# Candy Dish - Ideal Candy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056 "2008-10-08T20:27:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/1 "2008-10-08T20:27:28Z")
I recently started a new job. One of my friends got me a candy dish as a present, and I’m having trouble deciding on the right candy for it. Trouble in that I first filled it with my candy of choice, the peanut butter cup. I had two bags of them in it (it’s a large dish) and I am not exaggerating when I say it was empty within two days. People would swarm, I’d blink, and it’d be five pieces lighter. Since it’s Halloween, I’ve been able to get large amounts of candy cheap, so I picked up some twix minis and a bag of assorted milky way/snicker mini pieces. These lasted a little longer at three days. People were jokingly blaming me for their lack of control and showing surprise/disappointment at the empty dish. I am not really willing to spend a lot of money on this if they go through it so fast. So, what do you put in your candy dish to treat people but not so delicious so as to keep them from eating it all? I’m guessing maybe any kind of chocolate is too tempting. Perhaps creme savers or some hard candy? Any ideas are greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/2 "2008-10-08T20:34:39Z")
Do people generally eat mints as fast as they eat candy? I am not fond of mints at all, so I don’t eat them. But something like single-wrapped hard candy mints might keep people from snacking since they are more or less breath fresheners. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/3 "2008-10-08T20:34:40Z")
Tootsie Rolls!!! They’re my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/4 "2008-10-08T20:41:27Z")
I don’t have a candy dish, but I’ve had a [$10 M&M’s dispenser](http://www.mymms.com/dynamic/?catID=16%7C17&itemID=21030) on my desk at every job since 1999-2000. It’s been a big hit everywhere. I only ever fill it with plain M&M’s: sometimes people will bring me bags of dark chocolate or peanut butter M&M’s, and I always put them out in a separate, labeled container. I do like getting the specially-colored Halloween, Easter, Christmas, etc. M&M’s, though. M&M’s are great because a lot of people like them and they’re cheap, but mostly they’re great because I’m not a big fan of them – and therefore there’s no danger of me eating them all myself. 🙂 Also, the dispenser is kind of a novelty and catches people’s eye. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/5 "2008-10-08T20:45:38Z")
I’m jealous of people who can have candy dishes and not end up eating all the candy themselves. I got some candy dishes for my wedding, but they are still in storage and probably always will be, because Mr. Neville and I are both the kind of people who have to make sure we don’t sit next to the candy dish in anyone else’s living room, or else we will end up eating all the candy. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/6 "2008-10-08T20:53:19Z")
Werther’s Originals caramels. Very buttery, rich-tasting caramels, but hard candies, so they cannot be eaten too very quickly. I generally keep a bag or two of Werther’s Originals around after I have any kind of general anesthesia, because it helps quell the nausea, and also tastes wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/7 "2008-10-08T20:58:05Z")
If you put in chewy candies, they’ll be eaten fast. If you want to keep your dish full, go with hard candies. And get individually wrapped candies. Nobody should have to eat candy that other people have been pawing through. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/8 "2008-10-08T21:02:26Z")
Get whatever you want to have on your desk but put a piggy bank with the words “candy fund” written on the side next to it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/9 "2008-10-08T21:05:24Z")
I tend to stock my candy dish with toffees. On the giant scale of candy goodness, they rate higher than mints and the jam-filled hard candies, but not quite as high as a Reese’s Cup or mini chocolate bars. Plus they take a while to chew, so people can’t snarf them down as fast as other candies. At the moment, it’s full of various flavours of Hershey’s Kisses… surprisingly enough, my coworkers seem to be leaving those alone. _shrugs_ More for me. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/10 "2008-10-08T21:24:58Z")
This will last forever. [http://shop.crackerbarrel.com/online/shopping/Product.asp?cat\_id=45&sku=575600](http://shop.crackerbarrel.com/online/shopping/Product.asp?cat_id=45&sku=575600) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/11 "2008-10-08T21:41:07Z")
Put an enlarged copy of the Nutritional Information label on the desk right next to it. That’ll slow 'em down. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/12 "2008-10-08T21:45:36Z")
I would definitely go with individually wrapped candies, or provide a spoon for serving. All of those nose-picking-no-hand-washing-coughing-sneezing coworkers reaching in for some candy with their bare hands? YEEUUCH! ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/13 "2008-10-08T21:52:32Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > get whatever you want to have on your desk but put a piggy bank with the words “candy fund” written on the side next to it. +1. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/14 "2008-10-09T00:04:12Z")
Thanks for all the ideas! I think the poster who mentioned the nutritional labels is on to something… They can eat it, but they’ll feel guilty! But yes, I think I shall seek out the hard candies next time I go to the store. I am terribly fond of Werther’s myself, so that might do just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/15 "2008-10-09T00:07:52Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/16 "2008-10-09T00:20:24Z")
The candy bowl on my desk at school is stocked with whatever cheap, hard candy Smart & Final had last weekend. What really seems to go over well is their “Piñata Mix.” It also has little toys in it, which I steal and leave in other teacher’s boxes. The Speech kids know the Peanut M&Ms are in the urn marked “Ashes Of Problem Students.” ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/17 "2008-10-09T00:23:37Z")
Jolly Rancher sour candies. Individually wrapped, cheap, and they make your breath temporarily interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/18 "2008-10-09T00:32:59Z")
I keep [Kopiko Coffee Candy](http://justclickasia.com/kopiko-coffee-candy.html) in a bowl on my desk. They’re hard and individually wrapped. Intense coffee flavor, so you have one and you’re good all day. Plus the caffeine keeps my worker bees nicely buzzing about the office 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/19 "2008-10-09T00:33:17Z")
My favorite: Individually wrapped big wintergreen Lifesavers. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056/20 "2008-10-09T00:40:35Z")
Ah, wintergreen. Or as the Lifesaver people call it, Wint-o-Green. Or as Procter & Gamble calls it, Pepto Bismol. That would be a good candy to put out on April 1. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-dish-ideal-candy/467056.md?page=2)