As the holidays are quickly approaching, many of us are gearing up to host family and friends.
In all of the planning and list-making, there are some simple tips you can follow to make sure your kitchen is ready for the holidays.
First things first: clean.
Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie’s List says don’t overthink cleaning your oven. And don’t use the self-cleaning function right before the holidays, because that’s actually when your oven would be most-likely to fail. Instead, wipe out your oven out, clean up any crumbs that you can see and save the deep clean for after the holidays.
Since the self-cleaning cycle of an oven raises the temperature extremely high, sometimes up to 1,000 degrees, it’s not surprising that older or infrequently used ovens can be pushed to the edge.
Be careful when cleaning the exterior of your oven, too. Hicks says if your oven has knobs or switches, don’t use a spray cleaner to clean them. Instead, remove the knobs, soak them in the sink, and then reinstall them. When you have the knobs removed, you might be tempted to squirt cleaner all around the area, but that can potentially cause it to short out. Instead, wipe the area with a moistened cloth.
Also, make sure your oven is working correctly. If repairs are required, get them fixed early. It may take time to get the parts you need, and getting repairs done early can also save you money. And if you’re making the entire feast yourself, lack of oven space might be the biggest problem you face, but there are solutions for that as well.
Hicks says to consider bringing out your toaster oven, your hot plate or even your crockpot to help make those sides for your holiday dinner. That way, you’re leaving your oven for your main entrée, and these trusty side-kicks can be a great addition, getting your meal done on time.