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Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

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

#461

Post by neom »

sudosteph wrote: post #190

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

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

#462

Post by tekchip »

basch wrote: post #438
shireboy wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second cast iron. We use ours daily - and it's a handmedown from my grandmother who also used daily for 20+ years. Once seasoned properly, it is non-stick, cleans easy. We just be sure to put a little oil on it after each use. Really the only skillet you need.

Youll probably want stainless steel or enamled cast iron for anything with fond. Anytime you are cooking something acidic, tomatoes, vinegar, wine. I try not to deglaze meat brownings into sauce in cast iron. A stainless steel dutch oven is a great universal pan as well. For a "first pan" I'd probably suggest tri ply stainless over cast iron. The main thing I like about cast iron more is the pan temperature not dropp…

I'm going to second this. I don't understand why people keep buying cast iron when steel has the same core traits(durability primarily) but so many more upsides. Thinner, lighter, heats faster. Steel is where it's at IMO. Enameled for anything acidic otherwise your seasoning is gone.

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

#463

Post by jkereako »

silicon2401 wrote: post #216
Jakobeha wrote: post #128

Material goods: Ear plugs (silicone). Don't waste your money on noise-cancelling headphones, I have $200 ones and they don't compare to simple ear plugs. If you live in a moderately noisy area and you want peace and quiet, get them. They basically just make everything quiet. 24 from CVS = $10. OpenMove by Aftershokz - Bone-conduction headphones. Perfect for running and just good for listening to music. They work, the…

> cast iron skillet Personally I think these are a waste of money unless you live in a house. Trying to season one of these smoked up our apartment for hours. Apparently we didn't do it right because it's still sticky even with oil, but there's no way we're going through the headache again until we have a house.

I used cast iron in my apartment for five years. My range was even electric.

The cast iron community of the internet overthinks its care and usage. To season, just use it. To use it, don't restrict yourself (some recommend against tomato sauce because of the acidity, for. example). To clean it, get yourself as scrubber [1] to remove the high spots and wipe the remaining residue with a paper towel. Done.

It's a hearty hunk of metal that's been in kitchens for generations. It can withstand a lot.

[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Cleaner-Stainless-Chainmail-Scrubber-...

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

#464

Post by [deleted] »

cryptofistMonk wrote: post #97

Airpods Pro. Not traditionally an apple guy so didn't expect to like them, but the guy talked us into them while we were upgrading my wife's phone. Wow. These things are just way better than any other earbuds and so much more convenient and comfortable than headphones. The Bluetooth just works even when switching between my Android and MacBook. The noise cancelling is great as well, way better than my Sennheisers.

[deleted]

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

#465

Post by [deleted] »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #362

Unlikely to get upvoted here but a used Porsche Panamera with an extended bumper-to-bumper manufacturer warranty. As Doug Demuro says it's cheap, really cheap. There's not a single brand new car costing, say, 75 K EUR or less that I'd have rather than that because the quality simply ain't there. The ride comfort, soundsystem, sound insulation, interior quality, how it drives superbly (and can yet be used for some spi…

[deleted]

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

#466

Post by Ologn »

namelosw wrote: post #368

I've been improving my desk accessories since the COVID breakout. Aeron Chair + IKEA IDÅSEN electric standing desk. With perfect height combination finally, I don't feel shoulder pain when typing. Unlike most standing desks, IDÅSEN is not wobbly at all. A double-decker book stand. I sometimes get distracted when I use the computer so I started to spend more time on paper-based workflow. I have serious back pain when…

For me the Aeron chair. When you're working from home for a year, shelling out a few hundred dollars for a nice chair is worth it. I bought mine from a chair repair shop which usually deals with commercial clients, it is a refurbished chair with some gratis extras added by the owner after we agreed on a price ($450). I like that I bought it from a chair repair shop because I can always go back there if there is a problem but I have not had a problem.

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

#467

Post by glaugh »

Clavinova digital piano! I hated piano as a kid, largely bc of the lesson style (and plan on trying Suzuki method with my kids).

I’ve played guitar (poorly) for years and I’m shocked with how (relatively) easy it is on piano to do fun improvisation or learn songs I love (Radiohead’s Videotape to start, now trying Piano Man)

And digital means I can turn down the volume when kids are sleeping, use as a midi controller, etc. I’m not audiophilic enough to really care about the tonal difference between it and a real piano, I really can’t tell

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

#468

Post by ska »

Erwin wrote: post #455
shireboy wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second cast iron. We use ours daily - and it's a handmedown from my grandmother who also used daily for 20+ years. Once seasoned properly, it is non-stick, cleans easy. We just be sure to put a little oil on it after each use. Really the only skillet you need.

Staub iron cookware has an enamel, so it does not require seasoning nor does it have issues with tomatoes or other acidic things. I use their cocotte, since I often put things in the oven but it's also good for e.g. steaks at max temperature.

Enamel cast iron e.g. Staub/Le Creuset or their more reasonably priced alternative is great ... but it does not function the same as raw cast iron.

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

#469

Post by mhitza »

Bicycle Neon deck.

I fiddle with playing cards when taking breaks, thinking through problems. And no other deck of cards lasted me as long as these decks. Maybe it's generally applicable to 2019+ produced Bicycle decks.

More in line with the HN crowd; JetBrains IDEs always provide top notch experience I'm happy to pay for.

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

#470

Post by josefresco »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #362

Unlikely to get upvoted here but a used Porsche Panamera with an extended bumper-to-bumper manufacturer warranty. As Doug Demuro says it's cheap, really cheap. There's not a single brand new car costing, say, 75 K EUR or less that I'd have rather than that because the quality simply ain't there. The ride comfort, soundsystem, sound insulation, interior quality, how it drives superbly (and can yet be used for some spi…

You paid less than $30K? I've owned used-luxury cars before and everything's wonderful until you have to get it repaired. I guess with a warranty it might make sense, but what's that payment?
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