No matter how much time you spend in the kitchen, there are always at least a few tips and tricks you can use to make your life a little easier. You’ve likely seen lists of kitchen tips and tricks before, but today we think we’ve got at least a few new ones for you that you might not have heard of.
With that said, here are 15 kitchen tips to make the cooking and food preparation process just a little bit easier.
1. If you’re frying bacon on the stove, add a little bit of water to your pan to keep it from splattering around too much.
Although those in the know may have heard that cooking bacon in the oven can be a better option, adding some water to the pan helps keep the grease cool. Who knew?
2. If you’re looking to impress your guests, try boiling the water you make ice cubes with for perfectly clear cubes.
Although this isn’t something you’d do every day, it’s a nice thing to try just to prove it works—or if you’re having a fancy cocktail party and you want the ice to be presentable as well.
3. Want to save time slicing cherry tomatoes? If so, you can cut them all in half in one swoop.
All you need are two of the same-sized plates and a sharp knife. First, put all the tomatoes on one of the plates. Put the other plate on top upside down. With gentle pressure, slide your knife blade through the slot in the plates to get them all at once!
4. You can use muffin tin liners to keep your drinks fresh in the summertime.
Although having a cocktail by the pool in the summer is a pleasure, the sugar in the drinks usually attracts wasps. To keep them out, try poking your straw through upside down muffin tin liners and pushing them down to cover your drinks. Easy!
5. Peeling mangos can be a bit of a pain—unless you’ve got a kitchen glass handy.
To easily peel a mango, make sure it’s at least sliced in half and pitted. With the remaining pieces, Slide the skin down on the edge of the glass to peel the fruit right off of it without any fuss.
6. You can also use a glass to easily peel a hard boiled egg that’s still hot!
Just get a glass and fill it with water (preferably a shorter glass). Drop your egg in the cup, cover the lid with your hand. Over the sink, shake the egg between your palm and the bottom of the glass. The contact with the glass will crack the egg and the water between the shell and the actual egg will make it easy to peel off!
7. Taking the stems out of strawberries is also a cinch.
If you have a straw, just stab up through the bottom of the berry to pop the green part off the top.
8. Check if your avocados are good are not by popping the stems off the top.
A little-known trick is to pop the “caps” off your avocados to check the color of the fruit’s flesh underneath. If the fruit underneath is green or yellow, that means it’s good to go. If it looks brown, it’s already too late for that avocado.
9. There is, in fact, a way to cut watermelon into chunks without making a huge mess.
First, cut your watermelon in half and put the halves on a large wooden cutting board. Using a large knife, cut it on the board in a grid fashion, first horizontally and then lengthwise. All the pieces should be roughly the same size and there will be no watery mess left behind!
10. You can also use an apple slicer to make steak fries out of a potato.
If you’re interested in making your own fries (you should try, it’s delicious), simply peel your potato and then push the apple slicer right down on top for nice, thick fry slices.
11. For professional, clean cuts, try using floss to cut a birthday cake.
For added benefit, make sure the cake is at least a little bit cool before you attempt!
12. Are you a sushi fan? Why not make your own sushi mat with kabobs and duct tape?
First, get two strips of duct tape the same length. Assemble your kabobs on top of it in a line so they’re all the same length. Once you’re done, tuck the ends of the tape over the kabobs to lock it in. Then, throw another strip on top facing the other way and you’re done!
13. Cutting corn off the cob? Why not use a Bundt pan?
Taking corn off the cob can sometimes be a messy process, even on a plate. To make things a little easier, get a Bundt pan and put your cooked corn in the middle. Then, simply shred the corn off of it with your knife.
14. To quickly aerate your red wine, try throwing it in a blender.
Although this seems counterintuitive, throwing wine in a blender is a quick way to let it breathe without leaving it in a carafe for hours. It’s especially beneficial for cheaper wines to improve their flavor.
15. For better boiled eggs, pop a little hole in the bottom with a thumbtack before you boil them.
This method helps them cook more evenly and it makes the shell just a little bit easier to get off when you’re all done.
Got any cooking tips of your own to add to this list? Tell us in the comments area below!
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