Whenever Verge staffers are asked to describe their smart tech, office tools, kitchen gadgets, or whatever else, they talk about things they recently bought, things they picked up 10 years ago, or things they’ve had sitting around their house for decades. We’ve gathered a few of the items that our staffers have...
Whenever Verge staffers are asked to describe their smart tech, office tools, kitchen gadgets, or whatever else, they talk about things they recently bought, things they picked up 10 years ago, or things they’ve had sitting around their house for decades.We’ve gathered a few of the items that our staffers have enthused about in the past that they use for charging, repairing, listening, cooking, gardening, and parenting, and that are now discounted as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Just in case you’d like to check them out.Kitchen helpAfter realizing we’re not a family who likes to get their hands dirty while cooking (we leave that part to mixers and blenders), an automatic soap dispenser has become one of the most used devices in our kitchen. We opted for a cheap $25 option from Amazon that lets you adjust how much foaming soap is dispensed and lasts for a couple of months between charges, but companies like Simplehuman sell pricier $80 versions wrapped in brushed metal or other fancy finishes that could better match your decor. We find we use less soap now that it’s always perfectly portioned out, and buying refills in bulk is much cheaper. There’s now one in every bathroom in our home. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter, newsFor the past few years, the Instant Pot has been a staple in my kitchen. From making rice to slow-cooking stews and even frying up chicken, it can do just about anything. The best part is that the Instant Pot can cook most recipes in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven or on the stove. Rice, for example, takes just six minutes to cook (not counting the amount of time it takes to build pressure), and there’s no fussing with covering the pot or adjusting the heat. Sometimes, it’s just easier — and much less stressful — to let the Instant Pot take the wheel. — Emma Roth, news writerOne of the first things I did when I got my own place was purchase a food chopper. Perhaps puritan chefs will disagree with my methods, but this saves me so much time. I like to make tikka masala, which requires dicing ginger. If you’ve ever tried to dice ginger, you know that a food chopper would come in handy. This one did break recently, so I’ll probably replace it with a fancier one. — Kylie Robison, senior AI reporterInfant & child careThe Yogasleep Hushh is a small, portable white noise machine. That’s it, and that’s why it’s great.It’s not a smart device and doesn’t require any sort of subscription. It has physical buttons. It has three different white noise options. It can run on battery for up to 24 hours, and you can charge it with a USB-C cable. It even comes with a ring to attach it to things.My wife and I turn on the Hushh every time we put our baby down to sleep. If you’re looking for a simple white noise machine that just works, this is the one to buy. – Jay Peters, news editorWhen screen time is over, there’s no building toy, not even Lego, that holds my kid’s attention better than GraviTrax. It lets you build complicated marble runs using myriad components, including ramps, risers, bridges, switches, and launchers — and that’s just the starter set. There are several expansions that add motorized components that can keep marbles rolling indefinitely if assembled correctly, and it’s one of those toys that adults will enjoy just as much as kids do. For younger kids, there’s also now a GraviTrax Junior line with simpler components and larger marbles. – Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter, newsA musical penguin toy that cycles through surprisingly boppy remixes. It flaps its wings with high-contrast black-and-white spots that will mesmerize your baby. – Helen Havlak, publisherThe Snoo is a smart bassinet that plays white noise and rocks your baby, ramping up the intensity if your baby keeps crying. I have heard from friends that it does not work for every baby, but when it works, it really works — and you have truly magical moments when it successfully puts your baby to sleep. You can control the intensity manually and get nice sleep logs in their proprietary app — though Snoo’s parent company, Happiest Baby, has come under fire for introducing a new subscription fee of $19.99 / month for the main app functionality after nine months. While infuriating, I was so desperate for sleep, I would still have bought a Snoo. Also, look out for return policies; some parents prefer to buy their Snoos from Amazon to avoid Happiest Baby’s steep $199 restocking fee. – Helen Havlak, publisherGarden gadgetsFungus gnats love overwatered soil, so once you’ve gotten rid of them, you’ve got to be careful and diligent about your watering schedule. For that, I got myself a Gouevn soil moisture meter to teach myself how to properly water my plants. I’ve properly vanquished my fungus gnat issue, but with these two tools, I’m always prepared in case there’s ever another infestation. – Victoria Song, senior reviewerOne day, I received a surprise package in the mail from my mom, and it included these Velcro garden ties. I’d never even seen these before, so I decided to try them with my orchid. I found that they’re a lot softer than the plastic ties I used previously, and they do a pretty good job at supporting my plants, both indoor and outdoor. You can simply cut the Velcro ties to size, wrap them around your plant, and the tie will stick to itself. They’re reusable, too! — Emma Roth, news writerCharging gadgetsIn my youth, I forgot to pack plug adapters for international trips one too many times. Buying them once you’ve landed in another country isn’t always easy, either. And if you’re like me, your relatives in rural Korea don’t always have more than one plug for your American devices — in which case, you’ll have to share with your six other cousins. Nope. Absolutely not. Which is why I never leave this country without a universal travel adapter.Basically, it’s six plug adapters in one. Depending on which one you get, it might come with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices in one outlet. Granted, it’s bulkier than buying one or two specialized adapter plugs, but if you’ve got a multi-continent itinerary, it’s a game-changer. What I like about this one from Epicka is that it comes with a spare fuse in case things go sideways with voltage.The only caveat is that, although it says “universal,” it’s technically only the four most common types of plugs. That’ll get you by in most countries, but it’s not a guarantee in places like Brazil, South Africa, or India. Even so, I’ll take this over price gouging at airport electronics shops or having to take time out of my schedule to visit a local hardware store. — Victoria Song, senior reviewerNobody wants to carry a power strip or an extension cord with them on their vacation. It’s probably unnecessary if you’re staying in relatively modern buildings and definitely unnecessary if you’re camping. But sometimes you want to stay in a charming historical hotel or a lovely cabin in the woods, and it’s only when you go to charge your devices at night that you realize that the only electrical socket in the bedroom is in the corner farthest away from the bed and there are already two lamps plugged into it. Older buildings especially suffer from what I can only describe as loose socket syndrome, where those very convenient modern boxy socket extenders with five different USB and USB-C charging ports simply cannot stay in place and fall right out of the wall because they’re too heavy. After one (totally pleasant) vacation where I had to charge my phone, watch, AirPods, and laptop in a weird corner of my room with the plug-in charging hub propped up on a strategically balanced mountain of books and sham pillows, I bought this Anker combination extension cord / power strip. It’s not a full power strip — just a cube with a few sockets along with USB and USB-C charging ports at the end of a five-foot cable. I’ve brought it on a few trips since then. It takes up extra space in my suitcase but each time has left me feeling vindicated about the purchase. The three prongs at the end of the cable are static, rather than folding flat for easy packing. This is key because the loose sockets of older buildings reject the beautiful convenience of folding prongs. There are more than enough sockets for one person, and with some finagling (and maybe an extra charging brick), it can accommodate two people’s devices.If you’re traveling overseas, don’t forget to purchase a different plug type. — Sarah Jeong, deputy features editorOther gadgetsMost of the things I own are, frankly, just unreliable enough to be annoying. All except for one or two, and of those, the one I love most of all is the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener for HomeKit. And my love for it isn’t just about its rock-solid performance — it’s because, as far as I can tell, it’s compatible with almost any garage door opener on the market and across time itself. I don’t think that’s an exaggeration, either. The chunky mustard yellow all-metal box that cranks my garage door open — the Model 455 by Automatic Doorman — was made, by my loose estimation, sometime between the fall of Rome and 1975. But Meross’ adapter was $30 — and to my amazement, after a very simple installation, it worked and continues to do so almost every time I need it to. Best of all, I don’t have to carry the chunky remote with me on my bike when I leave because I can just talk into my Apple Watch when I return and coast right in. — Wes Davis, weekend editorI spend the workday at my Vox laptop, a MacBook Pro, with a few accessories, including a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones that my colleague Chris Welch reviewed. — Adi Robertson, senior reporterI picked up Hoto’s electric screwdriver because my former boss at The Verge, Dan Seifert, would often pitch it around gift guide season. I’m glad I did, though, because it now sits alongside a handful of tools I use on an almost weekly basis. I wouldn’t suggest using it for real household projects that require some serious torque, but it’s incredibly handy for tightening the legs on my desk, assembling furniture, and making sure my bike seat isn’t going to come off mid-ride. It’s also equipped with a USB-C port for charging, a nifty LED light that lets you ditch the headlamp, and a case for housing the 25 steel bits. Oh, and it really does make for a great little gift. I guess Dan was right. — Brandon Widder, senior commerce editorThese are my current favorite switches. The Kailh Deep-Sea Silent Pro Islets are nearly identical to the fantastic switches in the HHKB Studio, just much less expensive. The Islets are silent linear switches, with an extra-long spring, so the actuation force curve is strongest right at the beginning and then smooth the rest of the way, giving them an almost Topre-like tactile sensation. (Pitchforks down; I said almost.) They’re an instant upgrade for any hot-swappable keyboard that takes Cherry MX-compatible switches, and I’ve been using them as my daily drivers for a while. There’s also a tactile version, which I don’t like as much. Sorry to the Kailh Whales. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editorUpdate, March 29th: Updated to reflect current pricing/availability.
