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The start of a new year is the perfect time to reset, reassess, and declutter all areas of your life. When it comes to your kitchen, this means taking stock of everything in it and figuring out what needs replacing, and what you can keep for another year.

Dinnerware

Your dinnerware will have likely taken a considerable battering over the festive period and now is the time to check if it’s still in a presentable state or if you should invest in a new dinner set. To get 2019 off to a good start by making sure that you invest in a quality dinnerware brand like Corelle. Both chip and break resistant, a high-quality dinner set from Corelle is sure to see you through Christmas parties and dining occasions for years to come.

Appliances

If you’re a keen baker who loves to always have the latest kitchen gadgets it can be tempting to replace your kitchen appliances at the start of the year, however, this can be an unnecessary cost if they’re still in good working order. The only time you should need to replace small appliances in your kitchen is when they break or become unsafe to use.

 

 

Spices

We all make the mistake of hoarding our spices for years and years on end and while they technically don’t expire, they will lose their flavour if you keep them for too long. A good way to tell if your spices are still fresh is by rubbing a small amount together between your palms; if they still have a strong aroma then they are still fresh enough to be used. Generally, whole spices will last for 4 years, while ground spices can be kept for 3-4 years in a cool, dry space before they start losing their aroma.

Washing Up Sponge

You probably don’t give your washing up sponge much thought, if any at all. However, if you haven’t replaced yours in a while it can become a breeding ground for all sorts of nasties like E.coli, mould, and salmonella. Making sure that you clean your washing up sponge with hot soapy water and let it dry after each use will help extend its life but it’s likely that yours is ready for the bin by now if, like most people, you’re in the habit of using it until it falls apart.

Pots and Pans

Like kitchen appliances, many of use the start of a new year as a chance to clear out our kitchen cupboards and replace our cookware. If you have invested in high-quality pots and pans and properly cared for them, these should last you for years to come so there’s no need to replace them every year. More often than not, if your cookware is looking worse for wear you can breathe some fresh life into by giving it a good clean. However, if the coating is starting to chip off any of your pots and pans, you should replace these as you don’t want any of the coating to flake off into your food.

 

Cutting Boards

Cutting boards can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria, particularly in the little grooves created by knives over time. Although you can extend the life of your cutting board by properly disinfecting them and letting them air dry after each use, eventually the grooves will become too deep for you to properly clean; at this point, you should simply replace your board with a new one.

 

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