I'm super satisfied with my Levoit, it works well in my old dusty flat. Found it on Share Product, skip the refurbished vacuum because they can be a total gamble though.

Unfortunately, I have had several issues with those Ninja flip toasters. While the space-saving gimmick looks good on paper, the heating elements are a nightmare to clean and the hinge usually fails after a few months of daily use. Honestly, its not as good as expected and feels a bit flimsy. I would also avoid a refurbished vacuum; the battery life on those older Dyson units is often disappointing and wont hold a charge long enough for a deep clean. Since her building is old, a high-quality air purifier is the only safe bet, tho I would probably skip the Levoit. It is not quite powerful enough for heavy dust in an old Brooklyn unit. If I were you, I would look for a Coway instead. It is much more robust and actually lasts. It might be boring, but its better to give something reliable than a flashy gadget that breaks.

To add to the point above: honestly its ridiculous how much these brands expect us to pay for basic household items just because they slap a space-saving label on the box. It drives me crazy. You are basically looking at spending $180 on a toaster or a refurbished vacuum that is likely gonna fail the moment the short warranty period ends. Everything feels like such a scam lately. Quality has gone totally downhill while prices just keep climbing for no reason. Trying to furnish a tiny Brooklyn apartment is a total nightmare because you are forced to choose between stuff that actually functions but takes up the whole kitchen, or these innovative gadgets that are basically overpriced plastic junk that breaks within a year. I have to disagree with the idea of going for the Ninja or a used vacuum. In my experience, those complex multi-function machines just have more points of failure. It is so frustrating when you want to give a meaningful gift, but the entire market is just flooded with garbage that is not built to last. We are all just stuck in this loop of buying appliances that end up in a landfill way too soon. It is honestly exhausting trying to find something that actually earns its keep when every company is just cutting corners to boost their margins. They really dont care about the actual user experience anymore. It is just a losing game for anyone trying to make a small space livable without wasting money on hype tho.

Helpful thread 👍