THE REALIST
Things Cooks Know ST R AT E G I E S, T E C H N I Q U E S, A N D T I P S F O R L OA D I N G A D I S H WA S H E R — F RO M T H E R E A L S I M P L E T E ST K I TC H E N TO YO U R S By Grace Elkus
5 Things to Never Put in the Dishwasher WOODEN CUT TING BOARDS:
How to Load a Dishwasher
Can warp and crack. Wash with hot, soapy water and wipe dry.
TO P R A C K
CAST-IRON COOKWARE:
Best for drinking glasses, mugs, and bowls, plus anything glass or plastic, which could break or warp on the bottom rack (where heat is higher).
Can rust. Scrub with soapy water, wipe dry, then lightly coat with cooking oil and heat on stove until totally dry. HARD-ANODIZED ALUMINUM COOKWARE: Can discolor. Scrub with hot, soapy water (avoid harsh detergents) using a nonabrasive sponge.
DON’T REST ITEMS OVER THE TINES. Use them as dividers to save space and prevent breakage. Place small bowls between tines, tilted downward toward the water spray.
COPPER OR BRONZE COOKWARE: Can dent. Smear a thin layer of ketchup over tarnished surface, let sit for five minutes, then rinse.
such as whisks and ladles, can be laid in the top rack. L ARGE UTENSIL S,
Can dull. Hand-wash with blade facing down; wipe dry.
SHARP KNIVES:
B OT TO M R A C K
Best for larger items, such as dinner plates, casserole dishes, cookie sheets, serving platters, and pots and pans.
Do I Need to Prerinse?
COOKIE SHEETS AND
should be placed toward the back or along the sides of the dishwasher so they don’t block the water spray. PL AT TERS
should face inward toward the spray. Load plates together by size. DINNER PL ATES
38 R E A L S I M P L E F E B RUARY 2018
S I LV E RWA R E B A S K E T
O U R E X P E RT S
Group like silverware together to save sorting time when you unload. Keep some forks and spoons pointing up and some pointing down to prevent nesting. Always load knives with handles up for safety.
JILL A . NOTINI, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING AT THE ASSOCIATION OF HOME APPLIANCE MANUFACTURERS DONNA SMALLIN KUPER, CERTIFIED HOUSECLE ANING TECHNICIAN AND AUTHOR OF CLEANING PL AIN & SIMPLE
Clean dishes signal a dishwasher to shorten its cycle, reducing performance. In lieu of rinsing, simply scrape away large pieces of food (particularly spinach, egg, yogurt, and pasta), then place in the dishwasher and let the machine do the work.
For no-stress meals that dirty only one dish, head to realsimple.com/onepot.
I l l u s t r a t i o n b y J a n e We b s t e r
