A chef on TikTok set off a heated debate after recommending an unlikely kitchen tool: the humble bus bin. The suggestion came during a casual stroll through a restaurant supply store, where TikToker @friends_and_neighbors_ shared her favorite commercial items that could upgrade any home kitchen. While most of her list drew nods of approval, the final tip sparked a number of annoyed or dismissive comments.
Featured VideoIn her clip, she praised heavy cutting boards, honing steels, and even small sheet trays for their practicality. She also mentioned Bain Maries for utensils and CamSquares for storage. She closed out her video with bus bins, writing in the caption, “We use it to contain dirty dishes & keep the sink clean. Some use them for schlepping clean dishes back to their respective place in the kitchen. So many opportunities for success, with bus tub.”
TikTok’s reaction to the bus bin
Everyone loved most of her suggestions, but many found the addition of bus bins to the list to be a waste of money and space.
AdvertisementA dissenter wrote, “Everything but the bus tub is a great suggestion.”
Meanwhile, others applauded the idea, calling it a “lifesaver” for busy households.
“Everybody seems anti-bus tub but isn’t the point just to have a place to put your dirty dishes that isn’t the sink so it’s easier to use your sink while you’re cooking?” one TikToker asked.
AdvertisementAnother one mused, “I can see bus tubs being useful for small kitchens with small sinks and no dishwasher. You could setup a makeshift 3-basin sink using bus tubs when you have lots of dishes. Then you can put the tubs away when you’re done to have the counterspace.”
OP follows up with examples
The TikToker admitted in a follow-up video, “I had no idea that this was gonna be controversial, but apparently using a bus bin in your home is controversial.”
In the second video, she broke down three specific ways to use a bus bin at home. First, she explained “dirty dish staging,” which keeps sinks and counters clear while freeing up space for food prep. According to her, “Your sink and your counters are now clear. You can thaw meat, clean vegetables, wash hands, fill water bottles. It doesn’t really matter.”
AdvertisementSecond, she described how the bus bin could transform a single sink into a double sink. “If you have a single sink, now you have a double sink,” she said. “You can presoak dishes in the bus bin. Or you can wash in your regular sink and sanitize in your bus bin.” This approach echoed restaurant efficiency but tailored it for smaller kitchens.
@friends_and_neighbors_ 3 use cases for bus bin with terrible background video ur welcome #kitchenhacks #kitchenorganization #kitchen #cooking #cleaning ♬ original sound – friends & neighbors
Finally, she offered a practical hack for unloading dishwashers. She suggested placing clean dishes in the bin before distributing them around the kitchen in a single trip. “Maybe you wanna unload your dishwasher into a bus bin and then walk around your kitchen, putting everything where it belongs in one trip instead of two or three. Your sink is clear. Hallelujah, amazing,” she concluded.
Advertisement
“We love when they wave back”: Smoked wagyu brisket “twerking” as it’s being sliced has viewers feeling unsettled