Battery powered burshless sliding compound mitre saw (mine is an AEG). So fantastic to have a great quality tool that can do precise cuts every time. I'd also say a nail gun (I just don't own one myself yet). If you have ever nailed above your head or at an angle into a block you are holding you'll understand why a nail gun is a game changer.
Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
861–870 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#862Cafelat 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…
I've been using an aeropress for years now. Not espresso, but makes a good coffee.
I went on a bit of a thing collecting manual brewers. I've got stove top vacuum pots, a french press, a delter press and a couple of coffee siphons (which are awesome because they make you feel like a mad scientist) but for ease of use and cleanup when making a single coffee, the aeropress beats them all.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#863Instant pot. This thing is magical, everything taste so fucking good in it. I bought a crockpot and never used it, but the instant pot was a game changer for me: ramen, couscous, stews, etc. The meat tastes so good when cooked there, vegetables are the same.
How do you do ramen? We use it a lot for stews, never tried it for lighter broths.
I just put the seasoning and meaty bone in there. Cook all the rest separately.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#864Instant pot. This thing is magical, everything taste so fucking good in it. I bought a crockpot and never used it, but the instant pot was a game changer for me: ramen, couscous, stews, etc. The meat tastes so good when cooked there, vegetables are the same.
Hard disagree. I was recently gifted an instant pot and it's a glorified rice cooker at best. Everything else I've tried in it, from steaming vegetables to various meats have been of significantly inferior quality (if admittedly faster cooking) than their non-instant pot variants.
Interestingly, I’ve Never used it for steaming or doing rice. I guess you need to like stews to enjoy an instant pot.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#865As it happens, I purchased the only two pieces of technology that I actually like in the past two years.
The first is the ReMarkable 2[1]. While imperfect (not open-source, support is atrocious), its utility is so high that it more than makes up for it - it actually behaves like electronic paper, and is better than real paper for my use-cases.
The second is a Dactyl-Manuform that a friend built and sold to me. It's one of the best ergonomic keyboards in existence, with the only others even able to challenge it are the Squeezebox[3] and the WARP[4]. Seriously, the DM makes almost every other "ergonomic" keyboard look like a joke, and it's physically pleasurable to type on.
[1] https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2 [2] https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform [3] https://peterlyons.com/problog/2021/04/squeezebox-keyboard/ [4] https://old.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/b9k9s5...
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#866Oculus Quest 2 - despite the whole Facebook thing, coupling it with awesome games and experiences, it saved me from going mental during the autumn-winter-spring lockdown in Europe combined with the depressing weather of that time. Worth its weight in gold for that. Roborock Robovac - also worth its weight in gold since the whole lockdown WFH turned my apartment into a permanent office, kitchen, cinema and gym, the fl…
Quest 2 has been great. I’ve legit been getting daily exercise from playing ping pong (Eleven ping pong) during quarantine. It’s amazing.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#867Material 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…
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.
Alright, just got some of these cast iron skillets from costco. How am I supposed to use (or not use) them?
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#868Oculus Quest 2 - despite the whole Facebook thing, coupling it with awesome games and experiences, it saved me from going mental during the autumn-winter-spring lockdown in Europe combined with the depressing weather of that time. Worth its weight in gold for that. Roborock Robovac - also worth its weight in gold since the whole lockdown WFH turned my apartment into a permanent office, kitchen, cinema and gym, the fl…
Any Quest game recommendations? I have one, but I barely use it right now.
Eleven ping pong feels like the real thing.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#869Oculus Quest 2 - despite the whole Facebook thing, coupling it with awesome games and experiences, it saved me from going mental during the autumn-winter-spring lockdown in Europe combined with the depressing weather of that time. Worth its weight in gold for that. Roborock Robovac - also worth its weight in gold since the whole lockdown WFH turned my apartment into a permanent office, kitchen, cinema and gym, the fl…
I feel like I'd love the Quest 2 for a month or two and then I wouldn't use it after the novelty wore off. Are there any AR/XR applications for Quest? It'd be pretty interesting if I got multiple for the fam and we could all be in the same environment somehow. Even if I needed room reference / locator devices it would probably be worth it.
I personally feel like a lot of the fun in VR will come from multiplayer.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#870I'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…
Just got the idasen and it’s really good! Ikea’s chairs are sold out though :( I never got the aeron personally, the ikea hattefjall is dope though.