When we discuss kitchen utensils, we use many such utensils daily, but we get to know their fundamental specialty only when we bring them into our homes. In that case, the kitchen’s spoon is our underrated hero. Yes, every house’s kitchen contains the same slotted spoon and utensils. But do you know what is the surprising purpose of this container? This blog will discuss some lesser-known uses of a slotted spoon. A slotted spoon has holes or slots in it. These slots allow liquids to drain easily while solids stay on the spoon. Despite the spoon’s apparent simplicity, it conceals a clever idea.
Traditional Use Straining Like a Pro
The first and obvious use everyone knows is straining. Whenever you cook boiled eggs or vegetables or make pasta, etc., in your kitchen, a slotted spoon is useful for draining out the oil and liquid.
For example:
- It is important to separate the extra oil after frying fritters and chips.
- Separate the potatoes, eggs, and noodles from the boiling water.
- To separate macaroni, noodles, or pasta from boiling water.
Some Surprising Uses of Slotted Spoon:
1. The Hero of Toddler Sensory Play
Sensory play has become quite popular for toddlers in this new age of technology. If you have little kids at home, make a slotted spoon a part of their sensory bin. When the child scoops up water, lentils, rice, or kinetic sand with a slotted spoon, their motor skills develop, and then they enjoy it. Have you ever considered turning this type of spoon into a learning tool for children?
2. The Perfect Partner for Poached Eggs
Making a poached egg can be tricky. However, a slotted spoon is the best way to drain the water whenever you have cooked the egg well. This spoon makes it simple to drain the water from the egg and protects its texture. Thus, we have a beautiful restaurant-style poached egg.
3. Skimming Surface
When you make soup or gravy, a little foam or residue deposits on the table’s surface, a slotted spoon can easily remove this unwanted layer without wasting the liquids.
Pro Tip: Whenever you are making chicken or mutton stock, the frothy scum that comes to the top after boiling can be removed with the help of a slotted spoon for a clean and clear broth.
4. Deep frying’s best friend
A slotted spoon is essential when making deep-fried foods at home, such as samosas, fritters, or sweets.
- This spoon does not absorb much oil.
- Garam oil may help you in choosing safe food.
- You must have noticed that professional chefs also fry food. They use this spoon.
5. Stirring While Draining
Cooking dishes like chickpeas or rajma results in an excess of liquid. This spoon helps you remove the chickpeas from the gravy without spilling. With a slotted spoon, you can stir and remove the required quantity so that the gravy remains in the bowl, and only the beans come on the plate.
6. Drainage King for Canned Foods
The canned food becomes a breeze with a slotted spoon. You can complete your work easily and cleanly without the need for any extra gadgets. Canned beans, pineapple slices, or corn typically contain liquid. If you use them without draining, your salad will get soggy.
7. Frying Meat and Paneer with Ease
When frying paneer or shallow-frying chicken pieces, you must turn them repeatedly. A slotted spoon is perfect because:
- You can turn the chicken pieces gently.
- Oil and water also drain from the spoon.
- The shape and texture of food remain the same.
8. Homemade Snacks Game Changer
When preparing banana chips, banana fries, or simple fries at home, a slotted spoon comes in handy.
- Mixing while frying
- Removing crisps evenly
- Avoiding too much oiliness
Which Material is Best in Slotted Spoon?
You can find different varieties of slotted spoons in the market.
- Stainless Steel: Any competent kitchen or main home cook should have a stainless-steel slotted spoon. Perfect for deep fried, boiling, and sautéing, it is well-known for its exceptional toughness and can handle high temperatures without melting, warping, or releasing dangerous chemicals.
- Nylon: Particularly fit for use with non-stick cookware, a nylon slotted spoon is a flexible and useful instrument. Cooking with covered pots and pans calls for this pick since its soft, flexible material won’t scratch or damage sensitive surfaces. Usually featuring broad, uniformly spaced slots that let liquids like oil or water drain quickly and effectively while lifting food items, nylon spoons allow this as well.
- Silicon: The ideal mix of flexibility, heat resistance, and cookware safety comes from a silicone slotted spoon. Made from food-grade silicone, this kind of spoon is quite heat-resistant, usually withstanding temperatures up to 500°F (260°C), which makes it appropriate for most stovetop chores including stirring, scooping and draining hot dishes. Even under prolonged high heat, silicone won’t melt or distort as readily as nylon.
- Wooden with Slots: While providing mild handling of all kinds of cookware, including non-stick surfaces, a wooden slotted spoon gives the kitchen a natural, rustic appeal. Made from hardwoods like beech, olive, or bamboo, these spoons are non-abrasive that is, they won’t scratch or damage pots and pans. Their sloped form makes liquid draining simple, which makes them perfect for stirring and presenting dishes including pasta, veggies, or braised meat. would you like to more about slotted spoon visit this site:
Conclusion
We mostly ignore the slotted spoon, thinking it is an ordinary utensil. But when you explore its different uses, you realize that this spoon is a multitasking kitchen ninja! Don’t limit your slotted spoon to frying; use it everywhere, from kids’ playtime to fancy dishes. Next time you are in the kitchen, look at this simple spoon from a different angle, maybe you will find a new way to make your work easier.
Sometimes, kitchen tools are hidden from our eyes, even when they are right in front of us, or should I say, we do not understand their importance. A slotted spoon is one such tool. We consider it a simple spoon that helps drain oil or fry food daily. But as we explored in this blog, this simple spoon is a multi-utility hero. A basic tool like a slotted spoon offers so much versatility in today’s modern kitchen, where we look for multitasking in everything, that it is a wise investment. You don’t need to buy multiple tools; one spoon can do many things efficiently.