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In the coffee corner in my family's kitchen, we have a plastic cereal container (similar to the one shown below) that's filled with loose Splenda or other sugar substitute. We keep a spoon in there for doling out appropriate doses of the stuff. The spoon, however, consistently sinks below the surface of the lighter-than- and smaller-than-sugar granules. When we get to the bottom, we often find a whole family of spoons down there.

What can we do to save the poor utensils from drowning?

Here's a picture of the type of cereal container that we use:

cereal Container top lid

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10 Answers 10

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  1. Pour the Splenda into a bowl (temporarily).
  2. Put a tall glass inside the now-empty cereal box.
  3. Put the spoon in the glass.
  4. Pour the Splenda back into the cereal box, around the glass.

Now you have a special holder for the spoon that will keep it upright and separate from the Splenda!

enter image description here

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    Interesting idea. +1 from me!
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 17:24
  • Thanks! After I spent 10 minutes making the diagram, I wasn't sure that it would be practical; with the glass taking up so much room, you might not be able to scoop sucralose very easily.
    – BrettFromLA
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 19:31
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    @BrettFromLA I think this is a great idea with other applications. This is clip-file worthy.
    – Stan
    Commented Jul 21, 2017 at 16:05
  • Why not put in something slimmer that's shaped like a test tube. Or slimmer glass or plastic cylinder. Think chemistry lab stuff
    – Alex S
    Commented Aug 11, 2017 at 17:45
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    Brilliant idea ! +1 from me
    – Swasti Gupta
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 7:09
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Maybe find a small spoon that is attracted by magnets then have a magnet glued to the lid and have the spoon affixed to the lid via the magnet.

Example image:enter image description here

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  • Interesting idea. I might try this one.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 16:22
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Use a small sugar bowl and keep the spoon in that. Fill the sugar bowl from the giant cereal container as needed. The spoon can even help you do that neatly.

Most sugar bowls have lids, and typically the lid has a little notch in it to let the spoon stick out. Here's a search on amazon.ca - they are as cheap as $8. That's why I said "sugar bowl" not just "bowl".

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  • Thank you. That'll work... but I don't think my mom will like leaving anything open in the kitchen.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 23:53
  • Ah. I misunderstood what you meant by "sugar bowl." +1, then.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 7:27
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Use a plastic spoon or a small scoop. It's lighter so it won't sink.

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  • We do use plastic spoons, and they do stink. Maybe a scoop with a larger bowl will be better, but I'm not sure.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 16:24
  • Stink?.........
    – Lefty
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 19:39
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    @Lefty I mean to write "sink." That's a typo...
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 19:52
  • @Shokhet Apologies - I was being flippant.
    – Lefty
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 21:53
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You could set the spoon on top of the container. Or, for a slightly more complex solution, you could also make a small paper cone, tape it onto the side of the container, and leave the spoon in that.

Either way, it would still be conveniently located, but there would be no possibility of it sinking into the sucralose.

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    Good thought. Maybe I can wrap a piece of paper into a small cone, tape it onto the side of the container, and leave the spoon in that. +1 from me.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 17:03
  • Just realized it doesn't need to be a paper cone, it could just be a loop. If the loop is larger than the handle of the spoon, but smaller than the "bowl" or "head" of the spoon, then you could slide the handle of the spoon through the loop and the head of the spoon would allow it to hang there.
    – BrettFromLA
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 19:39
  • Good thinking! That's certainly a simpler version of the same solution.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 19:47
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If you go to an office supply store they have "business card holders" They are basically just little clear pouches with a very sticky back (normally meant to stick on to binders and presentations. Pop one of those on the side it would be the perfect size for a plastic spoon to fit.

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Use a longer spoon, like the ones used for ice cream. Find one that is as long as the container is high.

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  • That should work (unless the thing slides down), but I don't think it'll be very convenient to use with coffee.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Jul 17, 2017 at 16:25
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I'd say, abandon the idea of keeping a spoon in the container completely - I've always found this a very bizarre practise. And people's explanation? "I've always done it that way."

You need to use a spoon to stir the drinks anyway. Get out a spoon from the drawer while the kettle is boiling. Use it to put the sweetener in the cup(s). When the drinks are made, stir them with the same spoon and then put the spoon in the wash like you were going to anyway.

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I got and use some long-handled parfait spoons for practically everything in the kitchen that avoids similar issues and permits me to reach into all kinds of containers easily. parfait spoon

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My family keeps a 1/8 cup measure in containers of wheat bran. If the 1/8 cup measure gets buried,I will make it rise to the top by shaking the container. I will I not shake it with long up and down movements as one would when shaking an aerosol can,but while keeping the can upright and open then twisting my wrist from side to side slightly. The point is to vibrate the bran particles.This stratifies the jars contents by size with the larger ones closer to the top and the largest on the top.

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  • Sounds good. Maybe I'll give that a try.
    – Shokhet
    Commented Mar 4, 2018 at 22:23

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