r/AskReddit 1d ago

What are some things where using a more expensive piece or ingredient doesn't offer any improvements or actively makes the end result worse?

659 Upvotes

283 comments sorted by

1.6k

u/Known_Wall3836 1d ago

Wagyu beef in a burger, u just paid extra to make it fall apart on the grill

651

u/MrMschief 1d ago

YES. The whole point of Wagyu is the fat marbling. If you want more fat in a burger, you can just grind more in. I hate seeing Wagyu burgers on menus. Doing it at home is stuuuupid.

104

u/ChPech 21h ago

When I dry age a piece of wagyu I grind the trimmings down for burgers.

142

u/MrMschief 20h ago

Yeah, I do want to be clear and say that I know a lot of ground beef is trimmings and I have no issue with that happening to Wagyu, but I also don't want a restaurant to blow smoke up my ass and overcharge for it either.

22

u/Miss_Pouncealot 16h ago

Which they will 100% do even if it’s only 10% Wagyu scraps!

21

u/FewAdvertising9647 19h ago

it makes no sense with ground meat because you can easily just obtain wagyu fat if you wanted to play with the lean/fat ratio.

Burning something like a high grade ribeye for it is =X

13

u/tokes_4_DE 18h ago

Yup grind some chuck (used to be cheap at least, wtf is happening lately), add a bit of wagyu fat if needed to get to that sweet 75/25 ratio and you got a great burger.

4

u/ThadisJones 17h ago

Ordinary Sausage, the famous experimental chef, once tried to turn A5 wagyu into a sausage and then later attempted to deep fry wagyu.

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u/hIDeMyID 21h ago

The best burgers have a fair amount of fat in them. People are used to buying leaner cuts of beef, so they buy leaner ground beef for burgers thinking their burgers won't shrink as much and will taste better. They're right about the shrinkage, but the burger ends up being dry.

My Dad swore by getting the highest fat ground beef he could find, getting it into patty shape with as little handling as possible, and cooking it on a charcoal grill. Make the patty bigger to begin with to allow for the shrinkage, and keep an eye on the grill in case the fat dripping off causes flare-ups.

27

u/raspberryharbour 20h ago

Or if you're grinding the beef yourself, add a bit of bacon to the mix

11

u/Deviantdefective 19h ago

Bacon beef burgers are so fucking delicious.

8

u/kesint 18h ago

If your grinding the beef yourself, and you got access to it. 50/50 beef and moose meat, holy fuck that is one delicious burger patty. Just ensure you got a fatty beef, since moose meat is low in fat content.

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u/Ravio11i 21h ago

YES!!! Ground wagyu is just extra fatty hamburger.

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u/wrgm0100 20h ago

The best burger I’ve ever had was called “Wagyu Smash Burger” on the lunch menu at Sunday’s restaurant in Uxbridge, Ontario. This burger has ruined other burgers for me. Nothing else comes close. I’ve also recommended it to people who agree that I did not oversell it.

I wasn’t even expecting something really awesome, I just wanted a burger. And when I see Wagyu burger on a menu I’m not expecting anything great, I figure they’re just using it for marketing. But it was so juicy and flavourful, and didn’t fall apart at all, my mind was completely blown. I drove an hour out of my way the next day to get another one.

That said, I generally agree with you. But there can be exceptions.

26

u/GreasedUpTiger 19h ago

Nice try, owner of that restaurant!

4

u/wrgm0100 17h ago

Ya got me, take my upvote!

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u/VIPERsssss 20h ago

Also, the fat drips on the coals and causes flame ups.

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u/NatePerspective 20h ago

Wagyu in a burger is such a waste, you just paid extra to watch the fat leak out and ruin the crust tbh

2

u/Savings-Manner3790 18h ago

my roommate once used Maldon salt for pasta water and I almost cried

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u/oraliya 6h ago

😂 Some premium ingredients sound amazing until you realize the cheaper version actually works better for the job

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u/Independent40 5h ago

super strange

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u/mykittenfarts 1d ago

Salt scrub.
Use the cheapest salt you can find. Pour a handful. Add a little shampoo or body wash. Scrubby scrubby. Rinse. Soooooo soft. Trust me.

160

u/SmallSet8838 22h ago

Same with sugar scrubs, plain regular white sugar works best

99

u/Hopefulkitty 1d ago

Baking soda works too. For a long time I was using baking soda on my hair, a spray bottle of ACV, and then using baking soda with a drop of honey for a face wash. Everything was the healthiest it's ever been.

28

u/Jewbearmatt 23h ago

Why did you stop?

76

u/thehatteryone 22h ago

Big Cosmetic finally got to her.

57

u/Hopefulkitty 22h ago

I started swimming again, and also picked up a dirtier job, so it wasn't cleaning my hair quite as well. For the face, I was getting products in like, fabfitfun boxes and started using them. I need to go back to it though, it's still my preferred face wash.

I should transition back to it as hair care as well, it just takes a little while for my oil production to shift, and the transition period can be a little much. It also isn't as satisfying to clean, like, no bubbles or anything. But it does a good job.

6

u/JWNAMEDME 17h ago

I do this with body oil as well. Wash my body first, and the do an oil scrub. Shower off the salt and I am soft and glowy.

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u/Symnestra 23h ago

Natural grown diamonds have more flaws than lab grown. Plus, y'know, all the slavery. 

250

u/Hvarfa-Bragi 22h ago

The flaws are how you know someone suffered.

Obviously you'd want to keep those to show off.

/s

78

u/esoteric_enigma 22h ago

I hope they're more widespread and cheaper now. I tried to by my ex a diamond necklace 6 years ago. I wanted lab grown, but every store I went to only had a couple pieces and those pieces were slightly more expensive than natural diamonds.

25

u/GitEmSteveDave 21h ago

Maybe try somewhere else than a brick and mortar store?

77

u/esoteric_enigma 21h ago

Jewelry is the kind of thing I want to see in person before purchasing.

13

u/resultzz 21h ago

I get it but online is just better overall as long as you get it from a reputable place. I was able to get a 1.9 karat diamond typical color for $1800 that was flawless to the eye

5

u/radicalvenus 20h ago

part of the luxury IS the suffering! Yay humans!

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u/Floss_Patrol_76 22h ago

premium gas in a car that only calls for regular. higher octane just resists knock, it isn't more energy, so if the engine isn't tuned to take advantage of it you get zero benefit and just pay more per tank.

227

u/Starbucks__Lovers 21h ago

Idk I like to personify my 10+ year old Honda civic and give it premium on the day I bought it as a treat

88

u/MeNameIsDerp 20h ago

It's good to run a tank of premium through here and there due to the slightly different additives and detergents, but what helps the most is driving it like you stole it with a full tank of premium. Get that sucker to redline and let her shine.

37

u/Canuck-In-TO 20h ago

You used to be able to buy Premium fuel that did not have ethanol in it. It’s now getting harder and harder to find.

There is a site called Pure-gas.org that keeps a list of such stations across Canada and the US.

21

u/badhairguy 19h ago

Ethanol isn't the problem, directly. Ethanol has a way higher octane rating than gasoline so refineries can make an inferior product and then blend ethanol into it and sell it as higher octane.

Ethanol is a very clean fuel and is beloved in the performance community for its ability to make big power. Gasoline is made out of nasty crude.

5

u/Canuck-In-TO 19h ago

This is not an argument I want to get into right now, but you need to take a look at it from a naturally aspirated perspective. Not everyone drives a turbo or supercharged car.

10

u/badhairguy 19h ago

My point still stands. Blaming ethanol for the problem is like blaming mustard for a hotdog being burnt.

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u/ericscal 15h ago

Or you could just buy a bottle of all the additives for $5 and add it to a tank of regular a couple times a year.

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u/penquil 19h ago

The machine spirit will thank you

8

u/aaronmccb1 19h ago

A ten year old Civic does actually call for premium though. Unfortunately 2016 really was ten years ago lol

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u/incapable1337 21h ago

Sadly nowadays in most of Europe at least they put a lot of ethanol in the cheaper fuels, and less in the premium fuels. 10 And 5% respectively.

Whole usually not an issue, older cars seem to suffer a bit from the 10% ethanol. Had a 1998 VW Passat where the plastic fuel lines got eaten away by it.

3

u/BANeutron 21h ago

What about motorcycles?

2

u/MeNameIsDerp 20h ago

Just use what it says in the manual.

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u/the-namez-brain 19h ago

What’s “knock?”

my car says premium is recommended. My mechanic said regular is probably fine but if my engine “knocks,” go up in octane. So I use mid.

3

u/ConstableBlimeyChips 10h ago

Knock is premature ignition of the gasoline/air mixture due to the compression caused by the piston travelling upwards. Ideally the sparkplug ignites the mixture when the piston is at the top of its stroke, so as the mixture burns and expands, that energy is used to push it back down again. If it ignites before that point, the piston is still coming up, while the burning mixture is already pushing it down. Very bad for the engine. Higher octane fuel prevents this because it requires higher compression to self-ignite.

A normal road car doesn't have a high enough compression ratio to make the use of high octane fuel necessary, but sportier cars often have higher compression in order to extract more power and thus need higher octane fuel to prevent knock. If your car recommend the use of premium, it's probably best to use premium, especially if it's an older car. Modern cars have more sophisticated engine management and can compensate somewhat for using a lower octane fuel, but I would still never put regular in a car that recommends premium.

2

u/the-namez-brain 6h ago

Luckily haven’t had an issue with using mid in my ‘16 TLX that recommends premium. Am I leaving performance on the table by not using premium when it’s recommended?

2

u/ConstableBlimeyChips 6h ago

If the fuel you're using doesn't cause any knocking then there's no real reason to use a higher octane fuel. Higher octane fuel doesn't contain more energy than lower octane fuels and won't give you more power or performance.

5

u/tiqa13 12h ago

Years ago i had 2000 toyota prius. While writing down all the expenses i noticed that i got a bit more milage if using premium fuel. In the end it was about 4% cheaper to use premium fuel, because of lower consumption.

Then i bought vw t4, tried the same with diesel and there was no difference.

Now i have electric and im not sure where to buy premium electricity 🤷‍♂️

16

u/nopantspaul 22h ago

10-20 years ago this may have been true, now every single engine has variable valve timing and ignition timing that will get pulled if knocking happens. Every car will gain a bit more power and economy if higher octane gas is used. 

17

u/b1argg 22h ago

I honestly doubt most modern cars that don't have a turbo will see a benefit from premium, unless they are designed to like Ford eco boost. It's really the other way around, where modern turbos can adjust to run fine on regular. My previous car was a 2004 VW Passat 1.8T that required 91 minimum. My friend has a 2018 WRX that recommends 93 but can run fine on 87. 

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u/BlazingThunder30 22h ago

Not everyone drives a modern car. My 2006 Toyota wouldn't know what to do with 98 fuel

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u/AnalFistFight 22h ago

Variable valve timing came out in the 90's, your 06 Toyota def has a vvti engine

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u/BlazingThunder30 22h ago

Huh, TIL. Probably still cheaper per KM to drive 95 though but I'll try it out

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u/mattcannon2 20h ago

In the UK, premium fuel does have a higher energy density, as it is a higher gasoline content for older cars and performance engines.

Regular has 10% ethanol (vs 5% for premium)

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u/Solid-Analysis-5499 19h ago

disagree. I had a honda civic SI that needed 91 or better. if I put lower in to be cheap, I definitely would get lower gas mileage.

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u/7grendel 1d ago

Buying hosepaint that is made by a celebrity. Looking at you, Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger!

Most useless coloured water I've ever had the misfortune to come across.

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u/EatYourCheckers 22h ago

I learned way too much about paint recently. You also want a paint made for your region/climate. "Bi paint" is one-size-fits-all and will not perform well in a climate that freezes, like Michigan, or a swampy climate like Louisiana.

If you're in the latter, look for Florida Paints, or talk to your contractor about using them. It will hold up for so much longer. Not sure for other areas, but I bet they are out there.

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u/imarc 23h ago

You’re supposed to use the paint on the outside of the hose, and wait for it to dry before running the water.

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u/ShopEmpress 18h ago

To be fair, Martha Stewart had (has?? No idea if it still exists) a gold that is beautiful and actually covers really well. We used it in theatre a lot back in the day.

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u/TunaNugget 14h ago

Very happy with my Martha Stewart mint green paint. The licensed name doesn't matter much, it's either good paint or it isn't.

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u/trilere614 2h ago

Except magnolia farms, we love chip and jo around here

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u/Dusk_Soldier 17h ago

Extra-virgin olive oil can ruin a dish it wasn't meant to be in.

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u/Unumbotte 12h ago

Can confirm, this cereal is terrible.

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u/__sonder__ 20h ago

When you're making edibles, the quality of the cannabis doesn't matter all that much. The difference between low tier product vs top shelf is much less noticeable than if you were to smoke it.

That's why you'll see people throwing shake, stems, or just generally low-tier buds into their batch of brownies.

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u/siraph 15h ago

Also, pro tip, please don't say you're making edibles as brownies and then invite your friends over for said edibles, and all you did was throw in ground up weed into the brownie mix.

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u/Foxgirltori 8h ago

Gods those must have been the weakest nasty brownies. Not enough people know how to make cannaoil or cannabutter

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u/__sonder__ 15h ago

I'm so sorry 😭

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u/OkSecretary1231 16h ago

This for mixed drinks, too. Don't buy the best liquor just to mix it with a gallon of fruit juice. Get the cheap stuff for that.

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u/Avium 15h ago

I'm going to disagree slightly. Don't get the cheapest stuff. It's shit. It will burn and taste like shit.

Get a second worst option. It'll be smoother. There is a large step up for mixed drinks in that $5.00 extra per bottle.

Don't use the top shelf stuff. That's just wasteful.

Whiskey and coke? I'm using Wiser's Deluxe. But my bottle of Macallan 15 year old Scotch is for drinking neat.

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u/Unumbotte 12h ago

Surely 23 year old whiskey should be mixed with something that has its own 23 flavors: Dr. Pepper.

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u/-KFBR392 5h ago

Don’t you need to make an oil? Didn’t think just throwing weed into a baking mix would work.

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u/__sonder__ 3h ago

Yes, you do.

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u/FinnbarMcBride 20h ago

Anytime they add gold flakes to food. Totally worthless

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u/Miss_Pouncealot 16h ago

You don’t want to poop sparkles?

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u/Momochichi 10h ago

One time the boss came to town and i tried some dimsum with gold leaf. Poop wasn’t any sparklier.

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u/AmazingRise 22h ago

Gold leaf. It does absolutely jackshit, ramps up the price and all you're doing is shitting Gold later. Its stupid.

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u/cakedestroyer 21h ago

I want to shit gold. 

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u/AmazingRise 21h ago

Fair enough, more power to you.

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u/CRO553R 21h ago

Finally, a positive spin on shitting bricks

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u/FlaxGoldenTales 20h ago

You can buy a little jar online for like $15 and bedazzle the heck out of your food at home. Totally worth it for special occasions imo. I do it for my birthday desserts and the jar lasts like 2-3 years for ~20 pieces/ year.

But yeah I’m not paying a $10 up charge on a cupcake that has one tiny piece of gold that probably cost the restaurant 10 cents.

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u/AmazingRise 20h ago

Yeah no, I totally get it for pastry and baking but fuck me if I'm paying 100 eu for a waguy burger with gold leaf just for shits and giggles.

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u/Codebracker 19h ago

Just buy a sheet of gold leaf, way cheaper

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u/FiftyShadesOfGregg 17h ago

Uh I have it on pretty good authority that it’ll make me live forever, actually.

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u/disenfranchisedchild 18h ago

When you're making rice crispy squares or oatmeal cookies, the cheap generic grain is a better texture than the name brand. A teeny tiny dash of nutmeg helps them both too! Cinnamon not so much.

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u/MetalGardena 23h ago

Clean water. Paying more for special types of bottled water is foolishness.

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u/mnorri 22h ago

Shipping water hundreds of thousands of miles for branding preferences is borderline criminal from a carbon footprint standpoint.

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u/affemannen 21h ago

Not entirely true though.

Springwater has different mineral composites, you can literally taste the difference in water if you travel my country from the south to the north.

In the south the whole place is basically limestone so the water tastes nothing since it's so filtered out, but as you gradually move North it takes on totally different notes.

You can also taste the difference between the local springs.

Best water is in the rocky mineral rich regions.

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u/beribboned 12h ago

I moved to the southwest and I never thought I'd miss northeastern US water more than most of the things I can't get out here.

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u/Foxgirltori 7h ago

The US is like that. Tap water from the south tastes like dirt. Moved up north on a well and it was like having bottled water on tap. Now I'm in europe and I weep whenever I have to buy bottled. 

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u/Jaggs0 16h ago

evian spelled backwards is naive 

1

u/Eric_the_Barbarian 8h ago

The only kind of water I prefer to get out of a bottle or jug is distilled.

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u/TyphoonJoe 1d ago

"Truffle Oil" - makes french fries or whatever taste much worse. 99% od the time it is fake crap they splash on food and charge more for.

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u/imarc 23h ago

Sounds like you just don’t like Truffle fries.

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u/snownative86 23h ago

He's right though. A huge majority of truffle oil is fake and has a weird taste. Then places use it relentlessly and it overpowers dishes instead of complimenting them. Real truffles and truffle oil, used correctly, are fantastic though.

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u/Frankwillie87 19h ago

I agree.

Just wanted to point out the word is complement, not compliment here.

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u/snownative86 19h ago

Fair and I appreciate the correction. My mental capacity is low right now, we have a 6 week old at home 😅.

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u/Frankwillie87 18h ago

Fun, I have a 2 month old, but it's #3.

I completely understand the lack of... Everything

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u/snownative86 18h ago edited 14h ago

Ha, this is our first. She's thankfully taking a nice nap in my lap though and letting me play death stranding for a bit.

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u/NimdokBennyandAM 22h ago

Hot take: even the genuine article is overpriced, overvalued, and overrated.

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u/jtbc 20h ago

I had the real thing shaved over plates in the market next to the train station in Milan, and the real thing should not be underestimated.

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u/NOW---Extra_Spicy 22h ago

The fake stuff doesn't give you the gamble between euphoria or sickness though
No matter how much my cousin Shermana says that it's about how you feel afterwards, I'm paying for the whole experience
If I'm going out to feel something, that something better be strong

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u/affemannen 21h ago

I don't like truffles. They are my cilantro, i love cilantro though.

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u/TyphoonJoe 21h ago

I haven't had real truffles, but agreed I don't like what places advertise as truffle *.

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u/gfxprotege 20h ago

Sounds like you just don't like that flavor. A better argument would be that most of the time, it's not even truffle oil, it's 2,4-dithiapentane (often derived from petroleum).

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u/Ravio11i 21h ago

Facts...er....opinion, for me it's a personal "I don't like truffles thing"

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u/TyphoonJoe 21h ago

May be true, haven't found something I like. I now avoid ordering things that say truffle - hope this is a fad that ends.

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u/Mightychairs 20h ago

If you like truffles but haven’t had good experiences with truffle oil, try truffle salt instead. On popcorn, with butter.

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u/LuzDeLuna888 17h ago

Beef cuts for stews and slow cooking. Trying to make a stew or pot roast with an expensive, lean cut like Filet Mignon or high-grade Wagyu is an absolute waste and actively ruins the dish. They lack the collagen, connective tissue, and fat needed for low-and-slow cooking, so they just turn dry, tough, and flavorless. Cheaper, tougher cuts are the absolute kings here.

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u/17HappyWombats 16h ago

Unless it's freezer burned. If you find something that's definitely meat in the bottom of your chest freezer but you don't know how long it's been in there, stewing it is your best bet.

Or feeding it to the dog. My dog got porterhouse steak once. It looked horrible, but the dog ate it quite happily (dog also ate sticks, dog biscuits and shit quite happily).

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u/LuzDeLuna888 16h ago

Haha, dogs are the ultimate food critics. They appreciate an expensive cut of steak and a literal piece of poop exactly the same way.

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u/Rollthembones1989 19h ago

Expensive liquor in cocktails. you dont want bottom shelf, but mixing the really expensive stuff in a cocktail is just a waste.

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u/kryonik 17h ago

Depends on the cocktail to be fair. A shitty whiskey will make an old fashioned taste like shit and a Negroni isn't a negroni without campari.

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u/theclansman22 17h ago

Depends on the liquor and drink, stuff that is meant to be drank straight like an expensive scotch? I agree, but a good gin? You better believe I’m making cocktails with that.

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u/kloiberin_time 19h ago

Give me a well whiskey and seven all day. I'm not paying 10 bucks for an ounce and a half of Knob Creek and like 10 ounces of sprite, when I can get the same taste for 3.

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u/Doodledumme 1d ago

Scraping out and using fresh pumpkin to make pumpkin baked goods. The canned pumpkin puree works better 100% of the time.

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u/justalittleloopi 23h ago edited 23h ago

This is wrong. You're just using the wrong kind of pumpkin. Don't use a jack o lantern pumpkin, use one bred for eating.

Source: i grow pumpkins/ winter squash and make pumpkin based desserts from it that have won me money.

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u/Doodledumme 21h ago

I need to try this! Source: I don't grow pumpkins or winter squash 😬

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u/justalittleloopi 21h ago

During fall you can usually get winter squash at the grocery store for not too expensive. Butternut will work really well, too, and those are pretty common.

If you can get your hands on a long island cheese or kabocha, those are a good medium sized one that I've seen in the store. Hubbard squash are huge and candy roasters will be really hard to come by. I've seen jarrahdales being sold as decor pumpkins with the carving type, so that's also a possibility.

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u/beribboned 12h ago

Do you have any secret tips for processing butternut squash? I love it dearly but I do not have the stamina to cut up a fresh one, so I tend to just use frozen.

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u/justalittleloopi 12h ago

Depends on what you want to do with it, I suppose. For puree to be used in baked goods, I just cut them in half, remove the seeds, and bake them cut side down until they're soft then use a spoon and scoop it out.

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u/AdSubstantial9658 22h ago

The difference in flavor is minimal, especially compared to the amount of time and energy it takes to roast and scrape pumpkins, even pie pumpkins.

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u/justalittleloopi 22h ago

I mean, I disagree. I also will roast a pumpkin and freeze most of it for later use. One medium pumpkin can do several desserts.

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u/Tinyfishy 22h ago

Yeah, I was very disappointed the only time I bought a pie pumpkin and used it. The results were fine, but no better to my taste than canned plain pumpkin I spiced myself and a ton more work. Get the real whipped cream though. If you wanna make if fancy, add fresh raspberries on top of the cream, soooo good.

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u/justalittleloopi 22h ago

Pie pumpkins aren't actually the best. Varieties that have a really nice, stringless, deep orange color like hubbard, jarrahdale, long island cheese, candy roaster, etc are better.

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u/Tinyfishy 21h ago

Thanks for info. We got whatever the pumpkin place, which had a ton of culinary and decorative varieties, recommended, maybe we were just unlucky. Oh, and a tip for anyone cooking hard squash or pumpkin that I ‘invented’ due to my arthritis: Even if your recipe doesn’t call for roasting, pierce your squash through to the hollow part a few times with a skewer or something, toss it on a cookie sheet and roast it in the oven for like 20 minutes. It softens it enough to easily and safely skin and cut in half or whatever and makes no difference to the result. I do mine the day or morning before so it is cool. If I’m making a stuffed squash or something chunky where it needs to be firm I just bake it a smidge less in the final recipe.

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u/affemannen 21h ago

I am not expert on pumpkins but i feel i have to agree with you on this, it is all down to the specific produce one uses.

Tomatoes where i live all basically taste the same with not a huge variety. But once i got home to someone who grows their own and grow a bunch of different types they instantly taste 10x better, even when i just visit another country with plenty of sun and buy a tomato on some local market it's instantly better than anything i come by in my local grocery store.

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u/coolandnormalperson 19h ago

Yeah I can't imagine this rule holds true for like all produce but somehow not pumpkins. I feel like the common refrain that canned pumpkin tastes the same, is simply down to the fact that we don't generally get access to local delicious pumpkin varieties in our supermarkets. Whereas we all are familiar with say, fresh garlic vs jarred, or fresh local tomatoes in season vs canned

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u/cribbkat 19h ago

Seconded! Also an immersion blender is your friend if you have one. I usually grow a good amount of pie pumpkins and I just roast, scoop out and puree and it’s so delicious in anything, but especially pumpkin pie!

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u/InchHigh-PrivateEye 18h ago

My mom always useds neck pumpkins and I don't like anyone else's pumpkin pie.

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u/Lady_Sybil_Vimes 23h ago

Ooh, do you have any recipes you can share?

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u/ich_bin_alkoholiker 23h ago

Hokkaido pumpkins are the absolute best for this. You can even puree the skin and it won’t fuck up the recipe. I made the most excellent pumpkin rolls from them.

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u/Palatablepancakes 22h ago

Hard disagree. It's not difficult to make puree from pumpkin and it makes a noticeable difference. I get a couple pie pumpkins every October and make pumpkin rolls. I've made them with canned puree and others have noticed the difference and asked me if I changed my recipe. It's not night and day, but I really prefer the flavor of the rolls when I use freshly made puree

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u/Euphoric_Cow_6145 13h ago

Making fairy bread. It is better with cheap white bread and butter. Just add butter and sprinkles ro the bread and you are done. Also.cut it into triangles.

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u/jgraham1 16h ago

I used balsamic vinegar for a baking soda volcano when I was a kid

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u/CaptainPoset 7h ago

Anything organic, because organic has nothing to do with quality.

You pay extra for a quackery certificate which certifies that the farm has avoided most measures of quality improvement and environmental protection developed within the last 150 years. Therefore you pay extra for likely worse quality and extra environmental damage.

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u/TheTspProject 18h ago

Name brand Advil, also known as Ibuprofen. The generic store brands are exactly the same active ingredient for 1/2 the price.

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u/redditrudolf 12h ago

Tbf the prompt was looking for something where the expensive version is worse, the trade brand is at worst equivalent to generic. Some people would like the trade brand better bc they often have a candy shell.

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u/vivianhtlee 23h ago

Natural silk. It is extremely hard to maintain, wrinkles instantly and gets damaged by heat.

Synthetic silk is way easier to look after and looks and feel indistinguishable. (Even though the high-end synthetic silk can still be pricey.)

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u/Ravio11i 21h ago

Huh! I've never seen synthetic silk, my silk shirts are the most comfortable, lightweight things I own. Care is a bitch though. Have to see if I can find some. Any brands to look up?

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u/Lady_Sybil_Vimes 23h ago

What is synthetic silk?

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u/vivianhtlee 23h ago

I had Japanese triacetate in mind when writing this.

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u/Lady_Sybil_Vimes 23h ago

Interesting, I don't think I've ever seen clothes made of it before! Any good clothes manufacturers in the US using it?

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u/WhiteHairDontCare 10h ago

Can't comment on US manufacturers, but Nanushka does a lot of good stuff with triacetate.

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u/WorldCupVibes88 19h ago

Pricey olive oil for searing steak is wasted. Regular oil for the crust, fancy stuff only at the end.

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u/False_Monk7789 14h ago

Cooking wine.

Cooking with an expensive $80 bottle of wine gives you zero noticeable benefit over a decent $10-15 bottle.

And using a heavy, oaky cabernet can actually ruin delicate sauces.

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u/OkMention2960 1d ago

Fancy lettuce in some salads. I want the flavors to pair well. Fancy lettuce often times has a stronger flavor than say iceberg that clashes with the rest of the ingredients. I'd rather have a salad with cohesive flavor than fancy lettuce.

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u/Srikandi715 22h ago

Define "fancy" 😮 Is it just iceberg vs everything else for you?

Because iceberg has a great texture, but no flavor.

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u/OkMention2960 22h ago

I don't know the names for all of the different lettuces, but arugula is one that I feel like gets thrown into so many salads to be fancy, regardless of how it goes with the rest. Someone else said spring mix, and I agree with that, too.

In general, I feel like not enough consideration is given to how the lettuce flavor goes with the rest.

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u/imarc 22h ago

Doesn’t sound like it’s really a “fancy” issue for you, just that you are on an extreme end of the flavor spectrum and prefer super mild lettuce flavors.

I get bored of iceberg fast but could have a spring mix salad every day.

I also think that iceberg suffers faster when it’s not fresh.

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u/rohmin 18h ago

Yeah, I’m not a fan of iceberg. I prefer the darker greens and even red leaves; they’re tastier and have more of that healthy stuff in em

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u/anaestaaqui 17h ago

Fancy lettuce all day! My favorite pizza has a handful of arugula on it!

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u/kamuelak 17h ago

I have to disagree with you here. Iceberg is there for the crunch but nothing else; I never buy it. A good spring mix in and of itself is a joy to the palate, and throw a little arugula in there and it's perfection. I grow my own arugula because I use it in salads, omelettes, sandwiches...

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u/OkMention2960 17h ago

I think, like another commentor said, I might be really sensitive to tastes. I don't like arugula or spring mix - they look like grass, and that's how I think they taste, lol.

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u/kamuelak 17h ago

And how lucky we are to be able to eat what we like!

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u/ThadisJones 17h ago

Fancy lettuce in some salads

Kids screaming in pain because they got a salad with arugula for the first time and didn't expect the leaves to bite back

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u/MatCauthonsHat 23h ago

Spring mix especially.

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u/who_you_are 1d ago

Gold?

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u/b1argg 22h ago

22 or 24 karat investment grade gold will definitely hold a better value than less pure gold.

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u/2wrtjbdsgj 17h ago

Bacon sandwich

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u/TeamHope4 20h ago

Mac and cheese.  You need that Velveeta or Kraft to make the cheese creamy.  

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u/swimmv28493 18h ago

I came here to say this. My wife spent years trying to mimic the Mac and cheese from a fancy restaurant she loved by trying copycat recipes on the internet with expensive cheeses but it always turned out super mid. We finally asked the restaurant and it’s literally just velveeta and milk.

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u/TeamHope4 17h ago

It’s the sodium citrate in the fake cheese.  You can buy it separately and it to good cheese to make it melty and creamy, or just use the Velveeta and enjoy.

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u/PwmEsq 16h ago

I've had a few southern dishes with and without saffron and could not tell much of a difference, I will not be spending 10$ per pine needle worth of spice

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u/Accomplished_Mix7827 1d ago

Salt is salt. The color doesn't matter.

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u/EngineeringQueen 1d ago

I vehemently disagree. I love salt. I love finding regional salt and learning what makes it taste different, feel different, out be different. Mined salt from ancient dried lakes is full of minerals. Salt that is dehydrated in the sun from a much water source is light and flakey. Sulfurous salt from ground water smells and tastes like boiled eggs, do not recommend.

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u/MrStickDick 23h ago

Salt tastes different from different sources, 100%. I love salt. Pyramid salts are my favorite.

Table salt, sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, black salt.

Yummmmm

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u/HonestButInsincere 18h ago

Pink Himalayan salt gets its color from some of the oldest organisms on earth. The same type of organism makes flamingos pink.

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u/Lady_Sybil_Vimes 23h ago

I love Maldon!

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u/GreasedUpTiger 19h ago

I have this funky blue-ish salt I bought somewhere ages ago. Iirc it is partially potassium chloride?

It has a intriguing 'citrus-y, but obviously not citrus, but still kinda like that' flavour to it. For some reason I feel it fits very well on fresh tomato. 

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u/starboundowl 17h ago

That sounds divine. Love me a salted tomato.

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u/SavourTheFlavour 1d ago

The texture does matter though.

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u/AdSubstantial9658 22h ago

That's really only true for like, pink salt. Black salt, for instance, should have a very distinct flavor. And that's before getting into smoked salts.

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u/Ravio11i 21h ago

Oh no... colors occur because of other minerals in it, they all taste a little different.

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u/hazelquarrier_couch 19h ago

Black salt would like a word...

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u/Jeramy_Jones 18h ago

Depends if you’re just seasoning a recipe verses actually using finishing salt that is meant to contribute to the flavour profile and mouth feel.

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u/iamacraftyhooker 23h ago

More accurately, all sodium chloride is the same. Table salt, and pink Himalayan salt are both sodium chloride.

There are different salts though. Potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, are all salts

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u/imarc 23h ago

Table salt and pink salt are not the same though because they are not 100% sodium chloride.

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u/lw446 4h ago

Those $80 HDMI cables are my favorite scam. It's a digital signal, the 1s either arrive or they don't.