While my culinary endeavours are limited to eggs, toast, pasta and putting things in the microwave, people who can cook will be stoked to know there's a new product on the market that actually minimises clean-up.
Although scrubbing dishes is unfortunately an inescapable part of "adulting", a new pan released at The Warehouse may shave down the time you spend standing at the sink each day.
The new sectional pan allows homecooks to fry up multiple foods at once without dirtying several dishes. The cookware has three sections, making it ideal for meals with multiple components - so say goodbye to separate skillets of bacon, eggs, mushrooms and sausages sizzling away for the Sunday morning fry-up.
The pan also has been slicked with a non-stick coating that makes for quick and easy clean-up, so labour at the sink no longer.
"This new Living & Co Gold Section Fry Pan has a non-stick coating perfect for cooking many things at once, saving on dishes too," a spokesperson for The Warehouse said.
"It's [good] value, durable, food safe and dishwasher and oven safe up to 220C. Plus it looks stylish in tones of gold and grey."
Although sectional skillets and divided pans are not a new phenomenon, they are typically pricey or incur additional costs, such as shipping and handling if you are purchasing from an e-tailer. A number of non-stick sectional pans, skillets and griddles are available on Amazon, but are relatively hard to find at New Zealand's popular homeware retailers. HomeLoft offers a non-stick divided griddle pan and skillet for a higher price point, while divided fry pans occasionally make an appearance on GrabOne at an affordable cost.
While it's always fun to introduce a new kitchen utensil or handy gadget to your arsenal, there are also several common-sense approaches to cutting down on the number of dishes. Unless you've been preparing meats such as chicken, there's no reason to use separate knives and chopping boards for each task - rinse and reuse utensils as you go instead of reaching for new ones. One-pot meals are also an easy way to whip up tasty food without slaving over the sink, or prepping your meals in batches can help to limit the labour.
Alternatively, you can always serve up your meals in the casserole dish, Dutch oven or other cookware for a rustic, homey presentation where people can help themselves. Buying a scale is another top tip - say goodbye to cups and spoons and simply measure by weight before decanting the ingredients into your (one!) mixing bowl.
