10 Different Ways To Use Your Kettle

There are more ways to use your kitchen kettle besides just for making tea and coffee. Your kitchen kettle has a multitude of uses – here are 10 different suggested ways to use your kettle:

1. Cooking Eggs

A very convincing poached egg can be achieved with just a kettle, some plastic clingwrap and an egg.

Whilst your kettle is boiling, prepare your egg as follows: simply tear off a generous square of plastic clingwrap and crack one egg into the very centre of the cling wrap. Draw all the edges of the plastic clingwrap together and twist till a plastic pouch is formed around the raw egg.

Remove your kettle once boiled, open the kettle lid then gently lower the plastic wrap into the boiling water just low enough until the raw egg plastic pouch is covered. The egg will cook in the boiled water whilst you hold the twisted edge of the plastic clingwrap. You can even replace the lid to hold the twisted edges of the plastic clingwrap instead of holding it yourself.

After three minutes, remove the egg from the kettle and untwist the plastic clingwrap to see if it is cooked to your liking – then serve.

2. Heating Baby Formula

Using your kettle to heat baby’s bottle is an old trick.

Simply boil your kettle and pour the boiling water into a jug. Place baby’s bottle into the jug of boiling water to heat through the formula. Remove baby’s bottle and check the temperature of the formula on your wrist. Once the correct warmth is achieved, baby’s bottle is ready.

3. Cooking Soups & Noodles

These days there are so many delicious packet soups and noodles available. All that is required is to empty the packet into a mug and add boiling water to enjoy a hearty soup or delicious noodle meal. This is so convenient for a quick lunch or a warming winter snack as it only takes as long to prepare as it takes for your kettle to boil

4. Cooking Quick Oatmeal

Morning oatmeal or porridge is easily prepared using boiling water from your kettle.

Ensure you are using quick cooking oatmeal, as standard full grain rolled oats need to be boiled.

Place the required quantity of oatmeal into a bowl and pour freshly boiled water over the top. The boiling water should absorb in about 3-5 minutes and your oatmeal will be ready to eat and be nice and warm. Adding some berries or sliced fruit on top of your warm oatmeal is always a delicious addition. Perhaps a sprinkle of brown sugar and cream too!

5. Softening Almond Skins

Blanching raw almonds for cooking can easily be done with the help of your kettle.

Simply boil your kettle, place the raw almonds into a heat proof container and then pour the boiling water over the almonds. You will have to wait a few minutes before draining off the boiling water. The boiling water will have softened the raw almond skins (the skins will slide off easily) and have left you with lovely pale blanched almonds ready for cooking or milling. Blanched almonds make lovely cake and slice decoration. Blanched almonds are also used to make almond milk.

6. Making A Steam Bath

Steam baths are wonderful for softening facial skin for beauty treatment purposes or alternatively for helping with a head cold. Both methods are similar.

Fill your kettle to its maximum water mark and boil. Pour the boiling water into a wide shallow bowl.

Place a towel over your head and lower your face into the steam cloud arising from the bowl of boiling water, using the towel to create a tent-effect over your head to capture the steam around your face. This will soften your skin in preparation for any treatment you wish to do thereafter.

If you have a head cold, add a small amount of Vicks VapoRub ointment into the boiling water first. Place a towel over your head and lower your face into the steam cloud arising from the bowl of boiling water, using the towel to create a tent-effect over your head.

Breathe in the steam deeply through your nose to alleviate nasal congestion and to help with the symptoms of your head cold.

7. Softening Garden Hose

If you have ever tried to replace your garden hose fittings you will know how difficult it can be to remove old fittings from your garden hose. Boiling water will come to the rescue every time.

Boil your kettle and take your kettle outside to where you are working. Place the section of garden hose that you are working on directly into the boiling water. This will soften the plastic hosing and make it very easy to remove the old hose fittings. 30 seconds should be enough time for the plastic hosing to soften and become malleable. Once the old fitting is removed, cut off the old hose end off (removing 3 or 4 inches should be sufficient) and plunge the fresh end of the garden hose into the boiling water again before connecting the new fitting. This will make fitting the new hardware back onto the hose very easy. As the hose cools around the new fitting this will create a good seal.

This tip will save many frustrating and futile efforts trying to remove and replace old garden hose fittings.

8. Take Your Kettle Camping

Your stovetop kettle could well be ideal to take camping

Your stovetop kettle will work perfectly over a camping stove, camping butane burner or a camp fire. Stovetop kettles are designed exactly for this purpose.

The wider the base of your stovetop kettle the more efficiently it will boil – worth remembering.

Taking a stovetop kettle with a large capacity may also be worth a thought – it will have to provide hot water for cooking, drinks, dishwashing and personal hygiene whilst you are camping.

9. Hot Water Bottles

Hot water bottles are making a comeback. Boiling your kettle and letting it cool for 5 minutes before filling your hot water bottle is recommended.

If you own a variable temperature kettle, then selecting a setting well below boiling point would be ideal for filling up a hot water bottle – no waiting required.

10. Blanching Vegetables

Do you grow your own vegetables or buy fresh vegetables in bulk? Then did you know you can freeze your vegetables for future use. Often, blanching vegetables before freezing them gives a superior result and prevents your vegetables crystalizing in the freezer. Blanching vegetables help keep them tasting their best.

In conclusion – There are many more ways to use your kettle than these, but hopefully this list of 10 different ways to use your electric kettle, stovetop kettle or variable temperature kettle has sparked your imagination.