Things I Use

When I buy something, I focus on value through thoughtful heuristics like cost per use, cost per smile, and cost per lesson. I enjoy luxury, but I also prioritize durability, joy, and meaningful experiences. I believe in investing in fewer, better things that align with my values—whether it’s a product that lasts a lifetime, an experience that creates lasting memories. Every purchase has an opportunity cost, so I aim to spend intentionally and share what truly works for me.

Some links may be affiliate links, but all recommendations reflect my experience.

Cooking

• All Clad Pots & Pans - Gold standard for stainless steel. I use the three-ply D3 line (stainless steel, aluminium, stainless steel). D5 seems to be overkill, although I may test out copper-core in the future. My pans: 12" Skillet, 3 Qt Saucepan, 3 Qt Saute Pan
• Knife: Miyabi Mizu SG2 8" Chef's Knife - Japanese SG2 steel, ultra sharp and holds an edge, and looks great. Enough of a workhorse that I don't use any other knives other than a Victorinox for beater/guest chef purposes.
• Rice Cooker: Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy - The Lambourghini of rice cookers. Get some Koshihikari rice from The Rice Factory to go with it and your rice world will never be the same.
• Dutch Oven: 3.5 Qt Lodge Dutch Oven. Absolute workhorse for soups, stews, braises, pasta sauce, bread. I may consider looking into Staub or Le Creuset but for now I prefer a beater that I don't mind tossing in and out of the oven or baking bread in.
• Combustion Inc Wireless Thermometer - The Ferrari of kitchen thermometers. Comes with a multi-thermometers wireless probe that can report temps individually, can be used with or without an app. Created by Chris Young of Modernist Cuisine and ChefSteps/Breville fame.
• OXO Cutting Board (15x10) - I prefer polyethylene boards to wooden boards. Not as ~aesthetic~ but lower maintenance, easier to clean and move around, and you can have multiple so you can just toss them in the dishwasher or have meat board / veg board while prepping.

Travel

• My only luggage: Travelpro Platinum Elite - Flawless. Ergonomic, relatively light, smoothest wheels I've experienced. #1 choice of flight crews and if you value utility, you'll understand why. Which leads to the one downside: it's soft-sided. On the plus side, this makes it lighter to heft up to an overhead, easier to compress and expand, and less likely to damage your items or be damaged by being tossed around the ramp and luggage claim if you choose to check it or get gate-checked. On the other hand, many people prefer the aesthetic of hard-sided luggage. I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons, and I'll console myself with the fact that virtually every pilot I pass in the airport has the same bag as me.
• AirTags: Ultimate piece of mind when checking luggage (which is usually my preference). If you open up the Find My app while at the baggage carousel and set it to Find mode, it even vibrates your phone when your luggage comes out on the carousel.

Home

• Toto Washlet C5 - If you've been to Japan, you know what a game changer this is. You may not need all the features, and you may be fine off with a cheap $30 bidet, but if you're going to do the DIY plumbing anyway and can spare an outlet in the bathroom, why not go for a top of the line one?

Tech

• iPhone 16 Pro Max - Build quality, software experience/ecosystem, screen, and camera make this the superior choice to other options. Although "it just works" might not have the literal meaning or veracity it did when Steve Jobs first said it, the experience of craft and seamlessness makes it impossible to switch away. Currently enjoying trying out the Pro Max for the first time, but I may switch back for ease of one-handed typing next year.
• Macbook Pro M4 14" - With the new bump in RAM to 16 GB and additional Thunderbolt port added to the base model with the M4 refresh, the base model Pro the best value for a current-generation laptop. The screen alone is a massive upgrade over the Air, and the added ports, good enough speakers to not need a portable speaker, and SD card reader make this a compelling upgrade. If any of those didn't call out to you, or you don't need the power of M4, I think a M2 or M3 Macbook Air is the best value computer on the market right now.