<Rant> Ruin YOUR OWN stuff! Grr....

[cfriend]

I have no issues with my roommates using my kitchenware, pots, pans, utensils, whatever... provided they don't ruin them in the process. Through the course of the year, one of my roommates has melted two plastic spatulas on the grill because he couldn't find--hanging on the side of the grill, mind you--the metal one to flip his burgers. In addition to the spatulas, he used a regular fork to toss/stir/serve pasta from one of my stock pots and scratched a lovely little pattern into the bottom and sides. Also, I come home one night to find him using one of my saute pans for a stir-fry dinner with his girlfriend... fine, I don't mind, just clean it when you're done... then in a moment of brilliance he tries to fling the hot oil out of the pan and off the balcony into the lake below, only to slosh it all down his right arm and drop my pan over the edge with a shriek of pain. After cleaning his wounds he promises to get my pan from the lake's edge the next morning. That was Nov. 29. The pan made it back to the kitchen Jan. 3 and wasn't cleaned until tonight. It is clean because I cleaned it, because I need it. Not to mention it was knocked out of round and into this lovely little oval shape... which I had to bang back as close to round as I could get and keep the bottom flat.

In short... everyone in the house is on notice, that if they use my stuff, it is to be cleaned. If they damage my stuff, I will not be jerry-rigging it to work or banging it on the counter to bend it back in shape, they will be replacing it. I am a hair's breadth from telling them they cannot use my things anymore, and moving everything except the paper plates into my bedroom. I will store them under the bed, and dig out and bury whatever I need before and after each meal, respectively. GRRRRR B&B, GRRRRRRRR.

 

[richmondesi]

Would you like me to send you a couple of specially honed straight razors for them to "borrow"

 

[Doc4]

You have put the cart before the horse, my cfriend. Don't buy good stuff until you own your own home and can avoid the roommate "communal use" issues.

 

[cfriend]

You have put the cart before the horse, my cfriend. Don't buy good stuff until you own your own home and can avoid the roommate "communal use" issues.

It's not excessively nice stuff for the most part, handmedowns from my mother and my uncle. Older teflon coated Cuisinart pots and pans, Farberware knives, etc. It's just the principle of the thing! It's unfortunate when you can trust your roommates to respect your things. I say roommates when I should really say roommate, singular, as it's only one who has trouble not breaking stuff. The other two generally don't use anything, which is probably why they don't break anything

 

[JohnDoom]

You have put the cart before the horse, my cfriend. Don't buy good stuff until you own your own home and can avoid the roommate "communal use" issues.

Yeah, no one likes seeing giant score marks in the bottom of their 'non-stick' cake pan because the giant idiot roommate used a fork to eat all 6000 calories of cake directly from said pan.

The nice thing is, the next time you bake a cake in there, suddenly it sticks and parts rip off, because you didnt' notice the scratches before you poured the batter.

YAY ROOMMATES!

I feel lucky now to live with SWMBO who can't cook, and therefore doesn't even attempt to. My stuff remains immaculate!

 

[GoldenMonkey]

I would "moidarize da bum"...how old is this guy, like twelve? What an ***, seriously. He owes you a pan (or two).

We used to have a roommate with...hygiene issues, to put it mildly. He also spent all of his spare time smoking (outside), and drinking beer (wherever he was), and was not one to keep his stuff tidy. Basically, his room was (I kid you not) knee deep in disgustingly putrid smelling dirty clothes, towels that had never been washed but used regularly, approximately 600 empty(ish) beer bottles, and half-eaten and fossilized food (mostly in cardboard, but also MOST of our plates and dishes). He kept to himself, and was a decent coversationalist, and we worked together as well, but the one thing he couldn't keep to himself was his BO. It was so bad that our managers at work pulled me aside and asked me to talk to him about it. Knowing how sensitive he was, I knew this would devistate him to have to come to terms with, and they decided that they would talk to him instead. Good thing, because he freaked out about it, but DID start to shower semi-regularly on his work days. We eventually got him to do his dishes (which were alll of them) at least to the point that the sink was never overflowing, and somehow...SOMEHOW he got a girlfriend. That caused him to tidy up a bit more...but...after that, we decided never again...no more roomies, ever. End of story, lol...

 

[cfriend]

While I've got you all here, any input on whether or not I can still effectively use this pan with the cover? ie: steaming veggies and such? Done my best to show how the cover fits... but not really. It stays seated on the pan, but has a noticeable gap in several places. Last photo shows that steam escapes pretty freely from those gaps. Still effective? Or is it going to turn into my mega omelet pan...


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

 

[airplanedoc]

It was so bad that our managers at work pulled me aside and asked me to talk to him about it.

As a manager there is nothing I hate more than having to deal with "hygiene issues". Been there once and hope never to have to go there again.

 

[bradyarz]

Or is it going to turn into my mega omelet pan...

oooo. yum.

 

[cfriend]

oooo. yum.

I'm sure there are other things you can do with a pan that no cover fits. But I can't think of any off hand.

 

[gollum83]

While I've got you all here, any input on whether or not I can still effectively use this pan with the cover? ie: steaming veggies and such? Done my best to show how the cover fits... but not really. It stays seated on the pan, but has a noticeable gap in several places. Last photo shows that steam escapes pretty freely from those gaps. Still effective? Or is it going to turn into my mega omelet pan...

So is that the pan? It doesn't look as bad as you described but having gone through similar experiences with roommates before I feel for you. By the way, I wouldn't tell them they can't use your cookware unless absolutely necessary, but if you haven't done so already lay down the law. They use it, they clean. They break it, they buy you a replacement. No exceptions or you loose your privileges.

 

[holiday]

I'm sure there are other things you can do with a pan that no cover fits. But I can't think of any off hand.

Use it to hit your roommate

 

[gollum83]

Use it to hit your roommate

Now there's a good suggestion!

 

[Doc4]

We used to have a roommate with...hygiene issues, to put it mildly. ... Basically, his room was (I kid you not) knee deep in disgustingly putrid smelling dirty clothes, towels that had never been washed but used regularly, approximately 600 empty(ish) beer bottles, and half-eaten and fossilized food (mostly in cardboard, but also MOST of our plates and dishes).

... his BO. It was so bad that our managers at work pulled me aside and asked me to talk to him about it.

Knowing how sensitive he was, I knew this would devistate him to have to come to terms with, ... he freaked out about it ...

So ... the guy lives in knee-deep filth, and he's freak-out sensitive about his unique perfume?

 

[cfriend]

So is that the pan? It doesn't look as bad as you described but having gone through similar experiences with roommates before I feel for you. By the way, I wouldn't tell them they can't use your cookware unless absolutely necessary, but if you haven't done so already lay down the law. They use it, they clean. They break it, they buy you a replacement. No exceptions or you loose your privileges.

I assure you I've got at least an hour of work in it, banging and bashing it on the counter top trying to get it as round as possible. It was a pronounced oval/egg shape when it came up from the lake In regards to my question, though, will it still function well as a veggie steamer? I've only just (this month) started cooking regularly, and wanted to know if that amount of escaping steam will affect cook time or something like that when doing veggies.

And yes, I drew the line in the sand this morning when I found the ruined spatula that I needed for my eggs.

 

[GoldenMonkey]

So ... the guy lives in knee-deep filth, and he's freak-out sensitive about his unique perfume?

Yeah, he was a weird cat, to be sure. Feet that smelled like cheese, from wearing freakin' closed toed Birkenstocks, and only did laundry three times in the entire two years he lived with us...awesome. He pretty much lived on been and Camels, so it's no wonder OTHERS could "feel the funk". He was a really nice, caring, sweet person, and very intelligent, but was so easily prone to bouts of depression and questioning his self-worth. I still can't fathom to this day how any woman would be attracted to him, but...as we say around here..."YMMV"!

 

[holiday]

Yeah, he was a weird cat, to be sure. Feet that smelled like cheese, from wearing freakin' closed toed Birkenstocks, and only did laundry three times in the entire two years he lived with us...awesome. He pretty much lived on been and Camels, so it's no wonder OTHERS could "feel the funk". He was a really nice, caring, sweet person, and very intelligent, but was so easily prone to bouts of depression and questioning his self-worth. I still can't fathom to this day how any woman would be attracted to him, but...as we say around here..."YMMV"!

Wow, he sounds.... interesting. What did he shave with?

 

[GoldenMonkey]

Wow, he sounds.... interesting. What did he shave with?

Lol...he didn't...I don't think. Disposables, I suppose...

 

[gollum83]

I assure you I've got at least an hour of work in it, banging and bashing it on the counter top trying to get it as round as possible. It was a pronounced oval/egg shape when it came up from the lake In regards to my question, though, will it still function well as a veggie steamer? I've only just (this month) started cooking regularly, and wanted to know if that amount of escaping steam will affect cook time or something like that when doing veggies.

And yes, I drew the line in the sand this morning when I found the ruined spatula that I needed for my eggs.

Will it still work as a veggie steamer? I imagine it should as long as its still capable of producing steam, although it's entirely possible that your cooking time might be affected. Why don't you just give it a whirl and tell us?

And sorry about the spatula.

Yeah, he was a weird cat, to be sure. Feet that smelled like cheese, from wearing freakin' closed toed Birkenstocks, and only did laundry three times in the entire two years he lived with us...awesome. He pretty much lived on been and Camels, so it's no wonder OTHERS could "feel the funk". He was a really nice, caring, sweet person, and very intelligent, but was so easily prone to bouts of depression and questioning his self-worth. I still can't fathom to this day how any woman would be attracted to him, but...as we say around here..."YMMV"!

Sounds like my first roommate from college. Nothing worse than being trapped in a room with a person who's personal hygiene is questionable at best.

 

[_JP_]

Hey, if your cookware is the only stuff that your roommate is damaging then you are very lucky! Trust me, I know!