Restaurant kitchens are designed to function efficiently and safely. Why not adopt some of their tricks in your own home?
Tip: Many restaurant kitchens are designed with a long countertop, known as the line, where several chefs can work side by side.
Hang your go-to utensils within easy reach for ultra-convenient cooking.
Like most other countertop materials, steel needs to be maintained with a wipedown; stainless steel cleaner does the job in an instant. Stainless steel is hygienic and practically indestructible, which is why it can be a bit pricey. Chopping on steel will blunt knives, though, so be sure to use cutting boards.
Garlic-flavored chocolate mousse anyone? To avoid such flavor clashes, try to keep separate boards for different tasks: one for meat preparation; a “smelly” board for onions, chives and garlic; and one for sweet tasks, such as chopping chocolate or slicing strawberries. Label them with a dot of colored paint or an initial on the side.
Tip: Don’t chop raw meats and cooked meats on the same board, to avoid cross-contamination. Boards used for raw meat, especially poultry, should be promptly scrubbed with very hot soapy water.
Gloves with fingers enable greater dexterity than do mitts, and silicone withstands temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Tip: Never grab a hot dish with a damp cloth — the heat will travel through it quickly.
Copper also gets the vote of many chefs. It’s highly conductive, distributes the heat evenly and releases food particles quickly for cleaning. Copper for cooking is always lined with stainless steel to prevent heat-induced toxicity. A copper bowl for whisking egg whites is not lined; it gives more volume and a stable foam that’s harder to overbeat. Just don’t use an unlined copper bowl to cook in.
Tip: Why do many chefs wear clogs? They support the arches, add height for reaching up and can be slipped off easily. Consider leaving a pair of orthopedically designed slip-on shoes in the kitchen for long cooking stints.
Restaurants have separate hand-washing sinks and often use air dryers, but paper towels are a hygienic domestic solution. Remove jewelry when cooking, as ingrained food particles harbor germs — and ruin your bling.
This article was originally published at Houzz.com.