Zojirushi thermos flask.
Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
741–750 of 994 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#742A 4-Color ballpoint pen.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#743Earlier quoted context omitted.
I like the affordability too, but it also does not take into account edge cases. Our office door has this metal plate, it pushes outside (I believe it is that way for fire safety reasons). If there is strong wind on the outside, the door has the habit of whipping around after pushing it a bit, leading to shattered glass once every year or so. Closing the door in strong wind also means grabbing it on the edge and pull…
I spent about a year living in Chicago (also very windy and cold) and many office buildings use revolving doors for their exterior-facing entrances/exits. I suspect for the exact reason you mention. I can imagine what a PITA it would be to close a traditional door while battling icy-cold wind gusts.
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Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#744Pic's creamy peanut butter: https://picspb.com/products/creamy-pb I don't even care for peanut butter and this just hits. Super smooth, not too sweet - i eat it by the spoonful. I literally did not think there was any difference between different peanut butter brands until I had Pic's.
Or Teddie's Super Chunky if you like chunky peanut butter:
https://teddie.com/product/old-fashion-natural-super-chunky/
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#745Metal fork, spoon, knife, ceramic plate, ceramic mug.
Thank you, long forgotten prehistoric people.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#746I have no one thing (these are the things that pop into my mind, all within their own category/niche); * My Hilleberg Akto single person hiking tent scores very highly. It is designed for lightness, durability and simplicity when setting up. It can better be set up/torn down by one person in a storm than most other tents I've owned. * My Leatherman multitool has been with me for years in some fairly bad conditions. I…
Hilleberg tents are amazing quality but they are not light. They can't be because that would impact the quality.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#747My 2000 model year BMW M roadster. Not counting the radio, the car had a tiny number of buttons and switches- window up/down, headlight knob, and 5 buttons. There was nothing extraneous or redundant. There were no door lock buttons- the lock indicator was the button to lock the door, and the door open handle was the unlock button. Also, every darn control in the car was exactly where it was supposed to be. It’s hard…
Along the same lines, my '90 Miata.
I left it behind when I moved to Europe a few years back and it's one of the few things that I miss.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#748My original cast iron pans. I bought this no-name set of three from a small family-run neighborhood hardware store in Brooklyn for $20 somewhere around 2002. The guy behind the counter was surprised by the price and that they even had cast iron pans. I've used them regularly since. They're the oldest cookware in my kitchen by a large margin. I've taken them camping, and I cook with then in my kitchen daily. I've cook…
Came here to say this. Any sand cast iron pan, including enameled versions. There is no better pan for searing meats. Seasoning raw cast iron with walnut oil is simple, and makes food release so easy except for eggs. They last lifetimes, are abundant in second-hand stores and garage sales, are easily restored, and even the raw material is abundant not just on Earth thanks to supernovae. They suck if you live in a group household with people who use soap and abrasives on them that removes the seasoning, abandon them in the sink to rust, or refuse to towel dry them. Enameled cast iron is terrible for food release, so don't get an enameled skillet, but the dutch ovens from Le Creuset are amazing. They don't rust, and the way they hold and distribute heat, and the lids hold moisture make them amazing for baking bread and oven roasting. The Le Creuset cookware designed by Raymond Lowery are objects of lust. Do google them for a mind blow.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#749Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ok, I'll take back what I wrote above. I tried the measurement again and got 197ms round trip for the same 2nd gen AirPods and iPad Mini4 running current iOS. It's not the worst, but certainly not better than most of Bluetooth headphones. I'm not sure why I got the low number before and whether it was a measurement error or changed in a software update.
No worries. Thanks for updating. From what I am reading, the best of the Bluetooth headphones are claiming say 120 ms, and some have as high as 300 ms. I just hope manufacturers keep making wired ones with active noise cancellation (ANC). Already it seems ANC is seen less often for wired ones than for the wireless ones.
My guess is that since ANC already needs DSP and small headphone amp, it doesn't cost much to add a Bluetooth receiver. Removing the cable input socket and ADC could even recover some of the cost. On the other hand, it seems that there's limited market for wired headphones right now.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?
#750My Sony ICF SW-1 shortwave radio. Perfect backpacking travel companion in Asia in the 90s. It just worked.
Cassette player was just too finicky to fix and maintain. I would prefer the same device, but with SD-card recorder. But then alas, there is nothing to listen on SW-bands anymore.
BTW. I have now modified my Sony, the cassette player is totally removed, but in the cassette bay there is a loose wire with 3 mm plug, which has suitable dampening so that it acts like cellphone headset microphone input. I can now record programs with my cellphone.