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How should your cutlery drawer be arranged? Huge debate sparks online

<p>A New Zealander has unwittingly set off a furious debate about how one should arrange their cutlery drawer, in a post on social media platform <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/9of3ee/how_does_nz_arrange_the_cutlery_drawer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a>. Should it be a left-right configuration of fork, knife, spoon? Or knife, fork, spoon? And which direction do you place the head of the cutlery?</p> <p>The post was headlined: “How does NZ arrange the cutlery drawer?”</p> <p>“How is the cutlery drawer arranged in your kitchen?” they wrote.</p> <p>“My whole life I’ve gone with the (L-R) fork, knife, spoon configuration (teaspoons below) but have stayed places where knives are on the far left.”</p> <p>“What’s the setup at your place?”</p> <p>As it turns out, people are very passionate when it comes to their cutlery configuration of choice, with hundreds giving their opinion. Some became quite angry about the issue voicing some very cutting commentary. “I actually get so irate over this,” said one Reddit user.</p> <p>One person spoke of a familiar cutlery situation many of us will be familiar with – both order and chaos.</p> <p>“Large knives, knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons at the bottom,” they said of their ordered drawer. “And then other two drawers a mess of utensils until you have a clean out every three years, because you just can’t find the f***ing quarter cup.”</p> <p>Another user agreed, saying, “This is the standard my household follows.”</p> <p>And one person praised the owner of the cutlery drawer as a “cultured individual with a fine taste in cutlery organisation”.</p> <p>But the debate was far from over. The utensil talk became even more controversial with the issue of which direction you should place the head of your knives, spoons and forks. Should it be towards the drawer handle or to the back of the drawer?</p> <p>“What sort of animal would arrange the handles towards the back of the drawer?” wrote one person.</p> <p>But as another Reddit user pointed out, “If all the handles are at the front then all forks, knives and spoons look the same.”</p> <p>However, another commenter admitted their cutlery drawer was “pure chaos”.</p> <p>“I just throw them all in the drawer together, no organisation, pure chaos,” they wrote. When someone branded the disrupter a “monster” they replied, “Survival of the fittest.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Have you been using a knife and fork wrong?

<p>With the festive season rapidly approaching it would be a good time to start perfecting your table etiquette.</p> <p>Surprisingly, new British research has discovered that 40 per cent of people don’t know how to correctly use a knife and fork.</p> <p>Etiquette expert, Jo Bryant, specialises in table manners and shares the correct ways to hold a knife and fork, when it’s appropriate to use one utensil over another, and finding your way around an elaborate dinner setting.</p> <p>“When it comes to good table manners and etiquette, it is easy to feel daunted. Whether we are trying new cuisines, curbing bad habits, remembering the basics or managing tricky situations, it can seem like there is a lot to get right,” Jo explained.</p> <p>“However, the aim of good table etiquette is simply the essence of good manners: to behave with consideration, thought and respect towards fellow diners – as you would expect them to behave towards you.”</p> <p>Jo revealed the correct way to hold your knife, which involves the index finger resting along the top of the handle. Forks should be held with the tines pointing downwards with your index finger on the handle. Gripping your cutlery with your hands around the centre shows very bad table manners.</p> <p>Jo shared insight into when to ditch your knife explaining, “You should not cut up your food, then put down your knife and fork, or just a fork.”</p> <p>The only occasion it is acceptable to eat with a fork is when eating a meal that only requires a single utensil, such as spaghetti.</p> <p>“In this case, the fork should be held with the tines facing upwards, similar to a spoon,” she continued.</p> <p>If you feel overwhelmed when it comes to elaborate table settings with different sets of cutlery fear no more. Jo revealed the ins and outs of how to work your way around the table.</p> <p>The first rule of thumb is that cutlery is used from the outside inwards, entre cutlery is placed on the outside of the table setting while the main utensils are on the inside next to the plate.</p> <p>If soup is being served as a starter, then the spoon is placed to the right and outside of the main course knife.</p> <p>Dessert cutlery is usually positioned across the top of the place setting, with the bowl of the spoon pointing to the left and the tines of the fork to the right. This rule is broken in extremely formal circumstances, like a banquet with the Queen, where pudding spoons and forks are placed innermost to the knives and forks.</p> <p>Side plates go to the left of the forks, usually with a butter knife and napkin.</p> <p>Wine and water glasses go to the top right of the setting.</p>

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This country just banned all plastic cups, plates and utensils

<p>Plastic cups, plates and utensils are quite useful when it comes to entertaining (particularly if you’re catering for a large group of people), but if you’re planning on throwing a party in France in the next few years you might have to find another option.</p> <p>France has officially become the first place in the world to place a ban on all plastic cups, plates and utensils. Plastic ware will be officially be phased out by 2020 and from that point on replacements will need to be made from biologically sourced materials.</p> <p>In 2015 alone over 4.73 billion plastic cups were discarded in France, and lawmakers hope the move will put an end to the country’s dependence on disposable plastic wares.</p> <p>The move has been welcomed by conservation groups, concerned about the problem of dealing with increased amounts of waste that are caused by a growing global population.</p> <p>Not everyone’s happy though. Industry group Pack2Go Europe actually thinks the measures will make the problems worse, with secretary general Eamonn Bates telling the Associated Press, “We are urging the European Commission to do the right thing and to take legal action against France for infringing European law. If they don't, we will.”</p> <p>What’s your take on the move by France to get rid of all plastic ware? Do you think Australia should take similar measures? Share your thoughts in the comments. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/09/common-laundry-machine-mistakes/"><strong>6 common laundry machine mistakes</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/09/things-you-didnt-know-your-rice-cooker-could-do/"><strong>7 things you didn’t know your rice cooker could do</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/08/why-there-is-a-hole-in-your-pasta-spoon/"><strong>The reason why there’s a hole in your pasta spoon</strong></a></em></span></p>

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