# Stupid convenience items **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202 "2004-06-13T23:54:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/41 "2004-06-18T15:43:56Z")
> [@bittersweet](#): > > Personally, I think those wristbands with the pop-up tape strips in them are utterly ridiculous. I’m guessing they’re supposed to make things easier if you’re wrapping a gift and need both hands, but give me a fucking break, people. Actually, I love those! They keep me from losing the tape when I’m wrapping and they keep my daughter from stealing the tape too. I used to take the tape and make a bunch of little strips and stick just the end of them to the table - now I just pop on the little tape dispenser. I feel like a total shmoo now for using all this crap. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/42 "2004-06-18T16:09:17Z")
I always buy pre-grated cheese, unless I need a block of cheese for slices. I hate grating cheese and cleaning the grater, and the convenience is worth the price. I occasionally buy pre-cut lettuce/salad mix, but I usually just get a package of romaine hearts from CostCo and cut my own. I could see buying hardboiled eggs if I were staying in a hotel room or something, but I’d never do it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/43 "2004-06-18T16:31:41Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Pre-formed hamburger patties. How did we ever survive without them? Just think of all the generations of cooks who had to grab a hunk of hamburger and squish it flat before they cook it. :rolleyes: See, I buy these. Why? Because every time I buy just a hunk of meat, I forget to break it up into patties before I freeze it. Yup, I’m that dumb. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/44 "2004-06-18T16:33:39Z")
Also, just because, uh, I, uh… forgot, yeah… What is in pancake mix, and how do I make it myself? (Be easy on me. I’m young and naive.) ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/45 "2004-06-18T16:34:37Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > See, I buy these. Why? Because every time I buy just a hunk of meat, I forget to break it up into patties before I freeze it. > > Yup, I’m that dumb. I find that my grand plan of separating things at home gets forgotten in the chaos of bringing in the groceries, tripping over the kids and the dog and forgetting to tell the hubby some stuff needs to be separated and then I remember when I go to grab it out of the freezer a couple days later. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/46 "2004-06-18T17:09:53Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > Also, just because, uh, I, uh… forgot, yeah… > > What is in pancake mix, and how do I make it myself? > > (Be easy on me. I’m young and naive.) Pancake mix is just flour, baking powder (or you can just use the self-rising flour), pinch of salt (also optional if using self-rising flour), sugar, and a dash of vanilla. Mix in an egg and milk and fire up the griddle. How much of each thing? I have no idea, honestly. I just keep mixing till it tastes right and is about the right consistency. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/47 "2004-06-19T03:16:19Z")
The recipe I use (that my mom figured out the measurements and wrote down for me when I went to college, although plenty of people do different proportions) is: (the part that’s in the mix in the box) 1 1/2 cups flour 3 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar (the part you’d add to the mix) 1 1/4 cups milk 1 egg 3 tbsp butter, melted some people add vanilla, and you can put fruit in or substitute chocolate milk or whatever. I’ll leave figuring out the cost difference as an exercise for the reader. Suffice it to say that the ingredients in Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix ought to already be in your cabinets and a whole lot cheaper, too. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/48 "2004-06-19T04:29:14Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Pancake mix is just flour, baking powder (or you can just use the self-rising flour), pinch of salt (also optional if using self-rising flour), sugar, and a dash of vanilla. Mix in an egg and milk and fire up the griddle. Are you talking about Bisquik? The pancake mix I buy doesn’t even require eggs or milk, just water. I only buy this because I never buy eggs. (And I eat pancakes so infrequently that one box lasts me several years.) As for our produce department, you can buy a pound of strawberries for, oh, around $3. You can also buy a pound of strawberries in a segmented deli tray with one of the parts filled with “cream” (which I assume is some icing from the bakery department) for $7.99. It’s downright evil genius! For some reason the recent glut of “newfangled” toilet brushes make me want to pull my hair out. First, there’s the one where you buy special toilet cleaner inserts that fit into the brush and dispense through it, because it’s SO HARD to dump a glug of bleach or bowl cleaner into a toilet. Second, there’s the paper toilet brush with the disposable head, because EWWWW! A regular toilet brush has germs on it. Who gives a crap? It’s only going to go back in the toilet! ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/49 "2004-06-19T05:08:43Z")
Well, some folks use Bisquick. There are a lot of brands of pancake/waffle mix, most of which are sweeter than Bisquick. It seems entirely pointless to me, since all the ingredients are staple items in the minimally-supplied kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/50 "2004-06-19T05:11:12Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Plastic??? Microwave-baked potatos don’t need no steekin’ plastic! > > Pick a Russet that fits in your hand; this doesn’t work well for huge ones. Scrub off the dirt as usual, then put it in the microwave. No plate, no paper, no nothing extra needed, at least assuming your microwave is clean enough for food in the first place. Potatos don’t ooze, burst or do anything else nasty; they’re close to the ideal maintenance-free microwave food. > > Zap it on high for 3 minutes. Let sit for 3 minutes. Turn it over & zap it again on high for 4 minutes. Let sit for 4 minutes. Eat. > > For two potatoes, make it 4 and 5 minutes respectively. And while the potato is sitting, you can be microwaving the other item(s) you’ll be eating. My wife prefers to wrap them in a moist paper towel; she claims it makes the skins better. I don’t see the difference, and it adds 30 seconds to the preparation. Um, shouldn’t you fork it first? I’ve heard jokes about kids exploding potatos in microwaves (always wanted to try it when I was a kid, but thank heavens, I was too scared of what would happen when my parents found out!) Grated cheese-I will grate cheddar for tacos and salads and other things, since I usually don’t use it that much-most of the cheddar blocks go to salads (in mini cubes) and crackers. But the big bag of grated mozarella is the only way to go for pizza. Oh, and I like Bisquick. I admit-I’m a sucker for the Impossible Cheeseburger Pie. YUM! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/51 "2004-06-19T05:13:05Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > Hey, I buy the prewrapped potatos! If I buy a whole bag, they just rot before I can eat them all. Yes, that sometimes happens to me, too. But if you look at the prices, you can afford to have about half of the bag rot and you will still save money by buying the whole bag. (But it just bugs me to let food go to waste like that.) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/52 "2004-06-19T08:05:19Z")
Here at Casaflodnak we use [this pancake recipe](http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipes/IHOP1.htm) (doubled). It’s simple, cheap, and tasty. Incidentally, you don’t need to buy buttermilk for it, you can use sour milk. Put a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of the measuring cup for each cup of milk you want. Add the milk, don’t stir, just let it sit for five minutes. Funny thing: I buy shredded cheese, and sometimes bagged salads, because they save me time. And I usually have some pre-formed hamburger patties in the freezer, because I can just pull them out and cook them as part of a last-minute supper. (The ones I make always seem to shrink to little spheres instead of patties… why is this?) But I don’t buy pancake mix, or cake mixes, or pudding mix, because I really don’t think they save me any time. The little extra time it takes to make these things from scratch is well worth it when you consider how much better the scratch items taste. But pre-shredded cheese (provided it’s real cheese, of course) tastes just the same as cheese you buy in a block and shred yourself… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/53 "2004-06-19T10:34:07Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > (the part that’s in the mix in the box) > 1 1/2 cups flour > 3 1/2 tsp baking powder > 1 tsp salt > 1 tbsp sugar > > (the part you’d add to the mix) > 1 1/4 cups milk > 1 egg > 3 tbsp butter, melted > some people add vanilla, and you can put fruit in or substitute chocolate milk or whatever. > > I’ll leave figuring out the cost difference as an exercise for the reader. Suffice it to say that the ingredients in Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix ought to already be in your cabinets and a whole lot cheaper, too. Huh. My kitchen is pretty decent, and I cook from scratch more often than not, but believe it or not, I don’t have any flour on hand. Well, I have cornmeal. Correction, my _husband_ has cornmeal, because he likes to make cornbread, but we have no wheat flour on hand. No vanilla, either. You know, not everyone is into cookies and cakes. I don’t batter anything either, so there ya go. No need for flour in my cooking repetoire. Don’t eat panckaes either. But yeah, if I did, I’d probably make 'em from scratch - after I went out and bought the flour. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/54 "2004-06-19T12:12:52Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Pre-formed hamburger patties. How did we ever survive without them? Just think of all the generations of cooks who had to grab a hunk of hamburger and squish it flat before they cook it. :rolleyes: Actually, pre-formed patties are _all_ I buy. If I need a pound or two of ground beef for meatload or some such, I squish several burgers together; I’ll tell you why: at the Sam’s Club we buy our meat at, 80% lean pre-formed patties are ten cents cheaper per pound than 80% ground beef! I dunno why. Doesn’t make any sense to me, but I’ll save money when I can! ---
**Author:** ![Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayfield_St.Cloud)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/55 "2004-06-19T12:59:44Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > A regular toilet brush has germs on it. Who gives a crap? It’s only going to go back in the toilet! [Don’t be so sure!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=250739) ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/56 "2004-06-19T14:35:29Z")
I have a minimally stocked kitchen. I don’t have eggs, flour, or baking soda, and I only keep a small container of milk. It’s easier to buy pancake mix than buy the ingredients to use maybe onc e a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/57 "2004-06-19T15:56:54Z")
No flour in the kitchen? But…but…how do you make biscuits? And cornbread? And chicken pot pie? And cinnamon rolls? ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/58 "2004-06-19T15:57:12Z")
Kraft Mac and Cheese, much as I love it (god how I love it), bears little resemblence to actual macaroni and cheese. The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is microwaveable green beans. Just stick a fork in the bag and nuke them for a couple a minutes and you get well… something I don’t want to know about. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/59 "2004-06-19T16:51:15Z")
> [@](#): > > No flour in the kitchen? But…but…how do you make biscuits? And cornbread? And chicken pot pie? And cinnamon rolls? You’d best _not_ be putting flour in your cornbread, unless you want my grandmother to come back from the dead and beat some sense into you. Otherwise, I often find I need just a tiny bit of flour, say, for keeping things from sticking to one another, or for other batters, or to thicken gravy, or whatever. Flour’s easy to keep around, you just get a nice sealed Tupperware canister and it keeps forever. I can’t _stand_ it when I want to make something and I have to run out to the grocery store for something I consider a staple, when it’s just a tablespoon or something but you know you need it. It’s really infuriating, so I try to keep a basic set of dry goods around even if I don’t really think I’ll need it, because when I _do_ need it I always think I already have it. Plus, the boxed mixes suck even if you use them because you hardly ever make pancakes, because they sit there in that box with all that air and it’s already open and you don’t know what’s eating it. It can get weevils, or roaches, or who knows what else, and just thinking about that makes me throw it away and get more anyway. Now, if you kept it in some airtight container, then that would make some sense, but it seems like nobody does. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202/60 "2004-06-19T17:18:38Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > No flour in the kitchen? But…but…how do you make biscuits? And cornbread? And chicken pot pie? And cinnamon rolls? Well… I don’t make those things. I cook a lot of stirfrys and soups, niether of which requires flour. I just don’t make chicken pot pie, or rolls, or biscuits. Not really interested in eating 'em [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-convenience-items/250202.md?page=4)