to close when…

How did you spend less than $200 on APs and MoCA adapters? Each MoCA adapter is like $50 and you need at least 2 of them to be useful. It seems like cheaper APs can run ~$30 but only support 2.4Ghz/300 Mbps. I just invested in 4 MoCA adapters and a Ubiquiti UDM/2 small APs (tall & skinny row home with 3 floors but now I get 500 Mbps everywhere in the house including the roof) but it ran way over $200.

Can I ask what adapters you are using that cost you around $50? Here in Canada I am having trouble finding MoCA adapters that don't cost double that.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#448

Post by andrei_says_ »

rgoulter wrote: post #237

I bought a trackball mouse. (Elecom Huge). I found that it ultimately ends up saving deskspace (since the device doesn't need space to move around). I found the device's size to be more comfortable for my hands than the small Logitech bluetooth mouse I was using.

Logitech MX vertical mouse. No more arm tension when using a mouse.

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#449

Post by TurkishPoptart »

Cerium wrote: post #395
bemmu wrote: post #138

Ordering frozen croissants online. Before going to bed you leave one in the oven. Wake up, turn oven on, hit the shower. When you come out, it's ready to eat = cafe experience at home, coffee and a croissant while checking the news.

This one is a big win. I (occasionally) buy Costco croissants and reheat them in the air fryer. It takes like 3 minutes on the 320 degree setting for a perfect experience.

Do you use the "air fry" setting or a reheat setting?

Re: Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022

#450

Post by x0x0 »

hcs wrote: post #184

Small round wire sieve that fits on top of a mug, < $20 at the supermarket. I'd bought various devices intended as tea strainers before, but they were hard to clean and didn't let the leaves drain properly. A small thing, but it's meant a lot less irritation.

I've used one of these daily for 5+ years. You, or others, may like it too :) It's a metal basket perfectly sized to fit in a medium-sized mug, to make loose-leaf tea one cup at a time.

https://www.harney.com/products/brew-in-mug-extra-fine-tea-i...

Post reply on HN