Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

news.ycombinator.com

731–740 of 1001 posts

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#731
Twisbi Eco fountain pen: I think this is a bit past the 2 year mark, but still to this day a purchase I really enjoy. I found that my handwriting improved quite a bit, and I like the different inks. It's pretty subjective, but I've found a good fountain pen just makes writing a lot more enjoyable.

Timex Vibration Digital Watch: I have time blindness, so having a thing on my wrist that beeps every hour is really useful. Vibrating alarm means that I know when a timer goes off even if I have headphones on or am sleeping. And there's something to be said for the simplicity of digital watch interfaces. I don't have to worry about charging it, the UX is easy to understand. It helps with my time blindness, and that's it -- it doesn't check my blood pressure or tell me when I get a text message. It does one thing well.

VivoBarefoot Primus Lite (II): barefoot/low-support shoes are not for everyone, but they made a drastic difference for me in reducing foot pain. I like VivoBarefoot's return policy, and their shoes have held up pretty well for me so far.

Tofu Press: If you're using paper towels and plates to press your tofu, you might not realize that tofu presses exist or that they're actually an improvement and not just a gimmicky accessory. They're not a gimmick, they make the prep process a lot easier and a lot less messy. You don't need a complicated press, mine is 2 plastic boards with 2 screws holding them together. I just slip the entire block between them, tighten the screws and then leave the whole thing sitting over a bowl. Way less work than soaking paper towels.

Domestic rats: I think domestic rats are basically the perfect apartment pet. If you want a pet but feel intimidated by a cat or dog or don't have the space to take care of them, you should look into rats. They're lower maintenance than a cat, but very intelligent and affectionate. They love to explore and can be taught tricks, they're litterbox trainable, they're extremely gentle if you get them from a proper breeder. They're pretty messy, but not terrible, and most of their mess gets consolidated to the areas where you let them play. They've done wonders for my mental health during the pandemic; they're just fascinating, amazing animals.

Always buy at least 2, never buy them from a pet store, and keep in mind that because they're so intelligent they do need more interaction, more space, and a lot more mental stimulation than other rodents/pocket-pets. Do research first. Also keep in mind that they'll only live 3-4 years (much less if you get them from a pet store or breeder that does inbreeding), which can be both a positive and a negative.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#732
Bean to cup espresso machine (Melitta Purista, £339 fwiw). My days of faffing with portafilters are behind me, and it will make it extremely strong if you want.

2002 Toyota Alphard minivan (£7000, 60k miles) - it does everything! Kids, 7 passengers, cargo space, 100V mains sockets, yells at me in Japanese. Was pretty cheap through a UK importer, though I'm tempted to upgrade by buying direct through a Japanese auction site next time.

I don't know why they hardly sell minivans in the UK, 3 friends have bought vans after seeing ours!

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#735

Philips Hue lights. I had wanted them for a little while for the novelty of it, but upon buying a couple my wife and I converted nearly all of our small apartment (except the bathrooms) to use their color-changing bulbs. Being able to change the light color and temperature has been surprisingly nice and has made our home much "cozier" under quarantine. We change the lights to dim reds and blues during movie nights or…

Similarly, I've been putting Lutron Caseta smart switches on some of my more frequently used light switches, and I use the convenience of turning the lights on or off from the couch or bed _way_ more than I thought I would.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#736

Arturia Minibrute 2 and Drumbrute. AKG studio headphones. Got back into music last year leaving it behind as a teenager. For having fun, they're the perfect synths. Yamaha C40 guitar (and weekly zoom lessons from a real master musician) was best value for money nylon string guitar around. Returning to making music during covid was a lifesaver. So glad I learned the basics as a kid.

I find Arturia's products -- hardware and software -- wonderful to use. My Drumbrute Impact is just so fun. I got "Pigments" and it is incredibly fun for crafting sounds; just a beautiful UX.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#738
post #461

Cafelat Robot - a manual espresso maker (despite the name "robot", it's not electronic at all, it just uses pressure). It makes awesome shots, it's super easy to clean, and it's just really fun to feel the tactile feedback you can get when you're brewing a shot manually, because you can re-adjust your pressure on the fly to make the shot come out how you want it. My husband must have watched every James Hoffman video…

Got I hate my Cafelat Robot. I never use it. I feel like you really have to be a hobbyist coffee drinker to appreciate this thing... Not only did I need to buy a gazillion dollar grinder to get it to work, I almost always spill the water trying to jigger that pot thing into the bottom of it. Each to their own I suppose. :D

Yeah, the hobby is definitely half the fun for us. We haven't had an issue with the water spilling, but maybe we're using a different model or something. The good news is that if you decide it sell it, the used ones seem to hold their value pretty well!
Post reply on HN