Community Chat

[Pearlee]

Crumbs always happen when you make a sandwich. So using a paper towel keeps a person from having to wipe up crumbs. It makes perfect sense. I vote with you sister.

[KaySD]

@caroln242 

You pose an interesting question, and I think it's like a lot of questions: it has no single, right answer. It has as many right answers as there are people who cook. I think everyone has their own rhythm and style of doing things, and it's usually a combination of things that each indivisual has found works for them. And how you do things has absolutely nothing to do with how anybody else does them.

Your sister has a certain habit, and I'm guessing she is comfortable enough in your house to do things in her familiar way. If you want to, you can see it as a compliment to your hospitality rather than a judgment about how you do things. 

Personally, I clean the counters pretty much every time I go into the kitchen to do anything. And then I still don't put food directly on them much. But I'm not obsessive about it and I do sometimes! I tend to gather all the things I'll need at the beginning. Lots of times, they go on the counter at that point. As I wash them, or cut them up, or mix them, they go on boards or in bowls or whatever.  The trimmings and packaging go in a little garbage bowl so they don't wander around. I also keep a plastic container with soapy water in the sink, and I wash things and put them away as I go along. But not always! It depends on how intensive the cooking part of what I'm making is--and whether there are little breaks when I can tidy up.

I love the flow of ingredients and objects from their places, to the areas where I prep them, to the places where they are cooked and/or served, to the washing up area, to where everything goes in the end. A lot of people would look at how I do things and think I am all wrong. But I'm not wrong! And neither are they! Isn't that fun?

[sunshine45]

i use a cutting board to cut or prepare foods......even a sandwich.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I hate crumbs, so I use a plate or board.

The most annoying thing are bell pepper seeds.  They always pop all over no matter how hard I try.

And how many times do I have to spill coffee grounds before I get that right?

[Rockycoast]

I do as your sister does. I put a paper towel down first to make a sandwich. My husband uses a plate, Just a clean way to do it.  I use a cutting board when cutting, dicing, slicing. Never directly on my counters.

[RollTide2008]

This falls into the category of stuff I do at my own house when no one is watching.

[Big Joanie]

For me its not the clean .. but the clean up ... a plate just cathches

more crumbs etc. ... I had a heck of a job when first married

breaking my husbands habit of buttering his toast right on the

counter like his parents did .....made more of a mess .....he

finally got it ....I guess the happy wife .. happy life thing kicked in  !!!!

[Big Joanie]

Unfortunately that happy life thing didn't last long .....

[seaflea]

I never put food directly on the counter, paper towel or paper plate .... or regular plate.

[haddon9]

@caroln242 I'm like your sister....there needs to be a barrier between the counter & food.  I don't know why...I also don't have any cats and the counters are clean but it helps to keep them clean by not putting food directly on them.