Sweethome (not Alabama)

May 28, 2013 2:08 PM

If product reviews annoy you with their lack of a definitive answer, you may already know electronics and gadget review site The Wirecutter, which tells you, definitively, what the best TV, office chair, smartphone, umbrella, and $100 earbuds are. Now there is The Sweethome, which does the same for home goods: ice cube trays, shower caddies, skillets, household drills, and the best toilet paper (unless you don't live near Walmart).
posted by blahblahblah (75 comments total)

Well I wholeheartedly agree with their ice cube tray pick. The Wirecutter is one of those sites I find when looking for other things. I don't buy nearly enough stuff to visit regularly.
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:14 PM on May 28, 2013

Now do the same with outdoors/performance/casual apparel and personal equipment!
posted by Foci for Analysis at 2:16 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Oh no! I have all the wrong stuff!
posted by Zed at 2:20 PM on May 28, 2013 [23 favorites]

If this does what it says on the tin then I will hate you.
posted by RolandOfEld at 2:21 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

I dunno. It's nice to know when there's good stuff out there, but the best toilet paper? As for outdoor gear I suspect it's too subjective and multi-variate to pronounce a single best thing ever.
posted by GuyZero at 2:21 PM on May 28, 2013

Pepsi Blue Affiliate Links?

Anyhow, I applaud the business model and will probably refer to the site when I'm in the market for ... something useful for the home.
posted by notyou at 2:24 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

I think acidic's comment from a recent TV recommendation thread bears repeating here:

acidic: "The Wirecutter is adequate for aggregating and explaining reviews. However, they don't go hands-on with very many items at all, and they make frequent and serious mistakes. For instance in the comments section of their Best Small TV review you'll find someone who bought the top-rated TV because the Wirecutter said it had audio output, which it did not. The author responded, "Are you sure it's not just hiding somewhere?"

Most of its writers do not properly review an array of options, so they end up recommending the option with the most hype. I guess that's fine, but they shouldn't pretend that they're doing anything special."

Perhaps they've fixed the problem since (AFAIK) they've brought on more reviewers, but I'd still do my own research before purchasing big ticket items.
posted by bluecore at 2:24 PM on May 28, 2013 [7 favorites]

I dunno. It's nice to know when there's good stuff out there, but the best toilet paper?

You only get one ass in this life. You should take care of it.
posted by Apropos of Something at 2:28 PM on May 28, 2013 [7 favorites]

You only get one ass in this life. You should take care of it.

Only one ass, but somehow myriad assholes.
posted by The Bellman at 2:32 PM on May 28, 2013 [7 favorites]

They recommend a safety razor for shaving. Ugh.

I learned to shave back in the day when the safety razor was the overwhelming tool for the job. It did a great job, but, let me tell you, I far prefer today's multi-bladed turbo-mach-whatever razors to those old safety razors. It's as good a shave and, despite the "safety" moniker, it's completely possible to take a chunk out of your neck with the things.

The only really cool part of a safety razor is getting to use the little slot at the back of your medicine chest to dispose of the used blades. And then, ten years later, discovering a mountain of blades in the wall after opening it up to do some plumbing.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:34 PM on May 28, 2013 [11 favorites]

I guess it's just me but I always buy 100% recycled toilet paper because honestly the idea of cutting down trees to make TP is kind ridiculous to me. My major gripe is that I can't get it everywhere I shop and the last thing I want to spend my brainpower on is a mental map of where to get my preferred brand of TP.
posted by GuyZero at 2:40 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

Well I wholeheartedly agree with their ice cube tray pick.

I have those ice cube trays. They're sweet and they make giant awesome ice cubes that are great for cocktails but after a few weeks they start offgassing like a motherfucker and make all your ice cubes taste funny. SAD FACE.
posted by nathancaswell at 2:41 PM on May 28, 2013 [4 favorites]

Shepherd shaves with an old-school safety razor; he loves it. Of course, he's Captain Bloody Throat the Pirate some mornings, but that was happening even with the multi-bladed jobbies. So with his safety razor, his posh shaving soap, and lime-scented cologne, I suspect he's turned into something of a dandy.
posted by Kitteh at 2:41 PM on May 28, 2013

You must have a cast-iron butt cause that 100% recycled stuff is like wiping with a handful of tiny knives.
posted by elizardbits at 2:43 PM on May 28, 2013 [9 favorites]

but the best toilet paper?

It doesn't get much more important than this for me.
posted by srboisvert at 2:44 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

?

Your butt must be made of baby lambs because TP is all basically the same, except for that bizzaro waxed stuff you used to find in public restrooms.
posted by GuyZero at 2:45 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

mmmmmmmmmm baby lambs
posted by nathancaswell at 2:45 PM on May 28, 2013 [4 favorites]

Meh. Site seems like a way for them to make money rather than something I would trust whole-heartedly. I checked out a few of the links and (mostly) disagreed with all of them.

1. Ice Cube Tray - yup, right brand, but wrong size. Those trays are excellent for rocks glasses, but they suck for cocktail shakers, smaller glasses, and shorter glasses. The same company makes one size down from that that'a a far-superior all-around ice cube tray. Best to have both but if you only have one, you're better off with the smaller, unless you drink everything neat.

2. The Lodge Dutch Oven... um, no. Yes, this is the best Coquette for around $50, but it's no Staub or Le Creuset. I don't want the cheapest, I want the best. Why are Staub and Le Creuset superior? Better heat distribution for one, and the Staub has a dimpled inner-lid, which forces moisture back into the food instead of allowing it to collect on the iron. Not only does this make removing the lid "better" for the cook, it keeps the food more moist. It's unquestionably superior to the Lodge. That's one of the reasons it's 4 times the price.

3. Smartphone. Ridiculous. Too many variables to answer this so simply.

4. Skillet. Yeah, a stainless steel skillet is great... for some purposes. But a ceramic skillet or cast iron one is better for other purposes; copper as well. Oddly, they use the reverse argument for skillets that they do for dutch ovens.

I do like the site's layout and fonts though.
posted by dobbs at 2:47 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

I switched to a safety razor in something like '04. What's the going rate for a single replacement cartridge for Mach 19 or whatever they're up to these days?
posted by entropicamericana at 2:50 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

I only shave once a week just to keep my beard from veering into hobo territory so I may not be a typical user but I absolutely love my safety razor. I have very sensitive skin. Once I mastered the technique of using the safety blade the results are 100x better than a Mach3 or whatever-the-fuck. I don't do the fancy soapdish thing, though, I generally use Khiel's scent-free shaving cream (and I lather it directly in my beard like a madman).

Wirecutter is kind of shitty, but it's good place to get aggregate review data before diving in deeper.

Oh yeah and while those Tovolo ice cube trays are really fun they are also prone to taking on freezer smells, which is less fun.
posted by Doleful Creature at 2:52 PM on May 28, 2013

The thing is, there isn't really much downside to having a second-rate ice tray. Perhaps my life would be a little better if I had the best one, but, given what we're working with, I don't think it'll really make much difference.

Unless it's one of those old-style jobs, with the lever, that getts frozen in place.
posted by thelonius at 2:52 PM on May 28, 2013 [4 favorites]

I have this super-expensive ice tray made by Kitchenaid which is pretty cool because it also freezes the water for me.
posted by GuyZero at 2:56 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

nathancaswell: "after a few weeks they start offgassing like a motherfucker and make all your ice cubes taste funny"

If, when you first get them, you rinse them in hot water and leave them out of the fridge a while it speeds up this stink cycle. Mine have not imparted strange tastes to my cubes for many months now. Once un-stunk always un-stunk.
posted by komara at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2013

i actually bought a safety razor the last time i was overseas and i'm very happy with it. i still have to use a disposable blade to get my 'stache right beneath the nose and the difference between the two razors is just really pronounced.

with that said, s/o to the wirecutter/sweethome for also providing other product recommendations for categories (i.e. 'best cartridge razor' when you're looking at razors, 'best cheap alternative' for a lot of things).
posted by raihan_ at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2013

This is cool. It's tough to get an honest review whether you agree with it or not.

After much prodding I got shave soap with a brush and a safety razor. I'm not thrilled with the oodle blade razor marketing frenzy. But after a week I hurled the safety razor through the shower door after putting on a dress shirt and discovering, again, a steath nick that bled just enough to go through the shirt but not enough to notice before getting dressed.

I kept the brush. That thing is cool. Wife still won't let me grow a handlebar mustache despite the potential elevation of my status with the bareknuckle boxing, firehouse, and lager aficionados.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:59 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

It's unquestionably superior to the Lodge. That's one of the reasons it's 4 times the price.

I wish someone would split the difference. Because I don't use a dutch oven enough to justify $200, and I'm sure a lot of that price is because it's fancy and made in France.
posted by smackfu at 3:05 PM on May 28, 2013

BEST PHONE IS NOKIA 3310.
posted by Artw at 3:07 PM on May 28, 2013 [6 favorites]

Your butt must be made of baby lambs because TP is all basically the same

I'm not going to get all graphic here but no, not at all, not a bit.
posted by Cosine at 3:07 PM on May 28, 2013 [6 favorites]

If I learned anything from reading a million shaving threads on the Green, it's that everybody has wildly variable success with different kinds of shaving products, even if they all seem to suffer from the same problems going into it. There's no getting around trying stuff and finding what's best for you.

That said, a general rule seems to be that safety razors work well for folks if the grain on your face is consistent enough that you can trace it with a safety razor pretty easily. The grain on my face goes every which way, so I ended up back in cartridge land, with the Schick Hydro 5 (I like the level of tilt you get on the razor head).
posted by Apropos of Something at 3:09 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

So with his safety razor, his posh shaving soap,

Your man would be better off with a tub of inexpensive shaving soap from a Barber's Supply Store. Compare a huge tub at $14 of JM Fraser to this $57 Aesop brand or this $16 ($23 in Canada!) minitub from Kiel's.

I have all three in my bathroom and the Fraser is vastly superior. Lathers better, smells just as nice (though different), and a fraction of the price. The Kiels is second best and the Aesop is embarrassingly bad making a light, airy foam that's pretty much useless. The only good thing that company makes is this stainless steel shaving bowl, though I prefer this one from Onyx (who incidentally make the best stainless steel ice cubes).
posted by dobbs at 3:26 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

I'm really wondering if some of these are paid/sponsored endorsements, because those headphones look like crap for $100. They look like something best buy would push on you after you bought a new smartphone. I could make a list of at least 5 that would be better for that money in some way, if not all ways. I find it interesting that the shures are on "these are also good" buried on the side.

There's a lot of things on there that, like the tv comment from earlier, i wonder if they've even ever touched.
posted by emptythought at 3:27 PM on May 28, 2013

I stapled a yak to my chin so whatever your shaver reviews, sure ya go on with that.

About the TP, din't Chaucer have something about the neck of a goose being the best ever? I do wonder however if he considered the problem of having a goose beak, which is attached via the goose's face to the goose's neck, near your most sensitive fleshy bits because geese tend to get huffy.
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:33 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Your man would be better off with a tub of inexpensive shaving soap from a Barber's Supply Store. Compare a huge tub at $14 of JM Fraser to this $57 Aesop brand or this $16 ($23 in Canada!) minitub from Kiel's.

He uses the shaving soap from Crabtree & Evelyn, which he bought nearly three years ago and has yet to use up. (He just bought a couple of refills to see him through to 2025 at this rate...)
posted by Kitteh at 3:39 PM on May 28, 2013

We were East Berlin in 1988, and my best friend's dad emerged from one of those subterranean public toilets looking quite alarmed. After we got partway down the block, he proferred what looked like cheap construction paper, though in a weird, narrow width and an off, pinkish color flecked with lots pf little dark bits.

It was East German toilet paper, and I am here to tell you that no, not all T.P. is the same. *shudder*
posted by wenestvedt at 3:41 PM on May 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

JM Fraser is good and cheap shaving cream. Someone got me a tub like five years ago and I am still working my lemony-fresh way through it. In a class with Proraso green, in my mind.
posted by wenestvedt at 3:42 PM on May 28, 2013

I'm really wondering if some of these are paid/sponsored endorsements, because those headphones look like crap for $100.

I doubt it since the business model doesn't need it. Why get paid to shill for stuff when you can just take your Amazon 5% off the top of whatever you suggest? I think the main threat to their integrity is if a product isn't available at Amazon.
posted by smackfu at 3:50 PM on May 28, 2013

I don't use a dutch oven enough to justify $200,

The reason you don't use a dutch oven enough is because you don't have a good one. ;)

In my opinion, the two best gifts you can give a young person venturing out into adult-hood are a 5qt Staub Cocotte and an 8" ceramic frying pan. I recommend Paderno. They're both life changers, imo.

I just ate dinner that I made in my Staub. I rinsed some carrots, snapped 'em in half, dropped them in the cocette. I peeled 4 shallots, dropped them in whole. I poured on some olive oil and cranked on some pepper. I shook it around till things were well coated and the carrots settled to make a bed on the bottom. I put them in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I then added button mushrooms, asparagus, and two salmon fillets, all of which I'd coated lightly with olive oil and cranked on pepper. I poured in half a can of lentils and half a can of peas. I dropped a handful of raw spinach on top and put it back in the oven for 25 minutes.

Done. Everything was perfectly cooked.

You can do exactly the same thing with chicken breasts if you give it 30 mins for one and 45 for two.

Makes a perfect meal for two and you don't need to know how to "cook", though serving it to many people they assumed I'd went to too much trouble. I can do this 3 or 4 times a week, switching up the vegetables. Potatoes and beets are awesome in it. Tomatoes also (whole). Peppers, quartered... squash. You name it.

$200 for an item that can do this for me for the rest of my life? It's a no-brainer.
posted by dobbs at 3:54 PM on May 28, 2013 [20 favorites]

I'm really wondering if some of these are paid/sponsored endorsements, because those headphones look like crap for $100.

Hey, buds! I'm the launch editor for Sweethome. Neither SH nor WC accept paid or sponsored endorsements to influence our selections.* You may not always agree with our selection—and we like to hear about why you don't if that's the case!—but everything we use to determine the editor's pick is right there on the page. That headphones piece is actually a great example of the insane amount of reporting, research, and testing that goes into a selection. Kyle even addresses why he prefers the Velodynes over the Shures, although we also think the Shures are pretty great and have listed them as such.

We always have to weight lots of factors to find a pick and we try to let the reader understand how we got there. It's hard work to actually make a decision, and it's why most publications won't do it. But we think it's an incredibly useful service to provide and we take pride in both making those selections and still being flexible enough to improve and amend our guides so that they're always as accurate and applicable to the most people as possible.

I think the main threat to their integrity is if a product isn't available at Amazon.

As heavy online shoppers ourselves, we really like Amazon a lot. And they're good business partners on the affiliate side. But if a product isn't available on Amazon or isn't a fair price, we point our main buy buttons to the best retailer for the customer. In fact, a lot of stuff on Sweethome is now linking to Sears or Home Depot (for instance) instead of Amazon, because, well, that's where our selections are sold.

* We determined that Pepsi Blue is the best soda completely independently.
posted by Joel Johnson at 4:12 PM on May 28, 2013 [22 favorites]

din't Chaucer have something about the neck of a goose being the best ever?

That was Rabelais. From Gargantua and Pantagruel.

Afterwards I wiped my bum, said Gargantua, with a kerchief, with a pillow, with a pantoufle, with a pouch, with a pannier, but that was a wicked and unpleasant torchecul; then with a hat. Of hats, note that some are shorn, and others shaggy, some velveted, others covered with taffeties, and others with satin. The best of all these is the shaggy hat, for it makes a very neat abstersion of the fecal matter.
Afterwards I wiped my tail with a hen, with a cock, with a pullet, with a calf's skin, with a hare, with a pigeon, with a cormorant, with an attorney's bag, with a montero, with a coif, with a falconer's lure.

But, to conclude, I say and maintain, that of all torcheculs, arsewisps, bumfodders, tail-napkins, bunghole cleansers, and wipe-breeches, there is none in the world comparable to the neck of a goose, that is well downed, if you hold her head betwixt your legs. And believe me therein upon mine honour, for you will thereby feel in your nockhole a most wonderful pleasure, both in regard of the softness of the said down and of the temporate heat of the goose, which is easily communicated to the bum-gut and the rest of the inwards, in so far as to come even to the regions of the heart and brains. And think not that the felicity of the heroes and demigods in the Elysian fields consisteth either in their asphodel, ambrosia, or nectar, as our old women here used to say; but in this, according to my judgment, that they wipe their tails with the neck of a goose, holding her head betwixt their legs [...]

posted by Fnarf at 4:14 PM on May 28, 2013 [17 favorites]

Heaven forbid I might come across as anti-consumerism, but this collection of links reminded me why I seem to only acquire The Worst things possible.
posted by antonymous at 4:45 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Is it just me or is "The Sweethome" the most tin-eared name for a blog ever? Is a sweethome some sort of offal meat? Or maybe someone forgot to finish a sentence?
posted by threeants at 4:50 PM on May 28, 2013

Jeez, they found two English words that sound ok together, mean something and aren't even misspelled. In 2013 that's like a lottery win.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:54 PM on May 28, 2013 [11 favorites]

if you've paid $100 or more for a pair of earbuds.

I swear every earbud recommendation I see is for $250 ones.
posted by smackfu at 5:17 PM on May 28, 2013

Someone mentioned earlier that they were looking for something similar for outdoor/hiking/performance gear. That place would be http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/ which is a fantastic resource for those looking to read up on the best gear around.

The site's been around for awhile (since 2011?), but I somehow only discovered it a few months back. It's become one of my go-to sites whenever I'm looking to pick up something for camping or hiking.
posted by ghostpony at 5:18 PM on May 28, 2013 [6 favorites]

The White Cloud toilet paper seems to rebranded Cashmere/Purex Ultra for 40% less than here in southwestern Ontario.
posted by Harpocrates at 5:19 PM on May 28, 2013

yeah, what is with that? I never understood why people thought it was a good idea to stick garbage in empty wall space.
posted by GuyZero at 5:29 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

You must have a cast-iron butt

recommendations pls.
posted by kiltedtaco at 5:30 PM on May 28, 2013

You must have a cast-iron butt

recommendations pls.

Season at 450F, with multiple thin coatings of flaxseed oil.
posted by aubilenon at 5:51 PM on May 28, 2013 [8 favorites]

They are absolutely correct about shower caddies.
posted by emelenjr at 6:24 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

smackfu: " It's unquestionably superior to the Lodge. That's one of the reasons it's 4 times the price.

I wish someone would split the difference. Because I don't use a dutch oven enough to justify $200, and I'm sure a lot of that price is because it's fancy and made in France."

I have a 20-year-old Le Crueset that gets used on average once a week. I was lucky and got it at a garage sale, but I've definitely gotten $200's worth of use out of it. Once you have a really good dutch oven it gets used a lot.
posted by Runes at 7:04 PM on May 28, 2013

Monster Gratitude ear buds are actually pretty damn excellent. The list price is inflated, as Monster prices typically are, but they're frequently on sale. They're especially well-suited for music played with live instruments.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:05 PM on May 28, 2013

TP is all basically the same, except for that bizzaro waxed stuff you used to find in public restrooms.

Thanks for the traumatic flashback to primary school!
posted by sevenyearlurk at 8:01 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Your butt must be made of baby lambs because TP is all basically the same

Half of the population has additional, and often more sensitive, places to wipe.
posted by elsietheeel at 8:47 PM on May 28, 2013 [6 favorites]

Season at 450F, with multiple thin coatings of flaxseed oil.

I just throw mine in the dishwasher every time I use it.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:00 PM on May 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

I don't understand what any of this has to do with five people trapped in a haunted house.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:15 PM on May 28, 2013

Oh man a friend has a pair of super fancy triple-driver ear buds (in-ear monitors) and They. Are. Fantastic. I want a pair so bad.
posted by inparticularity at 10:06 PM on May 28, 2013

I'm excited by the Markus chair. I found it was very difficult to get good chair recommendations online.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:10 PM on May 28, 2013

I have a Markus - it's OK! Best office chair I've had since my old Aeron.

(Although it has demonstrated that my desk is too low, and the discovery of that has come, I think, at the cost of my carpal tunnels...)
posted by running order squabble fest at 2:34 AM on May 29, 2013

sebastienbailard: "I'm excited by the Markus chair. I found it was very difficult to get good chair recommendations online."

If you have a Container Store near you, you might want to check out their chair offerings too. They have some surprisingly comfortable cheaper options (my friend likes their bungee chair) and the Container Store isn't a place I'd usually think of when it comes to furniture.
posted by bluecore at 6:18 AM on May 29, 2013

Regarding dutch ovens. We finally splurged and got a Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven. It was from an outlet store, a second/blemished model, on sale, black friday, with a coupon and all that so it was only 'kinda' expensive.

It's great. Totally worth every penny, even the pennies we didn't pay up to what the full value would have been. That said, if you get the right size, you only need one at any given time. And I'm betting, with care, this one will last us forever.

So yea, a nice dutch oven is a treasure.

I kinda feel the same about my safety razor too but that's a story for another day.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:02 AM on May 29, 2013

I love that they choose Williams Mug shaving soap. My wife knows that I am super fussy about shaving and misinterprets this as "wants fancy shaving supplies for Christmas and birthday." I have a medicine cabinet *full* of razors and brushes and expensive boutique creams. Nothing beats Williams, not other cheap soaps, not $50 tubs of creams.

That said: Williams, badger brush, Mach 3, although after reading this I am willing to give the safety razor another try with more practice. Finish with Baxter balm, although Nivea works.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:32 AM on May 29, 2013

I just don't care enough about shaving to buy into the religion of the straight razor. I guess some people like to spend 20 minutes shaving, but I am happy with my brush and a Mach 3. And I think the brush and soap are actually easier / neater / cheaper than shaving cream.
posted by smackfu at 7:40 AM on May 29, 2013

For a long time I was too intimidated to try a safety razor. I had read some on-line guides that were fifty pages long, some that suggested you make a chart outlining grain patterns on your face and that you spend a few days preparing for the big moment. I watched YouTube videos that suggested lathering for less than two minutes was unacceptable. I viewed diagrams that showed the exact angle to hold the razor so that you got a close shave without tearing all your skin off. Shaving would now be a twenty minute affair, but it is oh so worth it.

I was frightened, and decided that this is not something I wanted to attempt. I said all this to my wife and then hinted that "although it's not something I would every buy, if I got a safety razor as a gift I might give it a shot, though it's possible I would go back to the Mach 3 after two days of shredding my face."

She got me a safety razor that Christmas. I tried it. I liked it. I've been using it ever since. I'm going to write a guide for safety razors for everyone else who is intimidated by them. It's going to read, in its entirety:

Step 1: Lather up. Ten seconds ought to do it.
Step 2: Just fucking shave like you've done with every other goddamn razor you've ever owned. Maybe don't press as hard, whatever. If it's not smooth after going in one direction, try the other. You'll be done in about 60 seconds.
Step 3: That's it. Ignore all those silly guides that make it sound difficult. Nerds ruin everything.
Step 4: Enjoy spending $.01 once a week on blades for the rest of your life.
posted by bondcliff at 8:14 AM on May 29, 2013 [5 favorites]

GuyZero: " Your butt must be made of baby lambs because TP is all basically the same, except for that bizzaro waxed stuff you used to find in public restrooms."

Noooooo way. There's nice TP, and then there's the stuff you find in some megastore bathrooms that you can read a newspaper through and it takes half a roll for one wipe, thus negating the point of buying super-cheap TP so it won't clog your toilets.

I am nervous about their recommendation for Kenmore as the best washer/dryer. Even if the Kenmore in question is actually made by LG, The Consumerist is constantly full of bad service stories about Kenmore and Sears. (I kind of also wish they'd done a recommendation for those all-in-one washer/dryer units. Those are my dream, to only load the laundry in one machine for both washing and drying.)

Sweethome might be a good place to start out for product recommendations but I'm not sure anything beats doing your own research.
posted by IndigoRain at 8:40 AM on May 29, 2013

(Unless that super-thin stuff is what you were referring to by waxed TP, but I never knew it was waxed...)
posted by IndigoRain at 8:49 AM on May 29, 2013

My only requirement for TP is that it be soft.
posted by smackfu at 8:52 AM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Please contact me via Memail me if you've paid $100 or more for a pair of earbuds. No pleasantries required in your message, just list your debit card number, PIN, and 3-digit security code, as you are a fool and I might as well be the one who ends up with your money.

I don't get it. Are you referring to the short lifespan of such product due to loss, theft, damage?

Because if you are talking about audio quality then I have questions...

Do you have a dedicated headphone shop near you? Can you go there? Can you take your own music device and walk down the line plugging in and trying many different sets at different price-points? If so, and assuming your ears work, the differences will be obvious.
posted by Cosine at 9:48 AM on May 29, 2013

(Unless that super-thin stuff is what you were referring to by waxed TP, but I never knew it was waxed...)

If you have the misfortune of finding waxed toilet paper there will be no doubt whatsoever in your mind that it is waxed. it is literally like the waxed paper you get in the grocery store, except toilet-paper sized. It is very, very wrong. "Why would such a thing exist?" is the question you might be asking, but I do not have an answer.
posted by GuyZero at 10:08 AM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

I've got an Ikea Volmar (adjustable in the same ways that the Markus is, but I hate headrests on office chairs) and have found it a great value for the money. If I had the money to spend on it, I'd get a Steelcase Leap, as those are certainly better (and essentially bombproof), but the high-end Ikea chairs are a very good alternative.

Seat depth adjustment FTW. The one job I had where I got to sit in a Leap was a revelation.
posted by asperity at 12:21 PM on May 29, 2013

For recommendations of all kinds kickass stuff, check out Cool Tools. You can even ask for help!
posted by mfu at 1:45 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

TP is all basically the same, except for that bizzaro waxed stuff you used to find in public restrooms.
posted by GuyZero at 2:45 PM on May 28 [1 favorite +] [!]

Mmm, yeah, I'm going to guess that the clue to how you could possibly hold this opinion lies in your username. The non-guys among us can definitely feel when we're being lacerated by a million tiny unbleached recycled splinters in our non-guy parts.
posted by HotToddy at 3:23 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Worth it for the TP recommendation alone.!
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 3:37 PM on May 29, 2013

The writing style on Wirecutter seems hyped to me, so it reads more like advertising than rational comparison. Then there's that "sponsored placement" thing with a smartphone. Taken together, confidence=0.
posted by Goofyy at 11:33 PM on May 29, 2013

Expensive toaster ovens are nice, but I'm incredibly happy about trading my toaster oven for a Griddler.

It's way more versatile in terms of what it can cook. There are a few things that the toaster oven (rather obviously) did better (ie. reheating pizza), but I always have a real oven for that.
posted by schmod at 10:02 AM on June 2, 2013

Its large cubes are great for most drinks and it's easy to use and clean.

This review was perfect except for the word "large". If instead it said "tiny" or "shaved" I could get behind it.
posted by DU at 5:33 AM on June 17, 2013