These Are The Kitchen Items You Need To Replace Every Year
It may be hard to let go, but it's a new year (Hello, new kitchen items!). You don't need to fret: not everything in the kitchen needs to be replaced. Take a look through your cooking space and check if you have any of these items that should be replaced regularly.
1 Scratched and Peeling Nonstick Cookware
You know it's no longer nonstick when even bacon strips stick to the pan. Scratches on the surface of the nonstick layer are probably the cause. Even worse, cookware whose nonstick layer begins to peel or bubble from underneath shouldn't be used at all. It's just a matter of time before the bubble pops and ends up in your food.
So, don't wait until it does, and once you can see the layer is peeling or the cookware's surface has scratches, it's already time to discard these and look towards purchasing a new one so you can cook eggs, pancakes, and even bacon without it sticking to the pan.
2 Chipped Dinnerware
It's a saying that it's bad luck to have chipped plates at the dinner table. Whether it's bad luck or not, it's not a good idea to serve food on chipped dinnerware. Flakes you may not see may enter your food, so it's best to toss out chipped dinnerware out.
3 Smelly, Warped, and Moldy Wooden Tools
Wooden spoons used regularly in stews, soups, and stir-fried dishes should be examined carefully. Since wood is a porous material, the wood has probably absorbed soups and sauces. These wooden tools can absorb a smell or develop a film on the surface, both of which cannot be washed off, and so, should be tossed out immediately.
Whether it's made of plastic or wood, chopping boards should be replaced regularly, too. That's because nicks on the surface can encourage bacteria to grow and unless cleaned and maintained well, mold can grow in those nicks and crannies made by your knife.
Wooden boards, like other wooden tools, can be lighted sanded to remove the top surface but if there are any deep nicks, a harder sanding or replacing it all together may be the wiser choice. Plastic chopping boards with deep grooves where mold has grown should be replaced.
4 Broken and Out-Dated Appliances
Unless you're going to get appliances fixed, focus on finding a good replacement that's a newer, more modern unit. Any old units, too, should be replaced, not only because it may not be as effective as a newer model, but also because the new unit will be more efficient, power-wise, as well. So, if you're on the market for new appliances, watch out for great deals you can get on new kitchen appliances when stores hold after-Christmas sales.
5 Grimy Dish Washing Sponges
It's great if you're already replacing your dish-washing sponges regularly. However, if you're waiting for the sponge to physically disintegrate before changing sponges, it's already past time to discard it and replace it with a new one.
6 Smelly Plastic Containers
If plastic containers still smell despite a good cleaning and a soak in some vinegar still doesn't remove the clinging odors, toss those containers out. The odors will not only flavor any other food you add in it, but it may also be fostering bacteria you don't want in your food. Better yet, replace these disposable ones with glass containers which won't absorb any odors.
7 Dull Graters and Vegetable Peelers
The thing with graters and peelers is that, unlike knives, the blades on these kitchen items cannot be sharpened. That's okay because there's no need to purchase expensive ones since these will become dull over time with regular use. Since there are relatively inexpensive versions of these, feel free to toss it out without any misgivings once the blades have become dull. Then, get yourself a new one of each so you can peel and grate without harming your hand as you try to use it.
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