This is the 2024 edition of [Products I Like and Recommend](https://s8mb.medium.com/things-i-recommend-you-buy-and-use-second-edition-457a8e7163f6). See my previous edition [here](https://www.bayesup.date/products-i-like-and-recommend.html). In this installment, I try to focus on *unusual* products that you might not have heard of. ## A Better Can Opener There are some designs so ubiquitous and longstanding that it seems as if they can't be improved. Take for example the can opener. Every household in America has one in their kitchen. Many are manual, and some are electric, but they achieve their objective in essentially the same way. Despite this design's success, it's not hard to think of shortcomings. Opening the can results in a lid with sharp dangerous edges. If the lid gets pushed into the can, it's hard to retrieve. If you open the can all the way, the lid will fall entirely into the can. The cutting wheel gets grimy after several uses, potentially even becoming a source of contamination. Alas, we live with this because there are no other options. Another of life's petty indignities I suppose. But wait! There is a better option! This design goes by names such as "safety can opener" or "safe cut can opener" and solves basically all of these problems. The resultant edge is not sharp. The lid does not fall into the can. And the cutting wheel does not get dirty. Behold. ![[Pasted image 20241214141420.png]] ![[Pasted image 20241214141358.png]] It's hard to describe how it works without a video, but basically it cuts along the *outside edge* of the top of the can, and for reasons I don't understand, that edge doesn't really get sharp. There are many companies that make them. I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AX13US) and am happy with it. If you want an exhaustive look at this design, here is a [20 minute Tech Connections video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_mLxyIXpSY) guaranteed to satisfy that autistic urge. Update (2024-12-15): A friend pointed out that this style of of allegedly safe can opener can actually create dangerous thin metal shards. I have heard this too, but I haven't personally witnessed it, and I couldn't understand how it would happen. Well, mystery solved. This [Atomic Shrimp video](https://youtu.be/DuKadqfqWGQ?feature=shared&t=292) explains that it happens when you have to take multiple passes around the can to open it. I guess this happens when it gets dull? I haven't personally had this problem yet. My perspective is that the can opener I linked to is only $9. If you don't like it, throw it out. If it gets dull, replace it (r/BuyItForLife-cels seething). It seems like a small risk, and it has good Amazon reviews, so apparently some people like it. That said, I guess there's an opportunity for someone to create an even better Better Can Opener. ## Grabber Tool I have a toddler. Picking up after that toddler usually involves crawling around on the ground gathering up duplo blocks and toy cars. I'm 6'1" and 200 pounds and all this bending and crawling around isn't pleasant. I found this silly looking thing at Costco and it has greatly exceeded expectations. ![[Pasted image 20241214142308.png]] Honestly, I thought it was just a novelty, but it's been extremely useful for picking up toys off the floor. It works well enough that I've even successfully picked credit cards up off the floor on the first try. Get the two pack so you can have an indoor one for toys and an outdoor one for yard work. [Here is one on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/RMS-Grabber-Reacher-Rotating-Gripper/dp/B07PHKY2JW) that looks exactly the same as the one I got at Costco. ![[Pasted image 20241215090916.png]] ## Drain Auger/Snake You get in the shower, and before you know it, the water level is up around your ankles. If the situation doesn't improve, you'll soon be taking a bath. What do you do? One option is to reach for a bottle of Drano. I've done this many times, and it works ok, but in my experience the clog usually returns in a few weeks. It can also be a bit of a hazard. If the drain doesn't become unclogged, you now need to call in a plumber, and this poor plumber now needs to dig through a pipe full of sewage and burn-y chemicals. Some plumbers even insist it can damage pipes and melt adhesive. As far as I can tell, this isn't true for PVC pipes, but others insist that heat from the exothermic reaction could damage the pipe. That sounds plausible, but I've yet to see good evidence of it. In any case, there is a better option! A drain auger mechanically removes the obstruction, and the drain stays unclogged much longer. They cost about $40 at the hardware store, and I think it's something every homeowner should have on their tool shelf. That said, it is messier than Drano and takes a bit of physicality, but it's nothing a young able-bodied person can't handle. ![[51Q09LA5bhL._AC_SX679_.jpg]] I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/RIDGID-57043-Drain-Cleaner-Power/dp/B079Q2Q3TT) and it's totally adequate. There are fancier options that come with an electric motor and yet others you can attach to cordless drills. I don't think that's necessary for the occasional clog, but I could understand a professional plumber willing to pay for those. There are countless videos on YouTube explaining how to use it. [This Old House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpmNDrBHcno) is a good resource. ## Right Angle Glasses I like to watch YouTube in bed. As far as I can tell, the entire medical establishment warns against this, but I take the risk anyway. The problem is, there's not really a comfortable position to use a phone in bed. If I lay on my side, I can't use headphones. If I lay on my back, it's only a matter of time before I end up dropping my phone on my face. This hurts more than you might expect! My solution is [these glasses](https://www.amazon.com/BywoBywo-Lazy-Glasses-Horizontal-Reading/dp/B0BYW12BM7). They let you see things at a right angle. Now I can lay on my back, prop my phone up on my chest, and watch [20 minute videos about concrete](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB0qDQFTyE8) without having to crane my neck or risk having a falling phone explode my eyeball. Brilliant. ![[Pasted image 20241214144431.png]]