Some useful hints and tips, to help you in your kitchen.

1. Saucepans always boil quicker with a lid on.
   
   
2. Try to keep your hotplate as clean as possible to ensure best heat conduction so that pans and kettles boil quicker.
   
   
3. When boiling vegetables, it is best to cover with as little water as possible. This reduces the cooking time and loss of vitamins from the food.
   
   
4. When using hard anodised cookware, please note that the high alkalinity of dishwasher detergent will reverse the anodising process. It is therefore important to handwash these items.
   
   
5. Areas with “hard water” may leave calcium spots – white deposits – on your cookware and kettles. These are natural and can be removed with vinegar or lemon juice.
   
   
6. Never leave non-stick pans empty on a heat source as it could damage the non-stick surface.
   
   
7. Always remove labels and tags from cookware and kettles and then wash and dry thoroughly before use.
   
   
8. Try to remember to move the racks in your ovens to the appropriate levels an hour or so before putting the food in, to allow the cooker to be up to temperature when you need to cook and avoid lengthy time with the doors open.
   
   
9. Never put metal cookware or utensils in the microwave.
   
   
10. Reduce fat consumption and awkward cleaning by using a baking sheet for baking and roasting.