this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
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The appliance that elicits anger and frustrated at it's mere sight. The treacherous device that never worked right.

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[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 136 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Do printers count? I fucking HATE printers.

[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

After some half a century of existing they are somehow still annoying to use.

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[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Printers are a given, I figure.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I have a black and white samsung printer that is like a decade old with the only maintenance being adding the powdered ink and replacing the roller thingy a couple of times. Always works, never had an issue, printed thousands of pages over time in spurts of hundreds at a time and even not printing for like two years.

On the opposite end inkjet printers are the fucking worst computer accessory I've ever dealt with. They have always been a shitshow even before they started the ink pricing shenanigans because they are finicky and unreliable to start with.

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[–] megane_kun@lemm.ee 91 points 1 day ago (8 children)

"Smart" TVs.

I just want my TV to show pretty pictures with sound thrown at it by the digital receiver. If I want, I can attach a computer for streaming. How is that such a big ask?!

[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago (2 children)

TV's are actually cheaper not because the tech necessarily being more available (even though it should) but instead it's because companies are harvesting your data on smart tv's and selling it making more profit than they would make with just selling you a TV. On a separate but somewhat related note, has anyone else noticed smart phones becoming more expensive as they become more protective of the users privacy?

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

as they become more protective of the users privacy?

that was a good joke

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[–] Unleaded8163@fedia.io 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I couldn't find a dumb TV, so I got a smart one didn't give it wifi access. Every time I turn it on, it shows me a clock that's wrong and I think "Not so smart now, are you?". It's a perfectly functional dumb TV.

[–] JDPoZ@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yep. Best way to get a TV that will never sell your data or show ads is to literally blacklist its MAC address at the router level, and then assign the "smart" functionality to a device environment you control, like a Shield Pro with a custom launcher or an Intel NUC media PC or NAS or something similar.

[–] MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

The Samsung man will still sneak in your house at night and check your watch history. There is no escape.

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[–] zxqwas@lemmy.world 67 points 1 day ago (11 children)

Microwaves are allowed one proud "ding" or three "beep" before they are on my hate-list.

[–] PoorYorick@lemmy.world 48 points 1 day ago (9 children)

My microwave has an un-interuptable 6 shrill beeps, that then repeat if the door is not opened in 10 seconds. There is no mute option, and it can be heard everywhere in the house. I have seriously considered just ripping the speaker out of it. It is, without a doubt, the appliance I hate most in my house.

Perfect this is the type answer I was looking for!

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[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 14 points 1 day ago

I moved from the US to Europe and I keep joking that the largest QoL upgrade has been my unbelievably dumb microwave. It has a power knob, a timer knob that is spring wound, and when it hits 0 it physically hits a bell like an older toaster.

I fucking love it. It was like 20€

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[–] JayleneSlide@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Microwaves are the penultimate Norman Object (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Design_of_Everyday_Things). They could have a standardized UI (cue up obligatory XKCD "Standards"). Instead, every manufacturer does it differently and usually in obscure, unintuitive fashion, often differently from the same manufacturer. Do you enter the time or power setting first? Oh wait, pressing a number launches it straight into running. That part that looks like a door handle is not how one actually opens the door; press the door button first. So. Much. Hate.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (5 children)

Yeah, I can see what you mean. Generally, they're similar-enough, at least in basic functionality, that I don't have an issue using someone else's microwave though. The advanced functionality can vary a lot.

What does kind of annoy me is that they're basically the one device


VCRs used to be the stereotypical holders of this position


that has a clock, but also is a device price-sensitive enough to both:

  • Lack an internal battery to keep the clock powered when power is lost.

  • Not have a network link, cell link


not that I really want those


or radio time signal receiver to automatically set the clock.

The result is that every microwave I see seems to wind up showing an unset clock.

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[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 45 points 1 day ago (9 children)

Printers. There is no excuse for (consumer) printers to be as shitty as they are.

There are reasons, but none of them are excuses: If patent hell wasn't a main obstacle put in place by the large printer manufacturers, I am sure open source hardware alternative would've forced industry improvements ages ago.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

For me, it's specifically the HP printer my wife has. It has one of those subscription models where you pay per page (or per some unit, I forget) and you can't use it without an account and an internet connection.

I bought a Brother that offers but does not mandate a subscription and tried to get her to use it, but she is convinced the awful disgusting subscription model is easier.

Every time I see it it makes me a little sad and a little mad, but I had her put it on my network that has guest isolation, so it can't touch or spy on any of my other devices and only impacts her.

(My feelings about it aren't quite that strong in reality, but this is a thread about appliance beef. If her printer weren't isolated, I might actually feel pretty strongly about it.)

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[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 41 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dishwashers

Modern ones have too many features that can break and brick the whole thing and the cheap ones never get good powerful pumps so they spray like shit. Just make a basic mechanical timed dishwasher with a super powerful pump and I will be all in.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

This is what I want for the vast majority of appliances. It just needs to do the basic functions reliably and have a few adjustments that I can fiddle with.

[–] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I got an inkling that it just isn't profitable to make quality appliances anymore. Why make something that can last for decades when you can sell people a new appliance every 5-10 years with cheaper parts?

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It could be profitable, but it isn't as profitable as making an unreliable and overly complex piece of crap that increases sales totals which jack up stocks.

Hell, being profitable isn't even important for lot of businesses anymore, they just want growth.

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[–] Toes@ani.social 39 points 1 day ago (6 children)
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[–] Nyticus@kbin.melroy.org 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If it needs an app or internet connectivity - it can go fuck itself.

We've gone nearly a century of appliances that didn't need this shit. Apps or the Internet itself will not and never will, make things easier to do tasks than they already were easier to do before.

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[–] Zak@lemmy.world 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I encountered a gas stove that wouldn't work during a power outage. It had a valve that shut off the gas if electricity wasn't present. Way to intentionally sabotage one of your biggest advantages.

[–] tipicaldik@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

haha... yeah. We have a tankless gas water heater that requires an electrical connection. We live in hurricane country so going without power for days/weeks at a time is something we've lived through on several occasions. Having a hot shower during those times is the one thing my wife really appreciates. Fortunately, it's just a 110 connection and we can plug it into a generator or battery back up...

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[–] ptz@dubvee.org 20 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

Samsung Fridge (don't judge me, it came with the house).

I knew it was a "when" and not and "if" it would start having issues, and it finally showed its colors last month.

Front panel buttons either refused to work at all or would cycle through every option continuously and randomly.

Want water? Sorry, only crushed ice today. Want ice? Sorry, just water today. Oh, I actually did want water (starts dispensing). PSYCH! Now I'm going to shoot ice at you and splash water everywhere.

Was about to just toss the thing and get something dumber and more reliable, but decided to roll the dice with a replacement control board from ebay. Thankfully, that worked and I'm only out $80.

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[–] bstix@feddit.dk 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Coffee dispenser at work. It acts up like it's a printer. Replace left cartridge. Replace right cartridge. Cleaning required. Thorough cleaning required. Unknown leak. Heating water please wait. Unknown error. Fuck that, I'll piss in a cup myself if I don't get my coffee now.

Then there's also the towel roll thing in the toilets. I swear it's stuck for longer time than it's functioning. It'd be a full time job keeping that rolling throughout the day

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[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

My apartment gym has a Nordictrack treadmill that I hate nearly every aspect of. First of all, it requires you login to use any of the programs, which doesn't really work with 200 potential users. It has lost internet every single time I've used it and needs a restart, even though I use manual mode, the UI buttons are tiny and impossible to read while you're running, and don't respond correctly, and worst of all, there's no goddamn place to put your phone so you can watch Netflix.

You lost me at “login” on a treadmill lmao.

Treadmills are already pretty niche considering walking/running is free.

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Why would you login to...a treadmill? Why would it need internet? So you can watch Netflix on the world slowest Public computer?

The trend of having touch screens on things is horrible enough. We definitely jumped the shark with technology long ago

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[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (3 children)
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[–] chameleon@fedia.io 14 points 1 day ago

My crappy electric Philips toothbrush from the internet of shit era. If you press the single button it has slightly wrong it goes into some Bluetooth pairing mode or whatever that you can't take it out of until it gives up 2 minutes later.

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 12 points 1 day ago

Printer

Only 2D since bambulab came

[–] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My fridge's ice machine has never worked and instead just made my fridge piss itself on multiple occasions.

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[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago
[–] HatchetHaro@pawb.social 11 points 1 day ago (3 children)

any fucking thing with touchscreens or touch buttons. those stupid things barely ever work and imagine not being able to use your appliance once that shit breaks.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 10 points 7 hours ago (4 children)

Is a printer an appliance? 🤔

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[–] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I bought a cheap espresso maker off Amazon. It's so cheap that nothing can be adjusted, not the pressure, the drip, the heat, nothing. Every single shot I pull from that thing tastes like burnt ass. I even invested in some nice expensive espresso beans, and no luck. The cheap machine is in fact a piece of crap. I should have known better.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (6 children)

The fridge. If you close it too hard or too soft, it ends up not closed, but a fingers' width open.

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[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 10 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (3 children)

My old microwave wouldn't cook anything if the date wasn't set.

Yes. The date.

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[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Gas stove. Literally playing with fire every time I need to light the front left burner. Usually I have to let enough gas come out to have the neighboring burner's igniter light it up. I keep my distance just in case.

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[–] MudMan@fedia.io 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Hm. Whoever made microwave ovens with an impossible to clean exposed resistance for broiling in the off chance you felt like making lasagna in a shoebox should be shot into space.

Everybody below pointing out that repeated beeping noises are unacceptable is also not wrong. It's gotten to the point where half a dozen different things may be beeping in my kitchen, nobody knows which one it is and everybody is in a reverse-race to ignore them to see if someone else goes to deal with it.

I once had a dishwasher that opened the door by itself using magnets instead of nagging you like a needy cat and I miss it every day.

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[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 9 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

The stove in the place I rent. Only been living here maybe 2 years... and that thing is the devil. I thought it was just me getting used to an electric stove again. Nope, that thing is just a piece of shit.

Nothing can simmer, nothing can be left unattended for more than a few minutes (at most), it can't maintain anything close to a consistent temperature, and forget boiling water before you die of old age... I use an electric kettle just so I can boil noodles in less than 40 minutes

Maybe it's my pots?... nope, I've tried. Maybe I'll get better at using it?... no, and at this point I wouldn't even want to. It's just a piece of shit. My mother-in-law is a great cook, and she was pissed when she burned smothered chicken on it... because she hasn't burned smothered chicken in probably 20+ years; she confirms the stove is garbage

Fuck that stove

Thanks for hearing my rant, I feel a little better now

Edit: I forgot to mention that the fucker is BRAND NEW too. We're literally the first people to use it. Garbage-ass, giant piece of horse shit...

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[–] heyWhatsay@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Waffle maker. Damnit I love waffles, but I can only clean out so many ruined waffles before I turn to pancakes.

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[–] landflucht@lemm.ee 9 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

I have a Samsung printer that simply hates me. Whenever I need to print something urgently it will disappear from the wifi. It shows up for a few milliseconds when restarted and disappears again. However when you have the time and energy to investigate the problem it works flawlessly.

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