Steaks are diminishing returns for the price.
Most people can tell a $30 steak is better than a $6 one, but I think most people aren’t going to get much of a difference between a $30 and a >$100 steak.
Not just foods, either. Tons of products are like that.
The gap between an El Cheapo lowest-bidder product and the midrange product will be far, far more significant than the gap between a midrange product and the high-end stuff.
Holds true for almost every product in almost every industry. Clothes, cars, sporting goods, electronics, you name it.
Unless you just absolutely cannot afford it, then the midrange product is usually the best choice. The high-end stuff will be slightly better, sure, but unless you’re an extreme enthusiast with very specific needs, the upgrade to high-end stuff just isn’t worth the price premium you’ll pay for it.
the purpose of high end products is to broadcast you have money and therefore you are better than other people who don’t.
the point of luxury cars and such is so show that you can piss away $500 on a oil change, and are therefore ‘better’ than the peons who drive cars where the oil change is $50.
maybe I’m being pedantic or nitpicking but I think saying there’s a significant difference between a cheapo car and a midrange one is a bit off. a 90s Corolla will get you from point a to point b just as well as a ~10 year old one.
maybe the ride will be smoother on the newer car and if you can get some kind of warranty (are those going the way of the dodo bird? i would expect that to be the next step of the enshittification tbh) that’s worth something…
that said I will agree that the difference between cheapo and midrange is definitely bigger than the difference between midrange and luxury
Sadly, this doesn’t apply to a lot of seafood, however. Absolutely buy the most expensive scallops, for example, because they are handled, processed, and stored better, resulting in a very noticeable difference in quality; on the other hand, the difference between the cheapest and mid-range is less noticeable. Same with most sashimi. Oh, and even moreso with sake (obviously not seafood).
Steaks are diminishing returns for the price.
Most people can tell a $30 steak is better than a $6 one, but I think most people aren’t going to get much of a difference between a $30 and a >$100 steak.
I agree… but I also think that applies to LOTS of other foods, particularly in the setting of a restaurant.
Not just foods, either. Tons of products are like that.
The gap between an El Cheapo lowest-bidder product and the midrange product will be far, far more significant than the gap between a midrange product and the high-end stuff.
Holds true for almost every product in almost every industry. Clothes, cars, sporting goods, electronics, you name it.
Unless you just absolutely cannot afford it, then the midrange product is usually the best choice. The high-end stuff will be slightly better, sure, but unless you’re an extreme enthusiast with very specific needs, the upgrade to high-end stuff just isn’t worth the price premium you’ll pay for it.
the purpose of high end products is to broadcast you have money and therefore you are better than other people who don’t.
the point of luxury cars and such is so show that you can piss away $500 on a oil change, and are therefore ‘better’ than the peons who drive cars where the oil change is $50.
maybe I’m being pedantic or nitpicking but I think saying there’s a significant difference between a cheapo car and a midrange one is a bit off. a 90s Corolla will get you from point a to point b just as well as a ~10 year old one.
maybe the ride will be smoother on the newer car and if you can get some kind of warranty (are those going the way of the dodo bird? i would expect that to be the next step of the enshittification tbh) that’s worth something…
that said I will agree that the difference between cheapo and midrange is definitely bigger than the difference between midrange and luxury
Diminishing returns applies pretty universally, it’s just a matter of finding the point that’s good enough.
Sadly, this doesn’t apply to a lot of seafood, however. Absolutely buy the most expensive scallops, for example, because they are handled, processed, and stored better, resulting in a very noticeable difference in quality; on the other hand, the difference between the cheapest and mid-range is less noticeable. Same with most sashimi. Oh, and even moreso with sake (obviously not seafood).
Babish figured out how to make a beef Wellington with a $10 cut that rivaled a $120 cut. A little science and time at sous vide.
And that $30-100 steak is going to underperform against a mediocre home cook as long as the latter can take their time and prep the meat properly.
Unless someone I don’t like is buying me dinner, I’m skipping the steak every time. I do it better at home.