We still have the microwave that my brother gave us for a wedding gift in 1987. Works fine! It’s from JCPenney.
Sigh, heading over to the kitchen remodel thread…
Another LL Bean product that last forever are their duffle luggage, both rolling and regular. We have several we’ve used heavily for a decade or two that still look almost new.
We’ve bought a few really cheaply at their outlets with other people’s monograms on them. We like to make up names to match the monograms. 
I love my KitchenAid mixer and it gets tons of use and is going strong after 25 years, however, I see a lot of factory refurbished ones for sale so they must have some production inconsistencies and get some returns.
@bookworm, my son sounds a lot like yours. He doesn’t care about brand, but he wants soft and comfortable, which seems to translate to expensive with some things.
My KitchenAid Pro stand mixer is great and is going strong after years of use, but I can’t say the same about other KitchenAid products - their toasters burn out after a couple of years, and the coffee makers don’t last. We had a KitchenAid dishwasher in our first house that was indestructible, but I doubt the new models are as good.
I have several Scan Pan pans and the heavily used ones are showing some wear (chipping of the interior finish on the saucepans) after about three years of use - and I use wooden spoons for the most part, not metal utensils. I still really like the way they perform, but I’m a little disappointed.
We have a 20 year old GE microwave that I wish would croak, because I’m sick of looking at it, but I don’t think it will.
I would love to buy a toaster that will last - our current is a two year old Cuisinart and one side won’t stay down. I’m thinking about biting the bullet and buying one of those Dualit toasters for $300+, but I’ll be livid if it doesn’t last. Anyone have any experience with it?
Also, Gaggenau (made in Germany) makes excellent built in ovens - I had them in my previous house and in my current house (18 years) and they work impeccably with very even heat for delicate baking, and multiple controls - convection, top or bottom heat source, multiple combinations. One of mine is a pizza oven that does a great job. Neither ovens have ever needed service.
What a great topic. It is so hard to find things that are built to last now.
I love Tumi luggage, backpacks, bags etc. For sure they are expensive, but they are extremely well-built. Similarly, Waterfield Designs makes great messenger bags, device sleeves, and so forth. They are also a bit on the pricey side, but well-worth it in my opinion. Made in the USA.
My observation is Mac computers seem to last much longer than PCs (laptops, desktops, etc). Of course, that could have just been my bad luck with PCs.
Well, I can tell you one product that isn’t built to last - iphones. So f’ing fragile for something that gets so much use.
We have a basic Cuisinart toaster that has survived 15 years of heavy daily use.
I wear my UGG boots for my daily walk on the beach in the winter. I was irritated the other day when a hole at the toe appeared – until I remembered that I had bought them in 1994! 22 years is not bad for boots worn trampling through wet sand.
(Wonder if I can get the hole repaired …)
H has a Big Green Egg ceramic smoker/grill. It’s built like a tank! Still, after about ten years it had a hairline crack and H called to see if it was under warranty. They replaced that half.
The best way to get good furniture is to inherit it or to buy it from second-hand and antiques dealers. If it’s an upholstered piece and the frame is solid, then it is better to reupholster it when necessary than to buy a new piece, even though the new one will be much cheaper.
When you find a good appliance, keep it until it cannot be repaired anymore. We did a kitchen remodel in our old house about 15 years ago, and I made the mistake of getting rid of a perfectly good Frigidaire refrigerator because it was white and didn’t look good with our new decor. I replaced it with an overpriced piece of junk that required multiple service calls over the years.
Unfortunately, when you have to buy a new appliance, it won’t last as long as the old one you are replacing. Consumer Reports recommends that you repair a broken appliance up to 7 years, but if it’s older than that, replace it.
The Tumi pieces we purchased were at Costco and we were able to get the 21" roller bags for $139 apiece, which was a fraction of their list price. We are VERY pleased.
We bought a Maytag washing machine in 1983 when we moved into our first semi-detached old house, and it is still running after 32 years, NO repair was ever needed. We bought a cheaper dryer (forgot what brand), it lasted about 15 years, and the current dryer (Whirlpool) is still working after 17 years!
The Whirlpool refrigerator we bought when we moved in our 2nd house in 1997 is going strong!!!
As HImom said, the OLD Revere ware and Faberware pots and pans last forever, I have a few pieces that are at least 20-25 years old.
L.L. Bean lasts forever, and if it breaks, you can get a full refund/exchange even if you bought the item years ago!
I have a Revere Ware stock pot…given to my mom in 1953. It’s as good as new…and is the only thing both of my kids want!
When I left my office life in 1996 I was able to take my company purchased Herman Miller kneeling chair. IT was at least 5 years old at that time. Now, 25 years later it still gets daily use in my home office. The hydraulics are starting to fail just a bit…but really. after 25 years I can’t complain.
I prefer using my mother’s old Singer sewing machine from 1957 or so over using my fancy sewing machine from 2007. I still have a down vest I bought in China in 1983. It still looks new. No rips, tears, or fading. We also have my parents’ mid-century modern rosewood dining room set from 1967. Looks new and now back in vogue (actually it never went out).
Speed Queen washing machine. Mine is fairly new but I have only heard rave reviews about the machine. The parts are all metal so it is much heavier than other washing machines.
I second and third about the Farberware pots and pans. I have all of mine that were bought when I got married in 1976. Wouldn’t buy them know because the Farberware back then is not the Farberware of today. After years of using Farberware electric percolators dating back to my college days and my parents also always used, got tired of how quickly they broke or wore out and switched to Krups and then Cuisinart drip pots. Also have a French press. Was sorry a few years ago that I had to replace my Braun coffee bean grinder with a newer model when the first one stopped working.
that is supposed to be now instead of know.
@thumper1 I think my Sorel boots are 25 years old!
My cast iron frying pans are ancient, the one with a ridged grill bottom belonged to my mother.
My Kitchen Aid mixer is more than 20 years old.
My Kenmore dishwasher is about 15 years old.
We brought our lawn mower from the old house and it was from the previous owners so it’s over 25 years old, but don’t know what brand it is. Way too cold to go out to the garage and see!