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30 People Are Sharing Their Most Life-Changing Cooking Hacks, And They Might Actually Surprise You
Every person who finds themselves in a kitchen every now and then has a cooking secret. Or two, or tons, if you ask experienced chefs.
Think of a splash of OJ in banana bread, lemon zest in garlic butter, a chicken stock cube to the pasta as it cooks, the tricks are endless. And although some may sound pretty bizarre at first, we gotta remind you that cooking is an adventure. There’s no strict instruction to follow and the more you experiment, the better the outcome will be (which translates into sighs, empty plates, asking for another one and endless compliments).
So if you’re in the mood for trying some out-of-the-box cooking hacks, this illuminating thread from the Cooking subreddit is a place to start. “What’s your 'weird but life-changing' cooking hack?” someone asked and the responses came rolling in, so take your notes out and let’s see what’s cooking!
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#1
I don’t think it’s weird but I save all the scraps of my vegetables — onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, celery, herb stems, tomatoes, mushrooms — and collect them in a freezer bag and when it’s full I turn it into stock and then use that stock to replace the water while cooking rice, quinoa, lentils, etc.
“Cooking hacks can be great,” Beth Moncel, a food lover and the founder of “Budget Bytes,” where she has been sharing her passion for cooking and delicious recipes, told Bored Panda. “Some cooking hacks you'll see online are just clickbait and aren't really practical in real life, but if you see a hack that will make your life easier, definitely use it! I support any tip or trick that will help you stick to the habit of cooking at home.”
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#2
Okay, people call me crazy, they call me nuts, they laugh at me, and they downvote me every time I bring this up. But...
The microwave is extremely useful for potatoes in a pinch to speed up the whole process.
For baked potatoes, I microwave in plastic wrap for 5 minutes, then throw them in the oven for 15. Perfect baked potatoes in 20 minutes instead of 60, can’t complain.
Even better, for frying up crispy potatoes for breakfast or dinner, chop up and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, then microwave with a lid for 5 minutes, then straight into a cast iron pan to get them crispy. You can oven roast from there too, 10m at 425 or so.
It just speeds everything up and they come out delicious.
Pharmtechgurl 2 years ago
I ALWAYS start baking potatoes in the microwave! Who wants to wait 1.5 hours for a potato
#3
Lemon zest in garlic butter, specifically for garlic bread. It's an absolute game changer, even just a little bit.
Mad Dragon 2 years ago
I was planning on making linguini tonight anyway. I'll try this tip on the garlic bread and the chicken stock in the pasta water.
#4
Never using chicken breasts and always substituting chicken thighs. Seriously, they’re a little fattier sure but make chicken dishes taste amazing vs average.
When asked what are some of the most common mistakes that people with no pro background in cooking make, Beth said that it’s trying to make meals more complicated than they need to be. “For everyday meals, stick to simple recipes. Don't try to cook like a gourmet chef every night of the week. That's exhausting! Save that for days when you have time to have fun in the kitchen.”
“Making substitutions in recipes without considering how the new ingredient will change both the flavor and texture of the final dish,” Beth said and added that she’s all about modifying recipes to meet your needs, however, it’s best to “be aware that if you change an ingredient, it will change the outcome.”
#5
If you're making a messy sandwich (such as sloppy joes), forget hamburger buns: Hot dog buns make the mess easier to control. Instead of giving the sauce multiple escape vectors, the worst it can do is move down the length of the bun.
#6
Cutting hot peppers and don't want an unfortunate accident in the bathroom (peeing, changing contacts, etc) later? When done, rub a little neutral oil (canola, vegetable) on your hands, then wash with a little dish soap. The capsaicin (spicy chemical in the peppers) essentially binds with the oil, then the dish soap takes care of the oil on your hands.
#7
I never tried mixing butter and soy sauce in the same dish until I was in my late twenties, but once I tried it, it quickly became one of my favorite flavor combinations. It's excellent in just about any savory dish. It works especially well with mushrooms.
Another common cooking mistake people make is assuming that following a recipe to a "T" will yield perfect results. “The truth is, there are hundreds of variables in the cooking process, far more than can be specified in a written recipe. Cooking requires intuition, which is a skill learned over time. That's why you most likely won't be cooking like Julia Child on your first try,” Beth explained.
Beth said that grocery prices are, without a doubt, going up. “The best defense against rising grocery prices is to be more diligent with your planning in order to reduce waste and take advantage of sales.” She also tries to “tweak the ratios in my recipes a bit more to include more of the inexpensive ingredients, like potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, rice, beans, etc. and less of the expensive ingredients like meat, dairy, and nuts.”
#8
I keep parmesan rinds in my freezer for stock, sauces, and stews. I just throw it in after everything else to simmer. It makes a remarkable difference especially in tomato sauces. Almost every benefits from a little alchohol. Wine, whiskey, bourbon, ect depending on what makes sense with your flavor profile.
#9
Adding a splash of orange juice to pumpkin or banana bread. The acidity really adds some brightness against the spices
#10
A lot of great endorsements or kitchen shears/scissors as a cutting utensil in this thread.
Just an advisory, make sure if you’re going to do this that you buy a pair that can be taken apart because otherwise harmful bacteria can get trapped in between the blades or in the rivet where they’re attached.
#11
Keep ginger in the freezer. Use a micro plane or grater to grate the frozen ginger into sauces, fried rice, etc.
Edit: Lots of people asking; No, you don't have to peel it first. You can if you want. I don't, just wash the skin.
#12
If you're really feeling boujee, try better than bullion. Holy s**t. Life changing. I use it with rice as well.
#13
I use olive brine/pickle brine to add flavour a lot of dishes like casseroles, stews, etc. It adds a nice depth of flavour.
Nena Rosebud 2 years ago
I also will save pickle brine and slice up a cucumber and throw it in. Not as pickle-y tasting but still really good.
#14
Buy the biggest damn cutting board you can fit on your counter. Having actual room to work instead of trying to squeeze into a space smaller than your knife will save you time and headaches beyond belief.
John C 2 years ago
When I remodeled our kitchen, I got a butcher block top for our island - not some expensive fancy thing that we're afraid to cut on; I spent <$200 for the whole thing at Lowes and we USE it. Every month or so I treat it with mineral oil overnight, and as time goes on it just keeps looking better and better.
#15
Steaks make their own sauces.
That stuff on the bottom of your pan? Deglaze it with some stock.
Now stop eating t-bones with ketchup.
-Butcher.
#16
I don’t think anyone will see this but if you have bread that’s close to going stale, put it in the freezer and use it for garlic bread, bread crumbs, French toast, and other things.
#17
When roasting meat, add your herbs and spices in order of coarse to fine.
I noticed that when I didn't pay attention to the order of things, I'd cut into a nice piece of chicken or pork and half the seasonings would fall off onto the plate.
Now I'll do something like thyme, then coarse black pepper, then cayenne, then garlic powder, and everything sticks to the meat far, far better.
Sander 2 years ago
When adding spices and herbs to a sauce or soup, keep in mind the toughness of the herb. Bay leave can hold itself a long time, while basil should be added when done. I believe that adding herbs too early, you lose a lot of aroma. That nice smell when cooking? Well, those aromas are gone by the time you eat it. So keep that in mind.
#18
When making biscuits or pie dough or anything that requires "Cutting in" you can instead just take a frozen stick of butter and grate it on the coarse side of a cheese grater. It makes perfect pea sized pieces in like 1/10 the amount of time.
#19
I like to use a heavy glass ash tray as a spoon rest. Super easy to clean and multiple resting spots are great for the stirring spoon, tasting spoon, etc.
Got it from my mom who was never a smoker. But keeps things clean next to the stove and they're widely available in second hand shops.
Aleksandra 2 years ago
I usually use whatever is handy at the moment, if I used canned tomatoes, the can is now my utensil rest, if not, a plate that i would use for eating the dish. Less cleaning. But if i had cute decorative ashtray for that purpose i think i would use it sometimes too
#20
If you're working with parchment paper and are sick of it curling up on you, just crumple and uncrumple the s**t out of it before you put it on your baking tray or whatever.
#21
People always look at me weird when I use scissors to cut things, but I’ll be dammed if they don’t cut pizza better than a pizza cutter could ever hope to
#22
chopsticks: the hitchhiker’s towel of the kitchen. went on a long camping trip and needed to travel light, opted for chopsticks instead of carrying multiple utensils both for cooking and eating, discovered how versatile they are. now i continue to use them all over the kitchen even though i have plenty of other utensils handy. i have a caddy full of wooden chopsticks that i reach for constantly while cooking. (they’re easier to clean than a whisk/tongs too!)
• use in place of tongs (flip stuff, move stuff around)
• use in place of a whisk when making a thin batter/sauce
• scrambled eggs: use to whisk, and to stir while cooking
• (specifically for wooden chopsticks) testing temperature of hot oil: put chopsticks in the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the chopsticks the oil is hot enough for frying!
#23
Stop cutting the ends off of things before cutting them. Use the end as a handle
Olga Aftyka 2 years ago
This seems the only logical thing to do, and yet my hands are often faster than my brain :D chop chop
#24
Toss noodles in toasted sesame oil after they’ve drained. Takes them to another level.
#25
When you're cutting broccoli or cauliflower, turn it upside down. Then rotate it as you cut the stem part. SO MUCH CLEANER than cutting through the flowery part from the top, and you get really nice florets
#26
When I bake, I grease my pans, but instead of using flour to coat it, I use granulated sugar. It makes the edges sweet and crunchy, and saves me from needing to use icing or frosting.
Olga Aftyka 2 years ago
Flour and sugars both seem strange to me - here we coat buttered pans with fine breadcrumbs
#27
Pre-toast flour for roux. Spread flour in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400F, stirring often, until it’s toasty. Cool and store, and use it as the flour in any roux to dramatically speed up the process. If you have toasted flour on hand you’re basically halfway to gumbo at any moment, and it’s a nice flavor boost for other kinds of flour-based sauces and gravies!
#28
For easy minced garlic anytime, blend up a bunch of peeled garlic with a little olive oil. Pour into a freezer ziplock, squeeze out excess air, and freeze flat. Snap off a chunk anytime you need. I’m too lazy to actually peel and mince garlic in the middle of cooking a weeknight dinner.
Used to buy so many of those frozen garlic cubes from Trader Joe’s (seriously like 8 packs at a time) before doing this.
#29
A splash of vinegar in the water to boil potatoes for either potato salad or for roasting after boiling
#30
Mixing in some soy sauce to eggs adds good flavor. Mix in some toasted sesame seed oil and a dash of smoked paprika, and they take on a faintly bacon like taste.
What do you think ?
Kai David 2 years ago
When did everyday cooking and food prep techniques that have been used forever all of a sudden become a new hack??
Lea S. 2 years ago
New people are born every day. People are learning new skills every day. No one can know everything about cooking. It doesn't say they are new hacks. Did you come out of the womb knowing every single infinite thing about this world?
Load More Replies...
jk nbt 2 years ago
when cooking Russett potatoes to make up mashed potatoes, most people peel before boiling them... much easier to leave the skin on and score a checkerboard pattern with one-inch squares on the raw potatoes... then boil them... when cool, you can peel off the skin with your fingers... so much easier that way than spending time with a potato peeler first...
Kai David 2 years ago
When did everyday cooking and food prep techniques that have been used forever all of a sudden become a new hack??
Lea S. 2 years ago
New people are born every day. People are learning new skills every day. No one can know everything about cooking. It doesn't say they are new hacks. Did you come out of the womb knowing every single infinite thing about this world?
Load More Replies... jk nbt 2 years ago
when cooking Russett potatoes to make up mashed potatoes, most people peel before boiling them... much easier to leave the skin on and score a checkerboard pattern with one-inch squares on the raw potatoes... then boil them... when cool, you can peel off the skin with your fingers... so much easier that way than spending time with a potato peeler first...
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