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TL;DR: Plush (Frontgate, RH) prized for luxury; Thin (Turkish, Onsen) valued for fast drying; Costco and IKEA are top value picks
TL;DR: great value; very plush; Charisma brand popular; sheds lint heavily
TL;DR: great value; very plush; Charisma brand popular; sheds lint heavily
TL;DR: very thick and plush; highly absorbent; durable; sheds lint heavily
TL;DR: very thick and plush; highly absorbent; durable; sheds lint heavily
TL;DR: very durable; long-lasting (10-20+ years); good quality; affordable at discount stores
TL;DR: very durable; long-lasting (10-20+ years); good quality; affordable at discount stores
TL;DR: Supima cotton recommended; very durable; long-lasting (10-20+ years); quality may have declined
TL;DR: Supima cotton recommended; very durable; long-lasting (10-20+ years); quality may have declined
TL;DR: Threshold brand recommended; affordable; good quality for price; mixed durability reports
TL;DR: Threshold brand recommended; affordable; good quality for price; mixed durability reports
TL;DR: very thick and plush; durable (10-20+ years); absorbent; very heavy
TL;DR: very thick and plush; durable (10-20+ years); absorbent; very heavy
TL;DR: durable (10+ years); Vera Wang brand praised; "The Big One" is affordable; wait for sales
TL;DR: durable (10+ years); Vera Wang brand praised; "The Big One" is affordable; wait for sales
TL;DR: high-end luxury; very soft and absorbent; holds up well; Lotus and Milagro lines popular
TL;DR: high-end luxury; very soft and absorbent; holds up well; Lotus and Milagro lines popular
all are disposable, consensus is buy cheap & replace (OXO, Tramontina, T-Fal); premium brands a pricey gamble on durability; proper care is crucial but coatings eventually fail; many just switch to cast iron or carbon steel instead
Cuisinart freezer bowls to start ; compressors for convenience; Lello is the BIFL endgame; Ninja Creami for protein/healthy options
overall consensus is a battle between reliability and price; Philips Hue is the gold standard but expensive; Lutron Caseta dominates switches; IKEA Tradfri is the best budget Zigbee option; enthusiasts prefer feature-rich switches like Inovelli and Zooz; WiFi bulbs like Kasa are cheap but can be unreliable
Encore/ESP reliable entry, Ode 2 filter fave, DF series value flats; Niche Zero workflow champ, Eureka quiet workhorse; hand grinders beat budget electrics, diminishing returns past ~$500
Victorinox Fibrox dominates value tier; German knives forgiving and BIFL; Japanese sharper but need care; skip sets buy individual; learning to sharpen matters most
Masterbuilt/Electric models are easy to use; WSM/Kamado offer better flavor, durability, and versatility; offsets require much more work for max smoke; pellet grills provide convenience, but may sacrifice smoke depth.
