• kostel_thecreed@lemmy.ca
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    2 years ago

    A water kettle. Doesn’t have to be any fancy one, but it really fucking rocks for anything you might think of : want hot water for tea? No problem. Need hot water to steep something? No problem.

    Most mid-range ones are insanely power efficient too, often being alot better than just boiling water on a stovetop, or using a microwave. And, depending on insulation, heat can be stored for over 6! hours.

    • Robertej92@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      A kettle is such a default kitchen item in the UK that I find it kinda crazy that it’s not standard somewhere like the US, though I know I’ve seen the difference in base voltage being a factor before.

      • SloppyPuppy@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        I went to visit a friend in the US (los angeles). She asked me what I want for breakfast and I said just some tea please and nothing else. I saw her going from confusion to terror in 5 seconds. And I was like whats wrong? Is everything ok?

        Eventually she boiled water in a mug in the microwave, put in some pieces of apples and called it tea.

        A few weeks later I went for work in the bay area. I just cannot start a day without tea. I saw the hotel I stayed in had a bit of difficulty in the tea department. Decided to buy my own kettle so I can have my tea in the room. Naively went to an electric store to buy a kettle. There was none. I was like WTF. Went to target, there were none. Only stove ones. But my room didnt have a stove. Then it hit me americans just dont boil water like the rest of the world.

    • TheyHaveNoName@beehaw.org
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      2 years ago

      I’m going to guess you’re in the States? I’m from England and live in the Netherlands. I’ve never met anybody ever who didn’t own a kettle. Is it true that it’s really not that common in the States to own a kettle?

  • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
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    2 years ago

    One I didn’t see mentioned yet: a rice cooker.

    Put in rice, add water, push start button, and you get perfect rice every time. I’m usually against single-purpose kitchen tools but a rice cooker is soo worth it.

    • xNekoyaki@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      My husband got us a Zojirushi rice cooker for my birthday one year, and I love it so much! We had an old $15 Oster one previously, which was also pretty nice to have, but oh boy. I’m spoiled by Zojirushi now. We could make a cake in it! I haven’t yet… But I could! Lol.

    • jmp242@sopuli.xyz
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      2 years ago

      Really only if you eat a lot of rice. For once a year or so, a pot on the stove works just fine. The actual benefit I’ve see for ricecookers is how well they can hold the rice for hours ready to go, but that’s more of a commercial benefit I think.

      • chaorace@lemmy.sdf.org
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        2 years ago

        […] but that’s more of a commercial benefit I think

        For me, this is the primary benefit of a rice cooker. Having warm, cheap, filling food on demand at any time is fantastic. I am so lazy and my little rice buddies are always ready to go when I can’t be bothered.

    • Addfwyn@lemmy.ml
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      2 years ago

      Living in Japan, this almost didn’t register to me. I have literally never met anybody that didn’t have one. When you move out, you use your family’s old one until you can buy a newer one.

      Everyone should have one, absolutely.

      • zagaberoo@beehaw.org
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        2 years ago

        When I did a homestay in Japan, my host dad was shocked my family didn’t have one. I do now though!

    • ebits21@lemmy.ca
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      2 years ago

      I know this will be a popular response, but I don’t get it.

      I just use a pot and the rice is always perfect? Not hard at all? Am I just good?

  • Mr_1077@monero.town
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    2 years ago

    A fire extinguisher can be found for less than 100 USD and is a must-have. A smoke detector is also a bare minimum in my opinion.

    • EddoWagt@feddit.nl
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      2 years ago

      A smoke detector is also a bare minimum in my opinion.

      In your opinion? You’re required to have one where I life

      • Melllvar@startrek.website
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        2 years ago

        In the USA private homes are not usually required to have them. Rentals, yes, but that’s a responsibility of the landlord.

  • VaultOS@lemm.ee
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    2 years ago

    A pair of high fidelity earplugs (aka concert earplugs or filtering earplugs). You can get a good non-custom pair for $15–$40, and that’ll work well for the average person for a long time.

    They’re excellent for live music, airplanes, and anytime you want the world to be quieter but still need to be able to understand speech. And for music specifically, they can bring the volume level down just enough to be safe without muffling the sound like traditional foam earplugs do. Protect your hearing, kids!

    • interolivary@beehaw.org
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      2 years ago

      Protect your hearing, kids!

      Seriously, PROTECT YOUR FUCKING HEARING. I was young and stupid (now I’m no longer young) and went to way too many raves, gigs etc. without any sort of hearing protection, and now I have a nice constant background track of EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and can’t hear higher frequencies worth shit

      • VaultOS@lemm.ee
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        2 years ago

        I’m no earplug connoisseur, but I’ve been using Westone’s WM16 for smaller venues, and Etymotic Research’s ER20XS dual-flange for louder situations. I haven’t tried much else, but these work well for me. I’ve also heard great things about Earasers, Eargasm, and Hearos.

        Earasers are a bit more expensive and appear to have a unique ergonomic eartip. iirc you can get them for $40 elsewhere, maybe Amazon. I’ve read that Earasers’ “-19dB Peak” model has a very slight sound reduction, so I’d probably opt for their middle “European Standard” model. On the other end of the price spectrum, Hearos is particularly inexpensive at a glance. Idk anything about specific models.

        Some brands have multiple types of earplugs (e.g. for music, shooting, construction work), so make sure you’re getting one designed for music or “high-fidelity” or something like that. Any of the “good” brands are probably going to work just fine. (Read the reviews if you’re unsure.) Most brands seem to include multiple eartip sizes in the package so you can choose the right fit.

        Beyond that, there is some element of personal preference. For example, I first tried Etymotic’s classic triple-flange version and didn’t like how deep they stuck into my ears. It felt invasive. But the dual-flange model feels great for me.

        And finally, there are different options for how much attenuation (noise reduction) you want. Like I mentioned, my “-16dB average attenuation” earplugs feel good for small/medium venues (a backroom venue of a bar, maybe a theater). For a larger venue (arena or stadium, or even just a really loud loud theater) you’d definitely want more significant average attenuation, probably in the low-to-mid twenties.

        Most earplugs will be confusingly marketed with multiple attenuation values. One will be an official NRR value, which is apparently required but controversial, and the other(s) will be the average and/or peak decibel reduction “when the product is used correctly” as reported by the manufacturer. It seems people don’t talk about the NRR as often. But it’s fun that they’ve made it more complicated for us to compare products.

        I should also mention that if you’re a performing musician or hardcore concert-goer, you may consider springing for custom-molded earplugs, which are way pricier. I haven’t made that upgrade yet, but everyone who does seems to think it’s life-changing.

        This got long, sorry!

  • Robertej92@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    A decent set of precision kitchen scales, and some general use scales that don’t have a massive delay on them #WeightSupremacist4Lyf

    But seriously, fuck you, measuring cups. Fuck. You.

    • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 years ago

      Sometimes multiple scales are important too! I’ve got the big ol boi with the white bowl, has worked amazingly for food for years. Then the standard blade scale for weighing… Parsley and… salt. Finally, the lil guy with the tiny metal saucer that goes down to .001 for weighing… really… small amount of… yeah it’s drugs

    • Landrin201@lemmy.ml
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      2 years ago

      Very important that whatever first aid kit you get has a tourniquet, or that you buy one separately.

      They are easily the most important life saving device in any first aid kit. 99% of the time you won’t need it for normal cuts but when you are dealing an injury that needs one you WILL regret not having one.

  • nbailey@lemmy.ca
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    2 years ago

    If you have a car get a dashcam. It’s more valuable than any insurance because it will definitively prove what happened when something goes wrong. Bonus: you can post videos of bad drivers doing stupid things on the internet for imaginary points.

    • dditty@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      I’d say before you even get a dashcam get an AC jump-starter. Those are less than $100

    • jmp242@sopuli.xyz
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      2 years ago

      If only there was actually a good car dashcam, but every time I go down that rabbit hole I give up frustrated. The quality (build, mounting, video, whatever) is shit in pretty much all of them, and the “passable” ones look like a web cam from 2005 still.

      • ∟⊔⊤∦∣≶@lemmy.nz
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        2 years ago

        There’s a reason for that, Linus Tech Tips did a great video on it. You’re better off buying an old go pro and using that.

    • lemmefixdat4u@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Definitely get one for your teenage driver. It keeps them honest and safe. And they will pay for themselves many times over if you get in an accident that wasn’t your fault. It’s like having your very own personal unimpeachable witness riding with you.

  • Thaolin@sh.itjust.works
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    2 years ago

    As a homeowner, a Dremel. I’ve replaced half my tools with a single device and counting. Best 80 bucks I’ve spent on useful stuff in ages. You can get literally anything as an attachment, Lol. I’m waiting for the attachment that will do my taxes.

  • LeateWonceslace@reddthat.com
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    2 years ago

    3 dozen pairs of identical socks. Mine are black crew cut. I’ll wear them until the last few pairs are worn through and I’ll never have a sock without a mate.

  • momnoon@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    An OBD scanner

    A decent flashlight

    A mini screwdriver set

    A multimeter

    An outlet polarity tester

    These immediately come to mind.

  • OkeyDokey@lemmy.ca
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    2 years ago

    Water sensor alarms.

    If you have any doubts about the pipes in your house or have a feeling that water might enter your basement, sensors will help you sleep at night.

    Water damage to your home is no joke. I know two separate homeowners who have had leaks from their refrigerator’s plumbing (water and ice dispenser). The damage for each homeowner was quite extensive given how small the leak was.