There are so many kitchen tips out there that can make your life in the kitchen much easier. These tips will not only save you time, but they can also save you money. We triend to collect as much of this tips & tricks in one article, called ‘the ultimate list of kitchen hacks‘. Enjoy, and don’t forget to post your own tips in the comment section!
Kitchen Cleaning
1. Use newspaper to clean the glass of windows, cabinets or your oven. Simply spray a mixture of water and some vinegar on the glass and use a newspaper to clean it. It actually cleans better than cloth and it’s cheaper than window cleaner.
2. Want to clean the inside of your dishwasher? Add some instant orange drink mix. It works just as well as more expensive cleaning products.
3. White vinegar is a great cleaning agent with potent antimicrobial properties, and it’s a lot cheaper than most cleaners.
4. Clean your microwave oven with baking soda. Put two cups in a bowl of water and place it inside the microwave oven. Microwave until half the water is evaporated, let it rest for 10 minutes and scrub the walls with a sponge. (Thanks Jonathan).
5. Use a newspaper or some unscented cat litter in a pot to prevent fridge smells.
6. Keep your stainless steel appliances sparkling with the help of some olive oil. Buff streaks out of stainless steel with a little oil on a terry-cloth rag and then polish it with a dry paper towel.
7. Apply a dab of baby oil to a cotton cloth and use it to shine chrome, for example faucets and hubcaps.
8. Don’t have a steel-wool sponge? Use a ball of aluminium foil instead. Great for cleaning glass pans and pots.
9. Protect your sink and tiles from water and dirt by cleaning it with Turtle Wax. Turtle Wax leaves behind a protective barrier that will keep your sinks and tiles clean.
10. You can unclog your drain by pouring half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar down a drain. Cover it with a wet towel for a couple of minutes. Finally let some hot water run through the drain.
11. Don’t you hate those coffee and tea stains in cups? Me too. You can get rid of them by scrubbing them with a lightly salted lemon peel.
12. Sprinkling baking soda on carpets before vacuuming will deodorize them.
13. Keep your freezer smelling fresh by wiping the inside with a cotton pad and a few drops of vanilla extract.
14. Clean a coffee machine by making a pot using a mixture of water and vinegar. Don’t forget to rinse afterwards!
15. Use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to clean your old cookie sheets. You don’t even need to scrub anymore!
16. Refurbish an old skillet with this tutorial (too long to copy).
17. You can stop garbage disposal stinks with vinegar ice cubes. Vinegar is the ultimate in odor problem solving.
Food
18. Speed up the riping proces of peaches or avocados by placing them in a paper bag for a few days. The concentrated ethylene gas will help the fruit to ripen faster.
19. For easier peeling; crack hard-boiled eggs and soak them in water. The water will get in between the shell and the egg, making it easier to peel
20. Unsure if your vegetables are cooked? If you can put a cake tester through it, they’re done.
21. Avoid storing potatoes near onions; it will result in them spoiling sooner.
22. Cook a chicken evenly by roasting it with the legs at the back of the oven (the back of an oven gets the hottest and the legs of a chicken take the longest to cook).
23. Prevent an icy crust from forming on your ice cream by putting a piece of wax paper onto the top of your ice cream.
24. Get more juice from citrus fruits by rolling them back and forth under your hand before cutting them in half and squeezing them.
25. The quickest way to chill a bottle of wine is by placing it in a wine bucket with water and ice. Add some salt to speed up the cooling process.
26. Too much salt in your soup? Drop in a peeled potato – it will absorb the excess salt.
27. You can check if an egg is still fresh by placing it in about four inches of water. If it stays on the bottom, it’s fresh, if it floats you should discard it.
28. If your salt is clumping up, place a few grains of rice in the jar to absorb excess moisture.
29. Hull a strawberry by pushing a drinking straw through the bottom of the berry and push it through the top.
30. To minimize tears, put onions in the freezer for about 15 minutes before chopping.
31. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes
Utensils & Equipment
32. Can’t open a jar? Put the lid under hot water for a few seconds. Grab a damp towel, put it around the top and use it to get a tighter grip.
33. Need to re-use your sieve quickly? Wash it, dry it off with a towel and place it in the oven for a couple of minutes (if your baking and your oven is already pre-heated).
34. Clean spotty knives with lemon juice.
35. Spray the cheese grater with cooking spray before grating. The “grease” makes the cheese glide easily across the grates with less effort.
36. When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to prevent nasty odors.
Updates
37. Put a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling water to keep it from boiling over.
More ideas?
Do you have other kitchen hacks that you would like to share? Please post a comment and I will had them to this list!
