Few things are better than a home cooked meal, lovingly prepared and expertly executed. But for those cooking the meal, it can get a little stressful in the kitchen. So many different foods to cut, chop, de-stem, boil, and sear, all at different times! — and all needing to come out just so and on time.
Thankfully, a few tips can make even the busiest home kitchen hum peacefully. From prep work to leftovers, these little tricks will help you calmly plate a meal and honestly say, “Oh, it was nothing!”
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1. Use a straw to remove stems from strawberries
Instead of lopping the tops off a bushel of strawberries, use this trick to easily remove the greenery without wasting the red berry. Insert a straw through the bottom (pointed) end of the berry and push it through until it pokes through the top. Remove the stem from the straw and repeat on the next berry.
Instead of lopping the tops off a bushel of strawberries, use this trick to easily remove the greenery without wasting the red berry. Insert a straw through the bottom (pointed) end of the berry and push it through until it pokes through the top. Remove the stem from the straw and repeat on the next berry.
2. Turn your toaster sideways to make grilled cheese
Crispy bread and melty cheese can often result in a burned mess when making a grilled cheese sandwich on the stove. Eliminate that risk by making grilled cheese in the toaster. Turn the toaster on its side. In the bottom slot, insert a piece of bread that’s topped with the slice of cheese. Make certain the slice of cheese fits within the borders of the slice of bread or else you’ll have a cheesy mess to clean. Put the other slice of bread in the top slot and toast the slices for about a minute to a minute and a half. When they’re toasted, place the two sides of your sandwich together and enjoy!
Crispy bread and melty cheese can often result in a burned mess when making a grilled cheese sandwich on the stove. Eliminate that risk by making grilled cheese in the toaster. Turn the toaster on its side. In the bottom slot, insert a piece of bread that’s topped with the slice of cheese. Make certain the slice of cheese fits within the borders of the slice of bread or else you’ll have a cheesy mess to clean. Put the other slice of bread in the top slot and toast the slices for about a minute to a minute and a half. When they’re toasted, place the two sides of your sandwich together and enjoy!
3. Use an onion ring to make perfect eggs
Need picture-perfect round eggs to fit on an English muffin? Use an onion slice as a round mold to contain the egg white as it’s cooked.
Need picture-perfect round eggs to fit on an English muffin? Use an onion slice as a round mold to contain the egg white as it’s cooked.
4. Keep cake fresh with bread
After cutting into a delicious cake, you often find the leftover cake has become dry and stale. Keep your cake fresh longer by putting a slice of bread under the cake dome or in the storage container with the rest of the cake. The moisture from the bread will lengthen the life of the cake.
After cutting into a delicious cake, you often find the leftover cake has become dry and stale. Keep your cake fresh longer by putting a slice of bread under the cake dome or in the storage container with the rest of the cake. The moisture from the bread will lengthen the life of the cake.
5. Soften butter in a hurry
Many home bakers know the frustration that happens when, after deciding to bake something, they pull rock-hard sticks of butter out of the refrigerator. To soften butter quickly, try this trick using a warm drinking glass. After portioning out the butter you need for the recipe, set it on a small plate. Fill a glass with warm water, letting the water and glass sit a minute to allow the warmth to really settle in the glass. Next, working quickly, dump out the water, dry the glass and flip it over the butter on the plate. In a minute, the heat from the glass will have softened the butter.
Many home bakers know the frustration that happens when, after deciding to bake something, they pull rock-hard sticks of butter out of the refrigerator. To soften butter quickly, try this trick using a warm drinking glass. After portioning out the butter you need for the recipe, set it on a small plate. Fill a glass with warm water, letting the water and glass sit a minute to allow the warmth to really settle in the glass. Next, working quickly, dump out the water, dry the glass and flip it over the butter on the plate. In a minute, the heat from the glass will have softened the butter.
6. Use a wooden spoon to prevent liquids from boiling over
One of the last things a harried chef wants to hear while cooking is the sound of the pot on the stove boiling over. Try placing a wooden spoon across the rim of an uncovered pot. The bubbles will burst against the spoon, preventing the water from spilling over.
One of the last things a harried chef wants to hear while cooking is the sound of the pot on the stove boiling over. Try placing a wooden spoon across the rim of an uncovered pot. The bubbles will burst against the spoon, preventing the water from spilling over.
7. Place the strainer in the pot to drain pasta
Pasta is such a versatile dish, it’s a weeknight staple for home chefs everywhere. This strainer trick eliminates steps, making it that much faster to prepare. Instead of pouring the pasta and its boiling water into the strainer to drain, try placing the strainer in the pot, and holding the rims together with mitted hands, dumping the water through the strainer. The pasta stays hot in the pot, ready for sauce, butter or even that cheese packet.
Pasta is such a versatile dish, it’s a weeknight staple for home chefs everywhere. This strainer trick eliminates steps, making it that much faster to prepare. Instead of pouring the pasta and its boiling water into the strainer to drain, try placing the strainer in the pot, and holding the rims together with mitted hands, dumping the water through the strainer. The pasta stays hot in the pot, ready for sauce, butter or even that cheese packet.
8. Use a spoon to peel ginger
Fresh ginger adds such a zesty spice to dishes, but peeling it with a knife can be tricky and wasteful. Instead of using a knife or even a vegetable peeler, try using a spoon. The spoon will easily go over all the knobs and bumps on the ginger and won’t cut your fingers.
Fresh ginger adds such a zesty spice to dishes, but peeling it with a knife can be tricky and wasteful. Instead of using a knife or even a vegetable peeler, try using a spoon. The spoon will easily go over all the knobs and bumps on the ginger and won’t cut your fingers.
9. Use a mallet to slice squash
Anyone who has nearly lost a finger trying to slice a butternut squash knows that the nutritious orange vegetable carries a risk. Instead of trying to slice a knife through the squash with elbow grease, try using a little outside force. Start a butcher knife in the skin of the squash, placing the knife squarely in the flesh. Tap the knife with a rubber mallet and the squash will crack apart.
Anyone who has nearly lost a finger trying to slice a butternut squash knows that the nutritious orange vegetable carries a risk. Instead of trying to slice a knife through the squash with elbow grease, try using a little outside force. Start a butcher knife in the skin of the squash, placing the knife squarely in the flesh. Tap the knife with a rubber mallet and the squash will crack apart.
10. Slice even-sized French fries with an apple slicer
Easily make potato wedges by cutting the potato with an apple slicer. Use either a peeled or unpeeled potato, and the even sections will make great homemade fries.
Easily make potato wedges by cutting the potato with an apple slicer. Use either a peeled or unpeeled potato, and the even sections will make great homemade fries.
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11. Chase eggshell bits with an eggshell
Frustrated by a shard of eggshell fallen into a batter? Quickly remove it by fishing it out of the batter using the larger piece of eggshell. The larger piece will scoop up the shard, leaving your batter smooth and shell-free.
Frustrated by a shard of eggshell fallen into a batter? Quickly remove it by fishing it out of the batter using the larger piece of eggshell. The larger piece will scoop up the shard, leaving your batter smooth and shell-free.