Cook Dinner In Your Dishwasher Because Why Not

Whaaat? You can cook (food!) in your dishwasher?! Yes! Dishwasher cooking became all the rage when NPR did a story on it back in 2013, and it has made a resurgence as of late. It’s multi-tasking at its finest!

Not only does it save time and energy (you already have the machine on, after all), but it’s practical and EASY. Yes, it may be considered a novelty to some, and I wouldn’t want to do my primary cooking in it. I also doubt a slew of cookbooks will come out centered around dishwasher cooking. (Can you imagine?! Perhaps one title would be: 101 Easy Recipes To Make In Your Dishwasher!) Well, I joked too soon. I discovered that Italian food writer, Lisa Casali, actually did write a book about it, Cucinare in Lavastoviglie (Cooking With the Dishwasher).

I’d certainly try dishwasher cooking. Why not? Before we do, though, we need to keep these things in mind. Then, I’ll share some of my favorite tutorials on how you, too, can become the best dishwasher chef in your town!

1. Choose What To Cook

Not everything can be made in the dishwasher (I wouldn’t suggest filet mignon, for instance), so choose wisely. Green beans and asparagus are said to come out well and semi-crispy. All you do is season them as you would on the stove or in the oven, tightly close a Mason-type jar, and press “wash.” You can also make “perfect soft-boiled eggs with creamy yolks” when you put the eggs into glass containers and heat in the dishwasher at 65 degrees Fahrenheit. (You’ll have to use the toaster to make the toast, though!)

2. Use Airtight Containers Or Cooking Bags

Of course, you need to make sure you’re using airtight containers, like Mason jars, or cooking bags. There’s nothing worse than food seasoned with dishwasher soap! Or, you can “cook” in the dishwasher without dirty dishes and soap in it (but then why not just use the stove?). In a soap-less case, some suggest wrapping the food in layers of foil.

3. Put The Dishwasher On The Highest Heat Setting

You may have guessed that the highest heat setting would work the best. This goes for drying, too.

4. Get Creative: Make Lasagna, Salmon, And More

In #1, I know we said you can’t cook just anything in the dishwasher, but you can get creative. Alton Brown teamed up with Mythbusters and they made a LASAGNA! I know, I know—how and why?! (They did fry up the meat in advance and also used the “pots and pans” cycle, which takes longer than a regular cycle.) The best news is, you can watch how to do it right here.

If lasagna’s not your thing, try out this salmon recipe by Bob Blumer, who is dubbed “the world’s expert on poaching salmon in the dishwasher.” He’s also the author of the cookbook Glutton For Pleasure. In his YouTube salmon-cooking tutorial, he wraps the fish in aluminum foil (airtight is key, he says), then places it on the top rack of the dishwasher between dirty dishes (!). (Other experts recommend putting that aluminum foil-wrapped salmon into an oven bag, also.) An hour later, Blumer takes it out and, voilà—a delicious dinner! In any case, you can see Blumer in action here.

For dishwasher cooking, I think seeing is believing, so here’s one final video where the hosts, Dan Pashman and Liza de Guia, try to make a handful of various recipes, from jasmine rice with chicken broth to a mushroom and Swiss cheese omelette. The video is only five minutes long, and you can see what happens here.

No matter what you try to cook in your dishwasher, bon appétit!