Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#61

Post by manIliketea » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:30 PM UTC

jlamberts wrote: post #33

epolanski wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's it for? It's always better to boil water for tea for hygienical purposes, no?

Guessing the hygenics depend on your local water supply, but some varieties of tea (and coffee actually) want to be brewed at below-boiling

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Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#62

Post by ultrasandwich » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:32 PM UTC

Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#63

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:33 PM UTC

GaryBluto wrote: post #8

An old, pre-online activation copy of Photoshop that I still use today.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#64

Post by matheusmoreira » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:34 PM UTC

Sensor Watch.

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#65

Post by trevoristall » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:34 PM UTC

[EDJY](https://edjy.com/products/edjy-fingernail-cutter) nail trimmers have been awesome and I will probably only ever use that from now on

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#66

Post by matheusmoreira » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:36 PM UTC

RattlesnakeJake wrote: post #36

mmmnnn wrote: post #32

fucking condoms

Are there any other kind?

Well there are USB condoms which cut the data lines...

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#67

Post by Lerc » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:36 PM UTC

Rechargable, motion sensing led strips for inside my wardrobe. Not a big thing but improved my ability to find things no-end. The only issue is they don't turn on when it is light enough to see and we slightly disagree on how light that is.

Ceramic head tweezers. ~$3 on AliExpress, indispensable for some tasks.

An import die grinder that cost about the same as a new power switch for my Dremel. More powerful, better speed control, better chuck.

The dirt cheap rechargable die grinders. Noisy, not much torque, but cheap enough that you can have a few lying around for odd-jobs. Their low power also means they lack the ability to completely destroy your work in 0.3 seconds. Whereas the one mentioned above managed to shear off a shaft spinning in air when I accidentally turned it up instead of off.

Generaly replacing anything AAA powered by rechargable USBc

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#68

Post by mastermedo » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:37 PM UTC

Merino wool shirts, undergarments, hats.

Leather gloves.

Bedtime story books.

TwelveSouth Airfly pro airplane bluetooth sound adapter.

Belkin wireless car charger.

Standalone coat racks for the office.

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#69

Post by ofalkaed » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:41 PM UTC

Probably some wood working tool, guess if I had to pick it would be my ECE Wedge set smooth plane since it is my most used tool by a long shot and it taught me a great deal about using planes.

Re: Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?

#70

Post by jahnu » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 8:42 PM UTC

ultrasandwich wrote: post #62

Aeropress coffee maker. Look up the James Hoffmann recipe on YouTube and you can never drink another coffee style again

Aeropress is great. If you like a large mug of coffee have a try of the Clever Dripper. Had Aeropress at home and CD at work and eventually bought a CD for home because it’s so good.