Tips & Techniques

The Simple But Clever Way I Keep My Phone Safe in the Kitchen

September 14, 2018

I worked in a bakery for years, which means I was covered in flour for years. My hair was covered in flour. My clothes were covered in flour. My shoes and notebook and purse were covered in flour. And my cell phone.

That was a bit of a problem. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Why didn’t I keep my phone somewhere else, like away from where I was rolling hundreds of pie dough rounds? One very important reason:

Working as a baker is as much about juggling timers as it is about anything else. A timer for those apple pies in the oven—and biscuits in the other oven and granola in the other oven and jam on the stove. Oh, and it’s about texting the delivery guy about buttermilk, your boss about peaches, your coworker about pastry cream quantities.

All of which to say, I needed my phone near me. Most people feel this way, for one reason or another—just like most people don’t want their phones caked with flour or splashed with caramel. This is reasonable.

Shop the Story

So I tried swaddling my phone in plastic wrap (0/10 wouldn’t recommend). I tried putting it in a bowl (amplifies your speakers! protects nothing). And then one day, I tried something else, something we always had around the kitchen.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“Amazon Alexa. She does all those things by voice command, and maybe 10,000 more things. The timer alone is invaluable. ”
— mary M.
Comment

A clear plastic quart container. You know, like one of those containers takeout soup comes in. It’s transparent, with a clicky lid, and just happens to fit of a lot of cell phones (looking at you, iPhone), acting as a cage and stand.

I love it because I can see my screen, so if a call comes through or message pops up, I can hear or read it clearly. More importantly, when I knock over a glass of water, or forget that the mixer is on high speed and flour poofs everywhere, my phone is safe and sound.


HAVE YOUR CAKE AND CLEAN PHONE, TOO

How do you protect your phone in the kitchen? Tell us your tricks in the comments!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • mary moon
    mary moon
  • weshook
    weshook
  • Jeff Kanezo
    Jeff Kanezo
  • MelissaH
    MelissaH
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

4 Comments

mary M. September 15, 2018
Amazon Alexa. She does all those things by voice command, and maybe 10,000 more things. The timer alone is invaluable.
 
weshook September 14, 2018
Ziploc bag
 
Jeff K. September 14, 2018
Same here
 
MelissaH September 14, 2018
Yup. Protects it, but you can use the touch screen through it.