Simplifying The Kitchen

Whether it's intentional or circumstantial, if you are used to having a bunch of appliances around in your kitchen but are now having to do without, you might be wondering how to go about doing things that you normally used a specific appliance for. In western culture, we've got an appliance and a gadget for EVERYTHING, but those gizmos take up a lot of space and money.

Now I'm not against gadgets you actually use - I use my blender every day, often more than once per day, and my breadmaker saves me physical energy I just don't have - but a lot of people have things cluttering up their cabinets and pantries that they almost never bother with. Maybe you're trying to become more minimalist, maybe you're moving and don't want to haul a bunch of stuff, maybe your old thing broke and you don't have money to buy another, or maybe your current kitchen is tiny and you just don't have space for every specialized doohickey in the Bed, Bath, and Beyond kitchen section. Fear not! There are ways of doing things without the as-seen-on-TV tool.

Coffee and Tea

If you're used to a drip coffee maker/Keurig/electric kettle/microwaving a mug of hot water for tea/espresso machine, things that you use on the stovetop can seem terribly old fashioned, but I promise they work. :) I use my tea kettle to make hot water for all sorts of drinks, including making coffee in my French press. I also have a moka pot for making espresso. No additional appliance required beyond the stove.

If you're like me and super spacey, I recommend a kettle with a whistle so you don't forget it; if you're deaf or HOH, there are glass ones so you can see when it's boiling.

Wait, Did You Say No Microwave?

Yep, no microwave. I haven't had one for years, after my last one made disturbing "it's gonna blow or short circuit or catch on fire or something" sparks and boom sounds (yes, really).

If you're super used to a microwave being an essential appliance, as it is to most USAians, that sounds pretty wild, right? People are so used to heating things up in the microwave, they actually have to think about it to do it any other way. But I promise it's possible.

I use my toaster oven A LOT. I actually have a full size stove/oven in this apartment, but if I ever get my tiny house dream, I just need two burners and my trusty toaster oven, because that's all I really use now. There is a "warm" function on there, that takes usually around 10 minutes to heat up some leftovers. I also don't need a traditional toaster, because toaster oven. Plus, you can put the butter on in advance and toast with it on. ;)

I have some old Pyrex casserole type dishes that I inherited from my mom that I often cook and reheat in, but also some new ones for larger needs, like when I'm baking a pot pie or a quiche. Metal cake tins, small trays, pie tins (or glass ones), and bread pans also all fit in the toaster oven.

I keep the current tray(s) on top of the toaster oven when not in use, and reuse them tons before a proper wash. Depending on what you're cooking or reheating, you don't need to give it a scrub every time.

If you have a frozen meal, it may vary a bit, but in general I take it out of any plastic and for sure remove any plastic film even if it says to leave it on inside a full-size oven. The heating elements are closer in a toaster oven, and call me paranoid, but I wouldn't want to leave them intact in a regular oven, anyway. I just can't believe that that isn't leaching into your food in a proper oven! O.o

Frozen pizza that recommends leaving on the rack in an oven, I don't, because again, the heating elements are a lot closer, but then I don't like it crispy anyway. A few items don't give you any instruction for ovens at all and you have to go to the website to find out how long they expect you to cook it for (I'm looking at you, frozen burritos), but generally the information is there.

If you're used to the speed of a microwave, some cooking times may floor you doing it in an oven, but when you've adjusted to it, you just get in the habit of starting it sooner and then going off and doing something else for a while, rather than standing impatiently in the kitchen watching the microwave. I actually find that I spend LESS time tapping my foot, as it were, because I've fucked off and watched a YouTube video or whatever instead of just waiting.

"What about melting butter or baking chocolate or coconut oil," I hear my fellow bakers ask. You make a double boiler: Partially fill a small sauce pan with water. Put whatever you need to melt inside a Pyrex type measuring cup, put that in the water, and cook on a low heat until it melts.

These babies are your friend

You also do this to make hot cocoa! Put the milk in the Pyrex and heat it that way so it doesn't scorch.

I DO NOT recommend using canning jars as your Pyrex replacement. I've tried that. I broke them. More than once. I thought it would work, because, well, you're fucking doing essentially that when you can, right? But a friend who cans told me that you put a towel in the pot when you water bath can, and so it's the vibrations that did me in. Who knew? Not me.

What about the rice cooker?

I know for a lot of you the rice cooker for you is like the blender to me, you use it ALL THE TIME and so it's quite practical. But for those of us who don't need it that much, I shared a couple of years ago (cough on The Chain That Shall Not Be Named cough) how to make sticky rice on the stove. It's super easy!

So there's my advice on living with fewer appliances and having a simpler kitchen. Is there anything that you're stumped with figuring out an alternative for? Or a neat thing you do in lieu of a common appliance? Let us know in the comments! :)