6 Reasons to Love Wine Corks

Fondue forks, paring knives, skewers, and all manner of small, sharp objects can present a danger when tossed haphazardly into a kitchen drawer. The next time you reach into the drawer, you could let yourself get poked, or you can try this tip instead. Secure those pointy tips in leftover wine corks, which not only protect hands but also keep sharp edges from getting dull.

While corn holders make eating corn on the cob a neater proposition, finding them in a drawer chock-full of other kitchen tools is neither easy nor safe (many a cook has pricked a finger when so engaged). To avoid having to empty the entire drawer to find the corn holders, stick them into either end of a wine cork.

Have kitchen cabinets that always slam shut after someone reaches for dishes, spices, or other culinary sundries? In lieu of buying adhesive-backed felt to soften the blow, slice a wine cork into thin disks and glue them onto the inside corners of the cabinets.

Scrub pads do a fine job of removing gunk from knife blades but eventually damage the finish. Here’s a good way to keep knives shiny: Use a wine cork instead. Angling the blade toward the cutting board, simply rub the cork over the knife to remove food residue, then wash the knife in hot, soapy water with a soft sponge.

Here's an ingenious way to store knives. 1. Glue wine corks together, side by side, and place the strip in a drawer. 2. The knife blades rest in the crevices between the corks, which keeps them upright and protected.

Rather than burning your fingers or searching for a potholder every time you want to lift a lid off a pot on the stove, try this tip. Before cooking, wedge a wine cork under the handle of the lid. The cork stays cool when the lid gets hot, giving you something safe to grab onto when lifting the lid.