Ought My Partner Stop Craving Salt and Pepper Shakers?

The Prosecution: The Opposing View

He claims the Spanish bowl we utilize for salt is unhygienic, but I feel it makes us look sophisticated.

My significant other Gene has been pestering me for ages, seeking assistance selecting salt and pepper shakers. But I find them to be pointless items.

Seasonings are already provided in dispensers from the grocery store, plus we also have Himalayan pink salt in a little earthenware dish from Spain, which we dispense using a wooden spoon. I enjoy using the bowl, but Gene does not because we frequently wind up using our fingers to distribute the salt, which he claims isn’t sanitary. However, only we in our home, so who cares?

Gene argues it would be “cleaner and easier” if we avoided keeping the salt in an exposed dish. However, I do not think shakers will contribute to our life in any way. The plastic supermarket shakers do the job just fine, and I don’t think we should have more things crowding the kitchen surface or overfilling our small wooden table.

Another concern Gene has is about appearance and convenience. When we have company over, he says it’s “uncouth” to have them sticking their hands into the bowl, which they occasionally do. On one occasion our friend pinched the salt with her fingers, and Gene remained silent a word until after she departed, but he was really bothered. He also believes supermarket shakers look tacky.

Additionally, he wanted to transfer all our cleaning liquids and washing-up liquid into plain containers. I simply fail to understand the purpose in doing that, while Gene is focused on visual appeal. We have lived together for five years and he’s always been like this. In his view, it’s more eco-friendly to use refillable containers rather than buying new plastic containers continuously, but I don’t think it has a significant impact as we probably only buy salt and pepper twice a year.

Rather than shakers, I believe it’s more interesting to have a small dish of salt from Spain, because it makes us look worldly and well travelled. Gene has devoted considerable time browsing online and evaluating vintage silver dispensers to wooden ones. It requires excessive work. Humanity got by without shakers for ages.

The Argument For: Gene

Appropriate shakers are more practical and enhance the table, demonstrating it was set with care and intention

Seasoning containers are often dismissed as decorative or unnecessary, but they serve a practical purpose. The primary advantage is cleanliness.

Uncovered dishes of salt, no matter how appealing or artisanal they appear, encourage people to insert hands in or struggle using spoons. Whenever visitors do this, I cringe at the idea of all the germs in there. A dispenser, on the other hand, maintains seasonings covered and dispensed hygienically.

Additionally, there is the matter of presentation. When guests, small touches matter. A set of well-chosen shakers elevates the table, while disposable supermarket containers appear temporary and incongruous. Debbie thinks it’s funny, but I like to decant everything for visual harmony. Guests might not comment on these minor elements, but presentation helps create an atmosphere, and small touches matter. A table laid with deliberation has a distinct feel from one cobbled together with random containers happened to come from the store.

Convenience is an additional consideration. Shakers are engineered for speed and consistency. A brief shake gives the perfect quantity without struggling or measuring. I’ve ruined many dishes by excessively applying salt. Containers would occupy the identical area that the supermarket containers occupy, but they’d assist in controlling the salt in our meals – and they are more attractive.

I want timber models to match our worktops and our dining table. Debbie doesn’t really care, but she once expressed an preference in some vintage silver shakers, which I’m open to. However, I’d like to see her show more interest in our acquisition, as she will be using them too. I don’t understand the pushback.

Proper shakers combine hygiene, practicality, and presentation in a way that open bowls and disposable plastic containers cannot. A minor adjustment, perhaps, but one that makes a difference in the feel of a joint living space. Debbie should be grateful she has a man who cares so deeply about the small details.

The Panel of Opinion Givers

It appears like Debbie will be largely unimpacted by this purchase, whereas it will make Gene much more content. Considering the era we live in, it is pleasant to find occasion to introduce a bit more elegance to the world – or simply the table.
A Commenter, 31

Gene may be correct about the appearance of the dining setup, but he truly ought to be less fussy: the idea of transferring all liquids seems to me hugely unnecessary and a dispenser won’t stop you over-salting a dish. Sodium chloride is a germ inhibitor regardless, so the likelihood of contracting an illness from using a small bowl must be tiny.
Bob, 72

The opposition ought to give up the salt dish in favour of some chic new shakers. His wish to optimise their home may appear a bit over the top, but there isn’t anything incorrect with it as provided he doesn’t impose the task of decanting on Debbie.
Daisy, 26

It’s nice to have aesthetically pleasing things in your home, and Gene appears to truly value about ensuring the place look good for them both. Transferring the washing-up liquid could be a bit much, but if he desires to devote his efforts on that task, each to their own.
Another Opinion, 41

Should cleanliness be the concern, clean your hands before touching the salt. Visual appeal is a individual choice but pepper from a grinder tastes better than pre-packaged and you can dispense salt more accurately by the small amount than from a dispenser.
Matt, 30

Now You Be the Judge

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