Which "buy it for life" items you own?

[LazyInvestor]

I was checking https://www.reddit.com/r/buyitforlife and I'm curious which "buy it for life" items PPers own and recommend? (the questions is also inspired by that other permanent cooking device thread that's active now)

[barrett]

I don't think I own anything that I couldn't give up pretty easily. Or, more specifically, nothing that has any material value to anyone else. Not sure what that says about me... either I am not attached to my stuff or I just have crappy stuff.

[hoost]

I didn't read the reddit threads...I was hoping for a list, but I like Allen Edmonds shoes, Red Wing boots, All Clad stainless cookery, Lodge cast iron pan. I inherited a bunch of craftsman tools from my grandfather...seems these may be BIFL.  There are probably others I haven't thought of off the top of my head; weber kettle grill might be one.  The nice thing is you can likely buy most of these used on ebay/CL, since they tend to last.  Furniture is the same way; typically avoid ikea (except their kitchen cabinets, which are great) and buy high end stuff used on CL.

[Pointedstick]

Things I own that I consider more or less lifetime, off the top of my head:
- Cast iron skillets
- Darn Tough socks (love love love these; mine are all identical too so I never have to think about getting them to match)
- Oster hair/beard clipper/trimmer
- All stainless steel french coffee press
- Any solid wood furniture
- Most of my hand tools and many of the power tools
- Thick bullhide leather belt
- Guns
- Fuller Spiffy Maid bagless vacuum


That last one leads me to a tangent… this vacuum is made out of plastic and may not ordinarily last forever, but it comes apart really easily and cleaning every component is a snap, including the filter. I've used it as a shop vac to suck up tile and drywall dust and as long as I clean it right afterwards, it keeps on sucking. Its ease of cleaning makes me feel like I'll be able to keep it running forever.

Haven't found any truly lifetime shoes or glasses yet. Those would be wonderful.

Edit: oh, and how could I forget my HP LaserJet 1200 printer? Even though this is a piece of complicated electronics, I've had it for 10 years and fully expect it last forever. It's built like a nuclear missile silo. If you have any black-and-white printing needs, from intermittent to heavy, I can't recommend getting a used one of these enough. The toner cartridges last forever too, so they wind up being very cheap to run.

[Pointedstick]

There are also a number of things I've purchased that I intended to last forever but didn't.

- Beautiful handmade wood trimmed pen (wood split)
- Leatherman Wingman multi-tool (hold-open lever snapped)
- Straight razor (not user sharpenable when it inevitably dulls; unwilling to have it professionally re-sharpened on a very regular basis)
- Wok (rusted )

[moda0306]

I love discussions like this.  Whether it's "own it for life," or simply "pay more now and it will last longer," I love entering the numbers into a financial calculator over time to see what will yield me the best results at some required RoR on an "illiquid" asset.

It's amazing how many decisions people pass up to buy a better quality product that will last them far longer just to save some dough.

[Mountaineer]

Fireplace implements (poker, shovel, andirons, etc.) that were handed down to me from my grandfather,
Guns,
RCBS reloading equipment, particularly an early 1970s era Rock Chucker press, dies,  powder measure,
"Hunting" knives,
High grade kitchen knives,
High quality solid wood furniture,
Volvo cars (hehehe, not forever but better than any other domestic or Japanese make I've owned if you keep maintained),
Cast iron skillets and dutch oven,
Stainless steel French press coffee maker,
Books printed on acid free paper,
Stone mortar and pestle,
Branding iron,
Wedding ring,
High quality jewelry,
Pocket watch,
Maglite flashlight,
Small hand tools - I have many that belonged to my grandfather and father,
Wife.

Other long lasting (relative to other brands I've owned) but not "for life" items:
John Deere lawn tractor,
Honda lawn mower,
Stihl small engine power tools,
Sony TV,
Apple electonic products,
Bose and Acoustic Research AR3 speakers,
Zoeller sump pump.

... Mountaineer

[dualstow]

porlex ceramic blade steel exterior hand coffee grinder (japan)- thanks to gizmo rat
edwin jagger double edged razor (uk) - thanks to melveyr
red oxx carry-on bag (skytrain), made in u.s. - thanks to onebag dot com
my gold coins

Not much else, because I recently had some stuff vanish from my apartment, possibly stolen.
A lot of my favorite things just aren't made to last, like clothing and hard drives.
But, I do want this toaster:

{Dualit, from Britain}

[img width=750]http://dualit.assets.d3r.com/images/lan ... oy-web.jpg[/img]

[MWKXJ]

• Alden 405 "Indy" boots and heel savers ( still surviving after 8 years of being worn nearly every workday and made in America ) Pic of boots
• 1992 F-150 w. 4.9L straight-six and manual transmission ( 291,000 miles and still reliable )
• Marshall and Wendell grand piano circa 1928 ( still played almost every day )
• Case "congress" folding pocket knife

I'm with the others here who cherish their frying pans.  I currently use a cheap Lodge pan for breakfast but plan to upgrade to an ancient Weber when I spot one.

*Edit reason: Included image of boots.

[WildAboutHarry]

Ok, I'll play.

• Cast Iron Skillets, Pots, Griddles, etc.
• Hudson's Bay Blanket
• Tools (Stanley Cast Iron Planes, Lie Nielsen Planes, Yankee Braces, etc.)
• Gillette Superspeed Razor
• Carbon Steel Kitchen Knives

I could go on for a while...

I would have listed guns, gold, and silver, but alas these were lost in a tragic boating accident.

[stone]

I'm intrigued by the cast iron cooking pot fans. I've just come in from doing our groceries shop in Aldi and they have them in there at the moment. I picked one up and toyed with the idea but wasn't sure I needed one. They were £24 I think. What's so great about them? I sort of thought if a cooking pot doesn't leak, its doing its job so why replace it. The pots I currently use are the cheapest and worst quality I could find (£5 for the set from a Leeds outdoor market stall 20years ago) but seem to do the job

[WildAboutHarry]

Stone,

Cast iron pans, properly seasoned and cared for, last nearly forever.  The have "natural" non-stick qualities without the chemicals (well, at least without teflon), come in innumerable configurations, and provide a source of dietary iron to boot.

I only know about US cast iron, but in the US, modern (post-1980s) cast iron is of decidedly inferior quality to cast iron from earlier times.  The older stuff is lighter in weight, has generally better finish, and the interiors are usually very smooth.  Fortunately restoring old iron to working condition is not too difficult.  New or old, critical to success in using cast iron is a smooth pan interior.  If the interior of a pan feels like sandpaper, pass it by.

Search for "Culinary Fanatic" on YouTube for several methods of restoring old iron.  https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCulinaryFanatic
I have used his methods on several pans and they work quite well.

To use cast iron skillets, simply provide some lubricant (olive oil, butter) and cook away.  Metal spatulas work best (like the Dexter-Russel line)

To clean after use, simply warm the pan and wipe with paper towel.  For sticky stuff, hot water is usually sufficient.  One of these is also helpful.    A very light coat of your favorite cooking lubricant after cleaning keeps the iron in top condition.  No Soap!

Finally, if you really want to get into the thick of old cast iron, try the Cast Iron Collector.

[stone]

Wild about Harry, thanks for the tips!

[dualstow]

...
To clean after use, simply warm the pan and wipe with paper towel.  For sticky stuff, hot water is usually sufficient.  One of these is also helpful.    A very light coat of your favorite cooking lubricant after cleaning keeps the iron in top condition.  No Soap!
...

I always struggle to clean my cast iron pan since I can't use soap. When it's finally clean, I try to put as thin a layer of oil as possible on it and warm it to re-season it.

I think I'll try one of those pan scrapers. Looks useful.

[Pointedstick]

...
To clean after use, simply warm the pan and wipe with paper towel.  For sticky stuff, hot water is usually sufficient.  One of these is also helpful.    A very light coat of your favorite cooking lubricant after cleaning keeps the iron in top condition.  No Soap!
...

I always struggle to clean my cast iron pan since I can't use soap. When it's finally clean, I try to put as thin a layer of oil as possible on it and warm it to re-season it.

I think I'll try one of those pan scrapers. Looks useful.

What I finds works well is cleaning it as soon as possible after using it. If I forget, and there's caked on gunk, I boil some water in the pan, which really gets it off.

And for even more cast iron nerdiness, here's a scientific approach to seasoning the things: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/ ... cast-iron/

[MachineGhost]

Haven't found any truly lifetime shoes or glasses yet. Those would be wonderful.

Here's a contender, especially when they expand: http://www.greats.com/

I'm anti-cast iron because the non-chelated, free iron is neither dietary and is a significant pro-oxidant stressor, increases free radicals and accelerates aging.  It will make you more prone to getting sick as bacteria thrive on free iron, which is why the body tries to keep it tightly binded up and inaccessible in the blood.  It also damages tissues in the hippocampus, directly being a significant cause of Alzheimer's as well as higher blood levels equating to increased risk of dying from cancer.

[WiseOne]

Love that a bunch of gun-totin' guys are sitting around on a cold weekend day talking kitchen equipment!!

I was also going to list my Le Creuset pot and Wusthof chef's knife.  And yes, I have a standard Lodge cast iron pan.  I made it a habit to coat it with high heat tolerant oil e.g. coconut and leave it in the oven anytime I'm baking something.  The seasoning on it is great, but I'm definitely getting one of those scrapers.

I can't think of too many other things.  Campmor capilene shirts, Mephisto shoes, LL Bean flannel shirts, leather hiking boots.  And a couple of pieces of unusually well made furniture.

[l82start]

the cast iron for sure, some tools, a jeep wrangler.
and converse high tops, which while no one pair is ..."for life"... as long as they don't change the way they are made, they are a long lasting, machine washable all purposes all terrain shoe and a single pair tends to last pretty darn long and take a beating compared to most sneakers..

[MachineGhost]

What exactly can we eat, cook in/on, etc, without some negative health effect? It seems like virtually everything is toxic in some manner. 

Yeah it sucks.  And the story about the sick town where DuPoint had its Teflon factory is even scarier.  It was like the very first class action lawsuit for environmental contamination (it was in their water supply).  The town was divided in half over the lawsuit because DuPont was the major employer, just as you would expect in a coal mining town despite people dying of black lung disease.

Anyway, a company in Germany has come up with a safe ceramic non-stick coating called Greblon: http://www.greblon.com/
And you can buy skillets with the coating from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CSXMP6/
Sadly, they don't have any pots yet.  It should be noted the EPA has banned Teflon as of this or next year; but some of the alternatives that companies are using are just more concentrated chemical derivatives of Teflon.  Typical.

It seems to me the non-stick fad must have started with the low-fat fad back in the day, since certain unaware people still cook like that, judging by some reviews.

[Pointedstick]

Are stainless steel or traditional ceramic or enameled cookware no good, either?

Love that a bunch of gun-totin' guys are sitting around on a cold weekend day talking kitchen equipment!!

You can have my cast iron skillet when you pry it from my cold dead hands! 

[MachineGhost]

Are stainless steel or traditional ceramic or enameled cookware no good, either?

Who implied they weren't?  I'd avoid lead enameled cookware though!  Ceramic/enamel is safest, following by stainless steel.  After that you get into that over-aluminumized nonstick category which is a mine field of vagueness and deception.  Finding that Greblon was like a needle in a haystack.

I use a cast iron occasionally; I just don't use it regularly due to the dangers.  Men don't bleed every month (and worse, I can't donate blood).

Everyone ought to get their ferritin levels checked if they use cast iron pans regularly.  It should not be above 200.

[MWKXJ]

I'm anti-cast iron because the non-chelated, free iron is neither dietary and is a significant pro-oxidant stressor, increases free radicals and accelerates aging.  It will make you more prone to getting sick as bacteria thrive on free iron, which is why the body tries to keep it tightly binded up and inaccessible in the blood.  It also damages tissues in the hippocampus, directly being a significant cause of Alzheimer's as well as higher blood levels equating to increased risk of dying from cancer.

Just donate blood semi-annually.  Problem solved and you even get a cookie.

[MachineGhost]

Just donate blood semi-annually.  Problem solved and you even get a cookie.

It doesn't prevent the damage in the meantime, though.  There IS a supplement you can take to help bind free iron in the blood.  It's what is in breast milk: lactoferrin.  But it has to be lactoferrin that isn't already bound to iron.  Only Jarrow sells that form that I know of, because I specifically asked them.

[WildAboutHarry]

[quote=MachineGhost]I'm anti-cast iron because the non-chelated, free iron is neither dietary and is a significant pro-oxidant stressor, increases free radicals and accelerates aging.  It will make you more prone to getting sick as bacteria thrive on free iron, which is why the body tries to keep it tightly binded up and inaccessible in the blood.  It also damages tissues in the hippocampus, directly being a significant cause of Alzheimer's as well as higher blood levels equating to increased risk of dying from cancer.[/quote]

Yeah, but aside from that what don't you like about it?

I suspect that most of the minute quantities of iron that are released from cast iron cookware quickly react with food and are therefore are no longer "free" iron ions.  In general, the body is pretty efficient at excreting excess iron.  Poop is rust-brown for a reason.

[quote=TennPaGa]LeCreuset pots are awesome.  My wife and I have 3 different sizes of these:[/quote]

Cast iron innards, no?

[quote=Pointedstick]What I finds works well is cleaning it as soon as possible after using it. If I forget, and there's caked on gunk, I boil some water in the pan, which really gets it off.[/quote]

Yes, if hot water doesn't do the trick boiling usually takes care of the gunk.  I haven't sprung for one of these, but I do occasionally use a green nylon scrubby (used only for cast iron and never with soap).

[MachineGhost]

Yeah, but aside from that what don't you like about it?

I suspect that most of the minute quantities of iron that are released from cast iron cookware quickly react with food and are therefore are no longer "free" iron ions.  In general, the body is pretty efficient at excreting excess iron.  Poop is rust-brown for a reason.

Hmm, maybe it is wrist-spraining heavy, it rusts upon any water contact or food sticks to it?

No offense, but suspicion is not scientific evidence.  And if your ferritin levels were above 200 as is common as you get older, would you then still say "the body is pretty efficient at excreting excess iron"?  So when it comes to toxins, I err on the side of suspicion.  And all the better with scientific evidence to back it up!  Everything I said is backed up by such if anyone wants to be Low Class and ask for independent verification.