Could using a dishwasher to cook food be the new craze?

Could a dishwasher revolutionise cooking? (Anne Kitzman)

The advent of the dishwasher machine has vastly reduced how much time is spent with good, old-fashioned water, Fairy Liquid and elbow grease to tidy up once the meal has been enjoyed.

However, now, it seems, some cooks are using the dishwasher, not the oven, to make the meals in the first place.

Cooking meals in a dishwasher can actually result in some very-decent food, and it’s been around in one shape or form since the 1970s.

Back then, having a dishwasher machine wasn’t something most of us could boast, but in recent years, they’re much more common.

Perhaps that explains why Italian food writer Lisa Casali has made a name for herself and even written books on how to dishwasher-cook.

Lisa also posts videos online, showing how you do it, claims it’s easy and just takes a bit of experimenting to get all the temperatures right.

Food is packed in a vacuum-sealing bag or other form of airtight container, then simply popped in the dishwasher, which is run at its highest setting.

This sees your dishwasher work much like steam ovens, which can go up to 75 degrees maximum and thoroughly cook the food that’s inside.

Lisa says it’s also an environmentally-friendly way to cook, as you’re cleaning your other dishes while cooking at the same time, thus saving energy!

Others have followed her lead, claiming the best foods to cook this way are fish, which steams well.

Salmon, of course, only requires pretty-low temperatures, compared to raw meats such as lamb or beef.

Making something like a lasagne might be trickier, but steamed vegetables and salmon would come out great — if anything, better than with a conventional oven or cooker.

The more people trying this, the more recipes come on the internet for us all to share. It’s just being brave enough to take that first step that holds some of us back.

Roast veal in mackerel sauce sound nice? Sea bass fillet, or apple pie, or noodles with salmon and asparagus?

Yes, all you need is a dishwasher!