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Every time I see an aisle full of kitchen gadgets and tools, I have to fight an immediate urge to go investigate every single one. I have a hard time resisting a good kitchen gizmo, but more often than not they end up gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, because they are rarely as necessary or useful as I thought they would be!
As much as I love kitchen gadgets, my desire to keep my kitchen tidy and streamlined usually wins out. And whether you have too many kitchen tools or none at all, it can be useful to learn to make do with what you already have at home!
And to that end, today I’ll be sharing 11 of my favorite ideas for replacing those single-use kitchen gadgets with stuff you already have on hand! (And for even more cheap alternatives to fancy kitchen gadgets, check out this post!)
11 Cheap Alternatives To Fancy Kitchen Gadgets
1. Use Knives As A Cooling Rack
If you don’t have a cooling rack, or if they’re all being used at the moment, you can use a few butter knives to elevate a baking sheet sheet off of the counter to cool. Just line up the knives about an inch apart in a vertical line, a horizontal line, or a combination of both depending on how much counter you need to cover.
2. Use Silicone Trivet As A Jar Opener
Place a silicone trivet over tough-to-open jar lids to increase friction and make the jar easier to open. Jar openers can be pretty handy, a silicone trivet is far more versatile—you can also use them as hot pads or to help clean your makeup brushes!
3. Use A Colander As A Flour Sifter
If you don’t have a sifter, use a metal colander and gently tap it on the side of your bowl. It works great and is even easier than using a sifter!
4. Use Foil As A Funnel
Can’t find a funnel? Quickly fashion one out of a piece of aluminum foil!
5. Use Clothespins As Chip Clips
Don’t waste money on chip clips. They break easily, and clothespins work just fine! You can usually find a big bag of clothespins at the dollar store.
6. Use A Knife As A Garlic Press
Instead of using a garlic press and having to clean it out every time, just smash garlic with the flat edge of your kitchen knife! It’s so fast and super easy!
7. Use A Toothbrush As A Pastry Brush
Don’t have a pastry brush? Use an unused toothbrush instead—I almost always one to spare from my most recent trip to the dentist. :-)
8. Use Foil As A Bacon Rack
Skip the specialty bacon rack and make your own with tin foil. Fold up a long piece of tin foil accordion-style (folding back and forth every inch or so) to form ridges.
Set your DIY bacon rack on a baking sheet, lay pieces of uncooked bacon across it, then pop it into the oven on broil. You’ll have a sheet of perfectly crisp bacon in minutes!
9. Use Dental Floss As Cooking Twine
If you need to tie up a turkey or other meat, use some unflavored dental floss! It’s cheaper than cooking twine and works just as well.
10. Use A Straw As A Strawberry Huller
Instead of buying a gadget just to hull strawberries, you can use use a drink straw to do the same job! Just push a straw into the bottom of a strawberry and slide it through until the top pops off.
More Ideas You'll Love
11. Use A Water Bottle As An Egg Separator
Separating eggs has always been a pain, but I can do it in seconds with this clever trick! Crack your egg into a shallow dish, then take a plastic water bottle (preferably one of the flimsy, easy-to-crush ones) and squeeze some of the air out.
Hold the opening next to the egg yolk, then release your hold on the bottle to suck up the yolk. Squeeze the bottle again to deposit the yolk in a separate dish, and you’re done! It’s quick and easy, and pretty fun too! :-)
Do you have any tips for getting by without a certain kitchen tool?
