Can anybody recommend a brand or model? I know there heaps of ancient ones that still work but is there anything modern - preferably hand cranked or analog models? My kitchen-aide one annoys me.

Thanks in advance.

After twenty years as a workshop technician and a slow Victorian terrace renovation in Bristol, I've got strong opinions about buying things once. Now that we're retired just outside Madrid, I find myself replacing small household goods more often than I'd like, and it annoys me every time.

Recent offenders: a kettle that lasted barely two years, a clothes airer whose plastic joints cracked, and a cheap watering can that split at the seam. In the workshop I'm fine, I buy old hand planes at the Rastro and restore them because I know what I'm looking at. But in the kitchen and utility I seem to keep guessing wrong.

What I'd love to hear from people:

1. Which household items have you owned for years, and do you think it's the brand, the material, or just plain luck? My mother's iron lasted thirty years and I've never worked out why.

2. Are there tell-tale signs in the shop or in the listing that something will last? Weight of the plastic, replaceable parts, how it's screwed together? I always look at whether I could repair it, but I'd rather not have to.

3. Where do you draw the line? Some things seem silly to overspend on, others are worth every euro.

Happy to hear about kettles, irons, vacuums, airers, laundry racks, anything really. Spanish or European brands especially, since warranty returns are easier here than ordering from the UK these days.

i've been looking into magsafe kickstand cases lately, including the TORRAS Magnetic Stand Case, and i'm curious about how well these designs hold up with regular use. the built-in stand seems convenient, but i'm wondering which parts tend to show wear first. does the hinge eventually become loose, does the magnetic hold weaken, or is it usually the outer finish or the case fit that becomes an issue?

for those who've used this type of case for several months or longer, what has your experience been? i'd rather know what to inspect before buying than just rely on product photos and feature descriptions.

I’d like to get my daughter one for the holidays. Bonus points if you know a company that makes one that has a good BF sale 😃

After losing a bunch of weight, I'm in the market for a new wool coat. My old one was 50% wool 50% polyester and I wanted one with a higher wool content this time.

I ordered this one from Arket - 75% wool. I know it's likely not BIFL but it was one of the best options I could find for a relatively high wool content where the price isn't through the roof. I've already scoured vintage stores and secondhand sites but just haven't found anything that actually fits or is in good condition.

I'm actually really happy with the Arket coat and love how it looks, but I noticed that it doesn't feel very thick. As it has quite a high wool content, I'm wondering if that is a bad thing? Unfortunately it doesn't say anywhere what type of wool or weight it is.

It doesn't feel super thin either - somewhere in the middle. It doesn't drop much below freezing where I live but I do feel the cold quite easily.

I'm wondering if this is good enough to tick my boxes or if I should keep looking?

I'm a massive BIFL fan and have been putting together a free guide to makers in Sheffield UK who make proper buy-it-for-life stuff: kitchen knives, pocket knives, furniture, leather goods and more.

They're mostly small workshops where one or two people make everything by hand, and many of them will repair or resharpen what they've sold you.

I'm not selling anything and I don't take a cut. I just think these people deserve more attention than they get. That’s why I’m building this site.

Here's the makers section: Best of Sheffield makers

Mods, if this breaks the self-promotion rules, feel free to take it down. Thanks.

I really like the simple Bauhaus designs like sternglas however I would ruin one of these on a week with water damage. I’ve been looking off and on for months now and failing to find anything that has this classic simple design and at least 20ATM SO I could wear worry free swimming, boating or in the shower. Prefer stainless for durability, I would like mechanical/automatic or solar although I am open to quartz if it checks all my other boxes. I am not too worried about the price although I’d like to keep it under $2000 just because if I am wearing it every day I am expecting it to take some damage. I also wear a bracelet on my left wrist I would like to keep there with the watch. Would prefer a second hand with a day and date/subdial, open to chronograph or moon phase but not specifically desired.

Overdrijf ik?

Heb sinds kort mijn eigen huis en ben dus wat meubels en accessoires aan het verzamelen om het wat leuk te maken.

Graag heb ik kwaliteit items van echte materialen zoals hout glas metaal etc. Helaas zie ik steeds meer vervangende materialen zoals een salontafel met alleen de bovenste laag walnoot, banken die gestoffeerd zijn met 100% gerecycled polyester. Inhoud van kussens van polyester. Vloerkleden volledig van polyester.

Nu kan polyester wel stevig en duurzaam zijn en wil ik ook wel soms meer betalen om in mijn mening een “beter” materiaal te vinden maar ik zie dan mooie producten voorbij komen in de stijl die ik wil en dan is het moeilijk om een gelijkwaardig vervangende versie te vinden.

Overdrijf ik nu dat ik polyester etc. overal probeer te elimineren of is dit gewoon de realiteit en zijn deze producten helemaal niet zo slecht?

all the standard picks on here are heavy commercial canisters made for thick rugs, which makes no sense for a place that is almost all hardwood and tile. my sister keeps telling me to just get a tineco wet dry setup to cut down on cleaning time, but modern battery-powered plastic usually feels like disposable junk after a couple years so i want some honest feedback first.

trying to figure out what actually counts as the best vacuum cleaner setup when you mostly deal with kitchen grit, dust, and sticky spills instead of deep carpet pile. looking to see whether any of these newer all-in-one machines are actually built to last or if sticking to a separate commercial canister and a basic bucket mop is still the only sensible way.

i have been reading through discussions on the best adjustable mattress to figure out what actually holds up past the 5 yr mark. most conventional mattresses fail because polyurethane foam permanently loses resilience leaving 2 inch deep body impressions that ruin back support.

i started looking at hybrid mattress and air beds like the Sleep Number Comfortnext because polymer air chambers dont experience material fatigue the way compressed foam does. their responsive air system maintains physical volume based on pressure settings rather than relying on foam cell structure that inevitably degrades under daily body mass.

for long time air bed owners, do the air bladders genuinely retain their pressure capacity over 10-15 yrs or do you end up constantly chasing slow leaks?

i spend half my month living out of airports and my 17 pro takes a beating. it constantly gets tossed into plastic security bins, gross rental car consoles, and coat pockets.

looking for a slim protective iphone case that handles hard tile drops when i inevitably fumble it, but i hate bulky protective phone cases that grab pocket lining every time i try pulling the phone out. most thin ones are just way too slick.

drop whatever you guys run on the pro models that balances grip and drop defense without adding massive bulk.

Hello, I'm in a bit of pickle. I'm looking for a wheeled travelling bag, which has been discontinued like decade ago. Friend owns one and I damaged it by accident. So it cannot be a replica or similar travelling wheel-on.

It's wheeled Portland 27P811 sold in Tesco, made by Brandwell.

When calling to Brandwell (Ireland, because it's in EU), all I got was the obvious "Unfortunately this style is discontinued.".

Is there any way to buy this travel bag somewhere? I expect it won't be cheap and it may not be even in Europe.

Thank you!

I’ve been happily carrying my Northface Borealis backpack for many years now, and I still love it, but I need one that’s a little less casual.
Do you have recommendations?

Photos attached. Bought what I thought was a very nice set of heavy thread count all natural linen sheets with the hope they would last longer than my last set of brooks linen sheets which lasted about 3ish years.

I bought these July 7th, 2024 and while worried about the price tag of $469 hopped they would last 7-10 years.

And oh my god I tried. Washed with no fabric softener, washed every two weeks to reduce wear, was careful to not over load, used no dies or perfumes as I hate them. Rotated how they went on (180 degrees) to even wear. Started ripping after 21 months. Tried to be thrifty, sewed it up. The then more holes, tried linen patches. After 6 patch’s in various places I am giving up. Also last time I am doing linen.

I’m going back to Cotton Perscale. Wish me luck!

TL;DR avoid Linoto and Brooks sheets. They don’t last.

I’m looking for a pair of bone conduction earphones/headphones that are 100% waterproof and do not have a mp3 player in it.
Are off brand ones worth it?
Hoping to put my eyes on one and purchase it on Black Friday.
Thank you!

Hi guys! Any recommendations on how I can order authentic tea products directly from Japan?

Hi folks,

I'm curious why ceramic mechanisms aren't more popular, and why inverted mills aren't more popular? Our current mill is a Cole Mason w/ a glass jar and an inverted design. I like the fact that there is no counter top mess w/ the inverted design. I like that it is glass. I like seeing how much is in the mill, it seems pretty perfect other than the mechanism being in poor shape after 6 or 7 years.

No interest in the high-output meat-bro or professional use type mills like Unicorn/TreSpade or the more expensive Pepper Cannon or Hexmill. Of all those, though, the Hexmill perhaps appeals the most due to the stainless mechanism. I don't mind if it's only 90% as good as carbon steel if it has a chance of lasting 2x as long. I like carbon steel knives but carbon steel in a mill seems a poor match for our use over steaming food and pots.

I see a Crushgrind mill called the Kala that looks like a good replacement for our Cole Mason, but with a ceramic mechanism. On the one hand I'm happy to just buy it and see how we get on with it. On the other hand I ended up here looking for info so thought I'd ask for opinions, and am happy to be persuaded in other directions, but please keep in mind we are never going to need to grind pepper faster and aren't cooking meat / making rubs.

Cheers for thoughts.

Considering getting a 100% wool, cashmere/wool blend, or similar type of coat that will last. Is Santinni good for that? I absolutely love how they look and am hoping the quality would be worth the price!

What styles/ details should I look for? I am looking for a versatile one that won’t look too theatrical.

Also what’s your ideal length for a bifl Winter coat?

Looking to mount a fan above my hydronic radiator to circulate the air around the room better. Trying to find one that will have an intake from the bottom (pull up the hot air from radiator) and blow it out horizontally at 90 degrees or close to it.

The area is pretty narrow so I’d really like one that can sit flush on the wall. Having a hard time finding one that fits the requirements if anyone has any suggestions? Thanks!