You’ll find 49 kitchen hacks and tips that will allow you to cook faster and more efficiently than ever before.
From time-saving recipes to shortcuts for chopping veggies – we’ve got it all!
1. Make Your Greens Last Longer
So you can get the most out of the life out of asparagus, spinach, and mesclun, fill a plastic box with paper towels. Buy Boxed Salad and reuse the same plastic box.
A paper towel will absorb excess moisture on the Green leaf as well as keeping leaves from falling off and breaking up.
The plastic container is also a good way to keep leaves from getting crushed within the container.
2. Keep Brown Sugar Soft
Brown sugar should be stored for the best quality to prevent it from hardening to be cooked: bakers love this sweet treat. Ensure a tightly sealed box or plastic bag so that moisture does not penetrate.
Next use Real Simple’s tip and mix a couple of marshmallows into Brown Sugar.
You could also try and use traditional methods like bread slices instead.
3. Use A Spoon To Skin A Kiwi
This trick works best if you have kiwis that have ripened (not rock hard). Slide a spoon under the skin and run it through the skin. You can slip your skin off!
Then just slice and serve that with any possible ingredient, and even a piece of ripe Kiwi – if desired. Use this trick when you have plenty of ripe Kiwi.
4. Grill Fish On Top Of Citrus
To keep fish from sticking to the pan or grill, fry on a plate of fresh citrus.
Try salmon slices on lemon slices or sole on orange slices. For a more intense flavor try salmon on lemon slices or sole as opposed to salmon with olive and lime slices.
5. Use Dental Floss For Cutting
Dental floss can cut cakes and sweet cheeses and other items better than a knife can. Uses include using it to lift meat from a cookie sheet or pulling stuck dough from the countertop.
Perhaps you’ll actually try it between your teeth a minute later. But you should always leave it around your kitchen.
6. Clean Your Grill With An Onion
Texas grill maestros have relied on a completely natural remedy. Cut an onion into two parts and move it up and away with a fork.
Take care if it is hot on the grill to help it cool off a bit. An all-natural remedy can be used with a brush to clean off the grill scraps.
7. Boil Water Faster
Put the lid over the kettle while the water is heating. Assume you use only enough water.
The longer the water boils the slower it takes. The best way of getting a really good boiling is to use an electric kettle before you switch to a pot.
8. Slice Potatoes With an Apple Slicer
Reuse apple slicers to create potato slicers. Peel potatoes and cut them for southwest steak fries.
Apple slicers are perfect for thick-cut potato fries, but you can also cut the slices in half for regular fries.
9. Get Avocados To Ripen Faster
You can improve the ripening by sealing avocados in paper containers. To help speed it up add a banana to your bag. Both fruits produce ethylene to promote ripeness.
This will not work overnight, but it is notably quicker than leaving them in a bowl.
10. Make Bacon With a Waffle Iron
Alton Brown offers this method on how to perfectly cook bacon in the same package without sticking grease. Set a waffle iron in very hot heat then place bacon thinly strips on a griddle.
Close lids and warm for 2.5 minutes. Move bacon and cook another 1/2 hour until time runs out. The result: nice crisp bacon with enough fat remaining for cooking Hash browns.
11. Separate Egg Yolk From Whites With a Bottle
Put boiled eggs and cold water under a bowl of hot water, then cover the opening part. Shake vigorously on the sink.
When everyone comes across you and looks like you’ve lost it, take the shell from a moving eggshell and remind them that there is a thin line between genius and foolishness.
12. Cut Meat Into Thin Slices For Stir-Fries
Does your stir-fry ever really look the same as when you ordered takeout?
While slicing veggies is easy, beef or chicken can be tough to produce without an infomercial knife–unless you partially freeze it first. Freezing for 30 minutes should do the trick.
13. Peel Garlic the Easy Way
Smash garlic cloves with a bowl and shake until you feel dizzy. So they separate cloves within each other.
Then everything you need is to shovel everything on that empty counter and take everything you need.
14. Two Ways to Peel a Hard-Boiled Egg
Put a pressure pin into the end of the eggs before boiling them. If baking soda is in the water it makes the egg easier to peel. Believe us it’s weird, but it works.
15. Use a Wooden Spoon to Keep Pots From Boiling Over
It is a mystery how things have to work in this world. Does wood absorb steam? Yes. Boiling over is a hazard that can be controlled with the use of wooden spoons.
16. Make Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave
Microwave in 30-second intervals and stir each after 30 seconds for 120 seconds. A 12-gram serving of protein is cooked at home in a mug with nonstick spray.
Add another splash of warm milk to the pan and sprinkle the top with a little salt and pepper before mixing them with a spoon.
Add the water to the eggs and stir to create a protein-packed breakfast.
17. Use Rice To Clean Your Spice Grinder In Seconds
A kitchen-scale grinder is good for grinding spices quickly. However, they can rapidly accumulate Leftover flavors and scents.
In this hack, we share how one small amount of rice could quickly remove all the leftover bits and crumbs along with the odor. With this hack, you will get the cleanest grinder for less than 2 minutes!
18. Use a Spiralizer for Perfect Baked Curly Fries
Use a spiralizer to make a short spiral cut of fried potato or zucchini into short ribbons and sprinkle a tablespoon of oil and seasoning.
Place it evenly on a paper-lined sheet pan then bake at 425 degrees for 20 min stirring every 45 seconds to stop the melted pieces. Bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes till the paper is golden brown.
19. How To Cut The Perfect Pineapple Every Time
This amazing kitchen hack shows exactly how to cut pineapples quickly. You will be able to cut perfectly large pieces on paper making it easy for pineapples to be eaten and served at parties.
The hack shows you how to remove the hard skin and cut the tough middle core of the fruit without worrying about the tough core and hard skin.
20. Use an Egg Slicer for Even Portions of Fruits and Vegetables
This kitchen tool is not purely made to cut hard-boiled eggs. Use an egg slicer to cut up a fresh strawberry, kiwis, mushrooms, and more in one go.
21. Chill Wine Super Fast
Take ice water in a bottle and gently shake it. Your booze will chill for 20 minutes and your toasting is a perfect fit in this range of budget sparkling wines under $20.50.
Find a tall pitcher that will be similar to your wine bottle and start cooling.
22. Test Avocado Readiness at the Stem.
Test your toast topping before cutting it into the fruit. If it pulls easily away and you notice green, you should go and can expect creamy, green flesh inside.
It should ripen long enough and if we find it brownish then the avocado probably is past its best stage.
23. Reheating Leftovers in the Microwave With a Damp Paper Towel on Top
As the water heats up to create steam it hydrates the food and can help reduce the stiffness. Leftovers susceptible to dryness like rice and pasta can be dehydrated.
For more information about mysterious scientific theories that exist – just go to Serious Eats.
24. Freeze Leftover Wine, Broth, Or Fruit In An Ice Cube Tray
Put the remainder of this Pinot aside or let it oxidize within 2 days in the fridge. Pour leftover champagne into an ice tray covered with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals at a distance.
Tomorrow you’ll eat a 1-ounce glass that you pop off and use in sauces, drinks, soups risotto, and stews.
25. Clean Your Wood Cutting Board With Lemon and Salt
You need just a half-lime, granular salt, and a scraper. Cutting boards can help you avoid scratches on your countertop surfaces. If you fail to be careful it could hurt you quickly.
This kitchen hack proves how you can clean a cutting board easily! All you need is a lemon and coarse salt.
26. Bake a Cake in a Mug
BAKE the cake at room temperature instead of on a big platter to avoid the double-serve temptation of dessert. Coat a cup or ramekin with nonstick spray.
Crush an egg inside. Whisk for even consistency. Add 1/2 cup Nutella or 1/2 Cup nut butter. Microwave for 20 seconds for an oooy-gooey dessert.
27. Extend the Life of Your Bananas by Wrapping the Stems
The wrapping aids in supplying organic oxygen to the fruit’s stem. If it escaped then it spread all across bananas and accelerated ripening. Wrapped each leaf in polyethylene foil keeps the fruit yellow long.
The wrappings contain an additional element of natural gas produced by ethylene.
28. Stop Stirring Peanut Butter
Getting tired of mixing the oil back into your natural peanut butter? There’s an easy solution: Store it upside down. When you’re ready to make one of our favorite PB desserts, simply turn it right side up.
The oil will try to rise back and the peanut butter will be much easier to stir.
29. Skim The Fat From Your Favorite Dish
Spoon out excess fat from stocks, stews, and sauces by skimming a few ice cubes (wrapped in a paper towel or cheesecloth) along the surface of the liquid.
Ice helps solidify fatty substances thus making them easier to remove with a spoon. It can’t remove all the fat but this kitchen hack will help you out.
30. Prevent Freezer Burn When Storing Ice Cream
Place a piece of wax paper over ice cream before placing your ice cream back into your fridge or stash it in the deep freeze to keep that delectable treat safely from frostbite and icy bites for longer than ever.
Simply place an airtight sheet between your dessert’s container and its wrapper (or lid) while storing away inside either cold environment.
31. Keep Ice Cream Cool
While on the road, keep your ice cream from melting by wrapping it up in some bubble wrap. It’ll stay firm for hours and be ready whenever a sweet craving hits again.
To keep ice cream hard when you’re on the move, just wrap it up in some bubble wrap.
32. Craft DIY Mason Jar Shakers
Your bulk spices and baking supplies just got an adorable upgrade. Save the lids from parmesan shakers and gather your small mason jars.
Screw the lid on, sprinkle away, then store in a cool dark place for up to one year! Speaking of spices… Did you know you can make many of your favorite blends at home?
33. Shake Garlic Cloves In A Mason Jar To Slip The Skins Off
Control the mess and speed up peeling a pile of garlic cloves by separating them, popping the cloves in two mason jars, and screwing on their lids.
Give each jar a good shake so that your skins should slide right off without you having to peel any single one! You can also use this method with two equal-sized bowls one inverted over top of another.
34. Poach Multiple Eggs At A Time In A Muffin Tin
Fill each muffin cup with a tablespoon of water, then crack an egg in each cavity. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes for set whites and oozy yolks—perfect for adding to family-sized batches of avocado toast or Benedicts.
This hack is perfect for when you have a ton of eggs in the fridge but not enough time to use them all.
35. Make Burrito Bowls With A Muffin Tin
The muffin tin should be upside down and shaped with corn tortilla flutes in between four of the cavities. Then it needs to bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges just begin to lightly brown.
Remove the tin and gently press the middle to make it easier for scooping out your filled bowls.
36. Make Tiny Portions Of Whipped Cream
Ever need just a dollop of whipped cream to make your strawberry shortcake shine? Reach for the immersion blender that fits neatly into a tumbler or measuring cup.
The single-serving quickens the process and minimizes the whipped cream mess with larger bowls.
Planning is key here, but you don’t have to start from scratch! Keep some containers on hand so each ingredient can be added as needed without dirtying more than one dish – making it simple enough even if someone else does all the cooking.
37. Coat Measuring Spoons And Cups With Cooking Spray
Grab a cooking spray and give your measuring cups, spoons, and other equipment an extra thorough coating.
You can use any nonstick sprays that don’t add calories to the recipe when you’re done—so go ahead with olive oil or vegetable oil varieties if they work best for what’s next on the docket.
38. Fill An Ice Tray With Coffee
Stop diluting your energy boost with standard ice cubes. Instead, freeze an ice cube tray filled with your favorite coffee blend so you can cool down without watering down the taste of your drink.
Or use your coffee ice cubes to make a delicious iced coffee. Another option? Freeze fruit juice in ice cube trays and use them to flavor drinks.
39. Recycle A Condiment Bottle For Flawless Pancakes
Thoroughly clean an empty ketchup or mustard bottle to use as a pancake batter delivery system. It will allow you to easily control the size and shape of your pancakes.
Also, you can easily refill the bottle so you’ll never have to worry about running out of pancake batter.
40. Soften Butter Quickly
If you forgot to pull the butter out of the fridge to cool down not worry. You’re able to make it easier if you chop it into smaller pieces.
Bonus points unless you place this in a hot place in your kitchen! Arrange it on a plate then nuke for 10 seconds on high.
41. Repurpose Your Pizza Cutter
The wheel of a pizza cutter is perfect for cutting herbs in all directions. Bunch them up and use the blade to back and forth until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Or try placing the herbs on a cutting board and rolling over them with the cutter.
42. Save Fresh Herbs For Later Use
If you’ve accidentally bought too much basil or mint, don’t throw it away! Freeze some in an ice cube tray or muffin tin so that you can use the herbs as a seasoning agent later.
43. Rinse Rice With Water Before Cooking It
You’ll get a much better end product if you rinse the rice in a bowl or quickly run it through a strainer first.
This removes the surface starch that can otherwise make rice clump together and become gummy as it cooks. After all who likes mushy rice?
44. Use Vinegar To Easily Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
This kitchen hack will help you peel hard-boiled eggs with ease! The secret ingredient in this hack is a 1/4 cup of vinegar and a dash of salt.
These two ingredients allow the shell to break off into large chunks instead of tiny eggshell shards, which makes it easier to eat them.
45. Store Lettuce To Last A Month
Have you ever dug into a delicious salad only to find that your lettuce has gone soggy? This kitchen hack guarantees crisp and fresh lettuce.
Not only that, but it may keep the cabbage nice and crispy for an entire month! Just simply wrap your head of lettuce in aluminum foil before storing.
46. Get More Juice When Juicing
Next time you want some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, use this quick kitchen hack that will help increase how much gets into your cup.
Microwaving makes citrus fruits easier than ever to squeeze every last drop out.
All you have to do is microwave them first. Place them in there for about 7-10 seconds, then roll them around underneath pressed palms on a hard surface.
47. Quickly Shred Chicken
Shredding chicken can be a fiddly task for even the most dexterous cooks. It might even deter you from cooking meals that require it.
But did you know you can make fast work of shredding with your stand mixer’s paddle attachment? Simply add leftovers and give it a spin! Use your leftovers to make these delish chicken tacos or sandwiches.
48. Freeze Your Roots
When you are finished grating fresh ginger, freeze it so that there is no hassle when preparing future dishes requiring freshly peeled and chopped pieces of this “spice”.
When done correctly, frozen unpeeled whole roots will last up to 6 months before becoming dry and shriveled inside their packaging.
So keep some extra storage containers for easy access later during cooking prep time by freezing them directly after peeling/grating.
49. Dry Meat Before Searing It To Rid Excess Moisture
Meat can carry a layer of moisture on the outside, so it’s important to get rid of that if you want the cleanest, sharpest sear when the protein hits the hot pan. The quickest way? Pat, it dry first with a paper towel.
Wrapping Up
It’s time to put those kitchen hacks to use! You’ve been meaning to try some of these tricks for a while, but you just haven’t had the chance.
Now is your opportunity so go ahead and give them a shot…you won’t regret it. Remember, these are only 49 kitchen hacks- there are many more out there that may work better for you or help with different tasks.
If this post has sparked any new ideas about how you can make life easier in the kitchen, let us know we’re always happy to brainstorm together.
