I have an espresso machine - so far 15 yrs of daily use.
I have the cheapest steam iron from Walmart, not as much use - but going strong.
I have a Casio scientific calculator going strong ~30 yrs.
Ikea blue bag for shopping and avoiding single use plastic.
Stainless steel straws.
Reusable pads and diva cup.

But my swear by thing: a lot of dollar store or store brand snacks are as good as the big name. You just have to wade through them to see which one you like.

Moondrop headphones. Their quality is really good. I’m not an audiophile by any means but they have a good audio range and a pair typically lasts me around 2 years if I don’t forget to take them out of my clothes before they’re washed. They still survive a few trips through the laundry despite that though.

Dynavap M 2019 model. Pure craftsmanship.

Logitech K120

best keyboard ever made

15$

My Son of Sandlar merchant boots. I have two pairs, one in brown, one in black.

I got them at a Renaissance festival over a decade ago, and they’re still going strong. Son of Sandlar has a lot of very flamboyant footwear, things like this. But while I wanted some boots for costume purposes, if I’m spending that much on footwear, I want something that I can actually wear in everyday use. And the merchant boot style fits the bill. It has some flare to it, but they’re normal enough looking that I can wear them in regular settings.

And I wear them a lot. The black ones especially go with almost any outfit. And I live in the PNW, so we get cold and rain 8 months of the year. I wear these boots daily through the rainy season. And they’re really held up. I’m a decade in and still on the original soles, but the boots are made to be repairable. I’ll probably have these boots for the rest of my life. Really comfortable to.

My life has literally become an example of boots theory.

8bitdo controllers & PC accessories

These guys can make really good electronics, while maintaining that retro aesthetic

I can swear just fine without any products, thank you very fucking much.

For years I always liked the Pinaud shave products, and I never realized that it smells like straight weed even though I was a huge stoner. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much.

I went a couple years without using it cause I stopped shaving, and then one day I decided to shave again so I used some and I was like “Holy fuck. Weed.”

So I checked the ingredients and sure enough, like half of them are terpenes.

I started rethinking my choices to travel with it by airplane, but I never had issues 🤷

Red Boat fish sauce.

Cast iron pans when you learn how to season them well. As an unrelated note, anyone know of any good mice brands for universal gaming?

If you like cannabis, the Pax 2 vaporizer is amazing. Bought one 12 years ago, used it nearly daily til the button died. Recently purchased another one exactly like it, looking forward to another decade of use.

I am generally anti-corporate anti-capitalist, but I will happily endorse this one specific product cuz it performs one function extremely well for years.

Haix boots.

They’re expensive AF, and they’re super heavy, but they’re super comfortable and they’re designed to protect your feet from basically everything, be worn for long durations, and last forever. My first pair lasted me almost 7 years of heavy use and kept my feet safe in the most disgusting situations (I finally had to buy a second pair after they tore up the side). They were covered in mud, snow, blood, vomit, feces, and took me through homes infested in cock roaches and bed bugs and all I ever needed to do was hose them off. I replaced countless broken laces and a zipper once (the laces hold the zipper in place and it’s designed to be easily swapped). They’re rated for electric shock, are wildland fire approved, are waterproof, have a composite toe, and a steel shank in the sole to protect from sharp objects.

I won’t buy any other boots for work. It’s a classic case of the boots problem, I used to go through a $150 pair of boots every 8 months and always had foot pain, but these cost $450 and lasted me almost 7 years so I definitely saved money and my feet are happy and protected.

Oh yeah, I bought a Simple Human motion-activated trash can in 2020 and have never had a problem with it.

Their touchless soap dispenser was garbage. They replaced it, but the second one eventually died too.

I’m usually not a brand loyalist, but when it comes to tools, this is a Makita family.

No other tool company publishes open schematics for all of their tools, so they can be repaired with generic parts instead of expensive “replacement parts kits.” Every other tool company is traded publicly on the stock market and vulnerable to enshittification. Makita is a large, but still family-owned, union company in Japan.

Lots of companies focus on ergonomics & power, but only Makita is focused on low vibrations while still making tools that are just as powerful.

But most of all? They’ve stated that destroying two-stroke motors in yard equipment is one of their main corporate goals, and so for both environmental and noise reasons, this company has my loyalty forever. Makita corporate? Hit me up! I will sell the fuck out of your tools.

Outdoor Research for clothing, especially if you live somewhere that rains a lot (they’re a Pacific Northwest brand).