23 Kitchen Shortcuts

Get more juice out of lemons by microwaving them for 20 seconds first | Image: Aka

Very few of us wish to spend more time in the kitchen doing prep work, cleaning, or other tedious tasks. If asked, most people would say that they prefer to be at the table with friends and cocktails rather than toiling alone in a hot kitchen.

The linked article lists a collection of kitchen shortcuts that may make your time spent there a bit easier. From grating mozarella cheese to pre-lining measuring cups to food storage that will stretch your food dollars, these 23 kitchen shortcuts are practical and user friendly.

See all 23 kitchen tips here.

Grate fresh mozarella without it turning to mush by freezing it first | Image: Shiva Nataraja

It suggests using the microwave to pre-heat water to boil it. I suggest getting a water kettle instead. Those boil water faster and are more energy efficient than a microwave. They also turn off automatically once the water has boiled.

The advice to "De-germ your icky sponges by zapping them in the microwave for a few seconds" is wrong. It's two minutes, and make sure to moisten the sponge first as it could be a fire hazard. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6293735.stm .

Using a potato to remove salt from water is often repeated, but also wrong. Osmosis doesn't work that way. And it were true, raw potato slices would be used to turn salt water into fresh water. http://cookingwithjack.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-remove-too-much-salt.html is an example of someone who tried the technique, only to have it fail.