Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder:
Bodum Columbia Stainless Steel, Double-Wall-Insulated French Press:
Bodum Columbia Stainless Steel, Double-Wall-Insulated French Press:
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Black Friday is a month away, post household items/appliances to keep an eye out for that generally improved your life in any way.
- Thread starter Zutrax
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Oh boy, definitely. I bought my Brother laser printer about three years ago and am still on the starter cartridge. It also scans and copies, does double sides and is wireless. Pretty sure once I need to get a real cartridge that'll last a decade or more.
The HP Laser Jet I replaced had really expensive cartridges that I had to replace after printing maybe 20ish pages because they would dry out in the time it took me to do that. And just printing something was an ordeal in itself with "test printing pages" (that HP has to use up ink I'm really very sure) and other bullshit.
No oil. You just put the food in the basket and it cooks it just as if it were a tiny oven (cuz it kind of is a tiny convection oven).
I will echo a lot of the stuff already suggested and add one or two more. Agree on the instant pot, air fryer, brother laser printer and harmony remote.
If you have a garage door adding a smart setup is really convenient. We have MyQ from chamberlain. I also love the wireless Arlo home security cameras. It gives you peace of mind when you are out of the house. Smart plugs and smart lights are also cool (in moderation).
To add to the cooking the Anova sous vide devices are amazing for steaks and fish. Especially in winter when it's a pain to get outside.
If you have a garage door adding a smart setup is really convenient. We have MyQ from chamberlain. I also love the wireless Arlo home security cameras. It gives you peace of mind when you are out of the house. Smart plugs and smart lights are also cool (in moderation).
To add to the cooking the Anova sous vide devices are amazing for steaks and fish. Especially in winter when it's a pain to get outside.
Verrrry interesting.
I always see ones at like Wal-Mart for around 80 bucks always debated on it . Hrmmmm
Cordless vacuums are amazing. They make vacuuming a non activity almost. You can grab it, use it, and hang it back on the wall. You can do it several times a day for just a minute or two here and there. I love mine.
Now, I'm on the lookout for a steam cleaner myself.
Air fryer after that
Now, I'm on the lookout for a steam cleaner myself.
Air fryer after that
This requires a second person?Basically one of those has been life changing for me
no, unless you are super obese or have some other mobility issue.
A robot vacuum has been my absolute favorite buy this year. I feel kinda dumb saying so because sure i could just vacuum and mop more consistently, but I just never did and this makes it so its just not a stress to ever think about it. BUT it does now make me think about makingsure the floor is clear so it doesnt get stuck, and make me very aware of the dirtiness ofthe places that it cant reach so i sweep them pretty often. So Im actually way more on top of keeping things neat than i ever was.
Just repeating what everyone else is saying, but I got an Instant Pot a few years ago and it's great. I mainly use it for chili and soup dishes, but I'll have enough left over to last me for days.
Something I'll also recommend is a battery powered lawnmower. We had been paying someone to do our lawn for a few years, but we recently found out through neighbors that they were hustling us and charging about $15 more than everyone else, so we decided to try someone new. Unfortunately, we had trouble finding reliable individuals. I eventually bought a Ryobi battery push lawnmower to do it myself and our household has saved so much money with the thing. It's surprisingly light, and starts on command with a push of a button. No more pulling the cord to death. I can usually go about 1 hour 15 to 30 min before the battery dies and it only takes about 3 hours to get it back to a full charge. So I'll usually do 3/4 of the lawn in the morning and the rest in the evening.
We've had gas lawnmowers before and they were such a hassle having to get maintenance on them every year or two, or they wouldn't start or run properly because of constant issues with the fuel line/tank or it wouldn't start no matter how much I'd prime it, and eventually that would flood the engine. I've had zero frustration with the battery mower and look forward to the days I take care of the yard. The only issue I've read is that the battery will most likely get weaker after a year of use, and I'll have to buy a new one eventually.
Something I'll also recommend is a battery powered lawnmower. We had been paying someone to do our lawn for a few years, but we recently found out through neighbors that they were hustling us and charging about $15 more than everyone else, so we decided to try someone new. Unfortunately, we had trouble finding reliable individuals. I eventually bought a Ryobi battery push lawnmower to do it myself and our household has saved so much money with the thing. It's surprisingly light, and starts on command with a push of a button. No more pulling the cord to death. I can usually go about 1 hour 15 to 30 min before the battery dies and it only takes about 3 hours to get it back to a full charge. So I'll usually do 3/4 of the lawn in the morning and the rest in the evening.
We've had gas lawnmowers before and they were such a hassle having to get maintenance on them every year or two, or they wouldn't start or run properly because of constant issues with the fuel line/tank or it wouldn't start no matter how much I'd prime it, and eventually that would flood the engine. I've had zero frustration with the battery mower and look forward to the days I take care of the yard. The only issue I've read is that the battery will most likely get weaker after a year of use, and I'll have to buy a new one eventually.
Can you toast a slice of bread in these things?
I really miss a toaster sometimes (because turning on my big oven for two slices of toast is energy overkill and takes too long).
Edit: google says yes. Hmm, I might look out for an air fryer on Black Friday.
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The most basic answer is the way it uses air to cook food. Its like a toaster oven, it even has a setting for toast most of the time, depending on the type you get. The air fryer's I've used look like toaster ovens. I know there are some that look like pots or something. I have no experience with those.
I forgot about cooking beans in one. Beans that are fresh/come in a bag and need to soak and all that. Instant Pot just takes waaay less time to cook foods that usually require hours. Its literally life changing.
Yeah, you can toast slices of bread, lol. I posted one time about making home made pizza with slices of bread in a struggle food thread or some crazy food thread. I used an air fryer.
I think its been mentioned already, but you can also look at an air fryer as an extra oven. After getting an air fryer we never baked cookies in the regular oven anymore.
Hell, I cooked a whole rotisserie chicken a few times. Just need to make sure the bird isnt too big and use twine to keep legs and wings from flopping everywhere. Again...an air fryer, a good one, is so versatile. Same for an instant pot. Just research what they can do and get the model that does all the things you want.
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Basically one of those has been life changing for me
there is such a wide range of pricing on these things. Are the $300 -$400 versions worth the upcharge?
An electric egg boiler. These things are amazing. I love soft boiled eggs but it's so much effort to boil them and then you have to hope they come out nice. With this thing you're guaranteed to get a perfect egg (the one I have has a slider for soft/medium/hard boiled) and it's no hassle at all. Just pour some water in it, put an egg or multiple eggs in it, cover with lid and wait. I now always eat an egg during lunch while WFH.
Cordless vacuums (Dyson) and/or robot vacuum are great as well. Especially the robot vacuum. Sadly ours broke down after 5 years of service and now that we have to vacuum the house ourselves we realize how spoiled we were hahah. We're waiting on a BF deal for a Roborock S7.
Airfryer is one of the first things we bought and it still gets used almost daily. Toast, fries, burgers, basically anything that goes in a freezer and has to be baked or fried goes in there. I even bake cake with it. Super easy and it tastes amazing.
Lol, holy shit, I had no idea egg boilers were a thing! I'm immediately getting this for my egg loving gf. I see my local electronic store carries the same Princess model - this is the one you have?
An electric egg boiler. These things are amazing. I love soft boiled eggs but it's so much effort to boil them and then you have to hope they come out nice. With this thing you're guaranteed to get a perfect egg (the one I have has a slider for soft/medium/hard boiled) and it's no hassle at all. Just pour some water in it, put an egg or multiple eggs in it, cover with lid and wait. I now always eat an egg during lunch while WFH.
I have a smaller one from a brand called Severin that fits 3 eggs. But I think the Princess ones have good reviews too. You're about to change your girlfriend's life, hahah.
It sounds similar to a convection oven. We cook all the time and just bought this house last year. Everyone suggests we need an air fryer, but our oven already has a convection bake. I'm struggling to come up with gift ideas for my partner though and this is one of the few I've had. Is it much different than that? Or is it mostly the convenience of it?
I second all the suggestions about instant pots and robot vacuums though. I've had an instant pot for a few years and use it multiple times a week, especially for rice or rice dishes, I've even made ribs in it a few times.
And we have a roomba brand robot vacuum, we actually did the subscription thing they have. I know it means we don't technically own the vacuum, but they send us replacement bags and filters before we actually need them and we can upgrade if we want to every 2 years. It has a great mapping system, it's never gotten lost and we have it on a schedule where it cleans different rooms every day and cleans the kitchen everyday after I make dinner. We also have a wooly coated Siberian husky and have no issues with hair thanks to it. Very recommended.
You can also do this in an Instant Pot. 4 minutes for hard boiled, 3 for medium, 2 for soft.
Good tip, thanks! I actually think the little egg boiler will make for a cute gift. But we're moving to a pretty big house in january and I'm taking tons of notes here. Will be keeping an eye out for some good black friday deals for sure.
If you don't own an air fryer or an instant pot, you're living life wrong.
I bought my air fryer (Instant Vortex) last year for Black Friday and man I use that thing so damn much. Especially when I need to cook something quick for the kids. However, I would love one that can cook two things at once like the Ninja one shown a few pages back.
I bought my air fryer (Instant Vortex) last year for Black Friday and man I use that thing so damn much. Especially when I need to cook something quick for the kids. However, I would love one that can cook two things at once like the Ninja one shown a few pages back.
Echoing what others have said about the Instant Pot
For other cooking stuff, Thermoworks thermometers, but they go on sale pretty regularly on their website and are still the cheapest place for them.
But as for cookware? My new best friend this year:
Lodge Carbon Steel skillet. I have developed a slightly unhealthy fixation on this pan since getting it.
For other cooking stuff, Thermoworks thermometers, but they go on sale pretty regularly on their website and are still the cheapest place for them.
But as for cookware? My new best friend this year:
Lodge Carbon Steel skillet. I have developed a slightly unhealthy fixation on this pan since getting it.
I will vouch hard for this grinder. I've had mine for like 5-6 years without any problems, and ice heard customer support is top notch. They'll even sell you the burrs of a better grinder with instructions of how to replace them if you want.
I love this thing.
Same for me. This grinder, for the price especially, is a quality daily workhorse. Awesome piece of kit. The serviceability and customer service that Baratza provides is barnone for this entry level/ home segment of the market.
Nah life is shitty at a global scale. The world is burning, we're still in pandemic. Let people enjoy their simple pleasures unless it's wasteful.
Huh I didn't know they had a subscription service. We have the most basic one which is.. fine, but I wish it was smarted and could map things. Might have to look into this. It does look like you own it (based on their FAQ), similar to a phone installment plan - but apparently if you stop the subscription you lose the automatic emptying feature.
Can double as rice cooker too. But easy way to make weeknight carnitas or barbacoa. Beer braised short ribs. Pot Roast. Make some homemade chicken stock.
Try to get brushless, less heat and wear, but maybe 30% more expensive. And like said, impact driving are great. Way more control when driving, and don't have to worry as much about splitting wood or over driving.
Saw someone mention bidets - what does everyone think of the Brondell EcoSeats that are advertised on Amazon? Price is around $90, but it's hard to tell whether the 5 star reviews are real or not anymore. Appreciate any help if anyone else has experience with these.
It is a pressure cooker. Old traditional pressure cookers could and did explode. It's pretty unlikely an Instant Pot will unless you're using it improperly (filling past the max line or blocking the steam release valve) as it's got several safety features.
They do perfectly with hard floors, and decently on carpet. But you're still going to want a corded one for deep cleaning the carpets every now and then, doubly so if you have pets and/or kids.
Totally worth having a cordless for bathrooms and kitchen at the very least. Crumb and hair destroyer, basically replacing a broom.
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It's pretty handy! I was baking a cake a bit ago and got some flour and powdered sugar on the floor, very convenient to just tell Alexa to clean the kitchen and roomba does it right away, goes back and empties itself. Definitely recommend a nice robot vacuum. We have an older eufy that we initially gave as a gift (we replaced it with a new one last year and MIL gave us this one back) that we keep in the bonus room since it has a few stairs going down, and that one just randomly bounces around. Still does its job, but not nearly as nice.
My suggestions are all food related and mostly been covered. Sous vide machine, instant pot, egg makers, Blackstone (or similar brand) griddle top cooker. Pellet grills seem to be all the rage right now, but why get that when electric gravity smokers are a thing now. Get a chargriller 980 or masterbuilt 560, 800, 1050 instead of a pellet grill.
Yes, I posted earlier in this thread. My most used device in the kitchen by far. i have the Ninja Foodi 5 in 1Has anyone here tried the Ninja indoor grill/air fryer things? I'm kinda wanting one of those since I don't have outdoor space for a grill...
I've made damn near perfect steaks with it. I feel like it's cheating.
It's been very convenient for air frying and grilling and baking certain items.
Yeah, I'm really leaning towards getting one. I already have so many kitchen gadgets (sous vide, instant pot, air fryer) but I could get rid of the air fryer if I get that and I'd be able to grill things...
I have 3 cats and this was a gamechanger for me.
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