Cooking in Kitchenettes: How to Cook without a Sink Handy

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Cooking in Kitchenettes: How to Cook without a Sink Handy

Staff Writer · Nov 4, 2010

Kitchenettes are functional, but not spacious enough to enable you to use all of their appliances at the same time. Sometimes, it may be necessary for you to put a cutting board over the sink to use it as additional counter space. Other times, the sink may be so small as to make it unusable. Fortunately, you can still cook even without a readily available sink.

Wash at Once

If you know that you are not going to have a sink nearby or that you are going to cover it up, make a plan to wash everything that needs washing at the same time. Rinse vegetables and fruits at the same time prior to your beginning cooking. You can do this even if you will not be using the ingredients for several days. Do not stop at merely rinsing the items, though, but cut them as required for your recipe. For example, peel potatoes and remove seeds from peppers  so that it is available for immediate use.

Prepare and Plan

Prior to beginning cooking, pull out all of the utensils, appliances and other cooking or baking items that you will need. Check to make sure that no utensil must be used more than once or that if it does need to be used more than once that it will be usable either because what it was used for first will not transfer tastes or remnants onto the next food.

It is also wise to make sure that you have utensils dedicated to be used for raw meat that will not touch any of the vegetables fruits or other food items. As raw meats and eggs can cause salmonella poisoning, knives, forks and other utensils that have touched those items should not touch any other items. If they must then the meats and eggs should be used last.

Gather What You Need

Additionally, read recipes to see which require water and consider those dishes in which water may be used but is not required. Place as much water as you need in pots and pans or bowls for later use. Remember that the water you need will evaporate when boiled or cooked and that you may need more water than originally anticipated.

Keep Extra Handy

You should also draw but set aside water just in case you need to use it to clean a utensil or add it to a dish. Leaving a bowl of water nearby can help you in a pinch if you misread or overlooked a recipe needing water. Even if you do not end up using it, you will later when it comes time to clean the utensils, pots and appliances you used, so it will not be wasted.

Extra water can also serve the purpose of keeping those food items that may stick or not be removable from sticking or being extremely difficult to wash. Keeping these items moist will make cleaning up after cooking much easier. Another option is to fill up a wash basin with water and soap to put used items into after use.

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