What are some of your favorite product purchases?

[DaFace]

A thread to talk about some of the things we've bought and are really happy with. The end. Or the beginning.

[fan4ever]

My sous vide machine. Bought it about 4 years ago and have never ruined a piece of meat or fish since. Makes cheaper cuts of meat more tender and tasty too. We use it to do a standing rib roast every Christmas and it's perfect medium rare throughout.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by fan4ever

My sous vide machine. Bought it about 4 years ago and have never ruined a piece of meat or fish since. Makes cheaper cuts of meat more tender and tasty too. We use it to do a standing rib roast every Christmas and it's perfect medium rare throughout.

How do you finish it?

We've tried several approaches - hot wood fire, deep fry, oven.

So far the wood fire yields the best results but you need a big ass outdoor pizza oven to manage it (my FIL has one so we're good there). I guess the right kind of smoker/cooker could manage it but you need really high heat if you do the Sous Vide first. Something like a Traeger just won't get hot enough.

[crispystl]

Originally Posted by alicestevens

I got myself a purple mattress and it is probably my best purchase ever.

Really, I've thought about getting one of those. So it's worth the price?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by crispystl

Really, I've thought about getting one of those. So it's worth the price?

I don't really love mine. I mean it's fine, but it's not the world changer I'd hoped it would be.

Best advise I can give you on any mattress purchase is to ignore any reviews - they just don't matter. It's all too subjective.

Go find an authorized dealer for Purple or any of the other 'big' mattress companies and then lay on stuff until you find what you want. And go through a company that offers a return period. The Purple we laid on at the mattress shop was just a tick softer than the one we ended up with. And I confirmed that it was the Purple 3 both times.

Sometimes things are just different in how they're manufactured. I probably should've sent mine back but I was just too lazy. And over the last several years I've gotten used to it and it's fine now.

But mattress purchases are almost 100% user specific.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I don't really love mine. I mean it's fine, but it's not the world changer I'd hoped it would be.

Best advise I can give you on any mattress purchase is to ignore any reviews - they just don't matter. It's all too subjective.

Go find an authorized dealer for Purple or any of the other 'big' mattress companies and then lay on stuff until you find what you want. And go through a company that offers a return period. The Purple we laid on at the mattress shop was just a tick softer than the one we ended up with. And I confirmed that it was the Purple 3 both times.

Sometimes things are just different in how they're manufactured. I probably should've sent mine back but I was just too lazy. And over the last several years I've gotten used to it and it's fine now.

But mattress purchases are almost 100% user specific.

Agreed.

Although it's tough for me to get to a bunch of these places because BFE.

I ordered one from Casper, and thankfully it's good, because they vacuum seal every molecule of air out of the bag. I'd read some stuff about how there is a liberal return policy, but it's hard to get it repackaged.

But I agree. I read a million reviews and there wasn't anything to discern.

[crispystl]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I don't really love mine. I mean it's fine, but it's not the world changer I'd hoped it would be.

Best advise I can give you on any mattress purchase is to ignore any reviews - they just don't matter. It's all too subjective.

Go find an authorized dealer for Purple or any of the other 'big' mattress companies and then lay on stuff until you find what you want. And go through a company that offers a return period. The Purple we laid on at the mattress shop was just a tick softer than the one we ended up with. And I confirmed that it was the Purple 3 both times.

Sometimes things are just different in how they're manufactured. I probably should've sent mine back but I was just too lazy. And over the last several years I've gotten used to it and it's fine now.

But mattress purchases are almost 100% user specific.

Thanks!

[DaFace]

I'll always be a proponent of Sleep Number mattresses. I love being able to adjust how firm it is depending on how I'm feeling, and my wife and I can have different settings as well. They cost a lot, but we're at around 10 years with ours, and no issues at all so far.

[Baby Lee]

Been putting these through their paces, aside from a reputation for marginal battery life per recharge [6hr], they are extraordinary for the price.

Not a lot of boutique features or cutting edge tech, but high-quality build [almost everything is aluminium in a market that's full of plastic] and among the best sound quality I've encountered.

The 'MSRP' of $150 is a tad ambitious, but the current price direct from the manufacturer of $48 is one of the biggest no-brainer bargains out there in this particular niche.

AKGN400NC - noise cancelling earbuds

[AKG owned by Samsung who manufactures these using Harmon Kardon tech, which is another subsidiary of theirs]

[DJ's left nut]

I’ve flushed an earbud, lost an earbud and a dog ate another one. So I have two lefts and a right from different brands.

May have to give those a look. I won’t spend more than $50 given my track record with them, but that seems like quality tech.

[SuperChief]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Been putting these through their paces, aside from a reputation for marginal battery life per recharge [6hr], they are extraordinary for the price.

Not a lot of boutique features or cutting edge tech, but high-quality build [almost everything is aluminium in a market that's full of plastic] and among the best sound quality I've encountered.

The 'MSRP' of $150 is a tad ambitious, but the current price direct from the manufacturer of $48 is one of the biggest no-brainer bargains out there in this particular niche.

AKGN400NC - noise cancelling earbuds

[AKG owned by Samsung who manufactures these using Harmon Kardon tech, which is another subsidiary of theirs]

Purchased. Free ground shipping too. Thanks for the heads up!

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I'll always be a proponent of Sleep Number mattresses. I love being able to adjust how firm it is depending on how I'm feeling, and my wife and I can have different settings as well. They cost a lot, but we're at around 10 years with ours, and no issues at all so far.

Just got our first Sleep number last winter. Love it. I'm sleeping better and feeling more rested when I get up.

Only complaints I have....

- Adjustable base. Bought the one you can adjust both feet & head. I thought I'd be using it every night, but I find myself not using it at all. If I bought again I'd skip it.

- Automatic sensing. I found that when it firms/softens based on my movement that I felt like I was sinking into the bed. Ended up turning that off and I've slept more comfortably since.

Neither are really complaints - just features I probably could have done without.

[DJ's left nut]

So regarding the earbuds - of my misadventures w/ destroyed or lost earbuds, these are my favorites so far:

https://www.amazon.com/TOZO-Cancelli...cs%2C95&sr=1-5

You can find the reviews for the AKGs on Amazon and they're not as good. Moreover, even the reviews on the manufacturer's website aren't great (and tend to mesh closely with the amazon review, giving both some credence).

I guess I'm kinda curious what makes these better? The Tozo's were very good; sometimes a little battery hungry but that's commonplace for pretty much all noise cancelling earbuds. The active noise cancelling (ANC mode) was outstanding as was the transparent mode that can isolate and amplify sounds when your earbuds are in and you want to be able to hear the surrounding areas.

Just better build quality? The TOZOs are admittedly plastic rather than aluminum. But I don't have apps or firmware or any of that noise I have to dick around with either.

[CatinKS]

I have to put my ear up to the door to tell if it is running it is so quiet. Worth every dollar.

Bosch - 800 Series 24" Top Control Built-In Dishwasher with CrystalDry, Stainless Steel Tub, 3rd Rack, 42 dBa - Stainless steel

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

So regarding the earbuds - of my misadventures w/ destroyed or lost earbuds, these are my favorites so far:

https://www.amazon.com/TOZO-Cancelli...cs%2C95&sr=1-5

You can find the reviews for the AKGs on Amazon and they're not as good. Moreover, even the reviews on the manufacturer's website aren't great (and tend to mesh closely with the amazon review, giving both some credence).

I guess I'm kinda curious what makes these better? The Tozo's were very good; sometimes a little battery hungry but that's commonplace for pretty much all noise cancelling earbuds. The active noise cancelling (ANC mode) was outstanding as was the transparent mode that can isolate and amplify sounds when your earbuds are in and you want to be able to hear the surrounding areas.

Just better build quality? The TOZOs are admittedly plastic rather than aluminum. But I don't have apps or firmware or any of that noise I have to dick around with either.

Huh. Interesting. I have a pair of cheap ass otium ones that are apparently not on amazon anymore, but to my knowledge they aren't noise cancelling. Not a bad look there.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Just got our first Sleep number last winter. Love it. I'm sleeping better and feeling more rested when I get up.

Only complaints I have....

- Adjustable base. Bought the one you can adjust both feet & head. I thought I'd be using it every night, but I find myself not using it at all. If I bought again I'd skip it.

- Automatic sensing. I found that when it firms/softens based on my movement that I felt like I was sinking into the bed. Ended up turning that off and I've slept more comfortably since.

Neither are really complaints - just features I probably could have done without.

Interesting - that's good to know. I'm cheap, so I don't have the adjustable base, and mine came before the automatic sensing. Glad I didn't waste my money.