Kitchen gadgets can make food prep and cooking easier, which is great for busy parents. However, that also means more things that need to be cleaned afterwards! Check out these five items every kitchen should have for quick and easy cooking. Don’t worry – we’ll also help with some tips on the best way to clean them.
Baked Potato Bag: This kitchen tool is a special sack that is designed to bake any type of potato perfectly using the microwave. The bag also increases the heat exposure to the potatoes, decreasing the amount of time they take to cook. This bag can also be used to cook corn on the cob, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
How To Clean a Baked Potato Bag: When using, put your freshly-rinsed vegetable of choice in the bag wrapped in a damp paper towel. This will keep the inside of the bag clean. When the bag is in need of a deep clean, simply throw it in the washing machine (without fabric softener) and hang to dry.
Hard-Soft Boiled Egg Timer: Hard boiled eggs are not just for Easter egg hunts! They are great with salt and pepper as a protein-rich breakfast, a tasty ingredient added to a salad at lunch, or a delicious side dish to go with dinner. However you like your hard-boiled (or soft-boiled) eggs, an egg timer can guarantee they come out right, every time. This inexpensive kitchen gadget absorbs the heat of boiling water the same way the eggs do. The timer sits right in the water with the boiling eggs and changes color to show you when your eggs are ready. No more waiting and hoping!
How To Clean an Egg Timer: This is a kitchen tool that was designed to be submerged under water. Simply give it a quick wash in the sink with dish soap and warm water.
Pizza Stone: Pizza stones are great for cooking because their porous stone absorbs and retains the heat of the oven evenly, providing an evenly cooked food. Pizza stones are not just for pizzas though! They are fantastic for baking since each cookie will be cooked the same no matter where it was located on the stone. However, pizza stones do require special care for cleaning otherwise you could ruin your stone permanently.
How To Clean a Pizza Stone: Never submerge your stone in water. Also keep from using dish soap or other chemical cleaner on your stone. Because the stone is porous, that means it will absorb whatever chemicals you use on it, and that’s not the kind of flavor you want to add to your next pizza! Instead, after the stone has cooled from use, scrape off any baked-on food with a dry brush or plastic scraper, and use a damp cloth to wipe it down. Don’t expect your stone to ever look the way it did when you first bought it. Stains are a normal sign of a well-used pizza stone
Griddle: An indoor griddle is great for making pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, cooking bacon, hamburgers, hot dogs, and so much more! Whether gas or electric, this kitchen appliance has a wide surface area allowing you to easily cook multiple items at once, saving time. Make sure your griddle has a drip pan for the grease to make the cleanup even easier.
How To Clean a Griddle: Wait until the griddle has cooled before trying to move or clean it. If you cooked meat that left grease, use a disposable paper towel to wipe up as much of the grease as possible and dispose of it in the trashcan. Do this for the top of the griddle and the drip pan. Then use dish soap and warm water to clean both using a non-scratch mild abrasive sponge. Click here to view different types of sponges and their uses.
Quality Knives: You don’t really appreciate how bad and dull your knives are until you have compared them to sharp carbon-stainless steel knives. Do yourself a favor and invest in a high quality kitchen knife set. Look for a set that uses carbon-stainless steel as they will stay sharper longer. A brand that has a reputable guarantee and a nominal fee to re-sharpen your knives once they do need it is also a plus. Having good quality knives in the kitchen makes food prep and cooking exponentially easier and less stressful.
How To Clean Your Knives: Even if your knives are promoted to be dishwasher safe, they will stay sharper longer if you hand wash them. All you need is dish soap and warm water, but the trick is the tool you use to clean the knives. If you use a sponge that is too soft, the knife will easily cut it into pieces making it less affective. If you use a sponge or wire mesh too hard you can scratch your knives and dull the blade. Instead, use a kitchen towel to clean your knives. The fibers of the cloth will provide enough of an abrasion to clean off food, but not enough to scratch or dull the blade.