Swamp Shopping Guide

[cerrano]

Got a notification that the Thermapen already shipped and there’s a tracking number. (Almost don’t trust it, it was so quick).

[sancarlos]

Is this significantly different Han any other digital meat thermometer?

[mister d]

I obviously can’t speak for accuracy beyond judging relative to the end product, but that’s supposedly elite and the speed is tremendous.

[cerrano]

I have an igrill and it is good for tracking the temp remotely, but when I need to get a quick temp on something, the igrill takes a
minute or two to settle down. Thermapen is almost instant reading and seems to be used by a lot of folks for the purpose of validating other probes.

[A_B]

I don’t have a therma pen but I have a stick probe thermometer and it works fine. Didn’t cost sixty bucks. No one has gotten food poisoning.

[sancarlos]

I don’t have a therma pen but I have a stick probe thermometer and it works fine. Didn’t cost sixty bucks. No one has gotten food poisoning.

Exactly

[duff]

I don’t have a therma pen but I have a stick probe thermometer and it works fine. Didn’t cost sixty bucks. No one has gotten food poisoning.

Exactly

But stick probe endorsed candy thermometer for top kitchen thermometer. Obviously it can't do the job.

[BSF21]

I don’t have a therma pen but I have a stick probe thermometer and it works fine. Didn’t cost sixty bucks. No one has gotten food poisoning.

Exactly

But stick probe endorsed candy thermometer for top kitchen thermometer. Obviously it can't do the job.

That's ridiculous. Candy thermometer has only been in the drawer a few years sure, but has shown great promise. I don't know why we're being so critical of candy thermometer off the jump because it's only managed a shitty small 80,000 batch of caramels.

[Steve of phpBB]

We're looking to buy an Apple Watch. Has anyone here bought one? Anything I need to know?

Right now we're planning not to get one with cellular, because we'd always have our phones with us when wearing the watch.

If we don't have cellular, can we use the watch for phone calls if a phone is in a pocket? For example, if I'm riding my bike and my kid calls, I'd like to be able to answer without removing the phone from its mount. Is that something I can do with a non-cellular Apple Watch?

[A_B]

You can use the watch for the phone call if it’s in range.

I have the cellular but I wanted to not have to take my phone with me on walks and such or keep it with me at Office all day.

[Steve of phpBB]

You can use the watch for the phone call if it’s in range.

I have the cellular but I wanted to not have to take my phone with me on walks and such or keep it with me at Office all day.

Thanks. What did you do regarding the data plan? Just add another device to your phone plan, or was it something separate? And what does that cost?

[Brontoburglar]

You can use the watch for the phone call if it’s in range.

I have the cellular but I wanted to not have to take my phone with me on walks and such or keep it with me at Office all day.

Thanks. What did you do regarding the data plan? Just add another device to your phone plan, or was it something separate? And what does that cost?

You add a device to your phone line and add the call forwarding to the watch. It's not terribly expensive -- I think mine regular price through Verizon would be like $10 or something.

The nice thing about the cellular too is that it will also pair with your bluetooth headphones so you can go for a run/walk/work outside and listen to podcasts or stream music without having to have your phone on you.

I got one for Christmas and I love it. I've become obsessed with closing out my exercise/calorie burn rings every day (which isn't that bad when you can count dog walks as exercise). It's also nice to be able to answer calls without knowing where my phone is in the house and you can also do two-factor authentication unlocking with the watch.

[A_B]

You can use the watch for the phone call if it’s in range.

I have the cellular but I wanted to not have to take my phone with me on walks and such or keep it with me at Office all day.

Thanks. What did you do regarding the data plan? Just add another device to your phone plan, or was it something separate? And what does that cost?

You add a device to your phone line and add the call forwarding to the watch. It's not terribly expensive -- I think mine regular price through Verizon would be like $10 or something.

The nice thing about the cellular too is that it will also pair with your bluetooth headphones so you can go for a run/walk/work outside and listen to podcasts or stream music without having to have your phone on you.

I got one for Christmas and I love it. I've become obsessed with closing out my exercise/calorie burn rings every day (which isn't that bad when you can count dog walks as exercise). It's also nice to be able to answer calls without knowing where my phone is in the house and you can also do two-factor authentication unlocking with the watch.

Bro to hits all the high points. Downside for me is it has to be charged daily.

[Brontoburglar]

yeah -- I either don't sleep with it on or charge it as I drink my coffee in the morning. the upside is if you charge it every 24 hours or so it takes 30-45 minutes to charge fully so it's not *that* much of an inconvenience.

(I have not started the sleep monitoring with it)

[Steve of phpBB]

Thanks. This has been really helpful.

Do any of yall know if one watch can be paired to two separate phones? (Not at the same time.) The plan is for my wife to wear it most of the time, but I'd wear it while out bike riding.

I assume it can, but would like to check.

[A_B]

Thanks. This has been really helpful.

Do any of yall know if one watch can be paired to two separate phones? (Not at the same time.) The plan is for my wife to wear it most of the time, but I'd wear it while out bike riding.

I assume it can, but would like to check.

I don't think that is the intended use nor even if it is possible. I think you would have to reregister it to the phone each time which would become a hassle.

However, ATT was offering a buy one get one free on the SE model as of last Sunday. Of course, I do not know if you use ATT.

[Steve of phpBB]

Thanks. This has been really helpful.

Do any of yall know if one watch can be paired to two separate phones? (Not at the same time.) The plan is for my wife to wear it most of the time, but I'd wear it while out bike riding.

I assume it can, but would like to check.

I don't think that is the intended use nor even if it is possible. I think you would have to reregister it to the phone each time which would become a hassle.

However, ATT was offering a buy one get one free on the SE model as of last Sunday. Of course, I do not know if you use ATT.

I do use ATT. I will check that out.

[Brontoburglar]

it can only be paired to one phone in that instance -- it's basically an extension of your phone on your wrist

[Steve of phpBB]

Thanks again.

The ATT deal requires us to get another line, etc., and we aren't about to do that.

The plan is to buy my wife a new Series 6 watch now, and then possibly get another cheaper or older or used watch for me to use while biking.

[Brontoburglar]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

[Steve of phpBB]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

The AT&T deal was to buy one watch and get a second cheap or free, but you have to add a line - I assume to your already-existing plan. I don't want to do that.

I don't think either of us needs the cellular watch since we always have our phones with us. My running days are long behind me, so it's just hiking or biking, so we have pockets and packs and whatever.

My wife will get the new phone and have the benefit of the step counting and things like that, and I can get away with an older phone because all I need is something I can talk through or look at while I'm on a bike.

[Brontoburglar]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

The AT&T deal was to buy one watch and get a second cheap or free, but you have to add a line - I assume to your already-existing plan. I don't want to do that.

I don't think either of us needs the cellular watch since we always have our phones with us. My running days are long behind me, so it's just hiking or biking, so we have pockets and packs and whatever.

My wife will get the new phone and have the benefit of the step counting and things like that, and I can get away with an older phone because all I need is something I can talk through or look at while I'm on a bike.

you need to add a line for each watch if you're buying from ATT/Verizon/TMobile etc. In this case, the "line" is the $10 a month for the data plan for the watch.

if you don't want the cellular for the watch, then go through amazon/apple/costco/any other third party provider. that way you just pair it to the phone via bluetooth and no cellular service on the watch.

and are you talking about phones, watches or both? (just want to be clear on your usage of phone in the second graph)

[Steve of phpBB]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

The AT&T deal was to buy one watch and get a second cheap or free, but you have to add a line - I assume to your already-existing plan. I don't want to do that.

I don't think either of us needs the cellular watch since we always have our phones with us. My running days are long behind me, so it's just hiking or biking, so we have pockets and packs and whatever.

My wife will get the new phone and have the benefit of the step counting and things like that, and I can get away with an older phone because all I need is something I can talk through or look at while I'm on a bike.

you need to add a line for each watch if you're buying from ATT/Verizon/TMobile etc. In this case, the "line" is the $10 a month for the data plan for the watch.

if you don't want the cellular for the watch, then go through amazon/apple/costco/any other third party provider. that way you just pair it to the phone via bluetooth and no cellular service on the watch.

and are you talking about phones, watches or both? (just want to be clear on your usage of phone in the second graph)

Yeah, that last part of my post was f'd up. We have phones; we are buying watches. My wife will get a new one, and I'll get by with an older/used one. Hell, my phone is a 6, an old watch will fit right in.

[A_B]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

The AT&T deal was to buy one watch and get a second cheap or free, but you have to add a line - I assume to your already-existing plan. I don't want to do that.

I don't think either of us needs the cellular watch since we always have our phones with us. My running days are long behind me, so it's just hiking or biking, so we have pockets and packs and whatever.

My wife will get the new phone and have the benefit of the step counting and things like that, and I can get away with an older phone because all I need is something I can talk through or look at while I'm on a bike.

you need to add a line for each watch if you're buying from ATT/Verizon/TMobile etc. In this case, the "line" is the $10 a month for the data plan for the watch.

if you don't want the cellular for the watch, then go through amazon/apple/costco/any other third party provider. that way you just pair it to the phone via bluetooth and no cellular service on the watch.

and are you talking about phones, watches or both? (just want to be clear on your usage of phone in the second graph)

Yeah, that last part of my post was f'd up. We have phones; we are buying watches. My wife will get a new one, and I'll get by with an older/used one. Hell, my phone is a 6, an old watch will fit right in.

Shoot will a 6 even support an apple watch?

[Steve of phpBB]

they required you to get another phone line or get two data lines for the two watches?

eta: if you buy a watch with cellular service from a provider you can't just buy the watch. you have to buy the plan that goes with it (which you'd need anyway in those instances where you'd take it outside without your phone)

The AT&T deal was to buy one watch and get a second cheap or free, but you have to add a line - I assume to your already-existing plan. I don't want to do that.

I don't think either of us needs the cellular watch since we always have our phones with us. My running days are long behind me, so it's just hiking or biking, so we have pockets and packs and whatever.

My wife will get the new phone and have the benefit of the step counting and things like that, and I can get away with an older phone because all I need is something I can talk through or look at while I'm on a bike.

you need to add a line for each watch if you're buying from ATT/Verizon/TMobile etc. In this case, the "line" is the $10 a month for the data plan for the watch.

if you don't want the cellular for the watch, then go through amazon/apple/costco/any other third party provider. that way you just pair it to the phone via bluetooth and no cellular service on the watch.

and are you talking about phones, watches or both? (just want to be clear on your usage of phone in the second graph)

Yeah, that last part of my post was f'd up. We have phones; we are buying watches. My wife will get a new one, and I'll get by with an older/used one. Hell, my phone is a 6, an old watch will fit right in.

Shoot will a 6 even support an apple watch?

According to the website, yes. It operates on iOS 14.

I'll probably upgrade to an 8 at some point. My daughter has an old one that stopped getting WiFi. As in, you can't even turn the wifi switch on - it's grayed out. She has long since replaced it, so I'm hoping that if we totally wipe it and update the software, that will fix the problem.

Otherwise I can buy used from our local Bad Apple.

[Ryan]

I think the 6 is no good but the 6s is

[Steve of phpBB]

I think the 6 is no good but the 6s is

Mine is a 6S Plus.

[mister d]

Penzey's giving you free shipping (versus $9!) for buying yourself a gift card seems like a pretty glaring loophole.

[sancarlos]

Penzey's giving you free shipping (versus $9!) for buying yourself a gift card seems like a pretty glaring loophole.

We are big Penzey’s fans! At Christmastime, my wife bought $50 gift cards from them for $35.

[mister d]

My local store closed a few years ago and it was devastating.

[The Sybian]

My local store closed a few years ago and it was devastating.

Springfield Ave in Summit? Loved that store

[mister d]

Yup, kids could color while I shopped and talked to the only guy who ever seemed to work the counter there.

[The Sybian]

Yup, kids could color while I shopped and talked to the only guy who ever seemed to work the counter there.

Now that I think about, you turned me on to that store. I moved on to Savory Spice in Westfield. I love spending an hour sampling everything. Then buying way too many things. I’m overdue to go back, probably can’t sample anymore...

[mister d]

Finally got noise cancelling headphones figuring the savings on skipping even a very irregular commute has added up. Super weird at first, like if you're filling the Brita or something and the associated noise just doesn't exist now.

[mister d]

Anyone have belts they really, really love?

[A_B]

Anyone have belts they really, really love?

Duluth trading company.

I have both of the black and brown lifetime belts.Black one I've had longer but is still in good shape. Now, losing 40 pounds had me drill an extra hole in it, but if I stay at this weight I may re-invest.

[blundercrush]

Finally got noise cancelling headphones figuring the savings on skipping even a very irregular commute has added up. Super weird at first, like if you're filling the Brita or something and the associated noise just doesn't exist now.

They are a fucking godsend in airports/on flights. I don't ever want to go back to using regular headphones. They make a huge difference for how I feel at the end of the flight.

I wear headphones at work and playing games, I literally wear my Bose QuiteComfort headphones 8+ hours a day, almost every day and have for the last few years. I've had to replace the ear cups a couple times but otherwise, they fit my head incredibly well. 100000% percent worth the cost.

[blundercrush]

Anyone have belts they really, really love?

I've been pretty happy with Beckett Simononhttps://www.beckettsimonon.com/?variant=undefined and their belts (and shoes)

Word of warning, they aren't kidding around about the wait time, it's 3-4 months before you get the shoes, but I am very happy with the quality for the price.

[mister d]

Interesting ... I was going to get them from the same place I get shoes (Thursday) but wanted to check on the pricing. They're pretty much identical.

[rass]

I can't remember exactly why* I decided to try a non-traditional belt, but I bought this in 2017 and was pretty happy with it. Not that buckling a belt is all that intensive, but that thing is so satisfyingly easy. By the time I stopped wearing actual pants every day about 3 years later it was a little cracked but not noticeable in use and only $20, so...


*probably bought really cheap belts and they kept wearing down/breaking in the same way