MLMs are unethical and unsustainable long term (just look up exponential growth and why MLMs can’t possibly grow forever). In a group focused on BIFL, the ethics and sustainability (even if we’re just talking about economic sustainability) is a factor for determining whether you should buy something.

Hear me out! I bought some Reebok boxer briefs a couple years ago on clearance and I think they’re about the best underwear I’ve ever owned don’t know how long they’re gonna last but so far so good

Maytag was great when they were Maytag. After Whirlpool purchased them in 2006 their quality dropped The only exception is their commercial line which goes head to head with Speed Queen. About the only 2 brands you will find in most laundromats.

I heard for front loaders you need to keep the door slightly open between loads because they seal too tightly.

If it's for personal use, buy cheap until you know what you like/want. Then splurge if you can afford it and want to "upgrade".

Fundamentally, for personal use, you will see little difference in performance between a 50$ knife and a 1000$ knife.

As was pointed out in some other comments, the Voctorinox chef knife is a solid pick. It's sharp, easy to sharpen when needed, good size, durable, and it's a beater so oyu don't feel bad for damagind it a bit. I'd start with that, then expand as you need other stuff. For me even a good pairing knife s hardly necessary, you can do most of it with a chef knife anyway once you're comfortable with it in a personal setting.

What I would also recommend though, is getting a two faced sharpening stone like 1000/6000 grit. Learning to sharpen your own knives will make a world of difference, the most expensive knife you can get is garbo if it's not sharp. It's also quite fun to sharpen knives imo.

What this guy says.

I have had a really good experience with my Globals. Going on a decade now with no visible wear and tear beyond the knife sharpening.

Easy to clean, well balanced, and durable. Some people may find the steel handle more slippery than they are used to, but it hasn’t bothered me since day 2.

Why not Cutco?

Love my Globals. All stainless, integral handles, sand filled for balance. Fairly easy to sharpen on regular stones (very easy with diamond). All I really use is the chef knife and the paring knife.

Also the fibrox ones are awesome for the price. Never buy an expensive bread knife. It’s hard to sharpen serrations correctly. Just get the fibrox bread knife and replace it when it gets dull

Icebreaker underwear is absolute junk. Expensive and doesn’t last long. Had multiple pairs get holes in them even when washing in wool wash only. Smartwool right now has been amazing and way more comfortable.

My Maytag deep fill top loader is awesome. 10 year warranty on drive motor and basket. I've had no issues whatsoever. A lot of people I know have been buying LGs and Samsungs and experiencing issues very quickly. Go Maytag!

This comment, and the others underneath it, are 100% on point.

Sets suck; you’ll invariably end up with at least one blade you never use, and the overall quality of the blades often suffer in favor of the convenience to get ‘em all in one shot.

I also agree that the feel of a particular knife is very personal, so it’s a decent idea to horse around at a Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, or (preferably) a local quality kitchenware store to help inform your decision. Weight, balance, and handle style are all personal preferences that we on the internet can help guide your consideration but not make the final call for you. A lot of folks love European blades like Wusthof, but I find them too heavy and have opted for a handmade American knife with carbon steel blade for my primary three (Cut Brooklyn chef and paring, Muteki nakiri).

I cook at home 6 nights a week and expect my knives to do their job well and predictably. Suggesting my specific choices is irrelevant (as noted above), but the styles of knives I chose for my quiver are well rounded for a wide gamut of prep needs:
• 210mm chef knife
• 8” burly, inexpensive chef knife (i.e. Henckels or Victorinox) for hammering away at things like nuts, chocolate, or yucca
• 5” utility / paring knife for detail cuts
• Nakiri style blade for quick vegetable dispatching
• A good-ass 9” bread knife (in this instance, I’ll say that Shun makes an exceptional blade)
• Long-blade slicing knife
• Boning / filet knife
• Quality pair of kitchen shears

That’s honestly all you’d likely need for 95% of prep work, and there is probably no set that would include everything without some disappointing inclusions or useless extra blades. Also, a magnetic wall holder is way more hygienic than the block style holder as well.

Came to say this. Exos are great

Exactly. It’s funny what you reach for sometimes …

My 5” santoku gets used all the time by the spouse and the eldest kid. It’s an inexpensive one that I picked up at a department store when I lived in the UK, probably paid like £20 because I was a grad student. It has remarkable good steel and despite taking a hit on the tip, it’s perfect for smaller hands.

Start off with the Victorinox Fibrox chefs knife and move from there. We’ve had a couple for over 25 years. Cheap enough, easily sharpened, and the first we ever grab. We have “better” hand forged Damascus steel knives and Swiss made knives and all that, but for every day use, go fibrox. Save the fancy knives for when you’re “show cooking” for guests.

Over the years we’ve built a set of the fibrox knives as the need arose, from paring all the way up to cleavers.

You only need 3 knives. 1 chef knife, 1 pairing knife and 1 serrated knife. I made this move 4 years ago and still haven’t needed any of the knives in a big block that used to take up my counter space

fwiw, any properly made/maintained knife will probably last a lifetime, so you're looking for a knife that meets your specific preferences more than "will this last a lifetime?"

Sounds like you're looking for a very light/thin stainless steel chef's knife, and something like this would fit the bill exactly.

Bosch dishwasher is the way to go. Might be different for other appliances...

I have the LG 5.2pi3 front load washer. From the searches I did when I bought it, its the best for the bucks under 1000$ cad.

I had Samsungs for a few years then I moved. Then I've had LGs for about 10 years. Both front loaders. None of the problems you've experienced. I will be replacing the LGs with Miele soon. I've had good experiences with all my other Miele appliances.

> Do they cut better than a properly sharpened Victorinox? No, probably not.

yes they do and it's not even close. edge retention on the fibrox sucks compares to the nicer knives in my collection. and the victorinox rubber handle design is hot garbage.

i only own one as a sacrificial knife that I can give to my wife, kids, and house guests.

Also a cheap knife properly maintained will work far better than an expensive one never sharpened. I learned how to use Japanese water stones at Bernal Cutlery, but it's just too much work for an amateur and I just use the Victorinox Fibrox with a Chef's Choice sharpener that I wouldn't dream of using on my expensive Ashi Hamono wa-gyuto Japanese chef's knife or even my semi-expensive Tojiro-DP.

I have a black leather couch from IKEA that looks just like this. Still going strong after about 8 years.

Go Speed Queen, all metal internal construction no plastic gears. Longest warrantee, same components in their homeowner as the commercial units. Ours are at 10 years and still going strong.

Watch this video. https://youtu.be/cRgbfxJ8MTQ

AFAIK Miele provides the benchmark for high-quality high-price appliances