Have you ever discovered a great kitchen hack you wish you knew years ago? There are tips we learned for the kitchen that would have been so convenient much earlier, that we are now finding out. We just have to share them with our readers.
Is there a Hole in your Pot Handle?
- If so, it has a purpose. Not only will that hole be used to hang the pot from a hook, BUT it is also intended to hold the end of a wooden spoon handle.
Is there a Hole in your Spaghetti Spoon?
- That hole is to aid you measuring a single serving of dry spaghetti. Who knew?
That Soda can Tab has a Hole in it. It has a purpose.
- If you flip that tab around, the hole will hold that straw in place.
Asian Takeout Boxes have a Dual Purpose
- When you order food in, your box will open up to a bowl or plate for you to eat from.
The Long Neck on a Beer Bottle has a Purpose
- The long neck on your beer bottle helps to distribute heat down the neck and into the bottle to help the beer stay cooler longer.
Your Toothpick may have a built in Holder
- Some toothpick have ridges in them at the top. I thought all along they were just fancier than other tooth picks. You’re supposed to break that off to place your toothpick on it so it doesn’t touch the surface you place it down on. Hygienic for you and the surface.
Aluminum Foil Roll
- At both ends of your aluminum foil box, you will see a perforation. When you push in each of them, they will hold the roll in place and lock it so you can unroll sheets of foil easier. If you have ever pulled out the whole roll before, you will understand what I am talking about.
If your brand of Ketchup is Heinz 57 there is a trick
- When you tap it your ketchup on the glass embossed 57 on the side of the bottle, the ketchup will slide out faster. It makes the slow ketchup a bit faster.
All Microwave Windows have a Black Grating
- The black grating is called a Faraday cage or shield. The shield is there to block electromagnetic fields. Michael Faraday, an English scientist, invented them in 1836. (the shield that is, not the microwave). It is used to protect sensitive electronic equipment from external radio frequencies that may interfere with the equipment.
You can Instantly Freeze A Bottle of Water
In a deep bowl filled half with ice, pour rock salt in and mix it around. Insert a bottle of water into the center of the bowl. Fill with ice and pour more rock salt over it and let it sit for 5 minutes. After the time passes, take the bottle out and tap it on the side… it will freeze up before your eyes. A great party trick for the kids.
Speed up the Cooling of Your Beer or Wine
If you forgot to chill your beer and the guests begin to arrive, no worries. Insert the beer into a container of ice. Add 1 cup of rock salt for every 3 lbs of ice. Your beer should be cold in 2-3 minutes. The same goes for wine. Make sure you stir the salt around.
You can Clean Silver Jewelry and Utensils in a Flash
- Silver is easily cleaned in a couple of unique ways.
- If you place your tarnished silver jewelry in a cup or shot glass, fill it with Sprite. The acid in the Sprite dissolves the tarnish.
- For larger amounts like silverware, take a big pot and fill it ½ full of water. Heat the water to a simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and sea salt or kosher salt and one cup of white vinegar and stir. Place a single layer of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pot. Place your silverware, trays or jewelry on top of the foil submerged in the liquid. Watch it melt off the tarnish right before your eyes like magic.
Prevent Microwave Splatter
- Cleaning out your microwave is not a fun job. Cover your bowl with an inverted plate. Your food will steam faster and no more spatters to clean.
Need Spreadable Butter Fast?
- Did you forget to take the butter out to soften? Take out the butter stick and with a box grater, grate your butter into a bowl or plate. Your butter will soften faster.
Absorb Excess Oil from Fried Foods
- Coffee filters work great for draining oil from fried foods. Layer on the unbleached coffee filters to suck up the oil.
More Versatile uses for Coffee Filters. Coffee filters have a multitude of uses other than filtering coffee.
- When you need to filter out liquids from yogurt or cheese and you don’t have a clean cheesecloth, use a coffee filter.
- You want to put in a wrapped sachet of fresh herbs and cheesecloth isn’t available, use a coffee filter tied up with the herbs inside.
- Keep your good china from scratching with a coffee filter between each plate
- Making muffins or cupcakes and have no cupcake liners? Use coffee filters.
- You will have an instant funnel with a coffee filter.
- Do the kids or parents hate the pulp in their juice? Strain with a coffee filter.
- Use a coffee filter to polish your silver. It holds the paste and won’t disintegrate.
Grease Stains on Clothes
- Dawn detergent straight on the stain and rub it in. Lauder as usual.
De-grease Cabinets
- Dawn detergent in a bowl with warm water washes off all the residue that has built up. Rinse with clear water wipe.
Ketchup for Polishing?
- Use ketchup for shining up your copper pots and silver.
Vodka for cleaning?
- Vodka (any kind except the flavored) is a disinfectant and cleaner. Moisten a cloth and wipe down porcelain, tile, almost any surface except wood.
Stickers on Purchases
- Use a blow dryer on the sticker to warm it. After 30 seconds see if you can pick up one corner then turn the blow dryer back on and peel slowly away from the object. Any residue can be removed with hairspray, goo gone or nail polish remover.
Polish the Stainless-Steel Appliances
- Keep those stainless-steel appliances looking good by cleaning with a soft cloth and a few drops of baby oil.
Cleaning your Toilet Bowl
- This one I laughed at until I tried it. Use Kool-Aid in your toilet to clean it. Not just any flavor though. The Orange Flavor works best in your toilet bowl. The active ingredient in the drink is citric acid. Sprinkle some in the bowl at night, swirl it around and let it sit overnight. Flush in the morning and it’s clean. Who knew?