Unwanted Household Habits That Are Hard to Break

Unwanted Household Habits That Are Hard to Break

Some advice just doesn’t hold up over time. While you might have been following these five moves in the kitchen that you shouldn’t, follow these tips instead.

Lining the oven with foil. Placing aluminum foil directly on the bottom of your oven can trap heat and throw off oven performance, and might even void the manufacturer’s warranty. The foil can also melt, which can damage the oven or even cause a fire.

Use a sheet of heavy-duty foil (a few inches bigger than the cooking pan) on the rack below the one you’re using. It will catch drips and allow heat to circulate.

Relying on pop-up thermometers. They are calibrated to pop at 180° F, past the ideal cooking temperature for turkey.

Use a meat thermometer for checking. For a turkey, insert it into the innermost part of the thigh and wing, and into the thickest part of the breast. Remember that food continues to cook for a few minutes after it has been removed from the oven.

Leaving mats in the sink. A rubber mat provides a cushion when you’re washing glasses and dishes, but leaving it in a stainless-steel sink can trap water underneath and cause rust, pitting, and a steel wool can scratch the surface.

Remove the mat (and any sponges) after each use, rinse the sink thoroughly, and allow the sink to dry.

Using cooking spray on nonstick pans. Cooking spray can damage the coating on nonstick pans, which could cause food to stick. Very high heat can also break down the coating.

Use nonstick pans on low or medium heat–without spray.

Washing certain plastics in the dishwasher. High heat can degrade hard translucent plastic that can cause bisphenol A, or BPA, to leach into food and drinks. Some studies have linked BPA exposure to health problems.

Minimize leaching by hand-washing those plastics, and consider using substitutes.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Thursday January 19 2012, 8:10 AM EST. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0