12 surprising kitchen hacks – you didn’t know it could be done this way too
Isn’t it great when someone gives you tips on how to make something just a little easier? Yes, but it can also go the other way. By now, the internet is flooded with hacks, each more ridiculous than the last. And yet we came across a few more that made us think: wow, that’s useful!
Never throw away a mustard jar, the baby monitor can do more than just keep an eye on your child, and how do you keep the colander in place? Luckily, there are people who have come up with all sorts of clever tricks for these things, and you can benefit from them.
#1 Dough in the dryer
Your dough needs to rise, for example because you have a delicious focaccia on the menu. But where in the house is the perfect spot? Warm and a little humid? Top tip: run the tumble dryer for a few minutes with a damp towel or something, then put your bread inside. Close the door and wait. Be careful if you’re not the only one who uses the dryer, because you can imagine what your dough will look like after tumbling around for an hour with a pair of jeans or a duvet cover.
#2 Sugar in French toast
You see this photo and your stomach starts growling. French toast—is there anything more delicious? A tip from real French-toast experts: add a little cane sugar or brown sugar to the egg mixture in which you soak your slice of bread. It gives you an extra delicious golden crust when frying.
#3 Never throw away a ketchup bottle
Those more-or-less flexible bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise and curry sauce: never throw them away! Rinse them well, run them through the dishwasher, and they’re perfect for pancake, mini pancake or waffle batter. Fancy those delicious thick American pancakes? Easy.
#4 A baby monitor can last for years
Want to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the pork shoulder on your barbecue while also watching the Tour de France indoors? This father had the perfect solution: he took the baby monitor out of the youngest child’s room and pointed the camera at the thermometer on his BBQ. A lesson in self-reliance for the little one, and perfect pulled pork on the table.
#5 Never throw away a mustard jar
Off to the recycling bin, you might think after scraping the last bit of mustard from the jar. No, you should keep that jar. You can use the last remnants of mustard in a delicious dressing: simply pour a little oil, vinegar and whatever else you like into the jar, put the lid on and shake. Handy! A pro tip: wash the jar and put it in the cupboard, because you’ll probably want to make dressing again next week.
#6 Pizza does fit
Two frozen pizzas, one oven. And then what? Eating them one at a time isn’t very sociable. Listen up: they really do both fit on the baking tray if you place them this way. Simple ingenuity—hats off.
#7 The colander doesn’t slide away
You want to drain your broth (not into the sink!) or strain a sauce, but the colander never sits quite securely on your bowl. That means you risk the colander, filter, bowl and everything else sliding away and toppling over when you start pouring—a huge mess. Put a spoon through the colander’s handle and everything stays neatly in place. Wow, is that what that hole is for?
#8 The lid is just a little too small
‘Put the lid on the pan and let it simmer for ten minutes.’ Shit, the lid is just a little too small. What now? Think creatively with spatulas and ladles, and the problem is solved. Such a McGyver-style solution!
#9 The bottom of a wine bottle makes ravioli
You didn’t know it before, but now you do: the bottom of a wine bottle, with a substantial ‘punt’, is perfect for making beautiful ravioli. Uh, what? Fantastic!
#10 Beer bottles stop rolling
Is your fridge a reflex test? Open the door and try to catch runaway beer bottles and falling pickle jars at lightning speed? Then this is a great tip for you: use a binder clip to keep those rolling bottles in place, so they don’t roll away when you want to grab one.
#11 No more sauce dripping out of your hamburger
This one’s a good one too! Because everyone who has ever eaten a thick, juicy burger knows the problem: sauce, juice and tomato dripping onto your clothes when you take a bite. You can prevent that, people! Wrap a piece of iceberg lettuce around one side of your hamburger and nothing will fall out anymore. There you go!
#12 Seal bagel holes
Delicious, right—a bagel from the oven topped with cheese and other favorite toppings? Only that hole in the bagel, through which everything falls… someone should come up with a solution for that. Well, they did! Place pepperoni over the bagel holes. Everything stays in place and, as a bonus, pepperoni makes it even more delicious.
Also read:
- 5x absurdly useful kitchen hacks
- 7x kitchen hacks that make absolutely no sense
- 6 top hacks with a tea bag
Source: BoredPanda
