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Questions tagged [kitchen]

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Hacks related to objects and activities in the kitchen, including cleaning and maintenance. Note that cooking is off-topic.

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2
votes
1answer
88 views

How to extract coffee grounds from used Nespresso capsules?

I drink about 100 cups of coffee per month... and now I'd like to find a practical way of getting the coffee grounds out of the used Nespresso capsules - so that I can use it as a fertilizer!
6
votes
1answer
107 views

How to organize food containers better?

We have plenty plastic storage containers for food leftovers, travel snacks, work lunches etc... Currently there's two cube drawers of Tupperware style containers. Oftentimes the lids get separated ...
6
votes
3answers
150 views

Dish soap nozzle build up

How to prevent dish soap bottle from getting clogged by dry soap at the tip of the bottle. The tip of the bottle keeps getting clogged from dry soap substance.
3
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5answers
343 views

Best glue to fix stripped frying pan lid knob?

I have a frying pan with a metal lid. The lid has a small threaded post sticking out of the top of it onto which a wooden knob is screwed. The threads inside the knob have become stripped so the ...
5
votes
6answers
817 views

How to pour out liquid from pan

Some people are able to fill a cup from the following kind of saucepan without any mess, but how? I want to pour liquid out with no mess, but the pan doesn’t have a beak.
2
votes
1answer
59 views

How to test a lock&lock's air leakage with common home tools?

I bought a lock&lock to store medicines to avoid moisture. I put dryer inside and frequently and quickly the dryer is full of moisture and I have to replace it. Then I take a look at the plastic ...
3
votes
2answers
129 views

How to repurpose old fridge with broken compressor as ant-proof dry food storage?

I have an old refrigerator (the compressor died) and I would like to keep it as ambient room temperature pantry storage for food items which don't really need refrigeration, like coffee, dried food, ...
3
votes
1answer
119 views

What to do with big pieces of chocolate milk powder

The chocolate powder I bought to add in milk came in plastic jar. Now accidentally one must have added a wet spoon to take the powder out. Now the fine powder has changed into sticky big stony masses, ...
2
votes
6answers
211 views

How to unscrew this screw

I want to take out my dish washer, but there is a screw that I don't know how to unscrew. I can't get the screwdriver straight on the screw head, only at an angle. Please see the pictures. Thanks.
1
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3answers
83 views

Alternative way to have clear non wrinkle protection layer covering for these electronic devices?

So I’ve tried kitchen cling film and it’s neither easy to apply and keep clear and non wrinkly, nor feels thick/ strong protection enough to prevent scratches & impact damage. It’s also a mess ...
3
votes
3answers
381 views

How to remove the the lip on pull top cans

I save food cans to be used to store things like screws, nails and other small parts on racks that I have built in my garage. When using cans that have a conventional top that is opened with a can ...
5
votes
6answers
908 views

How to keep the water bottles erect in the refrigerator door?

When opening or closing my refrigerator's door, the water bottle(s) stored there often fall sideways: This is irritating, and as you can see, I did try to place a heavier bottle besides it, which ...
3
votes
4answers
161 views

How can I remove white stains from microwaving rice and pasta?

Background For the past several years, I have cooked rice and pasta in my microwave instead of on the stove. This involves putting the rice or pasta in a bowl of water and then using the automatic ...
1
vote
3answers
852 views

How can I 'fool' an induction cooker into thinking that it has a larger pot on the surface?

My induction cooker requires a certain diameter size pot bottom and checks to see that one is there by some kind of sensor. I am wondering if there is any way to 'fool' the sensor, as I have a small ...
1
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4answers
212 views

How can I peel vegetables without scraping my fingers?

PROBLEM: When I peel vegetables (carrots, potatoes, butternut squash), I scrape or cut myself with the peeler (SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS). QUESTION: How to hold and rotate the item so as to peel it ...
0
votes
3answers
154 views

To pour liquid medicine into a Teaspoon/ Tablespoon (for exact measure) from a dark glass/ plastic bottle without wastage, spillage or dripping?

To pour liquid medicine into a Teaspoon/ Tablespoon (for exact measure) from a dark glass/ plastic bottle without wastage, spillage or dripping? Found these similar ones, but they are bigger ...
2
votes
2answers
150 views

How to remove scale from coffee machine?

I have a coffee machine which can make espresso. It has a grinder and a brewing unit, and it takes water from a dedicated container, not from a tap. It looks mostly like this picture: https://www....
4
votes
4answers
937 views

How to microwave flour tortilla without making it wet

I sometimes make homemade burritos, with a mix of fillings wrapped in a flour tortilla, and I reheat the leftovers in my microwave for later meals. By the time the fillings are near the temperature I ...
3
votes
3answers
761 views

How to build a detector to keep cats off kitchen counters

Our 2 cats like to jump on our kitchen counters, which we would like to prevent. We currently have: a ScatMat Indoor Pet Training Mat, which gives a mild electric shock when stood on; however, this ...
-4
votes
5answers
390 views

How can I extricate ginger minced in my blender to use it, without anything touching its blades?

To save time and eschew knifes, my grandparents dropped whole garlic cloves and ginger roots into their Vitamix blender to mince. It worked, but some smidgens are trapped under the blades. They fancy ...
0
votes
5answers
1k views

Should I throw away a mould-covered mug?

I had been out of my house for a month, and came back to find that my toddler feeder and my mug in the sink had mould on them. I am not sure if it is safe to give my kid milk in his feeder, or to use ...
-1
votes
2answers
209 views

How can I clean the back of my fridge, without pulling out the fridge?

My grandparents haven't cleaned the condenser coils at the back of their fridge for 6 years, and worry that it's grubby. Their fridge whirs louder and louder, and they feel heat when they place their ...
3
votes
4answers
142 views

Retrieving behind the refrigerator

My dishwashing soap fell through a gap and went behind my refrigerator. I took a broom and got it to stand upright but I don't know how I can get it out. I can't pull my fridge out as it's in there ...
1
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5answers
2k views

Good ventilation for open kitchen in a studio apartment?

I live in a typical studio apartment in US. It has an open kitchen with a range hood but the the range hood only sucks smoke from the stove to the ceiling, i.e., no outside air circulation. This is ...
0
votes
2answers
412 views

How to clean wicker plate-holder?

Paper plates can be too flimsy for heavy food, or too hot to hold if the food is hot, so we have some wicker plate holders to use underneath them. Occasionally I'll find a plate holder on the floor ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views

Stainless Steel sink stain or…?

Wondering if anyone has advice for if there is a way to remove this stain in my kitchen sink. What happened was a bottle of Lysol toilet bowl cleaner was leaking badly (did not come out of the cap ...
0
votes
3answers
375 views

How do I remove old burnt grease from stainless steel pans?

I'm trying to clean and old stainless steel pan which has burnt grease inside and outside. Ideally, the method used should be functional to clean the outer edges of the pan, therefore something a bit ...
2
votes
3answers
362 views

How do I make a lid for this bin?

There's a popular chain of home furniture store, which shall go unnamed, from which I've gotten a couple of bins which look like this: Unfortunately for me, that store doesn't sell lids for these ...
0
votes
2answers
868 views

How do I prevent stacked drinking glasses from sticking together?

I don't have enough shelf space for each glass to sit separately. I must stack them to fit. The problem is worse for some sets of drinking glasses than others. It might be because of their shape, ...
1
vote
2answers
213 views

What is this on my kitchen chimney and how to remove it

Lately there had been much cooking in our kitchen and today I saw ankle It seems like oil droplet but I wonder how they even got there and how do I clean them up so the chimney net is clear.
1
vote
3answers
113 views

Checking microwave proof containers

Although there are markings in form of symbols to tell us if a container is microwave safe or not, I have some plastic containers which don't have any symbols but are microwave safe. Is there any ...
2
votes
3answers
251 views

How do I pull the rubber plug out of this despenser

Is it possible to pull the plug (white object in the bottle in the image) out with no special tool.
4
votes
2answers
8k views

Substitute for mortar and pestle

Are there common household items that can serve in place of a mortar & pestle? Specifically, something with a little grit (not a porcelain / stainless steel bowl) to grind things up finely.
4
votes
7answers
11k views

Removing water stuck inside a double glass cup

I got a fancy "double glass" cup, and put it in the dishwasher. Yesterday I noticed something really weird after the dishwasher finished the cleaning process: As you can see, there are water "...
7
votes
5answers
1k views

How to wash a sieve?

After cooking pasta, I use a mesh-type kitchen sieve (aka colander, mesh strainer). Immediately after getting the pasta out of the water, I run tap water onto the sieve for a few seconds to remove ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views

Fixing Liftup Hydrolic Support Bar

I have 4 cabinet door having same issue. They are not working as powerful anymore and I need to keep the door to lift up instead of these bars. While they seem very basic devices, is there a way to ...
1
vote
2answers
535 views

How can I reduce hissing sound produced by pressure cooker? [closed]

When I use pressure cooker, hissing sounds are produced and vapour comes out of the vent pipe.
2
votes
2answers
2k views

How to roll a dough to a certain thickness

Is there a way to roll out dough to an even 5mm thickness? I'm a newbie on making cookies. Thanks!
2
votes
5answers
7k views

Cooking In An Oven When Only The Top Heating Element Works

Only the top heating element on my oven works. When I want to bake something thicker than pizza, the surface of the food burns, while the rest of the food remains uncooked. I have tried using lower ...
1
vote
2answers
250 views

How can I remove the smell of egg from my hands?

Whenever I baked something like cake and used eggs in this, the smell of egg remains on my hand even after I washed my hand, which irritates me a lot. What could be remedies to remove this smell ...
1
vote
2answers
109 views

What is the most efficient / effective way of washing up

For say a family of two parents and two children, what is the most efficient/effective way of washing up? Perhaps the answer is 'get a washing machine', but for those without one for whatever reason ...
1
vote
2answers
942 views

How can I cover my kettle's spout?

I need something sturdier than aluminium foil or plastic wrap to cover my kettle's exposed spout to block dust from entering, whenever it's not used. Please see beneath. So the covering doesn't have ...
1
vote
1answer
111 views

How to make an elderly kitchen sink look better

I have moved into a place that has an elderly black sink in the kitchen. I've cleaned it with Lime Away and Bon Ami, but I've made no progress with some discolored lighter areas that become apparent ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views

Deodorizing a smelly dishwasher

I recently moved into a new place with two others, and we've found our dishwasher to be unusually stinky. A day's worth of rinsed-off dishes is enough to get this really funky smell, completely unlike ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views

How to make toasts not to jump and fall from the toaster?

On too many toasters, when the toasted bread is ready - it jumps too high and often falls from the toaster. Any idea for a workaround on this, without the need to limit my bread choice by its weight ...
3
votes
2answers
613 views

What is this hole used for on my kitchen sink?

In my apartment's kitchen sink, besides the tap, I find there is a cap. When I unscrew the cap, I find there is a pipe or a hole that connect to somewhere (probably into dishwasher, but I'm not very ...
0
votes
2answers
79 views

How to get rid of limescale on pipes?

I have read that limescale in pipes makes them way less energy efficient, so that 50-80% of energy is wasted for example in a boiler. How would I get rid of this? I am looking for some product or ...
2
votes
6answers
11k views

How to remove filter holder out of Brita water filter jug?

When I cleaned my Brita water filter jug, I accidentally placed the filter holder in the wrong orientation. As a result, the filter holder is stuck in the water filter jug. I tried very hard to remove ...
2
votes
1answer
137 views

Lifehack to prevent freezer burn and ice on food (no ice in freezer itself)

I find that almost anything in my freezer gets ice in it, and often has freezer burn after about a month. The freezer itself is free of ice. This includes microwave dinners that come pre-sealed from ...
1
vote
4answers
212 views

Simple alternatives to olive pitter?

How can I efficiently take out the kern of olives if I don't have an olive pitter? This task is particularly tedious when the olives are still firm. Currently, I'm cutting them in four (see picture ...

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