Many holidays have looked different during the COVID-19 pandemic and Valentine’s Day is no exception. While in previous years, the event might have called for a fancy dinner out, Valentines 2021 will most likely be spent preparing dinner-in with your boo. And with many people cooking at home more often than ever, holidays this year might have meant that kitchen tools and gadgets were on many people’s 2020 Christmas wish lists. Hopefully, if Santa was good to you bringing kitchen accessory gifts, you have enjoyed trying out your new tools over the past few weeks.
While the bathroom is by far the most dangerous room in the house, the kitchen isn’t far behind—the wide variety of sharp tools and hot surfaces needed for preparing meals means there’s plenty of room for error and painful mistakes. But which of those kitchen tools is the most dangerous? How can you stay safe—and how can we help? This article will break down those questions and help protect you in the heart of the home.
Knives
At the top of the list for kitchen tools that could hurt you probably won’t surprise you—knives. More than 300,000 people a year visit emergency rooms for knife injuries each year (something that’s become more unpleasant during a pandemic). A slip while chopping or washing a blade can be a painful reminder of just how dangerous the tools you use almost every day are.
Knife storage can also be dangerous—a drawer can make for a hazard when you reach in and accidentally touch a blade, and if a knife falls from a magnetic strip where it’s hung, reflex might mean that you reach for—and catch—a falling knife.
How can you stay safe? While it might seem counterintuitive, keeping your knives sharp can actually keep you safer. A sharp knife is more likely to go through whatever you’re cutting, rather than slipping and hurting you. Keep your fingers out of the way, and clear a space to put your cutting board and don’t try to work at the edge of your surface. Some people like cut-resistant gloves—while not a perfect solution, they can help prevent some injuries.
For storage, a knife block or special drawer insert that keeps the blades covered can help prevent accidents. If your kitchen doesn’t have room, a plastic sheath that fits over the blade when it’s not in use can help keep you safe without requiring a lot of room.
Cheese Grater
Cheese Grater, aka “knuckle buster” – whether you’re using a box grater or a handheld grater, these tools can cause injuries if cheese (or anything else being grated) gets too close to the holes. While buying pre-shredded cheese might be one way to stay safe, there are other ways to avoid injury—cut-resistant gloves can help keep your fingers protected.
While a food processor has its own risks, using this appliance to grate large amounts might cut down on opportunities for injuries. For finely grated cheese, using a rotating grater (also called a Mouli grater) can keep your fingers out of the way. And while it might be frustrating to have a small amount of whatever’s being grated left over, it’s always better to stop rather than injure yourself—find something else to use the small amounts of un-grated food in.
Vegetable Peeler
A vegetable peeler is a great tool for preparing carrots or potatoes, but can be a painful source of many kitchen accidents even for the safest cook. To stay safe, dry off the vegetables you’re peeling—it’s easier to hold a dry potato than a wet one!—and use firm motions—it’s better to take a little longer than to go quickly and hurt yourself.
Lefties might find a Y-shaped peeler to be more comfortable. This type of peeler can be used in two directions—towards your hand or away from your hand—and might be a good choice for those who don’t want to take the risk of peeling towards themselves.
Mandoline
A mandoline can create beautifully thin vegetable slices for casseroles (or even for homemade potato chips), but can also cause painful accidents, even for experienced chefs. How to stay safe? First, don’t rush. Read the instructions for your mandoline and set it up according to the directions, making sure you have plenty of space to work.
Use any finger guards or blade guards that come with the tool, and wear cut-resistant gloves if they have them. Go slowly and take care when you wash the mandoline—make sure the blade it closed or locked, and don’t leave it sitting in the sink where you could brush against it.
How can The Tub Pros help me?
The first step to almost every kitchen task is clearing a space to work. After a year of kitchens getting hard use and kitchens serving multiple purposes, this might feel repetitive and frustrating, but having a clear flat spot to put your cutting board and utensils can help keep you safe as you use any kitchen tool. This is something that’s easier said than done if your kitchen counter is looking worse for the wear, and is chipped, burned, or otherwise damaged.
The good news? Many types of kitchen surfaces—whether that’s granite countertops, solid surface or faux marble countertops, a porcelain sink, or a Corian countertop and sink—can be refinished or resurfaced. The new coating can get your surface looking and functioning great again. If you’re looking for counter or sink refinishing Memphis residents and residents of the Greater Memphis area turn to for their projects, The Tub Pros are here to help when you’re wondering where can I find counter and sink reglazing near me.
Even better? We can help with more than just kitchen surfaces. At The Tub Pros, we can also reglaze bathtubs, showers, and tile—if you’re wondering where can I find bathtub reglazing near me, we’re here to help with that as well. The Tub Pros serve the Greater Memphis and midsouth area. Our factory-certified technicians give you a written warrant guarantee. If you’re ready to get started on a project, give us a call at (901) 871-8827 or simply send us a message here.
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