What sub-£250 item would you buy again in a heartbeat?

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BrexitVoter@reddit

Especially in sale, I got in a similar situation -

Wustoff Classic 8inch Chef knife
Zwilling bread knife
Wustoff Gourmet paring knife
Victorinox Honing Steel

Basically what I'm saying is, you could get some really really nice knives. If that's the route you go down, avoid the big multi-sets where it comes in a block

Did I just read 250 on towels wtf

Prior-Beach-3311@reddit

I've switched to laundry sanitiser (supermarkets own) towels, sheets and husbands work clothes are so much fresher

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onionsareawful@reddit

tumble drying them is the trick. if you don't have a tumble dryer, or don't do it, they will eventually all get crap.

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IndependentPiece5308@reddit

I’ve just got Asda ones, I spent about £12 fo two bath towels and two hand towels 4 years ago and they are still in great condition. I do tumble dry them though, makes a massive difference

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SquareFoundation9724@reddit

asda george is killer for homeware stuff and for the price it’s a mega good deal.

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undercovergloss@reddit

George has good quality , unique bits for cheap. Even the clothes are amazing, my son is 6 and literally 90% of his clothes are from George, Asda - they are cheap, wash up lovely and are built to last.

Individual-Award7351@reddit

Bed linen. New pillows.

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StunnedinTheSuburbs@reddit

Le creuset without a doubt.

Couldn’t do without my airfryer! Recommend the Cosori brand you can get on amazon.

But good towels are amazing! Definitely get good towels.

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AdWild9801@reddit

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Purescience2@reddit

I'd say a smaller 6" santoku or utility knife would see a lot more use than a boning knife for a home cook, unless you're doing a lot of boning (oi oi).

Don't even need to splash out a lot, victorinox are great for value/quality. Dicks are a bit pricier but you could pick up 3/4 for a decent price and they'll last years if you take care of them.

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Leading_Study_876@reddit

I have several good knives, but my 7" Henckels santoku gets more use than every thing else combined.

The Victorinox Fibrox santoku would be my recommendation for a home user on a budget.

"Buy the cheapest you can find. Then, when it breaks it proves you use it, so buy an expensive". I said "And what if it doesn't break?" "Then you don't use it enough, and a cheap one will do!"

scouse_git@reddit

Definitely Sebo. Long lasting ( 35 yrs + in our case ), reliable, and easy to maintain.

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dglcomputers@reddit

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Madmac05@reddit

Disagree. I have a knife block that you would probably call shitty and I can guarantee it cuts as well as your expensive knives, if not better. All I had to do was to spend a few hours learning how to sharpen them. Do it twice a year and maintain them by using a honing rod and leather strap & paste every now and then, when I feel they need a touch up.

If I had the patience to properly sharpen them more, I could easily get them to hair splitting standard. They are hard steel and will keep their edge well. If you think your knives cut better than mine because they are more expensive, you are totally mistaken.

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Prof_Hentai@reddit

There is certainly a lot of truth in what you say. Diminishing returns happens relatively early in knives. My expensive handmade Japanese knives won’t be a great deal better than a Victorinox in terms of performance, not enough to warrant the price difference anyway.

Steel chemistry certainly makes a difference, but that can be somewhat offset by good maintenance but it is still a battle that can be avoided/lessened. However, cheaper knives do suffer from bad grinds, questionable bevels (which can be fixed, with work), awful handles, and terrible fit and finish.

I stand by my point though, even buying a £50 Victorinox with a strop and a Shapton stone is better than buying a £100/150 block of ‘Sheffield’ stamped steel shit. Most people are paying for knives they won’t use, and getting worse quality for it.

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Madmac05@reddit

:) I actually love my shit Sheffield's Kyu set. Yes they are not the hardest steel out there (they are just a pretty bland European sort of mid steel) but they don't really need to be for normal usage - £56 paid in 2015

As I said, a couple of 10 min sharpening sessions a year and they will do a great job. Will your knives maintain the edge better?! No doubt! But the harder the steel the more elbow grease you need to put into sharpening it. I'm not a hobbyist, and whilst I spent a good amount of hours learning how to sharpen, I did it for the functionality, not because I want to chase some record or post videos of my achievements.

I bought a couple of water stones, but quickly realised it was money poorly spent. I didn't need anything over 1k grit and had no patience to be lapping them or for the sludge mess. I changed to cheap Ali Express diamond plates and it was the best thing I've done - efficient. Under 10 minutes and I have my shit knives shaving my arm's hair. Couple of passes on the strop and they'll be good for another 6 months (with the occasional honing).

My Kyu set gets fully used daily. The bread knife - every morning. The santoku knife - all the food preparing. The pairing knives - fruit peeling etc. The one less used is probably the carving knife... If I was to buy Japanese steel ones for all these tasks, I don't think x10 more would be enough.

I'm not thrashing a good expensive knife, but most people won't really need them or give them the care and attention they deserve, especially if they don't know how to sharpen. If you are into knives and don't mind spending a couple of hours sharpening them, then yes, buy something really good for life. If your idea of sharpening a knife is a pull through sharpener (probably the majority of people), then saying that they should spend hundreds on a knife is terrible advice.

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Mr-wastaken@reddit

I use one big sharp chef knife for everything, you can even shave with it.

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skilledbiscuit1@reddit

People's opinion on how much expensive knifes are vary alot. Some would say £20 for a knife is expensive i have knifes that I paid £150. I'd say you can get good knifes at the £20 price point (sabatier/Taylor eye witness etc). Avoid buying from high street shops use catering suppliers or the knife sharpening guy.

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lordrothermere@reddit

The price is less important than the knife.

Victorinox are great for the bulk of what you need in a kitchen. The fibrox handled ones are ideal and they can really take a beating and still be brought up sharp.

You can then get pretty good gyuto from Artifex for about 60squid. And a cheap Chinese cleaver for less than 20. Both can be sharpened into lasers.

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Other-Power4321@reddit

Good knives are game changing, but don’t forget they need maintaining and sharpening, not everyone wants to learn , so they just end up with a really expensive knife that’s absolutely fucked, as a butcher I’d only recommend expensive knives if your willing to learn how to care for them properly

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hunta2097@reddit

Yeah I'm gonna say spend more on your sharpener than your knife. Avoid anything too cheap and just keep it sharp.

And for those that don't know, use a chopping board softer than the knife.

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ForsakenRoom@reddit

I hate when shops advertise a "glass chopping board". Knife destroyers.

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hunta2097@reddit

I'm pretty sure that if your chopping board lasts forever then it's terrible for knives!

On the downside I have to keep buying those thin chopping board things (the ones with all of the colours) because they keep getting wrecked!

How do you maintain them?

Bad knife + good skills > good knife + bad skills

Both are preferable of course, but I don't get the trend for people with no knife skills spending big on knives. It'd be like me buying a £500 tennis racket

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Glittering-Round7082@reddit

Yes you don't need a set of 40 different knives.

A bread knife, chef knife and maybe a paring knife.

Less but as high quality as you can.

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Scratch_Careful@reddit

Good knives are nice but most of the appeal is simply a status thing or owning a great piece of craftsmanship and how great they feel out of the box compared to old used ones.

I got a set when i went to catering college, pretty much this exact one, 20 years ago and though i dont work in kitchens anymore i still use them at home all the time. Use the sharpening steel to realign the edge every few weeks, pull through sharpeners are mostly fine but if you dont want to do that get it sharpened by a pro, most towns have someone who'll do it and usually only costs ~£5-£10 per knife. Better than having to learn a whole new hobby just to chop a tomato.

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-s-t-r-e-t-c-h-@reddit

Don’t forget a good chopping board!

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FireWhiskey5000@reddit

I got some for my birthday last year and they are a real game changer! I can’t recommend them enough

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da-happy-cyclops@reddit

Chef here:

Absolutely no point buying a good quality knife if you cant take care of your shit knife in the first place.

Dont buy a knife, buy a whetstone set. Learn to use it.

No gimmicks. No pull through sharpeners, no shitty rolling wheels...a proper whetstone and a leather strop is all you want. Ideally, a set of whetstones at different grit, from 400 - 8000.

Then you just need to practise, practise, practise.

Once your old knife is razor sharp again, and you keep it that way - then maybe think about buying a nice expensive knife, knowing you have the skills to make it last your lifetime, your children's lifetimes even.

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throw_ra_lav@reddit

You’re almost always better buying individually.

That may be a good deal if you actually want those 6 things, but in reality what you have there is a bread knife, a pairing knife, and 3 slight variations on a chef knife, 2 of which probably won’t get used.

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ref_@reddit

Normally I'd agree, but all of those knives except the santoku are useful (you'd get away without the slicer, but it's still useful, especially as they don't stay sharp that long). It's also a really nice block and the colours are cool

They're still a good price to buy individually https://www.kitchenknives.co.uk/by-brand/victorinox/victorinox-swiss-modern-colour/

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Greggybread@reddit

Wusthof Classic or Zwilling Pro are very very good. Victorinox Fibrox for something cheaper and more functional but still perfectly decent.

Then there's Japanese knives, but unless you're willing to buy and learn how to use whetstones, I'd say they're a bit too high maintenance.

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OohRahMaki@reddit

Slowly been buying wusthof classic fron John Lewis.

In my local store they have changed to stocking blue handles unfortunately but you can use them online.

Wouldn't go back to cheap knives now - it feels like I am trying to cut with a toddler knife when I use my muns cheap, blunt knives in comparisson.

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BadBassist@reddit

Agree on absolutely everything. Would also add Mercer as cheap German brand I've had success with

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Junior_Ad7791@reddit

Got a ninja set that has a build in sharpener, would recommend

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Foshiznik23@reddit

Can’t really go wrong with anything Japanese from my experience

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leeksausage@reddit

Basically comes down to German steel or Japanese steel.

Japanese steel holds an edge better but is more brittle and unforgiving.

German steel is softer, more of a workhorse, but needs honing / sharpening more often.

Think about ergonomics, particularly your grip and whether you need or want a bolster. Bolsters protect the fingers, but get in the way of a pinch grip and sharpening.

I come down on the side of German personally, with no bolster.

I have a mix of zwilling Pro’s and wusthof blades, I prefer the ergonomics of the zwillings.

I also have a lovely Japanese santoku that cost a small fortune, but I just simply cannot get on with the ergonomics so it rarely leaves the drawer.

TLDR - I recommend Zwilling pros - chefs, bread, paring and bone.

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ghodsgift@reddit

For everyday day use, the Global G 2 is a workhorse.

Theres better stuff out there absolutely, but ive had my global set for 10 years and only had to have them sharpened once.

Just remember to hand-wash not launch into the dishwasher.

ghodsgift@reddit

No arguments here but if your existing ones are coming undone with threads or something then you should replace them.

Faster airflow in an airfryer which means the boundary layer of colder air from moisture evaporation from the food is replaced with hot air quicker (same principle as a convection oven but it's slightly better at the job).

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I also adore my ninja hot and cold blender, it’s a smoother maker and soup/sauce maker all in one. To be able to throw ingredients in, walk away for 30 mins and come back to perfect cooked soup is brilliant.

I watch for the offers they do every so often and but stuff. Got a set of their pans which are fab as well.

Tbh was just sat watching videos online about the ninja creami and weighing up if I can justify having one in my life lol.

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Lou-de-Lou-de-Lou@reddit

I’ve this and love having both sizes, best of both worlds, but it depends if you’ve space to store it!

https://amzn.eu/d/0eOIPQlJ

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Chance-Risk7442@reddit

I have a three tiered shelf one, the only thing I use my big oven for is storing pans 😂

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AutoGeneratedUser359@reddit

Get a silicone loaf tin that will fit in diagonally, you can make surprisingly good cakes!

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Astr0Scot@reddit

I got my first air fryer in 2019 (Breville Halo+).

I've barely used my oven since then.

I've since moved on to a large £40ish halogen oven.

Cheap and the element can easily be DIY repaired by pretty much anyone.

Effectively a not posh air fryer that you can fit a weeks worth of meat into.

The fan on our 15 in 1 failed recently after just over 2 years. Having investigated it seems like a common issue unfortunately. Shame, as it was great before that!

My uncle had an air fryer about 10 years ago and it was absolutely shit, put me off them completely.

Got the Ninja with the one big drawer on a fantastic deal a year and a half ago on Black Friday thinking surely it’ll be good… I never even plugged it in.

My oven broke in January and I switched to the air fryer… I haven’t even bothered sorting the oven because it’s no longer needed, I air fry absolutely everything now! I live alone so mileage may vary but I would highly recommend the Ninja with the big drawer.

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ConditionImportant63@reddit

Yes same. Get a good one like a Ninja, there are certainly less good air fryers out there.

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TheZag90@reddit

I’d love one but just don’t have the space!

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LeTrolleur@reddit

My oven just can't crisp stuff well, my air fryer however knocks it out of the park.

I second this! My air fryer is used multiple times every day and the oven is turned on maybe once a week?

The trick to an air fryer is knowing what it’s amazing for, and what it isn’t.

I can’t stand air fryer toasties, they’re dehydrated and crumbly instead of moist and crunchy

But my god it’s good for crispy chicken and breaded type products

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sloth_ers@reddit

Ive got a big air fryer, just moved and didnt even see the need to buy a cooker.. just bought a couple of induction hobs to go with it.

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IncompleteObjects@reddit

I bought a robot vacuum a couple of years ago. It was £80 so thought no biggie if its not much good. Its brilliant. Ive got two kids so there's always bits of food dropped everywhere. Its just good.to go out in the morning and come back and find the floor swept

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Embarrassed_Put_7892@reddit

We got one last year and it’s great, except that I worry it’s got a taste for my hair and nail clippings… I see it looking at me hungrily from its little dock when it thinks im not aware. It’s called mark suckerburg.

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IncompleteObjects@reddit

Yeah. Mine likes to chew cables mostly

Sounds like a cinema, basically. I wouldn't have it switched on if the kids were watching something. But for the films, 'big' action series and gaming, it's great.

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Yep absolutely.

Another reason is the (imo flawed) logic that if someone is willing to spend a lot of money on a TV, they'll also buy a soundbar.

I did, but not everyone does.

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jousty@reddit

What model did you get?

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PM_ME_VEG_PICS@reddit

Ice cream machine. But a decent one with the cooler built in so you can just throw everything in and eat ice cream 60 mins later. Do not buy a ninja creamy as they are just high powered blenders and you still have to freeze everything overnight. Plus don't get a cheap ice cream machine which requires you to freeze the massive bowl overnight.

tamago27@reddit (OP)

Which towels did you get from them, out of interest?

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Andurael@reddit

(https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-spa-waffle-towels/graphite/p6272142)[Trash hand towels]

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tamago27@reddit (OP)

Ah, yeah, I can’t deal with those sorts of textured towels anyway! Thanks :)

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halfthewordsarewrong@reddit

Both large-ish appliances, but very compact and have significantly improved our quality of life:

Meaco pedestal air circulator fan - game changing on warm days! I bought one after experiencing it at my partner’s place. Really helped improve my sleep quality. Now that we live together we have two but every summer we still consider getting a third (hasn’t happened yet because they are pretty easy to move around and we now live in a flat with no stairs, so even easier).

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skinnybitchrocks@reddit

Life changing piece of kit is a portable aircon unit. They’re ugly, a bit bulky and you have to place the pipe out the window but my god, there are no sticky, sleepless summer nights with one of those working in the room. Best thing I’ve ever bought.

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littleworm23@reddit

Meaco dehumidifier or Ninja airfryer. Use both virtually daily.

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itsmebigrc@reddit

I think you could get towels just as good cheaper elsewhere. I’d highly recommend my dreamland heated mattress protector. I always say that if it breaks, I’m getting one again asap but a dual control one (I got mine pre-marriage).

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audigex@reddit

Get the Ninja BBQ Air Fryer

It turns barbecues from “It’s a nice day but can I really be arsed?” into “We should probably eat something other than barbecue food for once”

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Important_Elk4295@reddit

Denby set, last forever

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bettybujo@reddit

I bought myself some Christie towels last year, they are not that impressive. Primark ones do the job for1/4 of the price.

You can wash them but because they 'breathe' they don't need washing as much as a synthetic.

Towels. Bought JL Egyptian cotton towels with wedding present vouchers 10-11 years ago, we replaced some towels last year & went straight back to JL

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madformattsmith@reddit

get a nice coffee machine if you drink coffee.

if not, invest in a velvetiser or similar machine for making frothy hot chocs

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hurworld@reddit

Meaco dehumidifier
Air conditioner for the 2 really warm weeks

Air Fryer is a good too, get a big capacity one for bulk cooking / meal prep.

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elatedWorm@reddit

Love my Meaco dehumidifier! I have the Arete One (around £150 from what I can remember), and it's great, not too loud, cheap to run, and also good for drying laundry. It's fairly hefty (10kg), but you can get it up and down stairs, and not exactly a large appliance (but also not tiny). It has a HEPA filter addon too (works well for my partner's hay fever).

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babazeus00@reddit

Just got one a month or two back, 10/10 so far

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giraffe_cake@reddit

I bought my first dehumidifier about 6 months ago. I dont know why I didn't get one sooner. £25 amazon. No more humidity, mould, sorted out loads of issues. Condensation is nonexistent. I absolutely love it.

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PlayfulUK@reddit

Meaco fans are fantastic. Hard agree.

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goosejb@reddit

Agreed - these are great 👍

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tattywater@reddit

My wife came home with the 12" desktop Meaco fan because they delivered too many at her work place and they said to keep them.

They are incredible. They somehow manage to cool in a fuller way that's not quite air con but a bridge between the both and to do it quietly.

When it gets hot again I think Ill pick another one.

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Mysterious_County154@reddit

It's incredible on the max setting in the summer, it's not as good as air con but it's effective

We had a ninja, it was great for what it was, but obscenely huge.

We replaced it after a couple of years with a Phillips that is every bit as good, looks nicer and takes up about 3/4 of the space.

SnooMuffins5490@reddit

I second this!

Crochetqueenextra@reddit

The mugs and the tea pot are gimmicky rubbish and I say that a total Le Cruset addict

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Appropriate_Aside865@reddit

Anything but a traditional thin carbon steel wok is overkill. They can be had for 20 pounds.

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Pyschospherex@reddit

My brother inherited our mum's wedding gift Le Cruset casserole dish, it's 4 years older than him.

Ugly brown thing but still used regularly despite it being 61 years old.

They really are worth the cost.

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CakieStephie@reddit

This! Ours were a wedding gift and still like new 10 years in.

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daddy-dj@reddit

Not a wok, but we've got Le Creuset 'cocottes' (can't think what they're called in English). They're absolutely great, but bloody heavy.

Smeg milk frother.

Brilliant upgrade to coffee. Makes amazing hot chocolate that my son and I love.

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Victorinox tomato knife, serated paring knife, paring knife set

With those three purchases you will have the perfect knife set for a home cook, all for about £75. If you desperately want to do butchery or fish monger work, then get a boning knife too. It really isn't necessary for basically any home cook though.

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The tomato knife only costs about £7 and I use it for everything vegetable based. I keep meaning to get a couple more. It's literally the best.

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Articledan@reddit

Wait til you try the pastry knife, essentially just a bigger version

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HotButteredBagel@reddit

Wish I could bookmark this answer for future reference. Thanks for the clear advice

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CarrowCanary@reddit

Don't you have a Save button under the comment?

Boring choice but a 20cm Victorinox Fibrox chefs knife is an absolutely fantastic knife and not very expensive. Not the end of the world if you drop it, unlike some of the expensive Japanese and German blades.

Ceramic "steel" is very good for keeping it sharp. Whetstones are only really necessary when the blade gets very dull.

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AirConEngineer@reddit

Sorry to hijack, is this serrated or not?

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broadarrow39@reddit

No it's not serrated.

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laredocronk@reddit

TBH, most of the "care" comes down to "don't abuse it". Don't put it in the dishwasher, don't cut onto hard things like ceramic/glass/marble/metal, don't use it to pry things open, etc. Beyond that, learning how to do basic sharpening and honing is a good idea.

In terms of what a decent knife is, everyone will have their own views - there are whole subreddits where people argue about that. I've got a couple of Wusthof knives that I've been very happy with, but I'm sure other people will recommend other things. Avoid the single-edged Japanese stuff because it tends to be more brittle and harder to sharpen (so needs more care).

Buy what you need, not a big set of a dozen knives you'll never use. My view is that you should have four knives to start with (in decreasing order of cost):

A chef's knife that you use for most things.
A smaller pairing knife for fiddly stuff.
A bread knife.
A cheap crap knife for abusive things or other people to use.

And then if you find yourself wanting more, then buy the specific extra ones that you want.

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Rorosanna@reddit

This is brilliantly detailed. I'd only add I have some metal handle Wustof and some rosewood handles. The wooden ones need oiling once a year to make sure they stay in tip top condition, and don't let them sit in water on the draining board.

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Scottish_squirrel@reddit

I bought 1 decent knife a few years ago and use it for almost everything.life changing.

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Imtryingforheckssake@reddit

I got a Ninja Crispi for Christmas and it's the perfect air fryer for me. So much easier cooking, cleaning it after and storing your food.

I'd say consider brand names with John Lewis as it's value for your money (where you can get si.8lar items much cheaper from other retailers).

But you did mention towels I got mine from somewhere else but high quality towels do make a difference same with bed sheets I traded up to Egyptian cotton and it's much nicer to sleep on.

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FloatingMonkeyPaw@reddit

If it was me money that is a present is for random shit I want not what I need.

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MathematicianSad8487@reddit

Rubber fist called doc Johnson. To be fair If I hand £250 I'd have had £180 in change which I used for general alcohol and drug consumption. Someone stole doc Johnson from the mantle piece during a house party. Good times giving friends dead legs. I hope some day once it was liberated it was used for it's intended purpose.

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hoopsterbean@reddit

Really fucking comfy pillows to sleep on - plus some nice bed sheets.

manual espresso

😐, mrw I'm a Flair/ROK/Cafelat enjoyer

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Ray ban meta glasses, nothing like never having to get your phone out again to take moments that you’re witnessing

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Any_Foundation_661@reddit

A decent semi auto espresso machine. Sage Bambino Plus is in your price range and very beginner friendly.

You will need a grinder to go with it (I have the Baratza Encore ESP pro).

Together, they cost less than the full auto Jura ENA8 we used to have, but my god the coffee is in a different league.

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Gunner_Goal1349@reddit

Toastie maker?we got a cuisineart one a few years ago and it's used at least once a week.

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joepro_60@reddit

A wool duvet. Soooo much better than synthetic or feather/down. I’m never too hot or too cold

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abyssal-isopod86@reddit

1000W microwave.

Airfryer.

Rice cooker.

Second hand treadmill.

Secondhand exercise bike.

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Foreign_Scientist_47@reddit

A couple of years ago I was gifted about £250 in JL vouchers and I spent it on a full feather duvet and four pillows. Best investment ever.

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ForwardImagination71@reddit

Projector. We use ours to watch TV and films. It's got really good sound, too.

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raccoon-overlord@reddit

We bought a double basket air fryer and it honestly makes like so much easier, we did get ours on a good discount but I would highly recommend one

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BrightSalsa@reddit

Bean-to-cup coffee maker. It’s worth every cubic centimetre of precious kitchen counter space and if it breaks I’m buying a new one the following morning. We bought it two weeks into lockdown and have used it daily ever since. Might break your budget ever so slightly though, maybe £300.

Bread maker. Fresh bread is yummy and makes the house smell amazing. We go on and off of using it but when we do… it’s brilliant. Ours is a panasonic sd-2500, i’d guess there’s a new version now. We make pizza dough in it every couple of weeks. of precious

My wife would say ‘heated blanket for the couch’. She adores that thing. Ours is a dreamland one.

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MrStilton@reddit

If you use a computer mouse regularly (e.g. because you work from home) it's worth investing in an ergonomic one.

A second computer monitor is also very useful.

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m4rkw@reddit

AirPods Pro 3

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Good knives are a shout. Also new goof set of pots pans etc

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United_Post7492@reddit

A proper nice duvet/pillow bed set. The works. Investing in sleep is so important.

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Recessio_@reddit

Heated clothes rack (but make sure you get the vented cover for it too!). Makes such a difference to drying my clothes indoors in winter, pretty cheap to run on the electricity too.

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viola_riv@reddit

Counter espresso machine! At 250 you could get a mid range one with a grinder. Jon Lewis do some good offers !

We were looking at one reduced from 395 to 250 at Christmas but decided against it as we don't have the counter space!

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Sensitive-Ad-7475@reddit

Pressure cooker! Feather pillows!

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Next-Suit-9579@reddit

I’ve had an air fryer since about 2011 (Actifry) and they’re amazing, I’d highly recommend

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Xaphios@reddit

Decent kettle! Our Bosch one is really well insulated so it's still mostly at temp the next time you want a cuppa. It's also only warm to the touch when it's boiled so its kid safe.

Big electric Dehumidifier!

In the winter it stops all the water drops in the windows.

You can hang clothes indoors and dry them in half the time.

It has a hepa filter so makes the house great for dust and pollen.

darkandtwisty99@reddit

Fresh towels is a great idea, use them all the time and having new fancy towels is a very adult upgrade from your student towels

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Purple-Concept-5068@reddit

I love my Le Creuset pot. The size I have is around £300 I think but there’s different sizes. Would definitely buy again. I want a shallow one as well but cannot justify the purchase!

New towels are also a great shout.

I wouldn’t bother with an air fryer. I had one for a while but it took up too much room and wasn’t used enough.

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ConfusionOwn8378@reddit

Decent set of pans (we inherited ours)
Decent kitchen knife block with sharpener (worth it, I cook and prep a lot)
Decent Espresso Machine (on my Wish List)
Decent towels (we've got John Lewis towels)
Decent power tools if you're that way inclined.

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Buffy_Geek@reddit

Some good quality pans, knives and other kitchen items that you use regularly.

Or some good quality bedding sets.

Do you have any protein powder recommendations? I feel like a decent protein shake (?) would make a good breakfast but try to work out which protein powder to get and then get lost and forget about it for a while.

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Fafnr@reddit

Honestly, my local brands are probably different than yours, and you probably shouldn't sweat the exact brand. Find one that:

1) you think tastes nice 2) has low carbs (ie not a lot of fillers) and as high protein content as possible 3) is in your budget

And don't sweat the rest!

Probably a Lego set.

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Arbdew@reddit

Brill, thanks. I like the idea of adjustable lights to suit whatever we're doing. We have pets so motion detectors would end up controlling a disco! Especially the snidey cat. She'd prob think it was fun to turn them on and off. Repeatedly.

lanurk@reddit

Nice Egyptian cotton towel set is what I'd spend it on. Bought some from next with vouchers we got when we got married and they are heavenly to use compared to our old ones!

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tinydncr@reddit

This is crazy to me, I spend £150 at John Lewis nearly every month! I buy everything there

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ChapterCritical5231@reddit

Believe it or not these make cooking and mealtimes just that little bit more enjoyable to me (I like simple things in life), best ceramic salt & pepper grinders I’ve ever had and with a lifetime warranty to boot. You’ll have change left over too, but whatever you get I hope it makes your life happy for a long long time

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moralapostel100@reddit

A new set of towels or nice bedding. You’ll be surprised how much more comfortable you’ll be :)

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autobulb@reddit

Speakers for the living room

Living in the UK has given me access to a larger amount of living room space and sound isolation than I have been used to for most of my life. I spent around £250 for a 500W 5.1.2 Atmos soundbar. Even though it's in the lower mid range in terms of sound system setups for watching video, it completely blows me away in terms of sound quality and power. I usually have it at the lowest -5 bass setting because it's so boomy, and I only need to go up to volume 15-18 to completely fill my living room with sound. The extra Atmos speakers add vertical depth so it really feels like we are completely enveloped in sound, and despite having it for over a year I'm still amazed by the rear surround sound speakers filling in little details in my periphery.

It being more than year old, I've seen it online for less than 200 now, and even though it's not as premium as the big bad high end Samsungs, it's so worth it. Paired with my old 1080p projector I just really have no need to go to a movie theatre these days. We always have popcorn and drinks at home, quick access to the toilet and the ability to pause the video, I only would pay for and set foot in a theatre for Imax nowadays.

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YogurtclosetOld9695@reddit

Depends on if you have soups/smoothies often, but the Nina blender soup maker combi blender is used daily in my house. It's really helped up my fruit and veg intake.

We've now got three Air fryers, all Ninja and all different.

A flat grill - great for pretty much everything from reheating croissants and tray based meals to cooking fish, steak, and chicken portions.
A traditional air fryer, mostly used for chips (homemade or frozen). Note the grill is so much better for everything else and would cook chips but is already in use.
A Ninja steamer, it's an air fryer too, but we steam rice in it and use it for slow cooked stews and curries.

The other day, we actually had a discussion about whether we could get away with not having a traditional oven and grill. We still use the hob, but the oven was last used at Christmas.

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IntrepidDriver7524@reddit

Electric blanket where you can set the temperature

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Bignizzle656@reddit

Probreeze Mini Oven.

It's got a rotisserie function. My first one lasted just over 3 years and it was used daily.

I love having fancy bedding. A really good duvet and really nice pillows, and really nice covers. I always used to go fairly cheap and I upgraded a year or two ago and wouldn't go back if I could help it.

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Myorangecrush77@reddit

Kitchen knives.

I’m leaving nearly everything in the divorce, but I’m taking my kitchen knives.

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mrbradfordbiker@reddit

Robot vacuum cleaner

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dinnae-fash@reddit

Air fryer. Use it every single day.

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BassetHoundDrool@reddit

Rice cooker if you don't already have one.

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r1Rqc1vPeF@reddit

Multi cooker - I live alone now since my wife passed away and I needed something that I could cook different meals in for one person.

The one I got does air frying, pressure cooking, bake etc - 9 different functions.

Ninja Foodi Air Fryer

Ninja Foodi Knives

Shark Fan

Any high quality saucepans/frying pan

These little hand held Dyson style vacuum cleaners that just slot into the charging dock on the wall are a god send with their various attachments.

Not perfect for a full house clean with the limited battery life and capacity. But for those mid week little touch ups, bit of dirt that gets walked in, little mess off the dog, quick touch up in one room etc. Mines been a life changer 😃😃

No effort needed, grab it, clean it, put it back, forget about it, no effort needed

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confusing_roundabout@reddit

If you like watching movies, a good soundbar. Game changer compared to TV speakers.

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jousty@reddit

What have you got?

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confusing_roundabout@reddit

Sonos Beam Gen 2. A friend recommended it to me and I saw it was on offer that weekend (£350 from £450) so I just went for it. I was using my LG G5's TV speakers before that and the upgrade was massive.

It's amazing. It feels like there's a lot of depth to the audio. I watched Interstellar to test it out and the way that you can clearly distinguish between the soundtrack, dialogue and sound effects with perfect clarity is genuinely really impressive.

Maximum-Storm-9294@reddit

I bought a set of le creuset pots and pans- I’d been using my student pots and pans for about 20 plus years- turns out I wasn’t bad at cooking, it was just that my pans were rubbish! Made a ridiculous difference and totally worth the money

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WaxComber@reddit

Rice cooker, Bosch electric screw driver, global knives

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Gauntlets28@reddit

I have a £100 voucher for John Lewis and I'm the same. Most of the stuff I could buy with it is so ridiculously expensive that somehow a hundred pounds isn't enough to cover it, and the stuff that isn't feels like a total waste of £100.

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mamoncloud@reddit

If the towels are old - towels. But I personally wouldn't spend more than £60 on a nice set.

Same thing with air fryer. Hard to justify a new appliance you've never tried normally, gift vouchers are perfect for it. But I wouldn't spend that much on one.

Therefore... You can do both???!?!

Other suggestions for a shopping spree:

Mobile_Play_9378@reddit

Cast iron pan

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reocoaker@reddit

For John Lewis I would buy their Eaziglide Cooking Pans or Baking Trays. I have a casserole one pot you can cook on the hob or in the oven, their cupcake pan that I use for Yorkshire Puddings and a deep sided baking tray for roasts. These are the Rolls Royce of cooking pans, complete non stick, perfect to clean and have a lifetime guarantee

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beernon@reddit

We have all non-stick everything and we’re slowly moving away from it. It’s incredibly convenient but I’m done with infusing all my foods with forever chemicals.

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reocoaker@reddit

Eaziglide doesn’t have any coating. It’s the material itself which is nonstick

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_Timboss@reddit

It is absolutely a non-stick coating on basic aluminium Pans! Check the website: eaziglide.com

Good quality sheets/bedding (although you won't get much for that money).

I had a similar voucher years ago, we got bedding it's still in use and still is as good order as when we bought it. (It's also really nice to sleep on)

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No_Handle7987@reddit

A butter warmer

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Ambitious_Jelly3473@reddit

A ninja multi cooker. Use mine most days. It bakes, it air fries, it slow cooks, pressure cooks etc. An absolute godsend of a thing.

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Ashamed-Ground-6855@reddit

Phone

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pintsizedblonde2@reddit

I swear by John Lewis memory foam pillows. Wake up in pain from having slept funny far less and more than one guest has asked where we got them from so they could get their own.

We get John Lewis vouchers at Christmas where I work and I always spend them on something I wouldn’t or couldn’t justify spending my own money on. So far I’ve had a Dyson, a soundbar, an Apple Watch, perfumes, a Vax Pet spot cleaner and some posh bedroom wall lights. Treat yourselves to something!

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KSAW11@reddit

a cheap CItizen eco drive. Just runs and runs and runs. No pissing about with batteries or servicing

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FinGerS_o_FuDgE@reddit

I would absolutely go for either an air fryer, Sonos speaker or tropical fish tank (low-ish maintenance) 😬

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lovebex@reddit

https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-the-smart-toast-4-slice-toaster-stainless-steel/p2065166

Sage 4 slice toaster! We bought one with wedding money and it makes me happy most days (I like my toast)

It's has super fancy buttons like 'a bit more' and a button for checking it mid-toast where it pops up gently and goes back down.

Also a crumpet and fruit loaf button. Whatttt!

Ridiculous amount for a toaster but use it all time and probably my favourite house gadget :D

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fwebzzz@reddit

If you don’t have an air fryer, a good one is a game changer. You could get a great Ninja one for that ☺️

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Youppi27@reddit

I'd love some lounge speakers!

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404pbnotfound@reddit

People saying knives - better to buy an insanely good sharpener. Any knife can be sharp with a good sharpener. The better the knife the longer that sharpness lasts - but if you own the source of sharpness the sharpness never ends.

Timely_Egg_6827@reddit

Three sets of really good hotel quality bed linen - one on bed, one in wash and one in store.

Really decent towels

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HugsandHate@reddit

Tower fan.

Makes all the difference during heatwaves.

It's pretty easy to stay warm when it's cold.

But when those heatwaves hit.. Goddamn are they nearly inescapable.

Now might be a good time to buy at reduced price too! Though they're so bulletproof, you can often find odd bits in charity shops etc

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WanderWomble@reddit

My Eufy robot vacuum

Good kitchen knife and a whetstone to sharpen it. It will last you a lifetime if you look after it!

That or rightnnow I would buy a nice barista style coffee machine but thats me

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Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit

My Aarke sparkling water machine. SO GOOD.

I no longer buy any plastic bottles and have endless fizzy water all the live-long day.

You'll still have change

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Brichals@reddit

Best things I've bought over the years:

Yum Asia Sakura rice cooker - air fryer is a no brainer but rice cookers with extra functions for grains etc are almost same level

Kindle

Garmin fitness watch, entry level below £250 are plenty good enough

Victorinox Swiss army knife, this thing has never been more than a few feet away from me my waking home life for the last 20 years.

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Gary-TeaDrinker@reddit

Air fryer, use mine way more than ever anticipated. Reheated food is much nicer than the microwave!

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djmonsta@reddit

+1 for air fryer, we got a Ninja as a house warming gift a couple of years ago and it's revolutionary

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Battleborn300@reddit

I see a lot of people saying air fryer, I have one and use it a couple of times a week on average.

But it really isn’t life changing.

Depending on what you are cooking obviously an oven can often be far superior.

So I just don’t get it.

In my experience it’s not overly energy efficient either.

As in, say I may cook a meal in the oven and it could last two days, second day I warm up, but still tastes great.

An air fryer meal tasts good day one, you have to start over again for day two.

So at this point you have used just as much if not more energy.

Either way it absolutely has a purpose in the kitchen but it’s not remotely a game changer.

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0rlan@reddit

Personally, a really, really, good bedding set is life changing. That's duvet, pillows and quality bamboo or linen covers!

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RollingKatamari@reddit

Get the towels! I bought a bunch of high end towels years ago from a shop like John Lewis during the sales. I still use them and they are still great!

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TGracie3@reddit

I bought a Hungarian goose down duvet from JL for around that.

I was in a similar situation with JL vouchers a few years ago, and went for bedding.

Egyptian cotton sheet/duvtet cover/pillow covers, also feather pillows - not the fanciest ones they did, just higher end than normal.

No retreats.

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themeakster@reddit

We get a £250 JL voucher from work every year.

This exact situation happened to me. High quality bedding was the winner.

Closely followed up by quality kitchen equipment.

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Creative_Rise@reddit

Electric blankets (especially the throw type)

Waterflosser

Good quality bedding

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Comprehensive-Owl848@reddit

Running shoes

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winterfox1999@reddit

Some nice, big towels or one really good kitchen knife - we use Zwilling

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Wretched_Colin@reddit

Bedding. Cotton. 500 thread count minimum. Blow the full budget and you won’t regret it. Pure luxury.

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Loud-Willingness2814@reddit

My shark flexstyle, has made doing my hair a breeze and I get a lot of compliments!

johnny5247@reddit

You could actually buy some gold. Unlike gift vouchers it will never expire. It might even increase in value. It doesn't have to be bullion. It could be coin or jewellery. I dislike vouchers. They make me scour Amazon for stuff I neither need nor want just to use the value before they expire.

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gponter79@reddit

Ninja Air fryer would replaced in a heartbeat

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cactusdan94@reddit

Ninja Air Fryer.

We use it more than the actual oven.

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gaspoweredcat@reddit

thick towels are an awesome idea but prob wont eat the whole amount, what about also upgrading bedsheets or also bathrobes?

as for speakers you could get something like a nice pair of smaller dalis or if you have a bigger space or want something more unique maybe look into used speakers, you can find some incredible floor standers for very reasonable money used, have you got an amp?

airfryer depends on you and which one, i have a sort of mini oven ninja that acts as a pretty damn good oven but i wouldnt personally use a basket one much, itd soon end up in the cupboards

if other small appliances are ok and you drink it you can get a reasonable entry level coffee machine at that sort of price

other kinda useful stuff like smart lightbulbs? you could poss do the whole house depending

other smarthome stuff like a smart door lock, doorbell camera, cctv cams

Out of your suggestions; AirPods with noise cancelling.

It’s a little over your budget from JL, but the Ninja Foodie 15-in-1. We use it daily as an air frier, a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, or a steamer. It has other settings but they’re what we use most.

https://www.johnlewis.com/ninja-ol750uk-foodi-max-15-in-1-smartlid-multi-cooker-with-smart-cook-system-7-5l/p5643612

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CandyPink69@reddit

I would pick a ninja kitchen appliance or a load of good pans/cutlery/nice knives etc

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Intelligent-Iguana@reddit

Decent feather duvet and pillows.

Air fryer.

Keep saving and get a bean to cup coffee machine!

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ErinClaymores@reddit

I’d choose something for every day use that will last forever, like invest in a good cutlery set and kitchen knives, quality cooking pans, or everyday china (build a matching set of plates, bowls, serving dishes over time) 👏🏻

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Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

If you have listed an air fryer because you don’t already have one, then 100% specially in a no kid house, one with to drawers. Saves so much washing up and it just soo easy for dinner 100%.

However if you already have one you don’t need to upgrade, luxury towel could be an excellent buy. Especially if it’s not something you would normally stretch for.

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