Best products from r/AskUK

I highly recommend the [Boss Bidet](https://www.amazon.com/BIDET-Toilet-Attachment-Cleans-Warranty/product-reviews/B06WP78R7S/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_next_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2) Before purchasing this item, I did quite a bit of research and determined that the Boss Bidet Bold Toilet Attachment was the best among competing products. I like the pull/push knob to activate the bidet and to control pressure, the positive click of the nozzle choice dial and, of course, the sleek and pleasing design of the unit. Installation was a breeze -- I am a 74 year old woman and managed to install the bidet in about 20 minutes. The bidet functions exactly as described by the seller. I am very happy that I bought it and tell my friends and family about it.

I bought a pair of these a year ago and have been very happy with them. A good product at a good price. Upgrading the insole cost another tenner. The sole is chunky enough for rocky paths, Vibram is a positive benefit and they are light and waterproof. I've never liked the idea of ankle boots and these are ideal, like a heavy duty trainer.

You can get ex military GoreTex gear fairly cheap.

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grisport-Unisex-Adult-Dartmoor-Hiking/dp/B071XRGFDV/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=grisport+shoe&qid=1573337973&refinements=p_89%3AGrisport&rnid=1642204031&s=shoes&sr=1-5

I've just recently bought a fresh batch of Ethiopian coffee from the local roaster, a nice man with a stall in the Cambridge Market. For the last few months I've been making coffee with an Aeropress - I can not recommend it enough, it's honestly the best £24 I've ever spent.

It's halfway between a French Press/cafetiere, and an espresso machine in that it uses immersion to bloom and extract the coffee, and pressure to actually get it into your cup.

Edit: my awful spelling

Anyone looking at getting away from instant coffee, or also for a nice gift, this should most certainly top the list.


Edit: Assuming you mean Americano in that you're using espresso and hot water, you'll actually get more caffeine from the drip/filter coffee! :)

Sureflap Microchip Cat Flap https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003EGIM3O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Zrl.zb057N9J0

Hope that works. I got that one when I bought my house because the reviews were great. I have two cats and was able to program it to their microchips so either of them can come and go (even if they lose a collar) but no fuzzy visitors otherwise (was an issue at the old house, where the flap was very basic.) It's been great! It was easy to teach the cats to use it, and easy to see when it needs a fresh battery.

The Aeropress if you drink coffee. It's £24 on Amazon at the moment but it has been under £20 before. https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Coffee-Tea-Espresso/Aerobie-AeroPress-80R11-Maker/B000GXZ2GS

I don't really understand how it makes such good filter coffee, it's magic or something, but it's really easy to use and makes great super-fast one cup coffee for those who want to use filter or grind their own beans but don't want to run a full coffee maker / make loads of cups / wait around.

I use one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009IMCGBW/ it is RFID blocking but has two easy slide out access slots so might suit your requirement without getting hit by card clash? It's pretty thin if you've only 3 cards in it, I hold more than that and it expands nicely.

Not for Argos, but I would strongly recommend that you check CamelCamelCamel, a price tracking website for Amazon. It allows you to see price changes over some time (up to 3 years in some cases) and consider if it is likely that a product will be discounted again later in the year - or if the discount is genuine.

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For instance, and again, looking at amazon, it does look like some of the discounts on the Xbox are genuine ( https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/Xbox-One-Forza-Horizon-console/product/B07GLJFQRF )

If you want a whole book on these kind of differences, I'd recommend Watching the English: by Kate Fox It's a great book which is a easy-to-read explanation of some of the linchpins of English culture, and will help you understand how people act differently in the UK compared to the US (one short thing the book explains in alot more detail: it is never the wrong moment to make a joke about something)

Get yoursself a Yodelling Pickle. I imagine it'll come in very handly.

It's only recently become available in the UK, but it's been on sale in the US for a while now and there are loads of positive reviews from some of the many happy customers. You can read them here.

This 2 USB wall plug

It'll merrily charge 2 devices from a single plug. Lifesaver if you travel a lot, especially to places where plug sockets are at a premium. I've suggested a few times that a stranger and I share a socket in use and both charge our phones.

If you're determined to spend that £20, plump for a 6 foot micro USB/USB C/Litening cable as required.

Barry Lewis (used to be called My Virgin Kitchen). Great, fun videos with really easy to follow instructions. He started the channel to teach himself how to cook so you kind of learn along with him. His cookbooks also give really simple but tasty recipes plus a useful glossary of what various cooking terms mean. I've just started to get more into cooking and found his stuff so useful!

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzyupPG4vdo8jd9nJ13LAw

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https://smile.amazon.co.uk/My-Virgin-Kitchen-Delicious-recipes/dp/0007544790/

Class is sort of hard to define over here, because it's more of an innate knowledge of what's high class/low class rather than anything that actually affects your life. It's more about the papers you read, the school you went to, and the way you talk than anything else. Oh, and probably the way you vote. I'd argue that it some sense it's still tied to occupation for the lower classes, but once you get to middle/upper middle the lines are blurred a lot more.

A really good book to read that might help you get a better idea of how we work would be Kate Fox's Watching The English.

Tables will elevate you from the cavemen.

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008MVYMA8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Got that one for a trip last weekend, it's a bit shonky but pretty good for £20.

Keep your eye on this Xiaomi one - there are regularly offer codes to bring it down to £30 and it's very good quality. Best feature is that you can connect wirelessly from your phone to download videos, so no faffing around with the SD card!

Edit: in fact there's a lightning deal coming up at 6:30pm tonight of this, which will probably bring it down to the £30 mark.

Dashcams are the best purchase you can make for your car, it provides an unbiased view of what happened during an accident and will save you a lot of money in the long run. I was side swiped by a van whilst I was parked and the guy drove off without stopping, came back to my car and the camera had caught it all as soon as the car moved slightly. Highly recommend getting one and don't forget to get a large SD card for it, if you chose a high quality for the video you'll only get a few hours of footage with the 32GB size.

Would also recommend getting one that has GPS tracking on it as well as it can save your arse if you need to prove that you, or rather the vehicle, was somewhere else. Shop around on Amazon, I'm using this one and don't have any complaints.

Never submitted clips to the police of twats on the road, eventually they'll crash or be caught by a camera/officer. If you need examples of why you should get one though just look at the UK dashcam compilation on YouTube, there have been some occasions where the other drive has lied through their teeth only to be proved wrong by the camera.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F5Q4F0U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_FI.gzbMM1ZMFV

It's not a solar charger, however it's an external battery. I have it, can easily charge my phone quickly 6 times over from full. Also contains a really powerful torch on the front (with an SOS flash which has been pretty unnecessary for me).

If I know that I'm going to wear them the next day I have a hook on the back of the bedroom door. I'll wear jeans for several days but everything else goes on clean each day. Somehow hoodies last for weeks!

Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premier-Housewares-Hook-Over-Hanger/dp/B00BJYVNXO

Wileyfox Swift is currently selling on Amazon for £99.99, and is a fantastic phone for the money.

Wileyfox Swift 4G Dual SIM-Free Smartphone - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014UUQUAO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_BDJlxb6M8CCYG

Yeah, signs seem to be a good bet, something like this;


https://www.amazon.com/Block-Driveway-Access-Required-Aluminum/dp/B007579K8E

I use the VAVA Dash Cam. https://www.amazon.co.uk/VAVA-Image-Sensor-1080p-Videos-x/dp/B076FVPTLN

The Nextbase 312GW is currently the second highest rated one on Which (the highest rated one is about twice the price): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nextbase-312GW-Full-1080p-Black/dp/B01ELRJW5Q

But if I were to get one nowadays, I’d probably get one from Anker, purely because I’ve had great experience with their other products, and their customer service is top notch when it comes to guarantees. Which would likely end up being this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roav-Resolution-2560X1440-Wide-Angle-Recording/dp/B072FVX74Q/

One of the main things you want in a dashcam is a GPS sensor, this will log your drive and also show your speed on the recording.

I've got a Yi Dashcam, for forty quid you really can't go wrong. You'll need a micro SD if you don't already have one laying around.

This won't solve the issue of your car being vandalised - it only works when the engine is on. However, there is a pretty good in-home security cam from the same manufacturer. Pointing this out the window at the car should be more than sufficient, it has motion detection which reliably works through a window.

some of the best curries I've had are straight from this book

These are the kind I use when I'm playing on stage, mostly because they were cheap and work well enough. Custom ones can be good but make sure they're properly designed for concerts/gigging. Normal earplugs will make the concert sound muddy and shite.

Wileyfox Swift? I was going to suggest that. I don't know anyone with one, but the specs are alright for the price and it seems to be a decent phone in general. I was seriously considering getting one a few months ago, but I wanted a smaller phone(it's not huge, I'm just picky).

OP, take a look: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wileyfox-Swift-Dual-SIM-Free-Smartphone/dp/B014UUQUAO/ref=sr_1_1?s=telephone&ie=UTF8&qid=1468544876&sr=1-1&keywords=wileyfox

Amazon is cheaper than buying direct from Wileyfox atm, but here's a link to their info page on it: https://www.wileyfox.com/swift/

Review from Android central: http://www.androidcentral.com/wileyfox-swift-review

There was a techradar review too, but it just redirects to the spark review now, which is annoying.

Edit: The android sub is probably a good place to find people who've actually tried Pokemon Go on it(or any other phone that's being suggested here), btw: /r/Android

Assuming you still have a VCR to play the tapes back, something like:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/External-USB-Video-Capture-Card/dp/B008F0SARC?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

(I'm not recommending that one, it was just the first result from Amazon.)

The standard iPhone charger is 110-230v. Just buy a 2 to 3 pin adapter, plug your charger into that and plug it into the wall.

You could also wait till you get here, buy a 3 pin USB wall charger and plug your phone into that, it'll do that same job - I've got a few of these for various things around the house and they work fine. You can buy Anker stuff on the US Amazon site too, it's good quality stuff. I only buy their cables and wall chargers now as they're cheap and bulletproof.


Either way the phone doesn't care what you plug it into. I've charged my iPhone in the US, Canada, Belgium, France... all you need is the correct plug shape and in the case of the US/Canada making sure the charger can take the voltage.

Over the door hooks are amazing. I have one in my bedroom and bathroom. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premier-Housewares-Hook-Over-Hanger/dp/B00BJYVNXO/ref=sr_1_5?crid=21AZX38H8V2TY&keywords=over+the+door+hanger&qid=1569501383&s=gateway&sprefix=over+the+do%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-5

That looks pretty decent.

I use this battery pack, which has kept my phone charged for four days when I forgot to take my mains adaptor on holiday with me

If you're literally just going to a concert getting a moulded pair is probably a bit of a pricey way to do it.

What you need really is attenuating earplugs, you can pick a reasonable pair up for about £20. I run sound systems at raves, which often means getting a bit more up close and personal with a sound system blasting sound than most, and I use the alpine music safe ones, I don't have moulded ones due to the cost, and the fact I know I'll lose them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpine-MusicSafe-Filter-Plugs-Musicians/dp/B000VO8PR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505211413&sr=8-1&keywords=attenuating+earplugs

My friend has the elacin moulded attenuating ear plugs, which he says are great, but I think they were nearly £200.

Fun fact: Places with live music are supposed to provide foam ear plugs behind the bar on request (I think its even a legal requirement), very few actually do.

The problem with foam/wax ones is that they're really designed to muffle sound so you can't hear it at all, this will make a concert sound rubbish, particularly if its a band....... its not so bad for rave events, because a lot of what people feel there is from the sound, but also the bass pressure from subs, but this doesn't really apply to band music so much. An attenuating earplug will reduce sound, but won't cut anywhere near as much of the sound frequencies out as a foam or wax earplug will.

I bought a Y! dashcam a year or so ago. Thankfully the only use I've had for it was showing my friends the video of me hitting a deer earlier today (thankfully no damage to car and deer ran off). I've reviewed videos and to me it seems like it would be good enough to get a number plate if needed.

I bought this one here.

I have this one, it's a sureflap one and is a little more expensive, but it detects the cats microchip so no need for a collar attachment. It's very good. Bought a cheaper one which let any old cat in and had lots of issues of other cats coming in. In fact one day I had it set to in only and left the hallway doors shut and got woken up to a random cat trapped running full speed into the cat flap trying to escape.

2. Detergent is detergent. The extras are packaging, including which stores it's stocked in, and perfume.
   
   
3. Staples is your best option, although branches tend to be in retail parks. For town centres, look for Rymans and, perhaps, WH Smith.
   
   
4. No idea. Ask a doctor. It may be that one or more of those are not available "over the counter", i.e. without prescription, here.
   
   
5. http://www.sirc.org/publik/pub.html and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867
   
   
6. Depends, both on whether it's a chain or an independent place, and on what you're ordering.
   
   If it's a chain, then tell them what you need, and let them figure out what they can do without their bosses being arseholes.
   
   If it's independent, then tell them what you're after, and see what happens!

I have heard good things about Watching the English.

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0340818867/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-nLCCbATQEJ9B might be worth be worth.

I bought two of these Yi Dash cams. One for the front and one for the rear. https://www.amazon.co.uk/YI-1080P60-Dashboard-G-Sensor-Recording-grey/dp/B01CXDP69G

Extras I had to buy were memory cards and a 5m extension USB cable