People Are Sharing Brilliant "Alternative Uses" For Common Pieces Of Kitchen Equipment, And I'm Astonished By The Creativity
When it comes to your potato masher, "mashing potatoes" is just the tip of the iceberg — trust me.
As a bit of a kitchen tool enthusiast, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to utilize the equipment I already have lying around my kitchen. Perfect example: I recently learned that you could press avocados through a wire cooling rack for the easiest guacamole ever, and tbh, my life was changed for the better.
While doing some digging, I came across this Reddit thread where redditor u/QuantumHamster asked folks to share the kitchen items they "don't use as typically intended." Needless to say, I was hooked.
These are some of the most creative "alternative uses" for kitchen equipment out there — and they're helpful for everything from decorating your desserts to keeping your countertops nice and tidy.
1. "Bundt pans. I don’t bake, but I have a Bundt cake pan for cutting corn off the cob. Just plunk it in the middle hole, facedown, and the pan catches everything as you slice through the corn. It prevents a giant mess from all the kernels rolling around your counter."
2. "I use a milk frother to mix pretty much anything. Making a stir-fry sauce with sugar mixed in? Milk frother."
3. "Mixers. My KitchenAid mixer with the standard beater is excellent at shredding pulled pork and chicken (once cooked, of course)."
4. "The underside of my cast-iron skillet is the best vessel for frozen pizza. Just flip it upside down and heat it up as the oven preheats, and cook your pizza directly on top of it — like a pizza stone."
5. "I use my Nutribullet blender to make homemade whipped cream. It works every single time and only takes about 30 seconds."
6. "My sieve, or even a Microplane zester. Putting a stem of thyme (or any other herbs that require stripping from the stem) through a sieve or Microplane to get all the leaves off truly works wonders."
7. "Instead of only using my pastry blender for mixing up a pie dough or something, I use it to mash potatoes and even chop eggs for egg salad."
8. "Use your French press coffee-maker to froth hot milk instead of buying one of those dedicated frothers. Just vigorously push and pull the plunger into the scalding milk for 15–20 seconds until it doubles in size!"
9. "I use a tea strainer to make deviled eggs. I push the yolks through the strainer with a spoon, and it basically powders the egg. It even makes the volume of the yolk mixture larger at the end, since it incorporates a bit of air. The texture is lighter and fluffier, almost whipped. I'm never going to mash yolks with a fork again!"
10. "I use a potato masher to separate and cook ground meat. It breaks it up much more evenly, especially if you're dealing with clumpy meats that don't like to break up — like sausage."
11. "Those tea infuser balls work beautifully when it comes to sprinkling powdered sugar evenly over the top of baked goods!"
12. "I've only ever used my egg slicer for an actual egg one time. It gets used for slicing mushrooms and strawberries all the damn time, though."
13. "I use my salad spinner specifically for rinsing and drying shredded potatoes before making hash browns. It gets them nice and dry without having to completely soak a dish towel by wringing out all the excess moisture."
14. "I use my metal rolling pin as a meat tenderizer instead of having one of those meat mallets. It makes pounding chicken breasts into an even thickness super simple!"
15. "I place my cheese slicer upside down to get really thin slices of tender vegetables — like radishes — without having to bust out the bulky mandolin."
16. "I've never used my Bundt pan for Bundt cakes, but I always use it to make the best stuffed peppers. It keeps them upright, and they cook much more evenly."
17. "I own one of those unitasker strawberry hullers, and let me tell you: I use it to hull tomatoes almost exclusively. It does a great job without removing too much of the flesh."
18. "I mince up shallots in my garlic press all the time. You've gotta cut them down a little bit first, but they turn into this perfect mush that basically melts into anything saucy."
19. "My favorite way to make piecrust is with my cheese grater. I freeze my butter completely and then grate it with my box grater before mixing it with flour. The little pieces mix much easier without warming up all that much from the heat of my hands."
20. "I use a pizza slicer to slice all kinds of things. Case in point: The pizza slicer cuts a sandwich as if it's made of butter!"
21. "I make guacamole in a medium-size pot instead of a large bowl. Anything you have to mash, mash it in a pot — not a bowl! The flat bottom and handle make it easier."
What's a kitchen tool or appliance that you use in a totally unexpected (but useful) way? Let us know about it in the comments below.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.