Every item in your kitchen has a specific purpose and you probably bought each thing for that reason alone. But are you really getting your money's worth if you use these items for only one purpose? After all, what are these items doing the rest of the time other than taking up space in your drawers and cabinets?
Let your kitchen utensils work for you by making them perform double (or sometimes triple) duty. Instead of having a different item for every single job in the kitchen, figure out ways to use several of your kitchen items for a variety of tasks.
1. Colanders If you have a limited amount of counter space in your kitchen and happen to have an extra colander or two on hand, then you're in luck. Remove the legs from your colanders and attach a few lengths of chain to the handles. You can now hang them from the underside of a shelf or cabinet and store smaller kitchen items in them.
2. Silverware You know those old pieces of silverware that you never use because they just don't match the rest of your dining aesthetic? Are you tired of letting them take up space in your drawers? Grab these silverware pieces and start bending them. With the help of a few screws, you now have an eclectic set of drawer and cabinet handles!
3. Wine bottle (h/t One Good Thing)You probably have a rolling pin in your kitchen, right? Now, if only you could remember where it is. Don't worry! There's no need to search through every drawer for a rolling pin if you have a wine bottle handy. Put your dough between two sheets of wax paper so it doesn't stick to the wine bottle and then start rolling.
4. Slotted spoonMost people probably use slotted spoons for the sole purpose of separating the juices from the rest of their food when dipping the food out of a pot. But you can also use a slotted spoon to separate egg yolks from the whites. Hold the slotted spoon over a bowl and crack the egg over the spoon. The yolk will catch on the spoon while the whites slip through the slots and into the bowl.
5. TongsTongs actually have a couple uses other than their intended purpose. You can place a lemon into the tongs and squeeze to get the juice from the lemon. You can use the tongs as a clamp to open beer bottles or jars with too-tight lids.
6. MayonnaiseIf you have a wooden table or counter tops in your kitchen, then you've probably noticed the occasional water rings on your wooden surfaces. An easy way to get rid of these is to put a thin layer of mayonnaise onto the ring and leave it for several hours. When you wipe up the mayo, the ring should have disappeared as well.
