For many of us, our kitchen is the heart of the home – the place where we most like to be. Those of us who love nothing more than whipping up a delicious dish have kitchens filled with gadgets that make preparing and cooking easier and more fun than ever before. However, like all gadgets and machines, kitchen equipment needs to be looked after to keep it in good working order. Here are 5 ways to look after your kitchen equipment.
Buy Smart
When buying a piece of equipment for your kitchen, you should buy a good quality product from a reputable dealer. The product should come with a manufacturer’s warranty so you can get it fixed or replaced if something does go wrong with it or it is irreparable.
Keep it Sharp
A good cook is nothing without a decent set of knives. Blunt knives make preparing food a laborious and challenging task, so keeping the blades sharp and smooth is vital.
There are many ways knives can become blunt. If you keep them in cutlery drawers, rather than a knife block, or cut on hard surfaces such as marble or glass instead of wood or plastic, they will soon lose their sharpness. A whetstone is a great accessory to have in your kitchen to keep your knives in tip-top condition. Most professional chefs use whetstones and oil to sharpen their most treasured utensils.
Keep it Clean
Regular cleaning of kitchen utensils and equipment will ensure they stay free of dust, grime, and baked-on food that can cause corrosion and blockages. Be sure to use the appropriate cleaning detergents for the item you are cleaning; otherwise, you could do more harm than good.
Equipment used for preparing, cooking, or storing food should be cleaned with a non-toxic cleaner and rinsed thoroughly to prevent chemicals from being ingested by you and your family.
If the item has a shiny surface, such as a glass oven door, use a soft, lint-free cloth to clean it and prevent scratches. Be sure to avoid spraying cleaning products near the fan mechanism in fan-assisted ovens because the liquid can corrode the metal and damage the fan. Wipe ovens carefully with some detergent on a cloth. Hobs should be cleaned with appropriate materials – be cautious when cleaning ceramic hobs as they require a specialist cleaner. Abrasive cloths and sharp scrapers should never be used.
Read the Paperwork
Always keep the manuals that come with kitchen gadgets as these will give information on how to clean and maintain the product – Don’t presume that one cleaning product fits all. If you have lost the manuals, you can often find a copy for downloading on the manufacturer’s website.
Keep it Safe
Sharp blades and electrical appliances should be kept away from small children to prevent them from being injured. It is also best to keep them in a low cupboard where there is no danger of them falling from a height and smashing. If you want to keep them on a countertop, ensure they are covered so that they don’t gather dust, get splashed by water or food, or be knocked about.
Establishing a weekly cleaning and maintenance schedule will ensure that your kitchen equipment will stay clean, sharp, efficient, and will last a good number of years.
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