The unsung heroes of the kitchen

Most British kitchens are filled to bursting point with numerous gadgets and gizmos that once seemed like a great idea that you were bound to use every day (in fact, at the time you wonder how you ever lived without it) but are now just sat unloved and unused, collecting dust on the worktop or lingering at the back of a kitchen cupboard after having been put to action only once or twice.

On the other hand there are a few kitchen items we really couldn’t live without, but often take for granted until the time they break, need washing, or can’t be found. These are the backbones of the modern cooks kitchen and are the true unsung heroes, helping you to become a better cook and more organised and efficient in the kitchen.

So please take some time to say ‘thanks’ to each of the following unsung heroes in your kitchen:

Kitchen sinks

Kitchen sinks are true kitchen warriors, but often overlooked in favour of the dishwasher.  However we still regularly use them for a multitude of household chores including washing up dirty dishes, peeling vegetables, cleaning shoes and soaking stubborn items of laundry to name just a few things!

Washing machines

Washing machines first appeared in the 1760s and consisted of a wooden box filled with clothes and rotated by hand, the first powered machine was created in 1908.  

Since this time the washing machine has become one of the hardest working members of the family with the average household doing between 8-10 loads of washing each and every week!

The washing machine is strongly considered to be one of the catalysts for womens liberation (more than the birth control pill) as it freed up their time, allowing them to enter the workplace for the first time.  Who knew we had so much to thank the humble washing machine for?

Fridge freezers

We all know that storing food at cool temperatures slows down the growth of food poisoning bacteria, but what did we do before we had them? Since it’s creation the refrigerator has revolutionised food production and improved general health around the world.

Food cooling methods can be traced back to 1000 B.C where people kept food cool using caves, cellars streams and snow. Salt brine, alcohol and pickling have also been used as preservation techniques throughout history.

Fridge freezers are now all-singing and all-dancing and as well as keeping food beautifully cool and free from harmful bacteria, some also come with built-in handy cold water and/or ice dispensers and wine bottle holders

Tea towels

You’ve probably already experienced a time when you just couldn’t find a clean tea towel and therefore know what an inconvenience this can be.  As well as just drying dishes they can be used to:

Clean surfaces

Mop spills
Remove hot foods from the oven, as an alternative to oven gloves
Insulate delicate surfaces against heat.
Sieve or colander

Nothing works better for removing liquids from solids than a sieve or colander. From straining pasta to removing the liquid from a tin of beans, the humble sieve stops our foods from being a watery mess and saves us hours of time each and every year in the kitchen.