Archives for Kitchen
Convenient dry goods delivery from Alice.com
A couple months ago, I was given the opportunity to be a beta-beta tester for Alice.com. (A gamma tester?) It’s a dry goods grocery delivery service where you place an order online and then have the items shipped directly to your home.
The prices are comparable to what you might find in a big box store like Costco or Sam’s Club, but the products are sized like what you would buy in a grocery store or pharmacy. All with the added convenience of not having to go to a store (and there is no charge for shipping). You can set up a shopping list and reminders, so that every few weeks or a couple times a year (you set the schedule) you receive a notification from Alice.com telling you that you might be getting low on toilet paper or deodorant or shampoo.
I’ve gone shopping on Alice, paid for my order, and received a shipment. For as much as I ordered, I was genuinely surprised at how little packaging they used. It all fit in a reasonably sized box and the box broke down easily to go into our recycling bin. Everything about the process was convenient.
And I think that is why I liked it so much. It’s convenient. I’m incredibly busy and the last thing I want to do is have to run to the store to pick up toilet paper when we inevitably run out at 10:00 at night. Now, I get a notice once a month asking me if I need toilet paper, and if my supplies are low, I order more. I make a few clicks with my mouse in less than a minute and toilet paper appears two days later.
Right now, since they’re still in beta, they’re only carrying the major brands. But, they’re in negotiations with smaller manufacturers to increase their inventory. They actually carried my favorite brand of all of the supplies I ordered, so I didn’t notice that anything was missing. During testing, though, I noted one or two types of products that weren’t on their inventory and poof! after I suggested the product it appeared on the list a few days later. So, I know they’re listening to consumer requests. The interface is easy to use, too, and these cute little cartoon people guide you through the site:
I think about my friends who have infants at home and barely have time to shower, and how nice it would be for them if diapers just appeared on their doorsteps. I think about my friends who live in downtown New York who have to take 20 minute train rides to get to the closest big box store, and how much time it would save them if their dry good items could simply be delivered. Since I buy the vast majority of my food through our local farmer’s market, Alice.com saves me from having to make a second shopping trip to the grocery store. It’s extremely convenient for busy people. It removes an errand/chore from my weekly schedule and allows me to spend that time doing something that matters more to me. It’s simple and uncluttered, for my life.
Granted, this service isn’t for everyone. If you like going to the grocery store and smelling products and first touching what you’re going to buy, then you won’t like getting your dry goods delivered. It also takes 15 to 20 minutes to put together your initial order (at least that is what it took me) which isn’t much of a time saver on that first trip. Subsequent trips are just seconds, however, since you have an established shopping list. Also, if you buy a lot of small production goods, it might take a while for those to become available as contracts are negotiated between Alice and those manufacturers.
What do you think about dry goods being delivered to your door? To me, it’s a lot like Netflix or Amazon, just with the specific grocery angle. If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, you can sign up for a free account and be a beta tester, too, at Alice.com. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Popularity: 13% [?]
House Beautiful: What’s in your junk drawer?
Recently, I received a fun request from House Beautiful magazine to share a photo of my home’s junk drawer with their readers.
Somewhere in every home there’s the bottomless, fascinating, slightly terrifying junk drawer. It’s like a little attic.
Truth be told, I don’t have a junk drawer in my house. I have just two built-in drawers in my entire place, and they’re in the kitchen. One of the drawers holds eating utensils and the other holds food preparation utensils. Which, unfortunately, I believe made me the least fun of the 8 “brave souls” featured in the article.
I’m honored that House Beautiful reporter Shax Riegler still included me in her entertaining article in the May issue. If you missed it while it was on newsstands, check it out online. (I am still giddy that my drawer is pictured next to Karim Rashid’s. I may be his biggest fan.)
Mine:
Karim Rashid’s:
Popularity: 11% [?]
Zip and Dry apron
On page 42 of the July issue of Real Simple magazine, there is a picture of a wonderfully ingenious multi-purpose apron (at right). The Zip and Dry apron has a dishtowel at its bottom that can be used during cooking and afterward for cleaning:
Made from heavy-duty fabric, the apron will keep your clothing free from splatters, while the attached towel is the ideal place to wipe your hands during the process. When you’re all done cooking, simply unzip the towel and use it to clean up. Complete with multipurpose pockets.
The zippered dishtowel could easily be added to the bottom of any apron as a simple DIY project. However, at $25, it’s not a bad price for an apron. Either way, I like that this design was made with an actual cook in mind.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Outfitting a minimalist kitchen
Although I am a fairly adventurous cook, I find that I repeatedly reach for the same utensils, pots, pans, and ingredients in my kitchen. You probably do, too. We’re creatures of habit.
A friend who is getting married recently asked me what I think are the essential items in my kitchen. I first directed her to the “Creating a multi-tasking wedding registry” post I wrote last year. Then, I made a list of the 10 things I can’t live without in my space.
Making “essentials” lists is a risky endeavor. Obviously, the items I turn to every day aren’t going to be what other people use. It was still a fun experiment and I created my list by answering the question: “If my home were destroyed in a disaster, what 10 items would I replace first?”
The minimalist kitchen:
- 10″ cast iron skillet. The Lodge version and the Le Creuset enamel-coated version both get the job done extremely well. I prefer the enamel coated version because I don’t have to season it and can throw it in the dishwasher, but both are excellent and the Lodge price tag is unbeatable. They work on the stove top, in the oven, and on the grill.
- 12 qt. stock pot with lid. The best and cheapest way to get one of these is to head to your local restaurant supply store and pick up a well-made aluminum one for under $30. You can make soups, pasta, and sauces, as well as using it for frying and soaking. It also works in the oven and on the grill.
- 9 qt. cast iron Dutch oven. Roast or braise in this amazing product. You can fit an entire chicken in this bad boy. Plus, it can go on the grill or directly over an open flame. Expensive, but it will last you a lifetime.
- Two silicone oven mitts. I use an Orka brand, but there are many others out there. Because they’re silicone, I can reach into boiling water and grab things without risking burns (the way you do with fabric oven mitts).
- A good knife set. I’m a big fan of the Cutco 5-Piece Set because they’re durable, can go in the dishwasher, and come with a solid warranty. Plus, since there are so many dealers around, it’s always easy to find where to have them sharpened.
- Cutting board. I love my Epicurean Cutting Surface because it’s nice on my knives, can be tossed in the dishwasher, and can be used as a trivet (up to 350 degrees F). I’ve had mine for a number of years and it is as good as new.
- Tongs. Not a lot to say about them, but love that they lock closed for easy storage. Long-handled stainless steel ones can be used for items in the oven as well as on the grill.
- Food turner. I grew up calling these things spatulas, but apparently that is not their official name. Again, you can use them on the stove, grill, or in the oven. They also do nicely in the dishwasher.
- Infrared thermometer. Simply point it at your food and know the temperature. Nothing to clean, and really cool.
- Baking pans. All you’ll need to get started are anodized aluminum sheet cake, loaf, and jelly roll pans.
I believe anyone can make fantastic meals with only these items. Do I have more in my kitchen? Definitely. This is just a basics list and nothing more. If I were to add five more items, I’d throw in a long-handled ladle, heavy-duty stand mixer, bread machine (I use mine twice a week minimum), coffee pot, and tea kettle.
Are there essentials that I have forgotten from my list? Do you think any of these items are unnecessary? Give your opinion in the comments.
Popularity: 34% [?]
Save kitchen space and make good coffee with an AeroPress
Our Nespresso machine gave up the ghost recently and we’re trying to decide if we should have it fixed or switch to a device that doesn’t use special pods or capsules.
In doing a bit of research, I’ve noticed that over the last year all of the elitist coffee forums have been abuzz with talk of the Aerobie AeroPress. At first glance, this $30 device seems like the kind of product that Billy Mays or Ron Popeil might pitch on late-night cable. But oddly, many of the same coffee snobs who will call you a chump if you’re unwilling to pay $250 for a conical-burr coffee grinder are now using these simple, inexpensive and space saving devices to make their coffee.
This video from the Coffee Convo podcast shows how the AeroPress works:
Do you have any advice for making high-quality coffee at home without a lot of equipment? Are you using an AeroPress? Let us know in the comments.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Canning: Meal planning months in advance
Last summer, while sharing a bottle of wine with food columnist Kim O’Donnel, I professed that I wanted to learn to can. Kim didn’t skip a beat, she’s always game for whatever random schemes I hatch, and said that she would teach me. Then, before we could set a date, she decided to follow her husband to Seattle and skipped town (if I didn’t like her husband so much, I would have protested this decision much more vehemently — whisking my pal away to live on the other coast is usually grounds for a good fist shaking and finger waving).
So, this summer, I had to give this canning thing a try without her seasoned help. My belief is that canning is preferred to freezing because the power can’t go out on your pantry. Also, when done with friends, you get to divvy up the goods and everyone goes home with amazing treats. It’s wonderful in the middle of winter to open up a can of tomatoes picked from your own garden when they were at their peak. (And, even though I put fake flowers in my window boxes, I do have a garden. Growing food is a much different endeavor in my mind than frivolous ornamental plants required by the HOA.)
I decided to take a sweet route on my first foray into canning. My friend Krystal and I headed to the Chesterfield Berry Farm near Richmond, Virginia, with high hopes for making strawberry jam. In the fields, we picked more than 20 pounds of beautifully ripe strawberries and then made what can only be described as the world’s best jam. (Twenty pounds of strawberries was overkill, by the way — eight or nine pounds would have been enough.)
Over the next 12 months, in addition to consuming as much of it as my stomach will hold, I’ll be giving out the extra jars as gifts instead of the obligatory bottle of wine when I go to dinner parties at friends’ homes.
How is canning uncluttered? Well, I’m not sure that it is in the strictest of senses. It is, however, a great way to extend the fresh fruits and vegetables of summer throughout the whole of the year. It saves money (a lot cheaper to grow your own than it is to buy it in a store during the off-season) and it makes meal planning extremely simple. The New York Times ran an informative article this week on this very subject titled “Can It, Preserve It, Pickle It, Savor It” that provides many resources for new canners. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can head to your local farmer’s market and pick up the in-season foods you wish to can.
Do you can food? How does it help you with meal planning? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Ask Unclutterer: Storing pan lids
Reader Kate submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:
Cookware lids are a pain in the neck! With limited drawer and cabinet space I am forced to store my pots and pans one within the other - which leaves the lids to fend for themselves. They are big in diameter and the handle makes them awkward in shape - so my only solution this far has been to throw them in a drawer like a messy bunch of Frisbees. I’d love to hear if have a solution.
Since you have a drawer that is large enough for your lids, you’re only a few steps away from an organized solution.
Grab your largest and smallest lids, and head to your local office supply store. For less than $10, you should be able to find a file organizer that you can repurpose for lids. Just make sure that the specific organizer you choose works with your lids, which is why you’ll want your smallest and largest lids with you. Put the file organizer in your drawer and then vertically drop in all of your lids.
There are also organizers made specifically for lids, but I think they’re they exact same thing as what you get in office supply stores.
If you didn’t have a drawer, I’d recommend an organizer that attaches to the back of a cabinet door. This way, you don’t have to sacrifice horizontal storage space for items that can easily be stored vertically.
How do others store pan lids in kitchen cupboards and drawers? Give Kate even more ideas to choose from in the comments.
Thank you, Kate, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.
Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.
Popularity: 17% [?]
The Green Box
Just after posting Monday’s story about a mailing envelope that transforms into a clothes hanger, we came across this video of another elegant and environmentally responsible packaging solution that serves a useful secondary function:
Popularity: 14% [?]
An alternative to parchment paper
I’m always looking for ways to save a little cash and to free-up storage space in the kitchen. Recently, while standing in the grocery aisle grumbling over the price of parchment paper, I realized that I was about to make a bad purchase.
For less than what I spend per year on parchment paper, I could buy two reusable Silpat silicone baking mats and simply store them flat in my cookie sheets. I’ll save money and storage space.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. Now I’m worried there are even more obvious things like this that I’m missing. What substitutions have you made in your home to save money and storage space? Share your substitutions in the comments.
Popularity: 20% [?]
The deep drawer problem
One drawer in our kitchen (pictured) is a real problem area for us. It is an incredibly deep drawer that is the depository for most of our food preparation tools. It contains everything from a whisk to a rolling pin. The depth of the drawer makes it prone to disorganization.
I looked into drawer dividers to find a stackable option and eventually came across the Lipper International Bamboo Drawer Organizer with Removable Dividers and Top Sliding Tray. This drawer organizer looks like the perfect solution for my problem. The top tray can be removed for access to larger kitchen tools below and the measurements (14-1/2-inch W by 12-1/2-inch D by 3-3/4-inch H) are just right.
Has anyone else had a problem with too-deep drawers in the kitchen? How did you solve the problem? Please share your solutions in the comments.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Install a tip out tray in front of your sink
One of the things that my old kitchen was equipped with that my current kitchen doesn’t have is a tip-out tray immediately in front of the sink. My new home only has a fake attached front to a drawer that doesn’t exist. Instead of the decoration, I wish my new kitchen had a tip-out tray that helped contain our sponge, scrubber, drain plug, and garbage disposal allen wrench.
I’m not sure why all kitchens aren’t equipped with this simple solution. The tip-out tray is inexpensive and it serves a purpose. The fake drawer serve no purpose.
There are different size tip-out trays, so be sure to you measure before ordering. These 36 inch options can be cut to the size that you need, or they can fit a longer, single drawer.
Popularity: 19% [?]
Unclutterer on tv with spring decluttering tips
Yesterday morning, I appeared live on WUSA 9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.
For three minutes, I talked semi-coherently with news anchor Andrea Roane about clearing clutter from your kitchen pantry. Check it out:
Popularity: 18% [?]
Is it still tasty?
Lifehacker’s Adam Pash tipped us off to an invaluable resource to use when cleaning out your refrigerator and kitchen pantry: StillTasty.
StillTasty’s tag line is “Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment.” You can search for a specific food item, or you can browse through the categories to determine how long it is safe to keep a product. The site is easy to navigate and will keep you from wondering if the unopened bottle of ketchup is safe to consume.
There is also a question and answer section. My favorite question so far is “I Left Pizza Out Overnight — Is It Still Safe To Eat?” The answer: No.
The next time you clean out your refrigerator and pantry, keep StillTasty open to help you determine what can stay and what can go.
Popularity: 22% [?]
Hidden kitchen storage from This Old House
Wasted storage space in the kitchen is frustrating. Whether it be a corner cupboard that fails to put valuable space to good use or a large cupboard with insufficient shelves, there seems to always be space that can be put to better use.
This Old House has a storage option that looks rather interesting. From their site:
A slide-out storage cube holds cookbooks in the front and a built-in spice rack in the rear. A small microwave in the cubby below is usually hidden behind the cabinet’s “flipper” doors, which open out into the room and then slide back neatly into recesses along the sides.
This is a pretty unique way for the microwave to be stored. It also puts a lot of dead space to use.
(via Apartment Therapy)
Popularity: 6% [?]
Repurpose brag books for coupons
Businesses are working diligently to get consumers to spend money during the downturn in the economy, and are trying to lure them in with coupons and deals. As a result, clipping coupons has definitely become worth the time and effort.
Instead of using a traditional coupon organizer that requires you to pull out all of your coupons to see them, I’ve started using brag books (small photo albums) to manage my coupon collection. In addition to giving me a better view of my stash, brag books also let you have two to three times more categories than a regular organizers.
If you’re interested in creating a coupon organizer out of a brag book, follow these suggestions:
- Track your coupon use for a few weeks without an organizer to see what types of categories you might want to create in your brag book.
- When you make categories, label them with printed sticky labels or handwritten on masking tape. As you use your book, you may decide to move pages or rename categories — and removable labels will make this a simple task.
- When you enter coupons into the pages, put the oldest at the front and the newest in the back. This way you won’t have to worry about coupons expiring.
The following are suggestions for ways in which you might set up your shopping categories:
- Review a map of your grocery store, and set up categories based on the layout of your market.
- Create large categories based on meal types (breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks, parties, beverages, and condiments) and then subcategories within those types.
- Set up categories according to where you store items in your kitchen: pantry, refrigerator, deep freezer, etc.
- Use the good ol’ alphabetical system.
One coupon book might not fit all your needs, especially if you’re diligent about cutting coupons for non-food items. A second brag book is great for hardware, pharmacy, and other miscellaneous items.
How do you organize your coupons? Please tell us about your methods in the comments.
Popularity: 14% [?]
