Our office refrigerator is so heavily used that it’s packed with stuff. And there are fewer this more disgusting than having to pick through someone else’s rotting food to find mine. So I hit upon a plan to keep my stuff in a plastic box, such as those found at the Container Store.
However, I’m finding it difficult to find a box or a combination of boxes suitable for a loaf of bread, meat, cheese, mayo, and mustard. Any suggestions?
My first thought is, Why do you need to refrigerate a loaf of bread? Either keep it in a plastic bag at your desk, or bring in a couple of slices each day. You should be able to easily find a container for the other stuff.
Isn’t it easier to make your sandwich at home and just bring that in?
(Your sandwich, not your home which would likely not fit in the refrigerator.)
Why would you keep a loaf of bread in the fridge?
I keep mine frozen and then just thaw out slices as needed.
Our office fridge is lovely and empty at the moment. All the old food was turfed out on New Year’s Eve and it got thoroughly cleaned.
I have always refrigerated bread. I find it lasts a lot longer. I refrigerate almost everything that isn’t in an unopened can or jar or otherwise plastic-sealed package.
I don’t want to keep open, unsealed food at my desk. Plus I want to refrigerate it.
Bringing things in one day at a time or making my sandwich in advance doesn’t work for me.
Any thoughts on my actual question?
If it plugs into an outlet, I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to have it at my desk. I would actually prefer to have my own personal fridge and microwave and electric kettle, but they’re not allowed. (However, it is small. This bears further thought.)
Hyu vish to hef de Office Refrigerator “dealt vit”?
Very vell.
It can be arranged.
Ve vill lure de Office Refrigerator into a shtairvell, by promisink to show it Erotic Refrigerator Art (the new Sears appliance catalog). Then Igor vill garrote him, or possibly Eduardo shall poison him vit de rare venom uf a Giant Emazonian Rain Foresht Poisonous Centipede, or maybe ve vill jusht hef Boriz SHTAB de Office Refrigerator savagely, many many times.
Iz goot, no?
The issue isn’t with your lunch, the issue is with the food left in the fridge.
At my work, every Monday between 6a-7a, the fridge is completely emptied out. Everything is tossed. In fact, one woman, who had her Tupperware tossed, got written up for screaming at the office manager in a very rude and condescending way. (Tupperware lady is no longer with the company.)
The notice is posted on the fridge, so no one can complain they didn’t know their $75/lb brie was going to be tossed. It keeps things neat and relatively clean.
I don’t suppose your HR could implement a similar policy?
No, and I wouldn’t be in support of it. I want to be able to keep my stuff in the fridge as long as it’s still good. I wouldn’t mine or anyone else’s stuff subject to such a strict rule.
I would think, for health reasons, you would want the work fridge cleaned out on a regular basis.
In any event, this is the fridge at work, not home. I do not believe it should be used for long term storage of cold goods. If you want to leave sandwich makings in the fridge all week, then just bring enough on Monday to make five sandwiches (or how many sandwiches you eat during the week.)
This is a Rubbermaid container designed to hold a standard squarish American loaf of bread. It’s not available now, but I have a similar one I bought from Target or KMart.
I agree with ivylass. IMHO, a communal work refrigerator is to store your lunch, not your household’s groceries.
What if everyone in the office wanted to store a loaf of bread, a pound or two of meat, a block of cheese, a jar of mayo, and a bottle of mustard? There would never be enough room, would there?
And if someone quits but forgets to take their stuff? It stays in there, because no one else “should” touch it because it’s not theirs.
I did the same thing except bigger. I hate, hate making a samwich in the morning, so I can just keep my stuff in my own fridge. I sort of think I am getting a pass since I’m the guy that can’t go home for lunch(too far). And the rest of the staff does. So I’m sort of on call at lunch.
You could use smaller bread. I use tortillas, I can stuff quite a few into a large-ish Rubbermaid container along with meat and cheese. (And I buy fresh greens at the nearby grocery store, it’s less than a quarter for a sandwich’s worth.) My mustard I keep at my desk because it doesn’t need refrigeration.
Don’t suppose it would be feasible to get a fridge in your office, if you have one? I’m just thinking that what you are wanting to store is way over your fair share of a communal fridge.
The most successful work fridges I’ve seen have been those that got cleared of everything except condiments on Friday night/Monday morning.
Ditto at my last regular paycheck job. We had a full size ref/freezer. It was amazing how fast 13 people could fill that thing. For a while I was doing something like the OP bringing in stuff for the week on monday. Made it really easy to whip up something and no big deal if boss wanted me for a lunch meeting.
I guess I’m going to have to endure the refrigerator nannies. I’m just glad they don’t have power here.
So there!