Cooking can be as much fun or as much of a nightmare as you make it. If you cook regularly and enjoy doing it, you probably already know what a game changer some cooking hacks can be when it comes to enhancing a dish or just saving some time. On the other hand, if you detest cooking and most of your kitchen endeavors end up in the trash, chances are you just need some cooking tips and tricks that will improve your skills immensely. Because, if we are completely honest, cooking is nothing but tons of inspiration, good foodstuff, and some food hacks that help you bring out the best in each ingredient.
However, kitchen tips are not all about cooking. Keeping your produce fresh, taking care of the cooking utensils, making sure everything is clean and safe – the list can go on and on. Getting rid of grease stains alone would take a whole chapter if you were to write a book on kitchen hacks.
As someone who loves cooking but has very limited time to spend in the kitchen, I greatly appreciate cooking tips and other hacks for around the kitchen that can help me save time and effort, and still enjoy the results.
So in this article we’ve collected a bunch of tips for cooking, keeping your kitchen clean with minimal effort, and having kitchen utensils serve you longer. Do you have a favorite tried and tested kitchen hack that has never failed you? Share it in the comments!
#1 Preserve Your Herbs
Don’t let your herbs dry out or go bad. You can preserve them by placing them in an ice tray with olive oil or water. Freeze them and take out when you’re ready to cook with them.
Image source: glutenfreescdandveggie.blogspot.com
#2 Properly Clean Wooden Cutting Boards
Bacteria can build up if you don’t properly clean your wooden cutting boards. Cut a lemon in half and dip the cut side with coarse salt. Use it to scrub your cutting board clean, then rinse.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#3 Salt A Cast Iron Pan
Cast iron pans can rust up if you don’t properly care for them. The best way to do that is with salt. Scrub your cast iron pans with salt instead of dish soap.
Image source: toriavey.com
#4 Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Meatloaf can take more than an hour to cook. You can speed it up by placing the meat into individual portions of a muffin tin. Bake your meatloaf at 450 degrees at 15 minutes.
Image source: makeandtakes.com
#5 Keep Ice Cream Cool
Bubble wrap is a powerful insulator. While on the road, keep your Chunky Monkey from melting by wrapping the pint in plastic bubble wrap. It’ll stay firm for hours.
Image source: tastingtable.com
#6 Tea For Flavorful Grains
Make your grains tastier with tea. Cook your quinoa, millet, brown rice, or bulgur with teat infused water. Lapsang souchong, Earl Grey, and chai work well for this.
Image source: cookinglight.com
#7 Make Crunchy Taco Shells From Tortillas With Your Oven Rack
Since store-bought crunchy taco shells go stale in a hot minute, make your crunchy taco shells from your soft tortillas only when you need them! Drape the tortillas over your oven rack in the shape of a crunchy taco shell until crispy. Then, proceed to eat your weight in tacos (which is the only way to eat them)!
Image source: shaneandsimple.com
#8 Don’t Waste The Rest Of The Wine
If you have the rest of a bottle of wine that you know you’re not going to drink within a few days, you can still salvage it. Pour the wine out into an ice cube tray. Use the cubes in a cooking recipe, wine spritzer, or pitcher of sangria.
Image source: cookingwithoutlookingtv.wordpress.com
#9 Make Cheese Grating Easy
Make grating semisoft cheeses like mozzarella easy. Just put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. It will be much easier to grate this way.
Image source: kitchenseer.com
#10 Shine Up Stainless Steel
Stainless steel can get dull with a lot of use. You can permanently dull those surfaces if you’re not using the right cleaning products. Mix vinegar and water together and spray the solution on your surfaces and wipe it down.
Image source: thespruce.com
#11 Roast Garlic In The Microwave
How delicious and creamy is roasted garlic? It’s a crowd-pleaser for sure. But, roasting cloves in the oven can take what seems like forever. Bypass the oven by placing a bulb of garlic with its top cut off inside a microwave-safe bowl. Add a little oil and water, wrap with plastic wrap, then cook until it smells yummy and the consistency looks right.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#12 Melt Chocolate In The Microwave
You don’t need a double boiler to melt chocolate. In fact, I have never owned a double boiler. Simply melt your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power in the microwave. Check it after the first minute, then remove it and stir it. continuing to do this at 30-second intervals., until completely melted.
Image source: feelgoodfoodie.net
#13 Prevent Potatoes From Browning
If you want to peel your potatoes in advance, simply cover them with cold water to prevent them from browning. Your potatoes might retain a bit more water if they’re left overnight in the fridge like this. But if you’re making mashed potatoes with them, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.
Image source: masterclass.com
#14 Use A Pizza Wheel To Chop Fresh Herbs
Place your fresh herbs on a cutting board in a pile. Then roll a pizza cutter back and forth several times in several directions.
Image source: mrsbyn.blogspot.com
#15 Eliminate That Tupperware Smell By Packing Them With Newspaper
No one’s really sure why, but crumpling up newspaper and stacking it into smelly Tupperware overnight has been known to finally get rid of bad odors. Just make sure to thoroughly wash your containers after the fact, as newspapers aren’t exactly clean.
Image source: food52.com
#16 Parchment Paper Cupcakes
Need to make cupcakes but don’t have a muffin tin or cupcakes cups? You can still make your muffins. Use parchment paper instead.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#17 Makeshift Parchment Brush
Need a pastry brush or don’t have one? No problem! Fold a piece of parchment paper at least four times. Use a scissor to cut some fringe into the paper. Use the fringe side as a brush.
Image source: allrecipes.com
#18 Prevent Microwave Dryness
Microwaves can cause food to dry out. But there is a way to combat this. Place a cup of water next to your food in the microwave when you cook it.
Image source: cnet.com
#19 De-Crystalize Some Honey
Honey can become crystallized and hard to use after a while. You can reverse the crystallization by place it in a bowl of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. It will be as good as new.
Image source: dvo.com
#20 Heavy Cream Makes The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever
Make the most creamy, decadent, and delicious mashed potatoes your family and friends have ever seen by first boiling them in heavy cream instead of water before mashing them. Of course, this isn’t the healthiest option in the world but my-oh-my is it a taste bud pleaser.
Image source: foodiecrush.com
#21 Keep Your Mixing Bowl In Place
Need an extra hand? Professional chefs will tell you that a damp dish towel under your mixing bowl will keep it from slipping and sliding on your counter as you mix. (This tip works well with a cutting board too!)
Image source: tasteofhome.com
#22 Easy Way To Chop Up Squash
Need to prepare a butternut squash to cook. Place your squash in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. This will make it a lot easier to peel, seed, and cube.
Image source: snack-girl.com
#23 Open A Stubborn Jar
Wrap a rubber band around the lip of your jar. It will give you a better grip on your jar. If you need more help, use a dishtowel over the rubberband top.
Image source: tasteofhome.com
#24 Slow Down Tomato Rot
If you want your tomatoes to last longer, place them stem down when you store them. The air and moisture won’t be able to enter the stem scar this way. Storing them at room temperature also makes them last longer.
Image source: seriouseats.com
#25 Easy Peel Potato
There’s a much better way to peel potatoes instead of using a peeler. Start by boiling your potato. Toss your potatoes into an ice bath after you boil them and watch the skin fall right off.
Image source: onegoodthingbyjillee.com
#26 How To Cut Cherry Tomatoes
Here’s the secret to safely cutting cherry tomatoes. Place your cherry tomatoes in between two plates. The bottom plate should be upside down. Run a knife in between the two plates.
Image source: blog.myappliances.co.uk
#27 Peel Fruit In The Microwave
Save time by making your fruit easier to peel. Put your fruit in the microwave for 20 seconds. The peel should slide right off this way.
Image source: firstwefeast.com
#28 Keep Plastic Wrap Cold
Plastic wrap is super annoying when it sticks to itself or rips. Keep your plastic wrap in the refrigerator. This will make the wrap stretch evenly and properly.
Image source: dvo.com
#29 Keep Cut Fruit From Browning
Squeeze some lemon juice on your cut fruit to prevent it from browning. You can also mix one part honey with two parts of water. This method will slow down the oxidation process.
Image source: chelanfresh.com
#30 You Can Roast Regular Sugar Too
Just as roasting white chocolate does, roasting white sugar completely transforms its flavor into something out-of-this-world. Roast your sugar in a roasting pan in the oven – but make sure the pan is completely dry before doing so.
Image source: food52.com
#31 Soften Butter (Even If You Forgot To Take It Out Of The Fridge)
Don’t you hate it when you forget to take butter out of the fridge to make your favorite recipe? If you forget to bring that butter up to room temp in advance, it’s OK. You can soften butter quickly. The easiest way is to cut butter into cubes and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. The smaller pieces will soften up faster than a whole stick.
Image source: julieblanner.com
#32 Store Your Onions In The Fridge To Prevent Crying
When you are chopping them. No more tears when chopping onions; this really works!
Image source: healthline.com
#33 Easy Peel Eggs
Hard boiled eggs are pretty easy to make, but they are a pain to peel. Try putting up to a dozen eggs in a steamer basket suspended over boiling water for 15 to 16 minutes. The eggshell will slip right off this way.
Image source: afrugalchick.com
#34 DIY Powdered Sugar
Do you have a recipe that calls for powdered sugar? You can make your own. Just pulverize granulated sugar in a spice grinder to make your own.
Image source: cookinglight.com
#35 Don’t Burn What You’re Sautéing
Don’t burn what you’re sautéing. If you find that your food is getting too brown too quickly, toss in an ice cube to cool the pan down. The water quickly evaporates and your food won’t burn.
Image source: bhg.com
#36 Speed Up Fruit Ripening
Don’t want to wait for that peach or banana to ripen on its own? Put your fruit in a paper bag and toss it. The concentrated ethylene gas will help it to ripen faster.
Image source: spoonuniversity.com
#37 Remove Eggshell Pieces
Don’t stick your fingers in your eggs to get rid of eggshells. Use another piece of eggshell to get rid of the rouge piece. The eggshell will act as a magnet to scoop the other pieces.
Image source: food-hacks.wonderhowto.com
#38 Extract The Most Juice Possible
Refrigerate your lemon. Then microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds. Roll your fruit, cut lengthwise then use tongs to get the most juice out of your lemons.
Image source: chatelaine.com
#39 DIY Buttermilk Substitute
Do you have a recipe that calls for buttermilk but don’t have any? You can make your own by putting a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into regular milk. It doesn’t have the same thick, and creaminess as buttermilk put it does the trick.
Image source: mybakingaddiction.com
#40 No-Stick Measuring Spoon
Measuring out molasses or honey can make a mess. Spray it with some cooking oil before you measure. The oil will make it slide off so that your measuring spoon is easy to clean.
Image source: lmld.org
#41 Since The Mayo Is Out – Add To Your Eggs
When making scrambled eggs, many people like to add milk, cream, or even creme fraiche – but mayo is actually quite delicious as well. The added bit of mayo will make your scrambled eggs moist and creamy without changing the flavor at all.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#42 Keep Cookies Soft
To keep cookies and other baked goods soft after baking, add a slice of store-bought white bread to an airtight container. Your cakes, cookies and muffins will keep their day-one softness. Friends and family will think they’re fresh! Try this trick with our Big & Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies…that is if you have any leftovers.
Image source: tasteofhome.com
#43 Evenly Portion Muffin Batter
Use an ice cream scoop to evenly portion out muffin batter. The kind with the trigger release makes it easy to transfer the batter to the muffin tin: no trying desperately to get the batter off of a spoon.
Image source: shopsweetsandtreats
#44 Tear-Free Way To Chop Onions
Chopping onions can turn you into a weepy mess. To avoid this just freeze your onion before chopping. Just make sure you cook the onions right after you freeze and chop them or else they’ll get soggy when they thaw. You can also hold a slice of bread in your mouth to prevent the tear-inducing gases from reaching your eye.
Image source: wellordie.com
#45 Keep Brown Sugar Soft
Brown sugar can clump up and harden if you don’t store it properly. Once it hardens it’s useless. Place an orange peel or apple slice inside the bag and put the bag in an airtight container to prevent this.
Image source: lifehacker.com.au
#46 The Perfect Basted Egg
Here’s how to make the perfect basted egg. Break your egg in a pan and pour in some water. Put it on the heater and watch your eggs come out perfectly.
Image source: gracelaced.com
#47 Get Rid Of The Fat
Get rid of excess fat from stocks, stews, and sauces by skimming an ice cube along the top of the surface of your liquid with a spoon. This will cause the fat to rise and solidify. Then scoop it out with a spoon or a piece of toast.
Image source: thriftyfun.com
#48 If You Don’t Have A Bread Machine, You Can Also Use Your Stand Mixer To Knead Dough
If you don’t have a bread machine, you can also use your stand mixer to knead dough. Or knead your pizza dough or any dough for that matter!
Image source: kitchenseer.com
#49 Freeze Your Butter And Grate It Into Recipes With A Cheese Grater
It is easier and less messy than using a pastry cutter and it lasts much longer in the freezer! I do this with my scones, apple pie and crumbles and crisps.
Image source: foodmeanderings.com
#50 Use Microplane Grater Or Zester For Scraping The Burnt Part Off Overdone Toast
If you burn toast, you don’t have to throw it away!
Image source: bakestarters.com
#51 Get Rid Of Fishy Taste In Salt Water Fish By Soaking It In Milk
If you’re like me and are not a fan of ‘that fishy taste,’ try this cooking trick! I use it all the time because it allows me to buy less expensive types fish (like sole) and actually enjoy eating it.
Image source: tastingtable.com
#52 Peel Kiwi With A Spoon
It’s the easiest way and you get to eat more of the kiwi!
Image source: lacuisinedegeraldine.fr
#53 Easily Remove Pomegranate Seeds
It’s easy to get the arils of a pomegranate out by using a wooden spoon! First slice your pomegranate in half around the middle. Then hold it upside down over a bowl, and whack the back of it with a wooden spoon. The seeds will pop out!
Image source: thepioneerwoman.com
#54 Peel Ginger With A Spoon
Ginger can be tricky to peel with all its bumps and irregularities. Rather than using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, reach for the spoon. Scrape it against the skin and it’ll come right off, following every contour and minimizing waste.
Image source: bonappetit.com
#55 Cut The Cake Or Cut The Cheese With Dental Floss
Use dental floss to easily slice soft cakes or cheeses and avoid the mess. This method also gives you a nice, clean-cut so your dessert’s presentation is always classy.
Image source: cuisineathome.com
#56 Remove Coffee Stains From Mugs With Baking Soda
Your breath isn’t the only thing coffee can stain. Over time, ceramic mugs bear the marks of coffee addicts too. To remove the stains, sprinkle baking soda (at this point, we may as well call it fairy dust) around the inside of the mug. Sprinkle some warm water inside too and let the dust work its magic. Then take a warm, damp cloth and wipe away the stains. Repeat until you’re satisfied. Maybe this is why they put baking soda in toothpaste, too…
Image source: cutediyprojects.com
#57 Make Pitting Cherries Easy
Place a cherry on top of an empty beer bottle. Use a chopstick to squeeze the pit out of the cherry. The pit will fall into the bottle.
Image source: kitchenconfidante.com
#58 De-Seed Your Vegetables Fast
Scooping out seeds from your vegetables can take a lot of time. It’s just not a fun task. Use an ice cream scooper to perform this task, it makes it a lot easier and faster.
Image source: sweetyhigh.com
#59 Easy Pour Spout
Not all boxes come with easy pour spouts. Prevent yourself from making a mess when pouring out pancake mix by creating your own spout. Just cut off the corner of the box with a serrated knife.
Image source: sweetandsavory.co
#60 De-Kernal Corn On The Cob
Put the pointy end of your corn in the center hole of the pan. This will stead the cob. Then use a knife to slice downward. The pan will collect the kernels.
Image source: simplyrecipes.com
#61 Brush Your Fish With Mayo
If you’re grilling fish on the BBQ, nothing is worse than going to flip or serve it only to have it crumble and fall apart because it sticks to the grill. Prevent this fiasco by brushing the fillet with a bit of mayo prior to putting on the grill – no sticking! And – it stays super moist.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#62 Use Your Oven As A Proofing Drawer
Sometimes the kitchen is just too cold to get a good proof on homemade bread. If that’s the case, pop the dough in the oven—don’t turn it on. Instead, place a pan of simmering water below your dough and shut the door. The warmth and humidity from the hot water will help you get the lift you need.
Image source: tasteofhome.com
#63 Freeze Single-Serving Sauces
Become an upcycling master! Egg cartons are ideal for freezing small portions of homemade sauce. (Especially when you need to use your ice trays for, well, ice—or one of these other genius uses.) Cover and freeze leftover Basil & Parsley Pesto and transfer cubes to a resealable freezer bag. To use, thaw cubes in your fridge for 2 hours.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#64 Chill Wine Super Fast
Fact: No one likes lukewarm bubbly. Find a tall pitcher about the height of your wine bottle and get cooling. Immerse the bottle in ice water with a small handful of salt and turn every few minutes or so. Your booze will chill in 20 minutes (or less!).
Image source: epicurious.com
#65 Label Jars The Thrifty Way
In a pinch for labels? Just reach for the rubber bands. Wrap ’em around your mason jars and you’ll never mistake salt for sugar again. As an added benefit, they help make jars easy to open
Image source: dvo.com
#66 Shred Beef, Pork Or Chicken With Stand Mixer Or Hand Mixer
This is great for fast pulled pork, beef or chicken. If you have ever stood at the counter pulling pork with forks for any period of time, you’ll appreciate this food hack!
Image source: foodmeanderings.com
#67 Peel Bananas Before You Freeze Them!
Then place them in a Ziplock freezer bag. They are so much easier to deal with; just defrost, mash and bake!
Image source: eu.freep.com
#68 Freeze Whipping Cream
Never let extra whipping cream go bad again! To use: defrost it overnight and whip it up again or use it in recipes that call for heavy cream.
Image source: allrecipes.com
#69 The Microplane Is Your Friend
Microplane graters are great for taking zest off of citrus fruit. They’re also great for grating ginger. They’re great for grating garlic (I haven’t owned a garlic press in years). They’re great for creating a blanket of grated cheese over your pasta or pizza. They’re great for grating whole nutmeg. They’re just great. You can be great too, but you’ll need a microplane to get there.
Image source: seriouseats.com
#70 Peel Garlic The Easy Way
Smash your garlic cloves with a bowl, then place them in a Tupperware container and shake until you’re a little bit dizzy. This separates the cloves. All you have to do now is dump everything on the counter and take what you need.
Image source: alphafoodie.com
#71 Keep Bacon From Splattering And Popping With A Little Water In The Pan
Adding enough water just to cover the bottom of the pan not only renders the fat, preventing popping and splattering, it also cooks a better slice of bacon! This is how you get that tender-yet-crispy bacon strip that you didn’t burn but it still crunches.
Image source: thelowcarbgrocery.com
#72 Keep Burgers Moist With An Ice Cube
If you haven’t heard about this ice cube hack while grilling – you’re totally missing out. A trick for making deliciously moist burgers in an ice cube. Before you grill, press a small ice cube into the center of the patty, form the beef around it so it ‘seals’ the cube – then grill. Best. Burgers. Ever. We promise.
Image source: gourmetgrillmaster.com
#73 Get Eggs To Room Temp Fast
When baking, it’s important to use room temperature ingredients (unless otherwise specified). If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge in time, don’t worry. Just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
Image source: tasteofhome.com
#74 Add A Teaspoon Of Baking Soda To The Water When You Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
This will make them easier to peel and you won’t end up with little nicks and dings all over them. This is ideal for recipes like Devilled eggs, where you want the eggs to peel nicely.
Image source: prevention.com
#75 Make Poached Eggs In The Microwave To Save Time
Unless you have a really good egg poacher (which I have yet to find), you’ll love this trick. It’s also great for making quick, single poached eggs!
Image source: egginfo.co.uk
#76 Slice Potatoes With An Apple Slicer
Repurpose your apple slicer to create potato logs. Peel the potato and then slice for southwestern steak fries!
Image source: goodenessgracious.com
#77 Use A Slow Cooker To Caramelize Onions
To truly caramelize onions, it takes FOREVER. That’s why using a slow cooker is a natural remedy to our impatience for caramelized onions on our burgers and steaks. Just plan ahead and you’ll give them plenty of time to infuse the sugar in the slow cooker.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#78 Prevent Boil Over
Having boiling water spill over your pot can make quite a mess. But there is a way to prevent this from happening. Just place a wooden spoon across the top of your pot.
Image source: mommyminutesblog.blogspot.com
#79 Foam Milk With A Frother
Fill a jar with a little milk (no more than halfway). Close your jar and shake it well. Microwave your milk for about 30 seconds. It should come out frothy.
Image source: food-hacks.wonderhowto.com
#80 “Roast” Your White Chocolate In The Microwave
Have you ever roasted white chocolate before? Because it’s pure magic and your life will never be the same after trying it. Lots of people prefer roasting chocolate in the oven, but the microwave is much faster. Simply micro the white chocolate for 30-seconds, stir, and put in for another 30 seconds. Repeat until you get the desired taste.
Image source: sherisilver.com
#81 Poach Eggs In Plastic Wrap
Poached eggs are so simple yet so difficult to perfect. To prevent the egg from breaking apart once it hits the water – use a bit of plastic wrap to help. First, line a cup with plastic wrap then spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Crack an egg into it, then tie the plastic wrap shut. Drop your little egg pouch into boiling water and voila! All you have to do is snip the plastic wrap open for a perfectly poached egg.
Image source: findingfeasts.com.au
#82 Use An Egg Slicer To Slice Mushrooms
If you have an egg slicer sitting in your drawer, it can be used for more than slicing eggs for potato salad. This is a quick and easy way to slice mushrooms and strawberries and gets your gadgets doing double duty!
Image source: foodmeanderings.com
#83 Cook Food In Your Dishwasher
We had to put this one on here because surely there are people somewhere who can tell you a story of how they’ve cooked in the dishwasher. Basically, you can place food in mason jars and put them in the high-temperature wash cycle. These are the same people that cook bacon under the hood of their cars.
Image source: npr.org
#84 De-Pit Your Fruit
The easiest way to pit store fruits is to cut them into two equal halves. Twist the halves in opposite directions. Use your thumb or a butter knife to pop out the pit.
Image source: allrecipes.com
#85 Brew Coffee Without Coffee Machine
Boil coffee in a pot of water using the same coffee to water ratio as you’d put in a coffee maker. Remove the coffee from the heat and let the grounds settle for four or five minutes. Ladle the coffee off of the top of the pot into a mug.
Image source: homegrounds.co
#86 Cornstarch Is Great For Eggs Too
Not a big fan of mayo? That’s alright! Cornstarch is a wonderful alternative to mayo or cream when cooking eggs. It might sound unusual but cornstarch prevents eggs from becoming dry and rubbery. Just add 1/2 and 1/8th teaspoon of cornstarch for every egg you scramble.
Image source: food52.com
#87 Give Powdered Milk In Baked Goods A Try
Add some milk powder to your baked goods for a more intense dairy flavor. “Milk powder adds an incredible depth of flavor and texture to any baked good you add it to,” Christina Tosi, chef, and owner of Milk Bar. “It doesn’t impart a milky flavor, it just amps up any flavor your working with.”
Image source: epicurious.com
#88 Keep Fresh Ginger Frozen In A Ziplock Freezer Bag And Take It Out To Grate Into Dishes
Simply use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin (only the part you need), then grate and add directly to your cooking and put the remainder back in the freezer until you need it again. It lasts for months in the freezer this way and tastes fresh in your food.
Image source: omnivorescookbook.com
#89 Use Cooking Oil To Keep Pots From Boiling Over
Drop a small amount of cooking oil into a boiling pot and it will keep the pot from boiling over onto the cooktop.
Image source: tyla.com
#90 Easy Way To Check If Your Avocado Is Ripe
If you look at the skin under the stem of the avocado and it’s yellow or green, you’re good to go! If it’s brown, toss it. Green means go, brown means garbage.
Image source: loveonetoday.com
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