Courtney Johnston

7:00 AM

Good morning! I take my time getting ready for work, then head out the door at 7:55 am. I live in the CBD, so it takes only 5 minutes to walk to work.

8:00 AM

When I arrive to work, the first thing I do is check my calendar. I spend the next 5-10 minutes planning for my day, then check my emails – mostly project updates or newsletters from food blogs. Next, I head to the Cooking Lab to make a quick breakfast and a hot drink.

8:45 AM

Stand-up meeting with my team (Cooking Product Performance). We meet twice a week to discuss our key actions for the next few days. We each work across different projects, so this is a great opportunity for us to learn what everyone is working on and to seek help/advice where necessary.

_{Biweekly stand-up meeting with the Cooking Product Performance team – here we are discussing the results of a Small Cakes test.}

9:15 AM

Before my next meeting, I decide to head off to the local supermarket to grab some ingredients for this afternoon’s testing (and perhaps some afternoon snacks, too!). Being in the CBD, everything is only a 2- to 5-minute walk from the office.

9:30 AM

Weekly team meeting for a combi-steam oven project (an oven with both conventional cooking functions [e.g., Bake, Fan Bake] and steam functions) wherein I am the Cooking Product Performance Lead. I meet with the Chief Engineer (CE) and the lead engineer from each functional team involved in the project (e.g., Built-In Oven Structures, Cooking Customer Interfaces [think control panel, water tank, and accessories], Industrial Design, Electronics Hardware). The CE gives us an update on the project, and we take it in turns to update the team on the work we have completed over the past week and our plan for the upcoming week. We are currently testing three new prototypes.

10:30 AM

I spend the next 30 minutes updating my documents for the combi-steam oven project. This includes my project test plan, summary of test results spreadsheet, and A3s (templates that Fisher & Paykel use to present information). 

11:00 AM

Before lunch, I spend some time putting together a presentation for a different project – a research-based project that involves researching into the science of cooking with steam. I enjoy projects like these because they are creative and build on my knowledge and understanding of food science whilst aiding in the development of our future appliances.

12:30 PM

Lunch time! I usually make my lunch at work, but on some days, like today, I prefer to pop downstairs and grab something to eat from the mall. I eat my lunch with the other graduates in the Social Kitchen. When it’s sunny, we like to eat upstairs in the BBQ area.

_{On sunny (and warmer) days we tend to eat lunch outdoors in the BBQ area. We are very lucky to be able to use our appliances during work, so here we are using our DCS grill!}

1:00 PM

Off to the lab to run a Small Cakes test in one of the combi-steam oven prototypes. This is a standardised test that we use to assess the vertical and horizontal heat distribution in the oven. We can tell how evenly the heat has been distributed based on the browning, rise, and appearance of the cakes. This is one of my favourite tests to run as it involves baking – my favourite pastime – and we get to eat the leftovers!

_{Piping the small cakes mixture into the muffin cases – it is important that we accurately weigh each one.}

3:00 PM

While I wait for the cakes to cool, I decide to get some fresh air with a few friends from work. We do a quick lap around the block then head into the mall to grab an afternoon snack (we love Cookie Time or Patties & Cream!).

3:15 PM

The cakes have finally cooled, so it’s time to assess them. Using a shade gauge and vernier callipers, I measure the colour and height of the cakes, respectively, then visually assess their appearance. I then enter the data into a spreadsheet to calculate the performance score before sharing the results with the project team via email. 

_{I use a shade gauge and vernier callipers to measure the colour and height of the cakes, respectively. From this data, we learn whether the oven has distributed the heat evenly.}

4:30 PM

Home time… almost! Les Mills recently opened in the mall, so a friend and I opt to do a group class together before heading home. 

_{Absolutely knackered after a Les Mills Ceremony workout!}

5:30 PM

I walk home, shower, and relax for a bit before cooking dinner: Cajun chicken wraps with leftovers for tomorrow. 

7:00 PM

It’s late February and the evenings are still warm in Dunedin, so a small group of us decide to head to St Kilda beach for a couple hours (I’m not brave enough to swim in the cold water, but lots of other people are!).

_{Warm, sunny evenings at St Kilda beach, Dunedin, with friends – a great way to end the workday!}

9:00 PM

After a busy day, I’m ready for bed. I check social media, read on my kindle for 30 minutes, then go to sleep. Good night!

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