Questions you want answered.

$50 gift certificate to Ikea. For all the little things...

Robear wrote:

$50 gift certificate to Ikea. For all the little things...

This is the best idea.

Robear wrote:

$50 gift certificate to Ikea. For all the little things...

They should also remember to set aside at least 4 hours for the trip to Ikea, no matter how much money they're spending.

Department stores developed the concept of a shopping time vortex in the mid 19th century. It was gradually refined until it spawned Michaels in the 1970's. By that point Ikea had been quietly weaponizing the concept overseas for a few decades. Their efforts have resulted in a concentrated shopping experience which warps time and space such that they have to feed shoppers or risk their death by starvation before they can escape.

Hence, the meatballs.

I just wanna defend the towels suggestion. It's nice to get good bath towels as a gift that are just a little nicer than you'd spend for yourself. They're also something a lot of (esp. young) people don't think to replace when they've gotten old and worn. Nice-ish versions of everyday things like that are good.

But food is also a solid choice. I've never been sad about getting food. (assuming you're aware of dietary restrictions, etc.)

Yep. And a good frying pan is something not many young folks will think to get, and if they get something, they'll probably get a fairly mediocre and bad one. A good one lasts a long time and can be used for frying, sautéing, broiling, and even a bit of stewing at a pinch, depending on the depth.

I think some homemade food is always a good gift, and certainly not weird or rude!

LouZiffer wrote:
Robear wrote:

$50 gift certificate to Ikea. For all the little things...

They should also remember to set aside at least 4 hours for the trip to Ikea, no matter how much money they're spending.

Department stores developed the concept of a shopping time vortex in the mid 19th century. It was gradually refined until it spawned Michaels in the 1970's. By that point Ikea had been quietly weaponizing the concept overseas for a few decades. Their efforts have resulted in a concentrated shopping experience which warps time and space such that they have to feed shoppers or risk their death by starvation before they can escape.

I have gotten Ikea down. My first trip there did eat like six hours though (was with my mom and sister-in-law and it was the first time for all three of us). I just wish there was one here in Oklahoma. The one in Texas is about an hour and a half to two hour drive each way.

Rice cooker

Mav is wise, especially if by "rice cooker" he means "Zojirushi".

Robear wrote:

Mav is wise, especially if by "rice cooker" he means "Zojirushi". :-)

And by Zojirushi, he means InstantPot.

Might I suggest one quality kitchen knife, or maybe a knife sharpener? I got this one for 40 EUR back in the day, and it also works on those cheap 8 EUR potato knives you get in the supermarket.

Delbin wrote:

Robear wrote:

Mav is wise, especially if by "rice cooker" he means "Zojirushi".

And by Zojirushi, he means InstantPot.

Zojirushi. Fight me.

Robear wrote:
Delbin wrote:

Robear wrote:

Mav is wise, especially if by "rice cooker" he means "Zojirushi".

And by Zojirushi, he means InstantPot.

Zojirushi. Fight me.

A Zojirushi, while better as making rice, doesn't do much else. With an InstantPot you have a skillet, slow cooker, pressure cooker, yogurt maker, and rice maker. The rice is still pretty damn good, but you also have the option to make lots of easy, cheaper meals. Since the gift is for someone that's moving into a shared space and can't take up a lot of counter space, a single-use appliance isn't ideal.

Zojirushi’s latest models have a slow cooker mode. But really, what I was thinking is that it’s more likely that the house does not have a rice cooker, than that it does not have a skillet or slow cooker/crock pot. That is, the less American choice is probably the one that will fill a gap in an American household.

Plus, I mean damn, Zojirushi makes *fine* rice, of all kinds and flavors.

ZO-JI-RU-SHI! ZO-JI-RU-SHI! ZO-JI-RU-SHI!

My wife just learned how to make rice in a standard pot and retired our rice cooker. She didn't learn until last year but it doesn't seem difficult. Hell, she's going to teach me and I'm an incompetent boob. Then again, she's Japanese so maybe it's an innate skill she just needed to put a point into after leveling up a bit.

I got the Zojirushi drip coffee maker, and it's great for drip coffee. So nice.

My wife switched a few years ago to making rice in a pressure cooker, and now swears by it. I don't think we even own a regular rice cooker anymore..

I make rice in the microwave. Sorry, I'll show myself out.

Spoiler:

I do though, and it's fantastic

Thanks all, I've been quiet but I have been reading the suggestions.

I got the Zojirushi drip coffee maker, and it's great for drip coffee. So nice.

I was confused because I'd never heard of the brand before reading it here, and I thought it was just a rice cooker brand. A rice cooker that makes coffee?! Madness!

I quickly realized how silly that was.

The upshot is: Zojirushi makes great appliances; slow cookers are very popular (including Sous Vide circulators); and Instant Pot pressure cookers are very well regarded too.

Can't go wrong with any of those, really.

He said cheap, good frying pans and zojirushis ain't it, lol.

Literally a $20 bill or so and a cheesy card is great when you're a broke-ass 20-something

I was gonna say, that was a really interesting insight into a snippet of the GWJ demographic When cheap means Zojirushi, you know you aren't on the same level as the average student

Well yeah, cheap for me isn't necessarily cheap for someone I'm getting the gift for.

I also say the Ikea or equivalent btw. When I moved in with a roommate out of college we had our sh*tty plastic cups for far too long. Hell, said roommate still has them last time I checked, and those things are going on 20 years old at this point.

I did kind of ignore the "cheap" part... But remember, my first recommendation was the Ikea gift cert.

A_Unicycle wrote:

What are some good, cheap(ish) house warming gifts for a 20 year-old moving out for the first time, into a share house?

You're all thinking with your grown-up heads on. Think more like a 20 year old. To whit....

Subwoofer to give their speakers some heft.
Impressively large silicone bong (glass breaks too easily for a shared house).
USB charging hub with a sh*t-ton of ports.
Donate your old barely-used-anymore electronics - tablets, consoles, phones etc.

My parents got me a George Foreman grill when I was 20 and used it practically every day until I was 26. They're like $25.00 and can be used to cook practical food or dumb junk.

Alternately, the GOOD toilet paper.

NB: a George Foreman grill should not be used as toilet paper.

BushPilot wrote:

NB: a George Foreman grill should not be used as toilet paper.

It knocks out the crap.