dishes and utensils

[aroraborealis]

I've always been strangely (I think) fussy about utensils and dishes. Although in a pinch, I'm willing to use imperfect dishes, I usually have a fairly strong preference about what I'd like to use for any given instance of consuming food or drink. I remember fighting with my brother about which fork to use when I was little, so presumably, I've had this fussiness all along, though that may just have been fighting about wanting something I didn't have!

Now, I prefer tall tumblers to short, almost always, since I'm usually drinking water, and I prefer not to have to refill with the frequency that a smaller glass requires. Ditto mugs: I want a cup of tea that will last me more than a few minutes. I prefer glass or ceramic to plastic (though that's another post entirely). I almost always prefer a curvaceous glass than one with straight sides, and if I must use one with straight sides, I'd rather they be vertical than angled (ie, a tumbler rather than a pint glass).

In bowls, I usually like deep, round ones rather than wide, platelike ones. I like to be able to pick up my bowl easily without making a mess.

I haven't observed particular consistencies in my preferences regarding plates, however, which is interesting.

I will choose silver flatware over stainless, all else being equal, but balance is obviously important.

In some cases, my preferences are strong enough that I'd rather not eat or drink something at all than have it in a sub-par container.

And, of course, what I'm eating matters for what I'm eating it in:

Ice cream: always in a mug (this is the one time I like a small mug)
Soups (most): big, round, bowly mugs
Water: big glass
Juice: smaller glass
Salad: wider shallow bowl
Cereal (which I almost never eat, and when I do, usually with yogurt): deep bowl

So, I'm fussy. It turns out some other people are, too. I guess I need to visit Asia sometime :)

Comments

[sarahshevett.livejournal.com]

No, I'm the same way.
It's pretty obvious, certain foods call for certain utensils.

[cutieperson]

i drive chillguru batty with my dish preferences.

noodles and anything resembling stir-fry should be eaten with chopsticks, even if the noodles have broth.
all soups and noodle dishes should be in deep bowls.
tall, thin-ish glasses for water and juice.
glasses and mugs must have weight to them.
silverware should always be small. small does not necessarily mean short though, it can also be narrow. fork tines should be uniform in length.

i still haven't bought a matching silverware set, as i'm too picky to choose something where i like every piece.

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

interesting! (it's funny -- when i first saw this post, what was going through my head was, "aha! someone to make pottery for!")

preferences! I remember those! :-)

[dbang.livejournal.com]

I have strong preferences for glasses and dishes that are intact rather than broken. So strong, in fact, that the preference outweighs my preference for glass and ceramic over plastic. I also have a preference for quiet, non-whiny meals, which supercedes my preference the the last Corelle bowl on the stack (which, incidentally, my kids also have a preference for).

[(Anonymous)]

Funny you should mention... When my kids were small they would fight over certain glasses/spoons/etc. My aha moment: this is why sets were invented.♥