People Explain Which Products They Thought Were Just A Gimmick Until They Actually Tried Them

People Explain Which Products They Thought Were Just A Gimmick Until They Actually Tried Them

We have been trained to "buyer, beware!" in our present day. We cannot trust any product--it will break, it won't work as advertised, it's a quick cash grab for the makers, etc.


But occasionally, a product shows up that is actually very very useful. We may be extremely distrustful at first, but once we take a leap of faith and actually buy the product, whether at a friends' recommendation or from an advertisement, we may be pleasantly surprised.

u/meow_youlistenhere asked:

[Serious] What product did you think was a gimmick until you actually tried it and, subsequently, changed your mind?

Here were some of those answers.


She Needs The Range

A lot of products that are you may think are for the lazy or weak, like a jar opener, but are really for physically disabled people. Many years ago, I hurt my arm badly and I could not use my right hand until I healed up.

So all the stuff that I bought while my hand was hurt. eg. jar opener, egg separator. Also bought pre-peeled oranges and precut apples. These helped me stay independent while I was injured.

throws90210

Nom Nom Nom

Instant Pot. You can make soups, stews, chili, meat, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, steamed veggies, seriously a ton of stuff. It's a glorified pressure cooker, but it's wonderful. One of the huge benefits is that many dishes are one-pot only, so you can saute your veggies in it and/or brown meat before adding the rest of the ingredients and setting it to cook. Saves a ton on cleanup.

The cook time is generally a fraction of a slow cooker or stovetop - I'd suggest just looking up recipes to get an idea. One thing to be aware of is that the 'cook times' don't include the time it takes to get to full pressure, which can be anywhere from ten to 45 minutes depending what you have in there and how full it is.

Example: Our favorite recipe is a chicken soup. We rough chop the veggies and toss them into the instant pot with the herbs and spices and saute them, then toss raw chicken thighs on top, dump chicken broth in, cook and it takes about 45-60 minutes total to pressurize and cook (recipe 'cook time' is like 15 minutes). Depressurize, pull the chicken and shred it, bring soup to a boil in the pot, add noodles, cook those until done, throw the chicken back in, serve. Total hands-on time is less than 20 minutes and you just throw the pot in the dishwasher after.

machmothetrumpeteer

Sleeping So Soundly

Weighted Blankets - They really do make a big difference in helping me relax in bed! It does make you feel more soothed and comfy, and you so sleep more readily.

Be aware that the body adapts to these things. Eventually, I have to put the blanket away for about 2 weeks. But when I bring it out, the effect is fresh and new again.

ZamboniDriftLegend

Just because something is trendy doesn't mean it's not damn useful.

Keep It Cute And Shiny

Barkeepers Friend for pots, pans, dishware. I now use it for cleaning brass items, copper, as well as pots and pans.

A damp paper towel, some Barkeepers friends and your stainless pots and pans look new and shiny. A cheap product that changed my mind.

faugh_a_ballagh

Poor Baby

Swiffer wet jet.

I am currently fostering a hospice dog who is incontinent. The swiffer wet jet with grocery store brand pads (they pick up more dirt and dog pee than swiffer pads) has been a godsend! I was going through paper towels and Clorox wipes like crazy.

Jolly_Conflict

Europe Has Known This For Awhile

The first thing that popped into my head is a bidet.

At first it's really weird to get water shot at your bung hole while sitting on the toilet but it's makes me feel so much cleaner when I'm done. Gone are the days of the never ending wipe!

NotNSFWAccount1

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It Isn't A Gimmick! It Really Works!

Controlled breathing to combat stress.

I have a specific phobia. I've never been able to face it. Ativan, hypnosis, CBT, exposure therapy... nothing helped.

Recently, I tried controlling my breathing. Inhale for a count of three, exhale through the mouth for a count of six.

It didn't solve the problem, but it was effective enough that I expect to be able to face my phobia soon.

Vox_Popsicle

And these things can really make your life easier if you're willing to just take the minute chance on them.

Noise Canceling

I saw an ad for these weird earplug-like things that they claimed could reduce anxiety. It felt like they were overexaggerating the effects to sell more product, but it was only $25 and I wanted to use them just to reduce background noise a little (which I felt was a more reasonable expectation) so I went ahead and bought it anyway.

And they actually helped way more than I thought they would. It most likely boils down to lower background noise = lower anxiety, but I was pleasantly surprised. I would wear them more often, but unfortunately they do hurt my ears a little after prolonged use, just from the pressure of having something stuffed into them for so long.

anasilenna

The Right Shoes Make Or Break You

Fitted running trainers. Have flat feet and do a lot of weights/exercise. Finally getting some shoes that counter my flat feet + some basic physio has got rid of a lot of my ankle/knee/hip problems.

I was very much in the camp of 'I'll never pay that much for trainers', without actually thinking about the benefits.

[username deleted]

CRONCH

An airfryer. I'm a trained chef who always thought an air fryer was just a special convection oven but on a whim I bought an instant pot that converts into an air fryer and I'm super impressed by both. It does things an oven just can't do.

jmmatthews20

It's hard to trust "miracle" products in this late-stage capitalism hellscape that we live in in the 21st century, but some of these things are legitimately useful.

It only takes a small risk in the form of money and faith, and it can really help us. Why not take advantage of those little moments?

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