7 Kitchen Tips: Outsmarting Messy Appliances
A mess in the kitchen can be demoralizing. I can't cook in a dirty kitchen, and having to clean it up before I can even get started robs me of energy. Therefore, the kitchen must remain in a basic and general state of cleanliness and order. Since the kitchen is the busiest room in the house, and often the messiest, the best way to accomplish this task is with some principles firmly in place. Here are some of the best ways to keep your kitchen in tip-top shape at all times while outsmarting messy appliances.
1. Cleaning a hand blender
Scrubbing the blade of an immersion blender with a thick sponge can be a frustrating and dangerous task. It's better and safer to fill a bowl with hot, soapy water and place it in the sink. Place the dirty blade of the blender in the water. Turn on the blender to whirl away the stuck food, then rinse with hot water.
2. Easier cleaning of the food processor
Some food processor lids have non-removable feed spouts that can't be completely cleaned in the dishwasher because the parts stick together. To solve the problem, pull up the top of the lid and insert a chopstick between the tube and the lid to separate the parts. Now the soapy water can flow through and the entire lid comes out clean from the dishwasher.
3. Brush away the mess
Even though most waffle irons and panini presses have an easy-to-clean nonstick coating, food can still get stuck in the deep grooves. A toothbrush with stiff bristles is perfect for this cleaning task. The bristles are stiff enough to remove stubborn food residue, but soft enough for the non-stick surface. If you still find residue in the grooves, try using a cotton swab.
4. No-clean panini press
Panini presses simplify the preparation of Italian-style grilled sandwiches, but scrubbing off grease and melted cheese after each use can be tedious. Wrap your sandwiches in parchment paper before placing them in the press. The parchment paper will withstand the heat and catch any spilled grease, so no cleaning is required.
5. Special sponge for panini grills
Because of their many grooves, panini grills, grill pans and sandwich presses are often difficult to clean. However, with a sponge and a chef's knife, you can create a custom cleaning tool.
1. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut several ½-inch-deep slits lengthwise in the sponge and spread the slits to match the grill's grooves.
2. When the grill is cool and ready to clean, dip the sponge in hot soapy water and stick it into the grooves to scrub.
6. Avoid splashes in the microwave
When heating food in the microwave, splatters often occur. A basket-shaped coffee filter is ideal for covering food and keeping the walls of the microwave clean.
7. Easy cleaning of the microwave
In busy households where the microwave is used frequently, people sometimes forget to cover a dish when they heat it up. This leads to splattering inside the oven. Since scrubbing is tedious and can damage the interior surfaces, you need a simple cleaning method. Place a microwave-safe bowl of water in the oven and heat on high for 10 minutes; the steam will loosen dried-on food residue, making it easy to wipe off.