Every product on Ordinary Prepper gets one score out of 100, built from four parts. The parts never change, the weights never change, and a product’s affiliate commission is not one of them. You’ll also see the score written as a /10 in parentheses — same number, smaller clothes.
What are the four parts of the score?
| Part | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | 30 | How solid is what we know? Full manufacturer spec sheets, warranty terms in writing, and large samples of verified-owner feedback score high. Thin specs and a handful of reviews score low — a product can lose points here just for being an unknown. |
| Cost | 25 | Not just the sticker. Purchase price against what you get — calories per dollar, watt-hours per dollar, gallons per dollar — plus the cost to own: filters, fuel, replacement parts, and how long the warranty actually protects you. |
| Owner experience | 25 | The patterns in verified-owner feedback, counted. Recurring praise and recurring complaints both move this number, weighted by how many owners are reporting and how long they’ve owned the product. |
| Fit for an ordinary home | 20 | How an ordinary household actually lives with it. Does it work in a suburban kitchen, a small garage, an apartment? Does it need permits, a plumber, an electrician, or a strong back? How much room, noise, and upkeep does it demand? |
Where does the information come from?
Three sources, in this order: the manufacturer’s published specifications and warranty documents; the current price, verified the day a comparison is written or updated (every comparison shows its prices-checked date); and aggregated verified-owner feedback, with sample sizes named in the review.
Do you test the products yourselves?
No — and we won’t pretend otherwise. Ordinary Prepper is a research desk. Reviews are built from specs, prices, and owner evidence, and every review says what it’s based on. We think an honest desk comparison beats a fake “we ran all nine through a blackout” claim, and we’d rather lose the click than make it.
Can a company pay for a better score?
No. Companies can’t pay for placement, can’t see a score before it’s published, and can’t change one after. Affiliate commissions are checked only after a score is set — the order matters, and it’s the whole business model: if the scores can’t be trusted, the site is worth nothing. See the affiliate disclosure for exactly how money flows here.