Encouraged by @cat posting about things she’s bought, I thought I’d post about a recent purchase. OH is now finding it difficult to safely lift a kettle, and you don’t want to drop a kettle with boiling water in it. So, I bought one of those instant hot water dispensers.
I avoided the named mass market products as they don’t get good reviews. Although not cheap, this one is brilliant, does proper boiling water and there is enough room under the spout to use our 20 cm tall big tea mugs.
My sister in the UK has had a hot water heater for cups etc for quite a while, as you say seconds for instant boiling water and did not cost a huge amount either. I looked here in the shops but nothing like it so ended up with a kettle that you can set the temperature at and which turns off with a beep when temp is reached and it works extremely fast
In a similar vein to your purchase, I would say my L’Or XL Nespresso machine, though I’ve had it since last May.
It makes nice coffee, and is convenient to use. That’s about it really!
Other than that, my Rega Planar 3 turntable - I’ve really been enjoying listening to vinyl again after 23 years of not owning a turntable (or any LPs!).
Being an ex pro guitarist of 82 years, I have amassed quite a collection of guitars during my long life. I recently bought two Gibson guitars. A sunburst 1993 Les Paul Standard, and a lovely Alpine White 1999 SG. Now I have disposable income earned from my music, I can indulge myself!
Yes, we looked in all the usual places in the shops here, but all we found were large standalone water boilers rather than instant kettles. Hence we bought from Amazon.
This €7.89 combo is excellent value and surprisingly good quality for the price. The stainless steel grattoir, though designed for pastry cutting and scaping, gets used continually for conveying chopped veg from chopping board to pan, cleaning knife blades and lots of other inconsequential, but integral kitchen tasks.
And its curved companions scrape mixing bowls so effectively.
Do you plug that into your computer Chris or something else? As you can guess from the question, I’ve seen turntables like that but no idea what else is needed.
Not this one - it is “old school” in that it needs to be connected either to a hifi amplifier that has a “phono” input, or into a separate phono preamp which then amplifies the (very small) signal from the turntable and sends it to a stereo amplifier or home theatre receiver, via a set of RCA cables.
If you wanted a turntable that would connect to a computer, you would need one that has Bluetooth or USB built in, which many of the cheaper ones do.
For example the Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB:
My turntable is a more “hifi purist” device which needs a hifi system like back in the Olden Days. 
We have bought two electric nail trimmers.
The cheapest one is excellent for just those awkward snags you get on your nails and the more expensive bikes and buffs your nails,
I’m looking for something that doesn’t need a computer, I’d much prefer an old fashioned one so I’ll keep on looking. I don’t need anything high end, just reasonable quality and affordable. Thanks Chris.
Audio Technica are a good brand if you want something decent but affordable. e.g. the AT-LP60 which is around £120.
Or ProJect make good basic turntables, for a bit more money.
But you will need a hifi to plug then into.
Avoid the ones that are built into suitcases, they are rubbish!
https://www.av.com/Hi-Fi/Audio-Technica-AT-LP60XBK-Automatic-Belt-Drive-Turntable-Black/5U3Z
There seems to be so much out there but I’ve no longer any clue as to who/ what’s good and sales people will say anything for a sale, ( me, cynical?). Thanks for the link, I’ll take a look.
I’ve got electric slicers and choppers plus food processors and mandolins but this is one of my favourite pieces of kitchen equipment I recently bought. And it only cost around 10€. It looks like this (stock photo).
You pull the handle and it chops whatever you’ve got in the bowl. The more you chop, the smaller the pieces. I use it quite often and it’s so much easier than getting all the larger items out. It’s easy to clean too and lives in it’s little cardboard box in one of the cupboards. I love it to bits 
Apart from a decent woodsplitter last october, I’ve just bought a thermal imaging camera for finding insects and rodent heat sources. Apparently it can even detect termites.
My work is great for tools/gadgets/toys!
I bought the LP-60 you mentioned which has USB as well as line/phono outputs. It’s a pretty decent cheap turntable and although I’ve never used the USB it may come in handy at some point.
Yes turntables (like most hifi!) come in a huge range of price levels from “OK” to “eye watering”.
e.g. The Thorens Reference which is a snip at a mere £220,000! (also available in silver and blue!)
But Audio Technica have been in the sound business for a long time (since 1962 specifically) and they have always specialised in the bits that either pick up sound (turntables, cartridges and microphones) or reproduce it (headphones).
I have an Audio Technica AT-95VML cartridge on my Rega P3 and it makes nice noises. 
Sounds a bit like astronomy, particularly astrophotography 
I bought a similar one for my mum as it was getting dangerous for her, she loved how quick it delivered hot water.
