# Tiny appliances I can hide in my office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493 "2005-07-21T16:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/21 "2005-07-23T06:28:52Z")
You may also want to see if there is a policy against this sort of thing for your office. You don’t want to introduce a fire hazard (even if you think it’s harmless) to your co-workers (even if you’d want to), now do you? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/22 "2005-07-25T13:25:13Z")
There are several reasons why I would like an alternative to the pantry, among those that have already been mentioned – messiness, stinky fridge, dirty microwave, occasional theft or disappearance, but perhaps the most important reasons are that I am starting on a new food plan and (1) I’m more likely to stick to it if the food is literally at hand and I eat it before I get hungry for things I shouldn’t be eating and (2) I would rather not have my office mates see the tell-tale labels of the well-known food plan products. There is, indeed, a rule against having appliances in the offices, but I was hoping that there would be ones small enough that there would not be a possibility of stress on the electrical system. I’ve seen some really tiny fridges, just big enough to hold a six-pack, for example. I thought that they were battery operated. That would avoid any possibility of fire hazard, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/23 "2005-07-25T14:45:51Z")
Appliances like fridges are notorious for “dirtying” your electrical circuit with spikes when they switch on and off. I wouldn’t like to try having one on the same immediate circuit as a PC. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/24 "2005-07-25T19:15:04Z")
How about a little cooler? Igloo makes some nice, inconspicuous soft-sided [coolers.](http://www.teamigloo.com/softside.html) You could get some of that ‘Blue Ice’, and keep your private stock quite nicely, safely, and conveniently. That still doesn’t solve any issues regarding housekeeping – in general, eating at your desk is less sanitary than a lunchroom. The lunchroom counters and tables are cleaned and disinfected frequently. When’s the last time your desktop was? Of course, a bottle of cleanser & roll of paper towels is cheap, so there’s another solution. I’m afraid I don’t have a good recommendation for heating your food in the office. ---
**Author:** ![SlyFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SlyFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlyFrog)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/25 "2005-07-25T20:36:38Z")
It doesn’t help you, but I have a relatively large (about 3’ tall) refrigerator that is, of all things, styled like a safe. People actually think it is a safe; it is black, with “Kenmore Lock & Safe Co.” written on it, has a fake combination lock spinner, fake safe handle, etc. No one ever realizes it’s a refrigerator. The only problem I run into is people wanting to know why I have a safe in my office. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493/26 "2005-07-26T19:45:48Z")
If you’re concerned about the labels, get some (microwave safe) containers, and put the diet plan meals in them at home. Bring them to work in your Igloo soft-side cooler, and heat them in the microwave. Everyone will think it’s just leftovers, and if anyone asks, that’s what you tell them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-appliances-i-can-hide-in-my-office/313493.md?page=1)