Alternative Uses For Kitchen Equipment

Kitchen shelf space is precious; only the most useful gear gets a spot. But every now and then, a single-purpose gadget manages to sneak its way in, then gathers dust for all except for the one time a year we get ambitious enough to use it.

To make that equipment and their spots (and your money) worthwhile, we've scoured the web for some repurposing ideas to employ.

Waffle Iron Dan Shumski is the Chicago-based waffle guru behind Waffleizer.com, a brilliant website dedicated to using a waffle iron for everything but waffles. Past entries have included waffle pizza (pictured), waffle hamburgers and waffle falafel (say it three times fast).

Bundt Pan This awkwardly shaped, hard-to-store pan has already proven itself in the sweets department; now introduce it to savory dishes. Use its vertical center to roast a chicken upright, which saves time and produces a more evenly browned bird. TheKitchn.com has mastered the art.

Ice Cream Maker Kids love homemade ice cream, but adults will prefer the boozy frozen beverages that this machine can turn out. And with tiki on the tips of cocktail-loving tongues, now's the time to try a rum-based cocktail like the Frozen Coco Loco recipe from Chow.com.