12 Amazing Cooking Hacks That Are Universally Loved

February 13, 2024

Everyone loves a good life hack. From making pretty dresses to scrumptious meals, these hacks are a treasure trove. Are you interested in increasing your culinary knowledge? Do you want an easier time making meals, or making the most of simple ingredients? Here are 12 cooking hacks that you can incorporate.

Table of Contents

Use Lemon if Food Is Still Bland Even After Adding Salt

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If your food is still bland after adding salt, it’s because “it is missing acidity. Lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar are easy additions.”

Another commentator adds, “If you wanna splurge, champagne vinegar or prosecco vinegar is delicious in about anything as a finishing acid.”

Pat the Meat Dry First Before Salting

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Patting the meat dry before salting removes excess moisture and gives the meat a deep, golden-brown crust when cooked.

Clean While You Cook

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If you clean when cooking, you “enjoy cooking more.” Besides, a clean kitchen countertop is a sight to behold.

Also, “put parchment paper down under your workspace for easier cleanup, and if you have a little container you can keep on the counter, you can toss food scraps in there as you prepare the ingredients,” recommends a user.

Don’t Sauté Onions and Garlic Together

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Some recipes recommend sautéing onions and garlic together. However, one user advises, “Do the onions first, then add the garlic when the onions are about done. Garlic can over-sauté and take on a bitter flavor.”

Prep Everything First

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“Have all your veggies cut and ingredients ready. You will be more relaxed,” writes a user. Then, “clean as you go. Wash your dishes while waiting for your food to finish cooking.”

Use Soy Sauce in Soup and Stew

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Soy sauce “helps bring out savory flavors” in your soups and stews. Another user recommends unsweetened cocoa powder as “it adds a rich depth of flavor, and no one can pick out the cocoa.”

Revive Veggies by Cutting Their Edges and Soaking Them in Cold Water

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Vegetables don’t stay fresh for long. But you can revive your lettuce, celery, and carrots by cutting their edges and soaking them in cold water.

A different user swears that lukewarm water also works along with refrigeration. He says, “The warm water makes the plant cells open more to absorb more water (for 10 to 15 minutes), while the refrigerator makes them harden to retain water and crisp (let sit for a few hours).”

Leaving a Potholder on the Handle

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This “lets anyone who might put it away know it may be hot as it cools down.” Additionally, “It will definitely save you from accidentally grabbing a hot handle,” reads a post

Take Cookies Out of the Oven a Couple of Minutes Before They’re Supposed to Come Out

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This cooking hack ensures the cookies “come out nice and soft” and are not overbaked. It also works for other pastries like brownies and cakes.

Some users also swear they use this trick with eggs. “If you want them fluff and slightly custardy, you need to pull them early and let the heat temperature finish them off,” writes a poster.

A Quality Set of Scissors Will Save You So Much Hassle

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A pair of quality scissors is an indispensable tool in your kitchen. One user says, “I use them to open bags, cut chicken, green onions, sauce packets…and they fit easily in the dishwasher.”

When buying kitchen scissors, ensure they “disassemble into two parts for easy cleaning.”