Effective

***I get nothing for recommending the following items, and they were all bought with my own money.***

As a diversion from writing fiction, and moaning about the weather, I thought I would mention some products that I use, and recommend.
Not something I do very often here, I know.
In fact, You are more likely to find me complaining about things that don’t work, I appreciate that.

(I have mentioned the weed puller and steam generator iron before, but decided to include them as that was a long time ago.)

With apologies to my readers outside the UK, as I don’t know if these things are available where you live.

Santoku knife.
You can pay anything from £10 to £400 for one of these knives. Mine was about £25 I think, and has lasted me for eight years now. I do use a knife sharpener to keep the edge sharp, but it is such a versatile kitchen tool. The flat heavy blade crushes garlic cloves, and then you can chop them into tiny pieces with the same knife. It cuts through fresh pizza with no need for a wheel, and of course it slices onions, and any other vegetables you want to prepare. It also glides through thick joints of meat, and will cut a chicken in half with no effort. If you like fish, it will take the skin off a salmon fillet, and open up a larger fish with ease.
Almost a ‘one-knife’ cook’s dream. The only thing I don’t use it for is slicing bread.

G-Tech K-9 Vacuum.
Most of you know that I have a dog. His fur gets everywhere, even though he is a short-haired breed. Normal vacuum cleaners struggle with dog hair, even those that claim to be able to cope with it. This model from G-Tech just powers it up. The re-chargeable battery means no annoying lead, and the lightweight construction makes it easy to carry around anywhere. The collected dust and fur is stored in a cylinder, so no need for disposable bags. Just open the end of the cylinder, and slide the contents into any bin.
This device is so powerful, it ‘drives itself’ along, so requires no push/pull effort. It also has a system of headlights, to show up all the dirt, fluff, or fur.
Not cheap, but incredibly effective.

Fiskars weed puller.
I am an unenthusiastic gardener, and the lawn is home to legions of dandelions. Not wanting to use chemicals with a pet dog around, I got one of these. Simple to use, with little or no effort, and the weed is pulled right out, including the root. Tough construction, and nothing to go wrong, this could last a lifetime.
It really is as easy as it looks on the video.

Steam Generator Iron.
I have written about these before. Since buying one over 15 years ago, I could never go back to a normal iron again. The lightweight handset attached to a huge boiler and large water tank makes such easy work of the most difficult ironing, you will wonder how you ever used a conventional iron. I have tried various brands, but recently returned to Tefal again. They seem to have it sorted, and offer the most powerful devices too.

Skechers Memory Foam casual shoes.
These are the lightest and most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. They feel like you have nothing on your feet, and I can walk all day in them without any pain in my legs and feet. Sometimes, bold claims are actually true. This is definitely the case with this great footwear.

Tefal griddle pan.
A good solid non-stick griddle pan is a must-have in any kitchen. Whether searing meat before oven cooking, browning sausages, cooking bacon and burgers, or getting a steak ‘just right’, this type of pan is simply indispensable. I currently use a Tefal model, but many others are available. Get the best you can afford, and you won’t regret it.