Unitasker Wednesday: Peanut butter and jelly spreader

How long has the human race been using a plain old butter knife to spread peanut butter and jelly on bread? I’m not sure, but the time has come to make the switch to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Spreader.

This breakthrough in spreading technology cannot be overlooked. It is two sided and color coded for easy, no-nonsense, sandwich making. The old days of making a PB&J sandwich with a butter knife are past. Spreading peanut butter and jelly with the same utensil is totally uncool. No more accidents transferring some jelly into the peanut butter jar and vice versa. Such messiness would no doubt ruin both jars! Do yourself and your children a favor and invest in this spreader. Please, think of the children!

**Each week, the Unitasker Wednesday column humorously pokes fun at the unnecessary, single-use items that manage to find their way into our homes.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Posted by Matt on Jul 2, 2008 | Comments |

42 comments posted

  1. Posted by Celeste - 07/02/2008

    Now see, I thought the Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches (sold in the freezer section) were hilarious–who can’t assemble a PB&J??? This cracks me up.

  2. Posted by Tracy - 07/02/2008

    Is it just me, or does this kind of look like a home pregnancy test?!

  3. Posted by cv - 07/02/2008

    I can see this for people living with someone with a (comparatively mild) peanut allergy - it’s a good visual reminder not to contaminate the jelly. Other than that, I agree with you completely.

  4. Posted by JPLemme - 07/02/2008

    I would actually use this. I hate getting peanut butter in my jelly jar or jelly in my peanut butter jar, so I always use two butter knifes. (Ditto for fluffernutters and burger condiments.)

    Remove the “color-coding” and it just becomes a double-ended spreader, which is worth TWO butter knives in my silverware drawer.

  5. Posted by Christins - 07/02/2008

    Am I the only one wondering how you avoid getting your hands messy when using this? If you spread the peanut butter first, then flip the spreader around to spread the jelly, aren’t you going to get peanut butter all over your hands? And if you wash it in between spreads, doesn’t that really defeat the purpose?

  6. Posted by Josh forman - 07/02/2008

    Two words.

    Brian.

    Regan.

  7. Posted by Erin Doland - 07/02/2008

    @Josh — Perfect! I found a You Tube visual for people who haven’t heard of Brian Regan or the segment you’re referencing. It’s totally riotous:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avzeab94jw

  8. Posted by Sheryl - 07/02/2008

    Christins - I was wondering the same thing…

  9. Posted by Sheryl - 07/02/2008

    Besides…a spoon works better for the jelly. A knife doesn’t get enough on there!

  10. Posted by allen - 07/02/2008

    I am one of those people who can not use a jar of PB if it has Jelly in it, or a jar of Jelly if it has PB in it.

    just ICK.

    That being said, buying another butter knife would seem to be a better solution, then this contraption. Maybe because it doesn’t have sharp edges, it would be save for a 3 yo to use? (you CAN cut yourself with some of the butter knifes out there)

  11. Posted by hank - 07/02/2008

    Just spread the jelly first, wipe the jelly off the knife on the second piece of bread then apply the peanut butter. Pretty damn easy.

  12. Posted by LC - 07/02/2008

    You can’t tell the scale in the pic. It’s a few inches longer than a butter knife, so there’s plenty of handle to hold in the middle without getting your hands sticky. Also, the jelly side is a little concave for scooping.

    It’s definitely very much a unitasker, but it’s a little handy and the color-coded ends make me smile.

  13. Posted by j - 07/02/2008

    Dude, I’m with allen. I hate jelly, so you best keep it out of the peanut butter. That said, two knives (or a knife and spoon) are an easy solution.

  14. Posted by Liza Lee Miller - 07/02/2008

    I use two utensils for making PB&J sandwiches — knife for the PB and a spoon for the jelly. I agree with the concern about messy hands with this tool. The proper PB&J technique requires peanut butter on BOTH sides of the bread so just wiping the knife on a clean piece of bread won’t work. I have to do my sandwiches in order too — daughter gets creamy peanut butter with jelly; son gets crunchy peanut butter with honey. So, one knife, two spoons. It’s a chore but someone has to do it. :) Besides, you’d still have to dirty a knife to cute the sandwich in half — unless this unitasker has a hiddle blade that pulls out to do that job!

  15. Posted by Sue - 07/02/2008

    Silly me! I’ve been using a dinner knife for the peanut butter and an iced tea spoon for the jelly (allows you to get the last bits with no sticky fingers!)

  16. Posted by Anne - 07/02/2008

    I too thought it was a unitasking pregnancy test! ha ha

    Brian Regan is the funniest! Thanks for the link, now my day will be filled with laughter! Always a MULTI-task!

    I really enjoy how different people are, but it is amazing even in the smallest thing of making a PB&J sandwich, our differences still abound!

    our house of 6, my pb and 3 different jellies and nutella and marshmellow fluff and yikes even our butter is mixed a little in each…it is a buffet within each jar! The honey stands alone, as it is a squeeze bottle!

  17. Posted by Ann - 07/02/2008

    Re: Anne
    Buffet within each jar !!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Love it!

  18. Posted by HMR - 07/02/2008

    “The proper PB&J technique requires peanut butter on BOTH sides of the bread…”

    A) I was unaware there was a proper technique for making a PB&J.

    B) I whole-heartedly disagree. I love the act of fusing the two opposing sides together.

    C) I own the ULTIMATE unitasker in this discussion - a jam spoon. It is a long-handled porcelain spoon made specifically for use on jelly and jam jars. I actually have TWO, in case one breaks. So getting this product would be an upgrade in my home.

  19. Posted by infmom - 07/02/2008

    I’m about the only person who survived childhood without ever learning to like PB&J. I will only willingly eat peanut butter when it’s surrounded by chocolate, and the Reeses people have already taken care of the packaging on that one. :)

  20. Posted by Alex Fayle - 07/02/2008

    I put on the peanut butter first, then wipe the knife and dab on the jam. Since reaching adulthood I’ve never gotten them mixed up in the jars…

    I agree with CV on the allergy thing, though.

  21. Posted by Mer - 07/02/2008

    I use a knife and a spoon.

  22. Posted by JW - 07/02/2008

    Unitasker? Heck no. This thing totally will double as a paddle for your mouse canoe.

  23. Posted by Erin Doland - 07/02/2008

    @JW — Hysterical!!!

  24. Posted by Shana - 07/02/2008

    You need a spreader for PB&J?
    All you need is one spoon -

    Scoop out jelly, deposit in mouth. Scoop out peanut butter, deposit in mouth. You can skip the bread or take a bite before or after the depositing of other ingrdients.

  25. Posted by lucy - 07/02/2008

    ^ no spoon needed…hands and fingers work just fine, thanks! ;-)

  26. Posted by Doreen - 07/02/2008

    there is a way to keep from using two butter knives…a paper towel.

  27. Posted by Kate - 07/02/2008

    TECHNICALLY, this has TWO functions.

  28. Posted by sharon - 07/02/2008

    Well, it takes up less space than a knife and a spoon which I use. But then again, my knife and spoon can be used for lots more. ;)

  29. Posted by SK - 07/02/2008

    Does the spreader come in other colors, for use with different flavors? This one doesn’t match my jelly.

  30. Posted by koz - 07/02/2008

    SK: LMFAO!!

  31. Posted by becoming minimalist - 07/02/2008

    it seems to me that if my 5-year old can make a pb&j sandwich with a butter knife, so can the rest of the world.

    that’s a funny post.

  32. Posted by rw - 07/03/2008

    More clutter!

  33. Posted by Kevin (ReturnToManliness) - 07/03/2008

    Mouse canoe?!?!?!?!!?

    I am writing a post on this…not the silly little P&J thingie, but mouse canoes. Classic…

  34. Posted by Andrew - 07/03/2008

    Aside from PB&J, what about cross-contaminating Mayo and Mustard or other condiments…

    Makes me think of this:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=8OuPEubf-UY

  35. Posted by Gumnos - 07/03/2008

    “I’m allergic to peanuts. Is there any way the peanut butter could have contaminated the jelly?”

    “nah, after I spread the PB, I lick the knife off really well before I put it in the jelly”

    :-)

  36. Posted by Tim - 07/03/2008

    I just buy squeezable PB and Jelly containers - no spreader needed!

  37. Posted by Someone - 07/03/2008

    @Tracy– there was something unsettling about it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on– but I think you just nailed what that was :)

  38. Posted by Cynthia Friedlob, The Thoughtful Consumer - 07/03/2008

    I just clicked on the link and it says the product is not available. It must have sold out!

  39. Posted by Kelly Moore - 07/04/2008

    I’m just curious that no one mentioned Goober Grape, the PB & J all-in-one.

    Then you’d really only need one knife.

    http://www.smuckers.com/fg/pds.....prodid=106

  40. Posted by Steve-O - 07/08/2008

    um.. no Fluff option? No Thank You!

    also, I don’t want to be reminded of a pregnancy test every time I want a fun sandwich….

  41. Posted by Donna Crowell - 07/22/2008

    Wouldn’t you be holding the used end when you spread the 2nd topping?

  42. Posted by Dee Dee - 11/17/2008

    This ranks right up there with the mayo knife!

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