Kitchen hacks
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Squeeze air out of condiment bottles before capping to create negative pressure; this prevents dribbling on the cap and stops spurting when the bottle warms up.
Creating negative pressure prevents air expansion from squirting contents when warmed.
- This method is less useful if you plan to place the bottle back in the fridge.
6 people, independently
Blend frozen bananas with coconut milk and cacao nibs to make vegan ice cream.
It is cheaper than buying store-bought pints.
one person who lived it
Dip a metal spoon in hot water before measuring honey so it slides off easily.
The warmth helps the honey slide off without needing oil.
3 people, independently
Peel bananas from the bottom end to make opening easier.
Some find it easier than using the stem as a handle.
- You may still get stringy bits or threads.
- You lose the useful handle provided by the stem.
one person who lived it
Donate excess produce to local food banks or pantries.
Food banks and their clients love fresh produce.
one person who lived it
ingredients, prevents, measuring, easily23
Substitute parchment paper for aluminum foil when baking cookies to stop them from adhering to the surface.
Do not use oven cleaner on pans with non-stick coatings.
It will destroy the coating.
one person who lived it
Check screws on cookware handles regularly or choose riveted cookware to prevent accidents with hot food.
Screws can loosen, causing hot food to fly out; cheap cookware often uses screws.
- Some sources suggest avoiding cookware with screws entirely in favor of riveted options.
one person who lived it
Dry the surface of food thoroughly before searing to ensure a good crust forms.
Water prevents a good sear/crust from forming.
one person who lived it
Restore stripped or rusted cast iron by placing it upside down on the top rack of the oven and running the self-clean cycle.
This is described as the best method for stripping cast iron.
one person who lived it
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Place upside-down peanut butter jars inside a small bowl or container to catch any oil that leaks through the lid seal.
Oil can seep through even tight lids and create a mess on shelves.
one person who lived it
Store cans of beans upside down so the liquid helps push the beans out when opened right side up.
The liquid helps push the beans out.
one person who lived it
Cook bacon low and slow on an oven-safe cooling rack to render maximum fat and keep the bacon pure.
The slowness renders off more fat, and the rack keeps the fat pure so it doesn't need straining.
one person who lived it
Buy inexpensive non-stick pans and replace them when they show signs of wear.
All non-stick pans wear out at roughly the same rate regardless of price.
one person who lived it
Substitute parchment paper for aluminum foil when baking cookies to stop them from adhering to the surface.
Parchment paper helps avoid the sticking problems that often occur with foil when cooking flat items like cookies.
- Parchment paper does not work for everything.
3 people, independently
Sear salmon flesh-side down first to brown it easily and reduce pan moisture before flipping to crisp the skin.
Starting flesh-side down makes browning easier and reduces moisture in the pan.
one person who lived it
Crack an egg into a measuring cup, remove the egg for mixing, and use the residual egg coating to prevent shortening or peanut butter from sticking.
The egg residue allows sticky ingredients to slide out easily.
one person who lived it
Include alternate measurements on grocery lists to reconcile recipe volume units with store weight units.
Recipes often call for ingredients in volume units (e.g., cups) while grocery stores sell products by weight.
one person who lived it
Wrap vegetables and protein loosely in aluminum foil to prevent drying or burning, then carry the parcel by the top to empty it directly onto your plate for zero tray cleaning.
Loose wrapping prevents steaming (if enclosed) or drying/burning (if open), and carrying it by the top allows direct transfer to the plate.
one person who lived it
Cap a squeeze bottle tightly, point it away from you, and swing your arm to use centrifugal force to push the contents toward the opening.
- If the lid is not closed tightly, it may fly off and sling contents around.
- Swinging can cause items in pockets (like phones) to be flung out.
3 people, independently
Print recipes out before cooking.
Printing works better than scrolling through long backstories.
one person who lived it
Use the 'negative' function on a kitchen scale to measure ingredients directly from their original container into a pot.
This allows weighing ingredients added to a hot pot that cannot be weighed itself.
one person who lived it
Print kitchen conversion infographics and hang them inside cupboard doors.
Provides quick reference while cooking.
- Some printed infographics are hard to read.
- Consider using metric units.
one person who lived it
Avoid dipping pastry brushes into liquids up to the metal ferrule to extend their life.
Liquid seeping into the ferrule breaks down the adhesives holding the bristles, causing the brush to fall apart.
one person who lived it
Soak difficult residue in cheap vegetable oil overnight to loosen it for removal.
The residue comes off easily in the morning.
one person who lived it
Line the measuring vessel with parchment paper to allow easy scraping of sticky ingredients without imparting an oil taste.
It avoids the taste of cooking oil while enabling clean removal.
one person who lived it
Use a rubber spatula to scrape sticky ingredients out of measuring cups.
Avoids adding unnecessary oil.
3 people, independently
Bake salmon on parchment paper instead of foil.
It prevents overcooking, reduces sticking, and makes for easy cleanup.
one person who lived it
Use cast iron pans for superior durability and general performance.
Cast iron offers better durability and performance compared to aluminum or stainless steel at a similar price point.
one person who lived it
bananas, banana, frozen, bread17
Peel bananas before freezing them.
Ask the produce manager for a deal on ripe bananas at the end of the day.
Stores often throw out ripe produce because people won't buy it.
one person who lived it
Peel bananas before freezing them.
Frozen bananas are very hard to peel, which impedes using them in recipes that require thawing.
4 people, independently
Let frozen bananas sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before eating them as a snack.
The texture becomes hard and ice-cream-like.
one person who lived it
Slice banana bread into portions and freeze them for future use.
It keeps insanely well
2 people, independently
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Cut bananas into chunks before freezing for easier blending and thawing.
This is very handy for smoothies and improves their texture.
3 people, independently
- Freeze banana pieces on a parchment-lined tray before bagging them to stop them sticking together.3
Blend natural peanut butter with a high-powered blender like a Vitamix to mix separated oil.
It works great for blending.
one person who lived it
- Stir natural peanut butter thoroughly instead of discarding the separated oil.1
Make pancakes by whisking a mashed overripe banana with an egg, oatmeal, cinnamon, and salt, then cooking the mixture in oil on medium heat.
- Do not use butter as it will cause the pancakes to burn.
3 people, independently
Keep bananas away from flowers.
The gas induces wilting in flowers.
one person who lived it
Use very ripe bananas that are nearly liquid for baking banana bread.
It produces exceptionally good banana bread.
one person who lived it
Add tahini and a little salt to banana bread for better flavor than peanut butter.
Tahini is better than peanut butter
one person who lived it
Follow the manufacturer's specific storage instructions for your brand of peanut butter.
Manufacturers provide specific guidance on how to store their food products.
one person who lived it
Add frozen banana chunks to homemade chocolate milkshakes to increase thickness.
It makes the shakes thicker, similar to restaurant versions.
one person who lived it
Keep bananas away from apples and other bruised fruits to slow ripening.
3 people, independently
Wrap individual avocados in a paper towel, place them in a green bag, and store them in the refrigerator vegetable bin to extend their life for weeks.
one person who lived it
Reduce or eliminate lemon when making marmalade from tangerines because they are tarter than mandarins.
Tangerines are tarter than mandarins.
one person who lived it