Schott Zwiesel Glassware

Schott Zwiesel is a German company known for glassware innovation since 1872. They create break-resistant, chip-resistant, and scratch-resistant stemware. The crystal glass has added titanium for strength and zirconium for crystal clarity, making it dishwasher safe.

I have their glassware at home — the pieces are versatile and can be used daily, yet they are elegant enough to use on special occasions. They are slightly expensive, but the investment is worth it.

Schott Zwiesel is available on Amazon.

Duralex Picardie Tumblers

Duralex has been manufacturing tempered glassware in France since 1929. Their Picardie Tumblers are known for lasting decades — they will bounce several times when dropped on the floor and survive without a crack. The tumblers can also withstand a sudden thermal shock — the temperate glass can go from -4° F to 212° F without breaking. This means they can be used to drink hot beverages. Duralex glasses are also lighter and more elegant than similar tempered glass products.

Duralex went into court-ordered liquidation bankruptcy in 2006 but has since partnered with Emile Henry, an old French manufacturer of cooking ware, to return to production.

Duralex doesn’t offer any product warranty beyond a 21-day return policy. However, we found no tempered glass tumblers with an extended warranty.

Durlaex Tumblers are available from Amazon for about $18 for a set of six.

Fortessa Fortaluxe Vitrified Dinnerware

Fortessa is a dinnerware company line created by the German company Schott Zwiesel. Fortessa specializes in vitrified china dinnerware. The china is reinforced with alumina or magnesium oxide for durability and thermal shock resistance. The dinnerware is called Fortaluxe SuperWhite, and it is used in many restaurants around the world and is reasonably priced.

You can find Fortessa dinnerware on Amazon.

Pyrex Bowls

Pyrex is another brand of tempered glass products renowned for their durability. The Pyrex brand was introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915. Today, Pyrex is owned by World Kitchen and Pyrex glass products are manufactured in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Recently, there have been rumors circulating about Pyrex products. The rumors suggest that Pyrex products are made with inferior materials, prone to breakage, and manufactured in China. However, this lengthy article on the myth-busting website Snopes.Com, concludes that the rumors are false. Here is an excerpt from the article:

While it is literally true that the material used in manufacturing Pyrex brand glass bakeware has changed from borosilicate glass to soda lime glass, the brand’s current owner, World Kitchen, claims that changeover began back in the 1940s and long antedates Corning’s 1998 sale of the brand, stating that “The Charleroi [Pennsylvania] plant has produced PYREX glass products out of a heat-strengthened (tempered) soda lime glass for about 60 years, first by our predecessor Corning Incorporated, and since 1998 by World Kitchen. In fact, since the 1980’s, most, if not all consumer glass bakeware manufactured in the U.S. for consumers has been made of soda lime glass. Consumers should know that soda lime glass, such as that used to make PYREX glass bakeware, is significantly more resistant to breaking on impact than borosilicate glass and comparably resistant to breakage caused by severe temperature changes.”

World Kitchen itself states that it has received complaints from only “a very small number of consumers” about unexpected breakage. It notes that the Consumer Safety Product Commission has found no safety issue with Pyrex glass bakeware.

Pyrex Bowls are available from Amazon.

Le Creuset French Ovens

Le Creuset has been producing handcrafted French Ovens in their foundry in Northern France since 1925. Their cookware is made with enameled cast iron and is known for lasting decades. The Le Creuset foundry uses standard sand-casting methods to produce its cookware. After hand finishing, items are sprayed with two coats of enamel, and each is fired at 800 °C. The enamel becomes resistant to damage during regular use.

Le Creuset cookware has a lifetime warranty that the products are free from defects in material and workmanship.

If you want an equivalent American-made product, see Lodge Dutch Ovens. We choose to feature the Le Creuset French ovens because, based on our research, they have an edge in quality.

Le Creuset French Ovens are available from Amazon for about $235.

The post A List Of Break-Resistent Glassware and Dinnerware appeared first on Reactual.

The V-MODA XS is the most durable portable headphone I’ve found. This headphone is designed to be tough — it has a steel frame and a headband that can be bent flat without breaking. It also features cloth braided cords (for durability), and it complies with 810G U.S. Military Standard tests for extreme temperatures, humidity, salt spray and UV exposure.

The Details

I’m pretty rough with my equipment, and I’m a sound enthusiast, so I’ve had many headphones break on me over the years. It’s almost always the cord that breaks on me. So I went in search of a really tough headphone — and I finally found the V-MODA XS. This portable headphone had a “steelflex” headband that could be twisted at will (as in the photo above). Best of all, it had a cord that V-Moda said “can be bent over 1 million times”. The cord is also detachable, which allows for easy storage inside the case. In can withstand drops too — the headphone is tested to “survive 70+ drops on concrete from 6 feet”.

I should mention that V-MODA XS also has great sound, otherwise I wouldn’t consider it. It’s one of the best sounding sub-$200 headphones I’ve tried.

After a couple years of testing this headphone, it has held up really well. I did actually manage to break these headphones! I accidentally yanked the headphones upwards when the cord was snagged on something, and the sound started to cut out after that. So these headphones are not indestructible. However, V-Moda has a two year warranty on this product, so they sent me a new one (I had to pay for shipping). The company also has something called an “Immortal Warranty”, which covers breakage outside the warranty — they offer a 50% coupon towards the purchase of a comparable headphone model.

The V-MODA XS Headphone is available from Amazon for about $178.

The post V-Moda Headphones Can Withstand Salt Spray, UV Exposure and Extreme Temperatures appeared first on Reactual.

I’ve tested about seven different low-flow shower heads, and the Oxygenics SkinCare Showerhead is my favorite, due to its invigorating spray. The technology behind Oxygenics is based on the Venturi Principle. As water enters the base of the showerhead, it is propelled through an accelerator fin to increase the velocity of the water flow. It is then directed through a channel where oxygen is injected into water

It is a “self-pressurizing” shower head, which means it works with low or variable water pressure. It can deliver a great shower whether the water pressure is 20 psi (pounds per square inch) or 100 psi. It has a maximum flow rate of just 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

You can also control the water velocity at the shower head — you can select a spray ranging from brisk and stimulating to soft and gentle. Oxygenics shower heads come with a lifetime guarantee that they will not clog.

The Oxygenics Shower Head is available from Amazon for around $20.

The post The Best Low-Flow Shower Head: Oxygenics SkinCare appeared first on Reactual.

Bose Free Space 51 Outdoor Speakers

The Bose Free Space 51 outdoor speakers provide even 360-degree sound, and their rugged design makes them perfect for permanent outdoor installation. Each speaker can be mounted on a deck or directly on the ground, and they are rated to withstand sun, snow, ice, and even saltwater spray. The Free Space 51 uses a 4.5” downward-directed driver, and features a domed central port to balance high and low tones. These speakers are fairly sizeable at over a foot tall, but their green color makes them easy to camouflage in grass or plants.

Bose Free Space 51 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 14.2″H x 12.6″W x 12.6″D
Power: 100 watts

The Bose Free Space 51 outdoor speakers are available from Amazon for $449.00 per pair.

NXG Omni Planter 75 Outdoor Speaker

Instead of hiding in the bushes, the NXG Omni Planter 75 speaker can be disguised in plain sight: the omnidirectional 6.5” coax speaker is integrated into a planter pot perfect for an outdoor space like a large deck. High tones are projected at a slight upward angle to compensate for the speaker’s low position, and users report well-balanced bass tones. The weather-resistant planter speaker is available in terra-cotta or natural gray color to match your décor.

NXG Planter 75 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 18″H x 20″W x 20″D
Power: 75 watts

The NXG Planter 75 outdoor speaker is sold individually, not as a pair. You can find it for $258.21 at Amazon.

Soundcast OutCast Outdoor Speaker

The OutCast from Soundcast doesn’t come cheap, but it delivers serious performance to match its price tag. First of all, the SoundCast is totally wireless, using a rechargeable 10-hour NiMH battery and a transmitter that can be positioned up to 350 feet away from the speaker. Packed inside the cylindrical case are a downward-firing 8” woofer and four 3” tweeters, arranged to project 360-degree sound. The water-resistant OutCast is big and heavy (weighing in at nearly 40 pounds) but it delivers excellent bass tones and serious volume levels for an omnidirectional outdoor speaker.

Soundcast OutCast specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 26″H x 11″W x 11″D
Power: Built-in 100 watt amplifier

You can find the Soundcast OutCast outdoor speaker, including the iCast transmitter, at Amazon for $799.99 (available in gray or white).

TIC GS-3 Omni Outdoor Speaker

The TIC GS-3 Omni is an affordable outdoor speaker that delivers solid omnidirectional performance. The durable ABS plastic case can be surface mounted or installed in the ground, and the green finish blends easily with surrounding plants. 360-degree sound comes from an 8” woofer (with a butyl rubber surround) and a 2” aluminum cone tweeter. Best of all, the low price tag means you can install multiple speakers to blanket your yard or pool with music.

TIC GS-3 Omni Specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 12.5×12.5x13in
Power: 125w (continuous), 200w (peak)

The TIC GS-3 Omni Outdoor Speaker is available from Amazon for $65.45 per speaker.

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