Kitchen Hack - what’s yours?


 
Us lawyers rank the binder clip as a great invention second only to fire and the wheel. Just so massively superior to the paper clip and stapler.

They were so frequently used in our house as bag closers that when my kids got post-college office jobs, they were shocked to find that office people used pretzel bag closers on stacks of paper.
 
I have a dinner bell. I picked it up for a couple of bucks at an antique coop shop. Probably was an old school bell. Old, well made, hand hold-able, loud, and rings a B flat. Annoying as all get out when you keep trilling it, but still way more elegant than yelling up the stairs.View attachment 57994
I used to blow a conch shell when it was dinner time, worked great! The kids could hear it wherever they were in the neighborhood. Now I need to go find it, I know it’s in the attic somewhere!

Found it! Haven’t lost my touch, just like riding a bike! I forgot how loud it was.

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Kitchen Hack #1: I use Plano PLA131401 clear stackable storage bins to store spices and loose tea. I used to store spice jars on end in a lidded plastic box. My wife hated that because she couldn't read the jar labels. These bins pretty much solve that problem, but you do have to rotate the jars so the labels face up and they do move around a bit when moving in and out of the pantry. Wife is very happy!

I store spice jars in the top bin, bags of spices in the middle bin, and bags of loose tea in the bottom bin.

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Kitchen Hack #2: I write the date of purchase on each jar.

Kitchen Hack #3: I place a desiccant packet in the bin to keep contents dry to prevent clumping. Not sure how much this helps, but it makes me feel good.
 
I had saved about a dozen or so of the old “Darling Clementine” wooden boxes, when I got my pantry shelf I needed one more shelf so, when I made the plywood one I spaced it to fit those and use them as drawers, great for smaller things and just quick storage. Some in the basement for storing “In a cool, dark place.” (Tip of the hat to Tom Petty) and a pair of nice red wine glasses fit very well in one too. The binder clip hack I’ve done for years I have them all lined up on the pot rack in the kitchen. I keep several sizes in the car as well!
 
Us lawyers rank the binder clip as a great invention second only to fire and the wheel. Just so massively superior to the paper clip and stapler.

They were so frequently used in our house as bag closers that when my kids got post-college office jobs, they were shocked to find that office people used pretzel bag closers on stacks of paper.
One can never have too many binder clips or carabiners.

My hack: when I make bbq rubs I put a label on the jar/shaker with the recipe so that when it runs out I can make a new batch without having to hunt down the recipe.
 
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squeeze bottles for oils which allow for small dosing when needing oil
buying bulk spices and reuisng the original large jars
saving slightly older herbs and then air or sun drying them for dried herbs - zero waste game
buying bulk chuck roast and freezing the sliced pieces that fit in the grinder and freezing in 12oz or 24 oz bags so i can defrost 2 or 4 burgers at a time
deboning chicken pieces and saving the bones and scraps for chicken stocks. freezing the cutoffs and making a large batch of chicken stock, unflavored and then freezing into ziplocks lining a 16 oz container so i get chickenstock large hockey pucks to make soups with
buying only cryovac beef at costco for maximum savings and cutting my own thick steaks instead of their less than 1" retail steaks

we just try to run a zero waste kitchen. use as much of a product/products as we can from human down to the pup so very little goes in the garbage.
 
I love this thread. My mother wasn't much of a cook so I didn't learn much from her except that a jar of Ragu is a pretty dismal pasta sauce. I learned from TV chefs; PBS when I was young (Graham Kerr, Paul Prudhomme, Jeff Smith, Martin Yan) and then Food Network and the like as an adult. I became obsessed with cooking.

My kitchen hack isn't really a hack, it's just some planning. Mind your pantry (and freezer). I found a list at one time of pantry essentials, perhaps from Alton Brown. Over time I modified it for what I like. Now it is a saved list in the shopping list app we use. I've since modified it further to include pantry items for our dogs.
 
Best kitchen hack/advice - avoid buying new kitchen gadgets, unless you really gotta have them.

I'm also a squeeze bottle for oil fan. I keep these and my vinegar bottles in old beer cartons (6 pack, or 4 pack) The don't fall over inside my pantry when I'm rooting around for other items.
 
I used to blow a conch shell when it was dinner time, worked great! The kids could hear it wherever they were in the neighborhood. Now I need to go find it, I know it’s in the attic somewhere!

Found it! Haven’t lost my touch, just like riding a bike! I forgot how loud it was.

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I got pretty good at using a conk shell to annoy my family when I was around 12 years old.... They are very loud once you get the hang of it!
 
I put stick on felt feet on one of my half sheet pans. I use this a lot and it slides in the refrigerator without scratching the glass shelf.

Its my prep pan for seasoning meat and I put a little x in each corner to remind me this is that pan. I store it on top of the refrigerator so I don't accidentally cook with it.

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