Try These Food Hacks Using Everyday Kitchen Appliances

There is no argument that everyone likes to get the most out of their money. So, why not be able to use your coffee maker for more than just coffee?

Using appliances in unconventional ways is a good way to make use of limited resources and your dollars spent.

Try some of these food hacks using your everyday kitchen appliances.

Waffle Maker

If you own a waffle iron, odds are it is probably sitting in the back corner of your pantry collecting dust right now. You’ve probably even found yourself wondering why you even bought one in the first place.

Yes, waffles are great, but occasionally used appliances that take up room in your kitchen are not. The good news is you can actually use your waffle iron to make several other delicious foods.

While you cook your morning eggs on the stove, throw shredded hash browns onto your greased waffle iron for a perfectly crispy batch. Or, just leave the waffle press open and use the rigid surface to cook strips of bacon. The grooves of the waffle iron make for a prefect catcher of excess grease.

But, my personal favorite is to use the waffle iron to cook cinnamon rolls.

Lay store bought cinnamon rolls onto the waffle press, then close the lid. Remove the cinnamon rolls, drown them in icing and enjoy your breakfast pastries in record time.

The possibilities for waffle makers don’t stop there – All it takes is a little bit of creativity and simple kitchen ingredients to make your own “waffled” foods.

So dig your waffle iron out of the cupboard, and put it to work!

Keurig Coffee Maker

If you own a Keurig machine, you may be in the same boat as the waffle iron owner – unsure of its full potential. Turns out, Keurig machines are good for more than just coffee and hot chocolate.

Every time you use a Keurig machine, or one similar to it, it sends water through and mixes it with the contents of whatever single serving pod you choose. However, if you don’t insert a pod, you will just end up with a cup of steaming hot water.

Use the boiling water to make yourself oatmeal or instant soup.

Place a bowl of dry oatmeal under the Keurig for a tasty breakfast in minutes. For lunch, place a bowl of soup under the spout and instead of adding extra water and microwaving it, just send the water through the machine.

You’ll never spend time waiting for your water to boil on the stove again.

Traditional Coffee Maker

No stove or Keurig to boil water with?

Chances are, if you don’t own a Keurig, you may own a regular coffee pot. Coffee pots appear to be a one-track appliance, but when you start to add in other ingredients besides coffee grinds, the opportunities become endless.

Eggs, pasta or even hot dogs can be boiled inside your coffee pot. This simple hack is perfect for anyone living in the residence halls or anyone who doesn’t have access to a stove.

You can use the top portion of a coffee maker to steam vegetables. Add whatever vegetable you’d like to the basket where the grinds would usually go. Then run some water through and you’ve got yourself a healthy snack. Run the water through twice, and make sure to stir up the vegetables so that they are evenly steamed.

You can also make some delicious couscous in the carafe portion of your coffee pot. Just add enough water to the coffee maker that you need and add your couscous ingredients into the carafe.

Turn it on, and and let your appliance work its magic. Let the couscous sit a minute after it is done, then dish out and enjoy!

A coffee pot has several possibilities that just take a little imagination, and experimentation. Any food that just needs to be boiled can be prepared in your coffee carafe. It may not be the first choice to cook meals with, but it’s always something to keep in mind if you have limited options.

If you’re worried about the mixtures of different foods you just cooked in your coffee pot, don’t fret. There is an easy way to get your coffee pot back to new.

Just run a mixture of water and vinegar through for a fresh, clean coffee pot.