Finding good value for money can be a guessing game.
It stands to reason that if you invest more money in a higher-quality product, it works out cheaper in the long run. But how can we tell when a higher price tag actually equals a better item?
When it comes to products which are covered by guarantees, we have reassurance from their manufacturers that we can rely on them for a certain amount of time. And if we really want to get into the nitty-gritty, we can actually break down the value of the item by figuring out the cost-per-use.
The cost-per-use of an item is simply the number of times we think we’ll use a product, divided by its price. The majority of our Buy Me Once Bestsellers are covered by generous guarantees. Even if they’re more expensive than your average product, they’ll last many, many times longer.
We’ve calculated the cost-per-use of these products for up to 10 years, but as you can see, many are covered well beyond that. And whilst we’re just focusing on a handful of our bestsellers, cost-per-use is a consideration we can think about for every single long-lasting product that we have on our site.
Solidteknics 26cm Seamless Iron Pan
Price: £139.90
Guarantee: Lifetime
Average over 10 Years: 16p per use
Our best-selling seamless iron pan from Solidteknics is one of our customers’ favourites. Made from super-strong wrought iron and at half the weight of a cast iron skillet, a Solidteknics frying pan carries an astounding multi-century warranty. These Australian pans build up a natural non-stick, and are perfect for everyday cooking.
If you used a Solidteknics frying pan an average of 4 times a week, for 50 weeks a year (to account for 2 weeks holiday), you’d use it 200 times a year. Extrapolate that over 10 years, and that’s 2000 uses. That’s a lot of scrambled eggs!
Blunt Metro Umbrella
Price: £70
Guarantee: 5 Years of Free Repairs
Average over 5 Years: 17p per use.
An umbrella is a great example of an everyday item that we find ourselves replacing too often. If you live in London, you’ll be exposed to 106 days of rain per year - 167 if you live in Glasgow! At a conservative estimate, you might need an umbrella 78 days of the year, or about 1.5 times a week.
We’re so confident in our Blunt Umbrellas, we’ll cover the cost of repairs for 5 years. That equates to around 390 uses - which comes to 17p per use. With proper care, we expect a Blunt to last much longer than that. If you manage to keep your Blunt for 10 years, you might use it 780 times, at 9p per use.
Skeppshult Cast Iron Pepper Grinder
Price: £79
Guarantee: 25 Years
Average over 10 Years: 3p per use.
Disposable pepper grinders are a common source of kitchen frustration. If you’ve ever had to buy salt or pepper that comes in a plastic grinder, you’ll know how rubbish they are. We reckon that for something we use so often, it’s a no-brainer to invest in a good one - for the environment’s sake and our own.
This heavy cast iron pepper grinder is the real deal, covered by a 25 Year Guarantee (which applies across the Skeppshult range). We think you’ll use this cooking staple 5 times a week - which works out to be 1250 times a year (accounting for a 2 week holiday). That means after owning the grinder for 5 years you’ll be down to 6p per use, and 3p after 10 years.
Darn Tough Socks
Price: £23
Guarantee: Lifetime.
Average over 10 Years: 1p per use.
Darn Tough are the last socks you’ll ever need, astoundingly covered by a Lifetime Guarantee. Made by a family company in Vermont, Darn Tough socks are made of merino wool in a super-tight knit, making them incredibly durable and comfy. If they wear out, just send them off for a free replacement.
With one £23 pair of Darn Tough socks being used twice a week, you will find yourself wearing them 520 times over a 5 year period - that’s 4p per use. Given the Lifetime Guarantee, we expect you’d keep them well beyond that, taking you to 1040 uses over 10 years. That’s just 2p each time you wear them.
ROK Espresso Maker
Price: £189
Guarantee: 10 Year
Average over 10 Years: 10p per use
For some of us, forming a coffee routine with our equipment of choice is a sacred practice. The ROK Manual Espresso Maker is a joy to use, requiring no electricity or coffee pods to make an incredible shot.
We’ve gone for a very conservative estimate of 3 uses per week with the ROK (it could realistically be as high as 14 or 20 for some of us). That takes us to 150 cups of coffee per year, or 750 over 5 years (with the allowance of 2 weeks holiday per year). This works out to be 25p per use for the first 5 years. By 10 years, which your espresso machine will be covered for, you’ll be down to 10p per use.
