yitayningwut: Can you give us some examples of things you buy without a hechsher? We’d like to get feel for what you are referring to.
The only things I buy without a hechsher are some very basic minimally processed ingredients, which are known to always be processed in a kosher way (like dried peaches), and processed items which are known to be made in a uniform and kosher manner (like unflavored beer).
The CRC’s website is a good resource for this.