Cooking your own meal is a healthier choice than eating out. But it’s not always easy—or enjoyable. So, we’ve rounded up 25 smart and time-saving kitchen tricks that will make enjoy cooking.
1. Make scrambled eggs in the microwave.
Grab a mug and spritz it with nonstick spray. Crack a couple of eggs inside. Top with a splash of milk or water, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, then stir with a fork to combine. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, for a total of 90 seconds and a 12-grams-of-protein-strong breakfast is served!
2. Poach a dozen eggs at a time in a muffin tin.
For those who prefer their yolks to run as much as a marathoner, try this similarly speedy option that’s better by the dozen. 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 a family-sized batch of avocado toasts or Benedicts.
3. Use an egg slicer for even portions of fruits and veggies.
This tiny kitchen tool isn’t just for cutting hard-boiled eggs. Try slicing strawberries, kiwis, mushrooms, and more into even thickness in one fell swoop (and minus the finger-slicing risk of a mandoline).
4. Freeze leftover wine or broth in an ice cube tray.
Don’t dump the rest of that Pinot or allow it to oxidize in the fridge for weeks on end. Pour leftover wine into an ice cube tray, top with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals at bay, and freeze. Tomorrow, you’ll have one-ounce portions that you can pop out and add to sauces, soups, risottos, and stews for nearly instant depth of flavor.
5. Fill another tray with coffee for full-powered iced java.
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 your drink without watering down the taste.
6. Use a spiralizer for perfect baked curly fries.
This twirly tool should not be reserved for zoodles alone. Spiralize a russet or sweet potato into thin ribbons, then toss with a tablespoon of oil and your favorite seasonings. Spread out evenly on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to avoid burning any pieces.
7. Bake a cake in a mug.
Steer clear of double-serving temptation by baking one cake in a mug (rather than a whole pan). Coat a mug or ramekin with nonstick spray, then crack an egg inside. Whisk until even inconsistency, then stir in ¼ cup nut butter or nutella. Microwave for 60 seconds for an ooey-gooey healthy-ish dessert.
8. Peel ginger with a spoon.
No need for a special tool to de-skin this oddly-shaped root. Because the peel is fairly thin, simply scrape a metal spoon down the side and around the tricky rounded edges of the ginger to flake the skin away.
9. Store mise en place in a muffin tin.
Slicing and dicing ingredients before starting to cook is a tried-and-true chef strategy so you can stick to the recipe timeline—and avoid under-or overcooking any component. Read the recipe entirely and prep the ingredients according to instructions. As each item is recipe-ready, place it in a muffin tin cavity. Once your mise en place is complete, carry the tin from the cutting board to your cooking space and you’re ready for your quick-fire challenge.
10. Use rules for perfectly even pie crust.
Fool everyone into thinking you’re a Great British Baking Challenge contestant by serving them a pie with exactly the right amount of homemade crust. Place a ruler (or two thin wooden dowels) on each end of your pastry dough, then roll until the dough is big enough to cover your pie pan and until you hit the guides on each side. The result: Crust that cooks evenly and looks Instagram-ready.
11. Roll, crimp, then chill that pastry.
Do chill your dough before baking to allow the gluten to relax and the fat to firm up again after you’ve worked with it. Don’t struggle with rolling out rock-hard pie dough. Instead, mix the dough, roll it out (using trick #10), then place it in your pie pan before refrigerating for at least 30 minutes. Fill, bake, and enjoy your low-fuss dessert.
12. Roast bananas to get a bunch bread-ready.
No need to chase down brown bananas. Ripen a bunch in a flash by baking on a foil-lined baking sheet at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes, depending on size, until the skins are dark brown and the fruit is soft.
13. Extend the life of your bananas by wrapping the stems.
On the other side of the fruit front, keep your bananas yellow longer by pulling them apart into single-banana units and covering each stem in plastic wrap or foil. The wrap helps contain the naturally-producing ethylene gas to the stem end of the fruit. Otherwise, it would spread to the whole banana and accelerate the ripening.
14. Fast-forward ripening in a paper bag.
In other ethylene gas-related news, channel its powers to speed up the ripening of fruits—such as avocados for guacamole and kiwis for fruit salad—by storing them in a brown paper bag folded closed. This traps the gas inside the bag (while allowing a slight amount of breathing) so the fruit sugars mature and acids break down. That’s because of the fast ethylene.
15. Test avocado readiness at the stem.
Test your toast topping before you slice inside the fruit. Peel back the stem. If it pulls away easily and you see green, you’re good to go and can expect creamy, green flesh inside. If it resists, allow it to ripen longer, and if you see brown, the avocado is likely past its prime.
16. Serve hot foods on warm plates.
We give you full permission to wash your dishes just before dinner: Run them under piping-hot water and wipe with a clean dish towel, then immediately top with your hot dish. Alternatively, you can pop a stack of plates or bowls in the microwave for 30 seconds.
17. Use frozen dishware for cold food and drinks.
Just like cold beer tastes best and stays colder longer in a chilled glass, a scoop of ice cream or bowl of gazpacho will remain at a tastier temp for a few extra minutes if you serve them in icy bowls. Store them in the freezer overnight before you plan to add a chilly element to your menu, then remove just before plating.
18. Preheat the pan.
For the crispiest vegetables, a more even and quicker cooking time, and the best meat sear, follow this restaurant chef trick: Preheat your sheet pan, oven-safe skillet, or pizza stone for three minutes or so before adding the other ingredients.
19. Attract eggshell pieces with…eggshells.
Did your cracked egg end up with a jagged edge and a rogue piece of shell floating in the white? Keep a broken half handy and use it to scoop up the tiny shell piece from the now-ready-to-scramble egg. No mess, no additional tools required, and it attracts the errant shell shards like a magnet.
20. Boil spuds to de-skin without the stress.
All you need to peel a whole bushel of potatoes is a knife, a set of tongs, a pot of boiling water, and a bowl of ice water. Score the raw potatoes around their equator with a knife. Gently place them in the boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Use the tongs to safely remove your now-hot potatoes and transfer them to the ice water. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, you can effortlessly slide the peels off from the center out to the ends.
21. Destem a strawberry with a straw.
Here’s a berry easy trick to remove the stem: Insert a plastic straw through the pointy, bottom end of the strawberry and press it straight up to push the leaves out.
22. Coat measuring spoons and cups with cooking spray.
Honey, maple syrup, and other sticky ingredients slip right out of measuring cups when you grease them first. Here’s how to do so without adding too much extra fat to your recipe: spritz measuring glasses, cups, and spoons with nonstick cooking spray before filling with the main event.
23. 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 a mason jar, and screwing on the lid. Give the jar a good shake and the skins should slide right off, leaving you ready to mince. You can also use the same strategy with two equal-sized bowls, one inverted on top of the other.
24. Separate pomegranate seeds in a bowl of water.
Keep your clothes stain-free and your mess contained by removing pomegranate arils underwater. Score the skin with a knife around the center, peel the halves apart, cut the halves in half again, then place the pomegranate pieces underwater. Gently rub the arils to release them from the white membrane (the latter of which will float to the top of the water so you can skim it off). Strain the water from the fruit—and you’ll have arils for a far lower investment than the produce aisle cups.
25. Teach eggs to swim.
Don’t rely on the date listed on your egg carton. A more accurate measure of age can be found flowing from your tap. Fill a tall glass with water, then carefully lower an egg inside. If it sinks and stays on the bottom, the egg is fresh. If it floats to the top (a sign of gas built up inside the shell), it’s time to toss it.
