Ice-cold cutlery in business class

[mrdctau]

Admittedly this is a "first world problem" in the extreme but a pet peeve of mine is ice-cold cutlery in business class when I'm sitting down to eat a nice hot main meal.

It seems that most airlines keep the napkin/cutlery set in the same refrigerated cart that the cook-chilled business class meals are loaded; but it doesn't need to be this way.

Two solutions:

a) Keep the napkin/cutlery sets in a non-refrigerated cart so they will be at room temperature; or
b) As the meals are being plated, put the napkin/cutlery sets in a warmer for a few minutes.

I realise that both (a) and (b) will require a little bit more labour, but I'm paying through the nose for business class seats and expect a few of these one-percenters.

In the interim, the best I can do is use cold cutlery for my entrée and wrap my main course cutlery up in a napkin and sit on it until my main course arrives.

I haven't tried it yet, but next time I fly business class to Perth in a couple of weeks I'm going to ask the cabin crew to warm my cutlery for me and see how that goes.

Am I alone in being concerned about this?

 

[Guvner]

You could always sit on the cutlery for a few minutes. Wrapped in a napkin of course.

 

[Dalescott]

You try eating at the back of the plane, your lucky if you get cutlery at all. :mrgreen:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Am I alone in being concerned about this?

Cutlery I can manage, but when cups and mugs also come out ice cold your tea and coffee ends up being lukewarm. That is annoying

 

[Boca68]

I'm prepared to say that you are alone with this.

Neither here nor there for me. As long as the food is palatable and the drinks are flowing. Slightly chilly cutlery is not up there on the scale of things that could go wrong.

 

[Travelqueen]

Haha.....this has intrigued me at times too.

You are not alone !

TQ

 

[JohnPhelan]

Am I alone in being concerned about this?

Yes.

And I can't say I've ever actually noticed this.

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes.

And I can't say I've ever actually noticed this.

Evidently, by the post before yours, the answer is 'no'

Also a peeve of mine, not because the cutlery is cold, but because, in J it should be avoidable.

 

[DC3]

... ice-cold cutlery in business class when I'm sitting down to eat a nice hot main meal ...

Good point. It's always ice-cold, but I had never worked out why they would chill cutlery.

 

[Mal]

Good point. It's always ice-cold, but I had never worked out why they would chill cutlery.

Because it is packed in the catering centre, which is temperature controlled, then put into refrigerated trucks out to the aircraft. I assume they may be packed with the meals themselves, pre-plated, and thus subject to continued cooling while on board.

It makes sense to me. Logistically it would be a nightmare to do it differently IMHO.

 

[teamhamsandwich]

You're actually complaining about the temperature of cutlery. Seriously? I suppose you only like seat cushions made of 50,000 thread count Egyptian cotton and expect the FA to wave over you with a palm frond whilst feeding you peeled grapes.

Get over it!

 

[DC3]

... Also a peeve of mine, not because the cutlery is cold, but because, in J it should be avoidable.

So, back on topic. Cold cutlery. No pushing buttons of course.

 

[yohy?!]

This bugs me also - it affects texture and flavour of food. I now try to warm cutlery back to room temperature before eating to avoid spoiling the meal.

Most often have encountered it on CX infra Asia flights where staff are very eager to get the service out as quickly as possibly.

 

[RooFlyer]

You're actually complaining about the temperature of cutlery. Seriously? I suppose you only like seat cushions made of 50,000 thread count Egyptian cotton and expect the FA to wave over you with a palm frond whilst feeding you peeled grapes.

Get over it!

You are amazed that this topic may arise on AFF? (DYKWIA?) Seriously?

Get over it. (Apologies, couldn't resist.)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It makes sense to me. Logistically it would be a nightmare to do it differently IMHO.

Alternatively have your packs of cutlery in a separate non chilled container. You add one pack of cutlery to each tray before you dish it out. Less work for the kitchens than having to neatly place one set of cutlery on each tray.

 

[puppysparkes]

Sitting on cutlery is unhygienic, you never did that. You could ask them to put your cutlery in the oven. But it will probably be too hot to use. You could also wear mittens while you handle the offensive objects.

You're right, this is totally FWP and I can't help but face palm right now.

 

[opusman]

Can't believe no one has brought up the ice cold butter problem by now!

 

[RooFlyer]

Can't believe no one has brought up the ice cold butter problem by now!

I was going to, but courtesy demanded that some-one went first.

 

[teamhamsandwich]

Can't believe no one has brought up the ice cold butter problem by now!

Easy, in economy just sit it on top of the aluminium foil lid of your hot meal for a minute! Solved!

 

[opusman]

Easy, in economy just sit on top of the aluminium foil lid of your hot meal for a minute! Solved!

Butter, not buttock.