Best household product investments

[Hikergirl]

I love my Le Creuset cast iron and my stoneware pieces.
Love my All-Clad pieces too.
Love my Wusthof knives

 

[tvguy]

My sense from these boards is that a lot of people would rather have the latest and greatest, not the best and most durable.
Otherwise we would all have Kirby vacuum cleaners, be driving Honda Civics, or Toyota Corollas. Or maybe Dodge Darts, Ford Falcons, Chevy Novas passed down by our Grandparents.

 

[mjkacmom]

My sense from these boards is that a lot of people would rather have the latest and greatest, not the best and most durable.
Otherwise we would all have Kirby vacuum cleaners, be driving Honda Civics, or Toyota Corollas. Or maybe Dodge Darts, Ford Falcons, Chevy Novas passed down by our Grandparents.

But the advice on this thread is the best and most durable (and all of our vehicles are 10+ old Honda’s).

 

[aprilchem]

My Le Creuset cookware. It cost a pretty penny but will last my lifetime and can be passed on to the next generation and will last theirs. No pots and pans in the landfill every 5 years.

My Dyson vacuum. I know people swear by Shark, but you can buy every part for a Dyson online (and fairly cheaply), while Shark vacuums must be sent away for repair. My sister has sent two Sharks to the landfill in the 12 years I've had my Dyson.

My Honda. I'm on year 12 with Honda Odysseys and have never had any sort of repair other than routine maintenance.

 

[tvguy]

But the advice on this thread is the best and most durable (and all of our vehicles are 10+ old Honda’s).

As are all the vehicles I posted.

 

[mousefan73]

Our full automatic coffee machine from Jura.. cost about 1400 but worth every cent. If that thing dies, I will got out and get a new one that day. Best thing is just hitting a button and any coffee comes out. freshly ground single servings. I would live without a dishwasher before that thing.

 

[wenrob]

I do not recommend a shark vacuum. I swear I was emptying that thing every five minutes.

I would have to agree. When I got mine I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then I got new carpet downstairs and it just can’t handle it. Not to mention between my girls and the dog I have to cut the hair from the roller after every room. It’s now assigned to the kids rooms upstairs (still have the old carpet up there) and for dusting/vacuuming things like window shades, furniture and hard surfaces. I ended up buying a Bissel Pet Hair Eraser. It’s lacking in some areas but it does one thing extremely well and that’s making short work of the dog/girl’s hair without me having to stop every ten minutes to empty the container and cut hair off the roller. (Hair does NOT wrap around the roller, ever.) So not fancy, smancy high dollar and who knows how long it will last but it gets the job done. I wouldn’t hesitate to replace it if it stopped working tomorrow.

 

[wenrob]

My sense from these boards is that a lot of people would rather have the latest and greatest, not the best and most durable.
Otherwise we would all have Kirby vacuum cleaners, be driving Honda Civics, or Toyota Corollas. Or maybe Dodge Darts, Ford Falcons, Chevy Novas passed down by our Grandparents.

What do old cars have to do with what the rest of us find worth the investment?

 

[MiniMinnie]

Instapot!!!

 

[tvguy]

What do old cars have to do with what the rest of us find worth the investment?

Because if you bought one new, you probably would still be driving it.

 

[soccerdad72]

Because if you bought one new, you probably would still be driving it.

The point is, it's not a household product

 

[wenrob]

Because if you bought one new, you probably would still be driving it.

And this relates to household products the rest of us find worth the investment how? I could tell the OP I’ve driven my Tahoe for 13 years and it’s in great shape but that’s not going to give her insight on a great set of pots and pans.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

A toolbox and high quality tools. Hammer, screwdriver, socket wrench set, etc.
A good set of kitchen knives
If you are gardening: a wheelbarrow

 

[gillep]

Robot vacuum, I have a Neato that I love and my mom likes her Roomba
Quality pots and pans, I like stainless so I have All-clad, but not everyone likes to cook with stainless
Good knives- can't remember the brand I have as they are my oldest household purchase but these are also person specific, there are a few good brands out there depending on what you like.
Nespresso- so much better than my Keurig (I have the model that does espresso and coffee)
Foodsaver- I have saved a lot of money being able to vacuum seal food before it goes in the freezer

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Robot vacuum peeps:

Are robot vacuums good with hardwood floors, where the primary dirt is dog hair and cat litter?

 

[holden]

Vitamix
Miele vaccuum
Le Creuset dutch oven
Oster convection toaster oven
Wolf gas cooktop
Apple laptop

 

[nkereina]

My Dyson vacuums were expensive but worth it. Specifically, my cordless/re-chargeable Dyson vacuum. It's so handy to have it charging and just grab it off the hook when I need to vacuum something quick. Great on my hardwood and tile floors and powerful enough to use on my area rug. Also perfect for my carpeted stairs. It's very light, powerful, holds charge well. It was a great investment. I got mine from QVC and it came with a ton of attachments, one that's perfect to use in my car and another that's great on my couch. Love it! Way better than the Shark I had previously.

 

[barkley]

My sense from these boards is that a lot of people would rather have the latest and greatest, not the best and most durable.
Otherwise we would all have Kirby vacuum cleaners, be driving Honda Civics, or Toyota Corollas. Or maybe Dodge Darts, Ford Falcons, Chevy Novas passed down by our Grandparents.

but the question is from someone who is just starting to upgrade from the college items in their apartment. I took that to mean items the o/p would likely already have/use now/have storage space for vs. other items some of us have had long term (and short of inheriting one or scouring antique stores/garage sales are difficult at best to find). I have plenty of old but wonderfully working items-some from companies that have maintained their standards in quality such that I don't hesitate to recommend them today.

the kitchen aide I mentioned about was inherited and is over 70 years old but I recommend it b/c the new models seem to have the same quality.

Bissell has been making steam cleaners since '79-mine isn't quite that old but their quality has endured so I continue to recommend them.

I have a wealth of other items that some have mentioned above that i'm the second or third generation to own-the vitamix is an original (1969) but I stand behind the company's quality to this day (they still carry parts and offer service for mine), my farberware countertop rotisserie is from the early 60's but these aren't even manufactured anymore, my 2 pressure cookers (stovetop and electric) are both presto and while one is younger (less than 30 years old) the second is circa 1920 or the 30's, my cast irons???? I couldn't guess-dad remembered them being used when he was a young kid-and he was born in 1912 but cast iron made today is still a good investment.

 

[tasha99]

Quality cookware. We have All Clad pans, as well as some Lodge cast iron. I would like a Le Creuset Dutch oven, but my Lodge has been doing the trick for years now and I doubt I'll replace it. Good knives matter as well. Expensive German knives are great, but I've found Victorinox and Mercer knives to be pretty darn good at a much lower cost. I had one, ONE, Wustof knive and it has disappeared. I'll probably find it out in the garden years from now, or under a couch.

 

[tvguy]

And this relates to household products the rest of us find worth the investment how? I could tell the OP I’ve driven my Tahoe for 13 years and it’s in great shape but that’s not going to give her insight on a great set of pots and pans.

Just an example. And from others, replies, they feel cars are part of a household.