40 Kitchen Hacks That’ll Change the Way You Cook
These quick and clever kitchen hacks will save you time, money and effort!
Kitchen Hacks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner
To keep cookies and other baked goods soft after baking, add a slice of store-bought white bread to an airtight container. Your cakes, cookies and muffins will keep their day-one softness. Friends and family will think they’re fresh!
Psst—make sure you never store these fresh foods together.
An easy kitchen hack to keep your mixing bowl in place
Need an extra hand? Professional chefs will tell you that a damp dish towel under your mixing bowl will keep it from slipping and sliding on your counter as you mix. (This tip works well with a cutting board too!)
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 and you’ll have a handy way to sprinkle and measure.
Slice steak fries
Craving those scratch-made potato wedges from your favourite restaurant? The answer is waiting in your kitchen drawer. Cut one end of the potato for stability then push an apple slicer through. Bonus: You can try it with sweet potatoes, too.
Check out the trick for peeling potatoes that’s taking over the internet.
Freeze a soup starter
Want garden-fresh flavour year round? Freeze farmers’ market vegetables in resealable bags during peak season. A classic soup starter called a mirepoix is made by combining 2/3 onion with 1/3 carrot and celery. This aromatic blend will give you a sweet, hearty flavour to kickstart soups and broths. Vegetables will last eight to 12 months so you can enjoy the tastes of summer when gloomy, cold weather hits.
Here’s what you need to know about freezing cheese.
Use sheet pans as trays
Sheet pans: They’re not just for dinner anymore! Use your trusty baking sheet to stay organized while you meal prep. Keeping ingredients in one place helps you stay efficient and expedites cleanup, too.
Here’s how to clean absolutely everything in your kitchen, according to Charles the Butler of CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show.
Freeze single-serving sauces
Become an upcycling master! Egg cartons are ideal for freezing small portions of homemade sauce. (Especially when you need to use your ice trays for, well, ice—or one of these other genius uses.) Cover and freeze leftover basil and parsley pesto and transfer cubes to a resealable freezer bag. To use, thaw cubes in your fridge for two hours.
Turn Wine into an Instant Cocktail
Have a group coming over but only one bottle of rosé in the fridge? Offer up some variety by turning wine into a fun, fizzy spritzer cocktail. Simply pour wine over ice and top with sparkling water. Red and white wine work well. Add fresh fruit as a garnish if you’re feeling fancy.
Check out more frozen drink recipes that are perfect for a hot day.
Chill wine super fast
Fact: No one likes lukewarm bubbly. Find a tall pitcher about the height of your wine bottle and get cooling. Immerse the bottle in ice water with a small handful of salt and turn every few minutes or so. Your booze will chill in 20 minutes (or less!).
Keep ice cream cool
Bubble wrap is a powerful insulator. While on the road, keep your Chunky Monkey from melting by wrapping the pint in plastic bubble wrap. It’ll stay firm for hours.
Here are 50 more things you should be repurposing instead of tossing in the trash.
Make frozen rolls seem homemade
Elevate your bread basket by adding a little extra somethin’ to frozen rolls. Thaw, then brush tops with egg wash and dip into your choice of seasoning blends, seeds or cheeses. Be as gentle or generous as you’d like! Bake according to recipe or package directions.
Intimidated by homemade bread? Don’t be! Check out these easy bread recipes anyone can bake.
Label jars the thrifty way
In a pinch for labels? Just reach for the rubber bands. Wrap ’em around your mason jars and you’ll never mistake salt for sugar again. As an added benefit, they help make jars easy to open.
Need a bit more help getting a stuck jar open? Try this DIY solution!
Stop stirring peanut butter
Getting tired of mixing the oil back into your natural peanut butter? There’s an easy solution: Store the jar upside-down. When you’re ready to make your favourite dessert, simply turn it right-side up. The oil will try to rise back to the top and the peanut butter will be much easier to stir. Nutty right?
These pantry organization ideas make meal prep so much easier!
Stop cheese from sticking
Grated cheese really makes a difference but it can be a pain to prep. For easy cleanup, use a quick spritz of cooking spray on your cheese grater to keep the cheese from sticking. You’ll never go back to pre-shredded again.
Here are more smart ways to put cooking spray to work.
Make a big-batch cooling rack
The ironing board is your new kitchen BFF. It can be used as extra counter space or even a makeshift cooling rack after you remove the cover. Mind blown. Note: Pans, paper liners, parchment or other barriers should be used between the rack and baked goods.
Pressed for time? Check out 30 easy desserts that start with cake mix.
Use canning tongs for hot dishes
It can be tricky to remove ramekins from a hot water bath to cool. Our solution: Use canning tongs. The edges are round and non-slip which makes it easy to lift the ramekin out without risk of splashes.
Keep apps cold
Want to serve shrimp or deviled eggs at your next get-together? This clever trick will keep your food cool and photo-worthy. Fill a large bowl with a resealable bag of crushed ice and cover with lettuce leaves. Butterhead works nicely! Place your app on top and you’ll serve food-safe bites all night.
Here’s the super-simple secret that keeps ice cubes from sticking together.
Store picnic essentials
Grab a plastic bin and place it inside a cooler. Fill it with all your picnic needs, so you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Here’s why you should never wrap your leftovers in foil.
Make tiny portions of whipped cream
Ever need just a dollop of whipped cream to make your strawberry shortcake shine? Reach for your immersion blender to make a single serving quick. The blender fits neatly into a tumbler or measuring cup, minimizing the mess of larger bowl.
Check out these brilliant ways to hack your kitchen appliances.
Keep food from mingling
Have picky eaters? Prevent Goldfish from touching peeled fruit by using cupcake liners to organize a lunchbox into separate sections. Jazz it up by using fun colours and patterns on special days.
You’ll wish you knew these brilliant cooking shortcuts sooner!
Flavour up a crumb crust
Have a recipe that calls for a graham cracker or cookie crust? Amp up the flavour by seeking out a specialty flavour cookie at the store.
Plate like a pro
Dip the blade of your sharp knife in hot water to heat it up. Then wipe with a dry towel and cut your cake or cheesecake into nice, tidy slices. Repeat each time for pretty slices with a clean edge.
Looking for a delectable dessert? Here are 20 of our favourite cheesecake recipes.
Make extra storage space
A well-organized kitchen is a joy to use. Install inexpensive hooks on the inside of your kitchen cabinets to maximize your storage space. Soon potholders, measuring spoons and extra gadgets will find a home!
Find out the kitchen organizing mistakes everyone makes.
Get more juice
Next time you need fresh lemon juice, try this restaurant tip. Microwave a lemon for seven to 10 seconds. Then, roll the lemon back and forth under your palm on the counter. When you squeeze, you’ll get more juice from the lemon with way less effort. Try it with limes, too!
Here are more microwave hacks every cook should know.
Quickly hull a strawberry
Insert a drinking straw (or stainless steel reusable straw) into the tip of the berry and push it through to the other end to quickly remove the stem.
Here’s how to pick the freshest fruit at the grocery store.
Give butter an upgrade
What’s the best thing since sliced bread? Flavoured butter. Making it at home is as easy as adding lemon juice and herbs to a softened stick. Want to get really nifty? Mold the flavoured butter into a log shape by laying the softened butter on a square of parchment and shaping is using a ruler as a guiding tool. Twist ends to seal and freeze to use when needed.
You’re not just imagining it: Canadian butter isn’t as soft as it used to be.
Add a carrot
Carrots take away the acidity in tomato sauce by adding subtle sweetness. If you find your sauce has gotten too acidic, peel a whole carrot, simmer it with the sauce and remove before serving.
Try mess-free melting
Ever make a complete mess of your microwave when melting butter? We have. Those days are will melt away after you try this simple hack: Repurpose your butter wrapper as a cover for your microwavable dish—so long as the wrapper itself isn’t metallic or foil, of course. So long, splatter!
Here are 12 things you should never microwave.
Cook tender, juicy meatloaf
We love a hearty meatloaf, but sometimes an all-beef mix can leave you with a coarse, gritty texture. Instead, try a beef-pork mix. Since pork is a fattier meat, the combo has a much softer texture.
Discover 19 simple ways to cook everything faster.
Shred chicken quick
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 chicken with your stand mixer’s paddle attachment? Simply add your leftover chicken and give it a spin.
Here’s why you should never wash chicken before cooking it.
Wrap up no-fuss fish
Cooking fish in parchment is a healthy, mess-free technique that seals in flavour. As you bake the packet, the fish is delicately infused with whatever ingredients you add in.
This is the healthiest fish you can eat.
Freeze your roots
When you are finished grating fresh ginger, freeze the leftover root in a plastic container or resealable bag. No more shrivelled ginger in the produce drawer!
Find out the best way to freeze milk.
Make herbs last longer
Nothing’s worse than buying fresh herbs and seeing them wilt the next day. Keep herbs like parsley and cilantro bright with this simple storage tip: Trim the stems and place them in a small glass of water. Then place a plastic bag (like the one you got at the grocer) over top and secure by tying the plastic in a knot or wrapping it with butchers string. Store in the fridge or on the counter for up to two weeks!
Find out which foods you’re spoiling by putting in the refrigerator.
Get old-fashioned flavour with less fat
Meatballs are a mainstay in the kitchen, but Nonna’s recipe isn’t always the best for your health. Drain away any excess fat while baking by placing meatballs on a baking rack. The extra fat drips away, you’ll retain that browned, caramelized exterior you know and love.
You’ll want to try these comforting slow cooker recipes right away.
Repurpose your pizza cutter
The wheel of a pizza cutter is perfect for cutting herbs in all directions. Bunch them up and wheel back and forth until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Discover more simple home hacks to save money.
Skip the store-bought broth
Making vegetable broth is as easy as cook, strain and serve. Broth can be covered and refrigerated up to three days or frozen up to six months. Use it in soups or casseroles, rice dishes and other recipes that require broth.
These hearty casserole recipes are sure to satisfy!
Decorate cookies before baking
For bakery-style decorations, place cutouts on the baking sheet. Then fashion the cutter over each cookie as a frame and carefully top with sprinkles or coloured sugar. Bake as you normally would and your cookies are presentable straight from the oven.
Save dishwashing time
Ever find yourself using every single measuring cup and spoon in your arsenal? Give your dishwasher a break by measuring ingredients directly into your mixing bowl using a digital scale.
Rescue a salty soup
Next time you oversalt a soup, toss in a few wedges of raw apple or potato. Simmer for 10 minutes and discard the wedges to get the flavour back to normal.
Here are 25 chicken soup recipes that’ll warm your soul.
Put your Lazy Susan to work
Next time you’re getting ready to bake, find a spot for all your icings, sugars and sprinkles on your lazy Susan. This hack will result in a fun and organized decorating session without having to dig through the back of the cabinet.
Can’t get enough kitchen hacks? Check out 40 clever kitchen organizing ideas.
