Keep Your Ironing Board In The Kitchen For Big Baking Projects

If you're a baker, you probably know the struggle of running out of room on your baking cooling racks. It seems that no matter how many you have, it's never enough, particularly during occasions when you have a lot of sweets coming out of the oven (i.e. Christmas cookies, cupcakes for the kids' bake sale). Rather than spending more money on more cooling racks (which won't help in your dwindling storage space problem), you can reach for an unconventional but brilliant home staple instead: your ironing board.

Large, flat, and naturally meant to withstand heat, an ironing board can take the place of several cooling racks and is folded up and tucked away whenever you're through with it. You'll just need to prepare it for the job beforehand (which takes no time at all). Using it for this purpose is so convenient, you might find yourself storing the board closer to the kitchen. 

As far as kitchen hacks go, this is one of the best — and one you might find surprisingly handy.

The first thing you'll want to do is remove the cover or pad from the top of the ironing board. (This should be fairly simple, as they're typically secured by elastic.) Next, clean the uncovered metal top with a damp cloth. It's now ready to act as your cooling rack. 

Place some parchment paper over the board. As your baked goods come out of the oven, transfer them directly onto the ironing board. If you're baking cupcakes or muffins that are in paper liners, there's no need to put parchment on the board beforehand.

The large board is able to fit several dozen cookies and cupcakes, multiple standard cakes, brownies, loaves of bread ... really, whatever needs cooling. It's naturally able to withstand heat, and the holes in the metal allow cool air to circulate around your bakes, just like a standard cooling rack. You're saving counter space, and your baked goods are all in one spot instead of sitting in whatever location you could find room for them (like the top of your doggie crate).

Once you've seen how using an ironing board as a cooling rack can be an amazing space saver, take advantage of this new knowledge. Big baking projects aren't the only time you need extra space — any time you have a lot going on in the kitchen warrants a little helpful convenience. 

When you have every pan and bowl out in your preparation for holiday dinners, big birthday parties, or your book club's potluck brunch, utilize that ironing board by using it as extra counter space.

Clear off your workspace and its surroundings by placing items on the board to help you feel less cluttered and, thus, less stressed. You can even drape a tablecloth over it and place plates, flatware, napkins, bowls of chips, party favors, or whatever you need off the table and away from the stove. Whether your kitchen is big or small, keeping an ironing board handy can quickly go from strange concept to sanity-saver.