7 Ways to Use a Tea Towel

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.

Today: Introducing the underrated kitchen workhorse: the tea towel.

Cast iron pans. Cutting boards. Chef's knives. Baking sheets. These are the traditional kitchen workhorses, the tools we turn back to again and again, the hulking, all-purpose, hack-able items that make our kitchens work.

We've got another workhorse for you, the dainty, white-haired pony that pulls a lot of weight: the tea towel.

Because we're always looking to make our kitchens better -- more efficient, more useful, more fun -- we're breaking down all the ways you can use tea towels in your kitchen. Yes: seven of them. (Got even more ideas? Let us know in the comments!)

• Cushion. Put a tea towel under a mixing bowl, and whisk away; the towel will prevent the bowl from moving.

• Place setting. If you've got fun, colorful tea towels -- like the Studiapatro ones in our Shop! -- jazz up your table by using them as place settings (or placemats). See our tips on setting a table here.

• Wash greens. Never break out the salad spinner again. Dunk your greens in a bowl of water, lay them out on a tea towl, roll the whole bundle up, and pat dry. Here's our video demonstration.

• Dry. Lay your dishes out on them, or use them to wipe up the water.

• Serve. Line a bowl or plate with a tea towel, and then lay your food right on top. Here are some ideas of what to put in your tea towel-lined vessel!

• Wrap. Use a tea towel to wrap a bottle -- of wine, of liquor, of oil -- and then gift them to a friend. See more of our classy gift-wrapping ideas here.

• Protect. When dealing with anything hot, use a tea towel as protection. Plus, they're a stylish addition to tea time.

How do you use your tea towels?