Clever Substitutes For Everyday Kitchen Gadgets

YOU NEED: A WHISK SUB IN: TWO FORKS

A whisk introduces air as you’re blending ingredients. You can do this with a fork, too; it will just take longer for your mixture to get fluffy. Even better, place two forks so their tines intertwine, tape their handles together, and whisk away. The space between the forks helps add air. Tip: Don’t use this makeshift whisk on nonstick pans; the forks can damage the lining.

YOU NEED: A STEAMER BASKET SUB IN: ALUMINUM FOIL AND A DISHWASHER-SAFE PLATE

To set food over steam, crumple tinfoil into three large balls and arrange them in a triangle pattern in a large pot. Top them with a dishwasher-safe plate. Add water to the pot (under the plate) and place items such as dumplings or salmon on the plate. Once the water simmers, cover the pot. Tip: For foods that may fall off the plate, such as brussels sprouts, use a metal colander instead.

Extraordinary uses for the items you already own

YOU NEED: A COLANDER SUB IN: AN ALUMINUM PIE TIN

To drain pasta or vegetables without a colander, poke holes in a disposable pie tin and use it as a strainer. Tip: No pie tin? Arrange the pot lid so it’s about a quarter-inch askew, hold it down with oven mitts, and carefully pour the water out, letting the lid catch your food. Hold the pot away from you to avoid a steam burn.

YOU NEED: A JAR OPENER SUB IN: A RUBBER BAND

To get a better grip on a tight lid, wrap its edge with a rubber band (the thicker the better) and twist. Voilà! The lid should open easily. Tip: Improve your grip even more by putting an additional rubber band around the center of the jar and grasping the container there.

YOU NEED: A ROLLING PIN SUB IN: A LIQUOR OR WINE BOTTLE

Why take up scarce kitchen space with a rolling pin when a liquor or wine bottle can just as easily do the trick? Cover the bottle with plastic wrap, sprinkle it with flour to prevent sticking, and then use it exactly as you would a rolling pin. Tip: If you chill the bottle beforehand, the coolness will help the fat in your piecrust dough stay solid, yielding a flakier crust. Wipe any condensation from the bottle first so you don’t add more moisture to the dough.

YOU NEED: A SIFTER SUB IN: A METAL SIEVE

Sifting fluffs up flour and mixes dry ingredients together. For a substitute, hold a metal strainer over a bowl with one hand. Use your other hand to put the ingredients in the strainer and then tap the sides gently so that the ingredients slowly sift through the holes. Tip: In a pinch, a whisk can also blend dry ingredients and add extra fluff, though it may take longer.

YOU NEED: A VACUUM SEALER SUB IN: ZIPLOCK BAGS AND WATER

For a tight seal on the food you’re about to pop in the freezer, put your chow in plastic ziplock bags and leave the last inch of the top open. Fill the sink or a pot with water, then lower the bag slowly into the water, pushing out the air. Seal and dry the bag before freezing. Tip: You can also use a straw to suck air from an almostclosed plastic bag—though it’s best not to use this method with raw meat.

YOU NEED: A BOTTLE OPENER SUB IN: A METAL SPOON

Hold the bottle by its neck as high up as possible. With your other hand, hold a metal spoon tightly, with your thumb in the front center of its bowl, near the handle. Put the front tip of the spoon under the bottle’s cap, then lift slowly until the cap pops off.

Tip: If the top doesn’t pop off easily, move the spoon around its circumference to pry it up little by little.