Each kitchen appliance has a designated purpose, whether it’s toasting bread, making coffee, heating up food, or mixing ingredients. But clever homeowners can think outside the box and use their appliances to accomplish a multitude of unexpected tasks.
Disinfect Sponges in the Microwave
After being left in the sink, sponges collect monumental numbers of germs and bacteria. Disinfect your sponge by getting it wet, then microwaving it on high for two minutes. But beware: The sponge will be piping hot when you take it out of the microwave.
Warm Plates in the Toaster Oven
When you put hot food on a cold plate, your meal's temperature dips a notch. Nobody likes tepid dinners, so warm your plates on the lowest setting of your toaster oven for five minutes before loading them up.
Make Fresh Breadcrumbs in the Coffee Grinder
Need breadcrumbs on the fly? You can whip some up in a flash with an ordinary coffee grinder and a fresh loaf of bread. It’s nearly as easy as pouring breadcrumbs from a can—and much tastier to boot!
Clean Hardware in the Crock-Pot
After years of use, hardware becomes covered in caked-on paint and grime. Eliminate the mess with none other than your trusty Crock-Pot. Simply place the pieces of hardware in the appliance, cover them with water, and set your slow cooker to “low” overnight. When you open up the Crock-Pot in the morning, the paint will slide right off your hardware—score!
Dehydrate Food in the Oven
Dried fruits and meats taste incredible, but commercial food dehydrators can cost a pretty penny. As a budget-friendly alternative, make your own dehydrator by stacking several cooling racks on top of each other, separated by balls of aluminum foil in each corner. Place the stacked racks in the bottom of your oven (you'll probably need to remove the oven racks) and set the temperature to 200 degrees. In four to six hours, you’ll be able to enjoy perfectly dried fruit, vegetables, and jerky!
Roast Coffee Beans in the Air Popper
Attention coffee lovers! You can roast your own beans in an ordinary air popper (preferably an older model, which will reach a higher temperature). You’ll need to set up a container to catch the chaff as the beans crack, and a strainer or colander for cooling the finished product. Enjoying custom-roasted coffee at home has never been easier!
Wash Throw Pillows in the Dishwasher
Tossing throw pillows into the washing machine leads to mangled stuffing and damaged fabric. Instead, load the pillows (without their cases) into the top rack of the dishwasher. Run them through a cycle—use borax instead of dishwasher detergent to avoid suds—and skip the heated dry option. Hang them up to dry afterwards.
Freeze Gum Off Your Shoe
Stepped in gum? Try sticking your shoe in the freezer for a couple of hours. When you remove it, the gum will chip off the sole much more easily.
