Cooking

To separate pumpkin seeds, fill a container with water and dump the guts in so the seeds float; avoid using the sink if concerned about contamination or hygiene.

The seeds will float, making separation easier.

• Do not use the sink if it has raw chicken residue (salmonella risk).
• Some find putting food directly in the sink gross.

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Add a pinch of salt near the end of cooking onions to break cell walls and release juice.

Salt breaks the cell walls and releases the last of the sweet onion juice.

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Mix wasabi paste with a tiny bit of soy sauce to create a smooth slurry before adding more soy sauce to avoid chunks.

This prevents getting hit with concentrated bursts of heat.

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Slice onions at least 5mm thick and cook them uncovered in a dry pan on medium-low heat without touching them initially.

Covering results in steamed onions.

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Avoid running a blender empty with water for long periods.

Water does not provide enough load on the motor, which can cause it to burn out.

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Use cold tap water for cooking instead of hot tap water.

Hot water from tanks can contain sediment, metal particles, and slime; the US EPA recommends avoiding it due to higher contaminant levels.

• Tankless systems are likely fine.
• In apartments where hot water flows often, there may be no problem.

2 people, independently

Let microwaved food stand for a few minutes after heating to allow heat to spread evenly.

Standing time allows heat to move through the food, reducing temperature differences between parts.

4 people, independently

Defrost ground beef at 10% power for 20 minutes.

This avoids cooking the edges.

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Add no-cook protein sources like tuna packets or pre-grilled chicken breasts to frozen dinners.

Frozen meals often have too many carbs and not enough protein.

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Warm double-walled stainless steel bowls or cups before use.

The cold material will suck heat from your food.

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Cook canned soup on the stove.

It heats quickly and evenly, and the texture does not become weird.

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Place food off-center on the turntable to get more even heating.

Placing food on the edge or off-center allows waves to reach the entire meal more evenly.

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Place your slow cooker outside on a deck or in a garage during the summer if you are running air conditioning.

Running the oven costs almost double when air conditioning is on.

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Do not rinse pumpkin seeds before roasting, as they taste better without rinsing.

They taste better.

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Salt and butter corn after cooking rather than before.

Salt draws moisture out.

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Pour boiled water back and forth between two containers to aerate it.

Boiling removes dissolved air, resulting in a flat taste.

• Let the water cool before tasting to avoid burns.

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Accept vegetable skins in roasted, grated, or sauced dishes even if you dislike them boiled.

The texture issue is specific to boiling; other methods are fine.

• Applies to personal preference regarding boiled carrots

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Buy higher-quality frozen meals, such as those from Trader Joe's, for better taste and variety.

They are described as tasting better than other brands and having idiot-proof instructions.

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Season the meat directly before dredging instead of seasoning the flour.

This results in more flavor and less waste.

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Add a bay leaf to rice while cooking.

It enhances the flavor.

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Dip individual pieces of pancake into syrup rather than pouring it over the whole stack.

Pouring syrup douses the slightly crispy layer of great pancakes; dipping preserves it.

• Some people prefer the texture of crispy items that have absorbed liquid.

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Use half the amount of water specified on ramen package instructions.

much better flavor

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Add butter and a bouillon cube to rice while it simmers for enhanced flavor.

One person reported this produced the best rice they had ever made.

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Grate fresh cheese instead of using pre-packaged shredded cheese when microwaving.

Packaged cheese contains anti-caking agents that turn into a wax-like consistency when melted and cooled.

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Cover food with a paper plate or lid while microwaving.

It prevents messes inside the microwave.

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Use a reusable microwave vented cover instead of paper towels to trap steam for faster, more even heating.

Reusable covers are dishwasher safe and trap steam better than paper towels, which helps heat food faster and more evenly.

2 people, independently

Mix pancake batter gently to keep the CO2 gas trapped inside for a light texture.

Over-mixing releases the gas produced by baking soda or powder when wet and dry ingredients combine.

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• Mix pancake batter gently only until combined, leaving lumps in the mixture to ensure tender, fluffy pancakes.3

Thaw butter at 10% power in 1-minute intervals until it reaches the desired softness.

It prevents melting unless overdone.

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Use lower power settings on the microwave to reduce splatter and improve food taste.

Cooking slower makes food taste better and reduces splatter.

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Bake brownies in muffin pans for pre-portioned servings.

That way they're already preportioned.

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Keep wet ingredients separate from dry ingredients containing baking powder until just before cooking.

Baking powder begins forming bubbles once it meets liquid, and you do not want it to lose its bubble power too early.

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Microwave rock-hard cookies briefly to melt the fats.

Melting the hardened oils usually improves flavor and allows excess oil to be blotted away on a paper towel.

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If you hate uneven cooking from your current rice cooker, get a Zojirushi.

Zojirushis cook to restaurant quality perfection.

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Start the rice cooker before beginning other stir fry preparations.

The rice finishes cooking without requiring additional effort from you.

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Avoid blending pancake batter to prevent overworking the gluten, which results in tough, chewy, or rubbery pancakes.

Overworking the batter leads to a rubbery consistency and less fluffy pancakes.

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Place pizza topping-side down in a pan first, then flip to use the topping grease for the base.

This eliminates the need for added butter.

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Microwave the pizza for 30 to 60 seconds to warm the interior, then finish it in a toaster oven or skillet to crisp the crust.

This achieves hot, crispy results in a fraction of the time.

3 people, independently

• Start reheating pizza in the microwave to warm the center, then finish in a pan to crisp the crust.3

Reheat leftovers in an air fryer for faster results with less preheat time.

It acts like a miniature convectional oven.

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Broil pizza in an oven for a crispy crust and longer warmth retention.

It yields better results than other methods by keeping toppings from becoming gross and maintaining heat.

• There is a risk of burning the food if attempting to crisp it under the broiler.

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Warm up pizza in a dry skillet; skip the oil.

The crust already holds enough grease to get it crisp.

3 people, independently

Use an air fryer with the chicken wing setting to reheat day-old fried chicken.

This method produced incredible results for one user.

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Reheat pizza in a waffle iron by folding the slice in half or stacking two slices.

It produces a crisp crust and stretchy cheese.

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Place pizza on oiled foil in the oven and fold the foil over the crust edges.

Prevents the crust from becoming a crouton.

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Reheat pizza on aluminum foil in an oven at 450 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

It prevents spills and avoids dirtying a pan.

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Warm steak at 30% power for 1.5 minutes.

It maintains the original doneness, such as medium rare.

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After cooking pizza briefly in a skillet, lower the heat, add a drop of water, and cover.

The steam makes the cheese perfect.

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Reheat pizza in a George Foreman grill or panini press.

The top gets toasted while the inside becomes hot and gooey.

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Set your microwave to low power when reheating pizza.

This prevents hot spots.

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Avoid using a heat gun to reheat pizza.

The outside becomes hot while the inside remains cold.

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Cut leftover pizza into small squares, mix with beaten eggs, and cook as scrambled eggs.

It serves as a hangover breakfast.

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Bake pizza from scratch on a grill using a cast iron skillet sprayed with oil on tinfoil; avoid mesquite chips.

Mesquite smoke permeates the cheese and overpowers the flavor.

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Place pizza slices on a paper towel before reheating to absorb excess moisture.

It soaks up extra moisture.

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Avoid microwaving pizza to prevent a soggy texture and uneven heating.

Microwaves often result in gross, soggy crusts and cold centers.

• Some individuals report that microwaved pizza is not soggy and is their preferred method.

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Reheat pizza in a toaster oven or regular oven instead of a microwave to restore crust texture.

Microwave-reheated pizza becomes rubbery and bland; oven reheating gets it close to fresh.

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Spread jelly on sandwiches before peanut butter to keep the jars separate and make cleanup easier.

Jelly is quicker to rinse off than peanut butter.

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Rinse pizza cutters immediately in the sink after use.

Congealed cheese and grease are difficult to clean.

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Clean kitchen tools and surfaces as you cook rather than waiting until finished.

This allows cooking and cleaning to finish nearly simultaneously, leaving minimal work after eating.

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Rinse vegetable choppers thoroughly immediately after use.

Since typical ingredients are not oily, rinsing right away makes cleaning easy and fast.

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Use warm or room temperature milk for initial pancake batter.

Keeping all ingredients at a similar temperature maintains uniformity.

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Tuck your thumb under with the nail against the board while cutting to avoid accidents.

Keeping the thumb sideways near the knife is a common cause of injury.

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Make short, quick strokes when peeling vegetables to direct splatter.

After the first stroke, you can control where the splatter goes.

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Ask a friend to teach you a skill by having them give instructions and answer questions while you perform every physical step yourself.

It ensures you do the work rather than letting them do it for you.

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Use a butter knife to rotate and spread hard ice cream.

Unlike a spoon, a butter knife does not bend under the pressure.

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Wipe a wooden cutting board with oil before cutting raw meat.

This acts as a moisture barrier.

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Use a drywall saw for carving pumpkins.

The finer teeth cut better and the tool is safer.

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Apply blobs of hot glue to the bottom of a chopping board once set.

It grips the surface well via friction.

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Consider using wooden cutting boards for raw meat instead of plastic.

Wood can desiccate and kill bacteria, whereas rough plastic boards can trap bacteria in knife scars that are impossible to manually disinfect.

• Plastic boards can be sanitized in a dishwasher, which cannot be done with wooden ones.

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Slice carrots at a slight angle to prevent the rings from rolling away.

It also adds a decorative touch.

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Leave stained cutting boards in sunlight to remove stains.

Sunlight acts as a natural bleach.

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Peel ginger using the edge of a spoon rather than a peeler.

The spoon removes less flesh, navigates irregular shapes better, and is easier and safer.

2 people, independently

Buy anti-skid cutting boards with rubber corners to prevent slipping.

so it doesn't slip

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Place non-slip rug backing, puffy shelf liner, or sticky cabinet liner under a cutting board.

These materials prevent the board from slipping or moving.

4 people, independently

Use food-grade mineral oil on wooden kitchenware instead of olive oil.

Olive oil can eventually go rancid, whereas food-grade mineral oil does not.

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Use a vegetable peeler to remove strings from celery stalks.

It removes all the strings.

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Use a colander to catch vegetable peels.

This avoids wasted paper and collected water from rinsing; since they are veggies, a good rinse is enough.

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Use fishing line as a sturdier alternative to floss for cutting soft solids or clay.

Fishing line is sturdier and generally cheaper per foot.

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Slice tomatoes from the stem end to the bottom rather than around the circumference.

This produces a better slice.

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Avoid buying a mandoline slicer if you only need it for occasional sliced bell peppers.

It is probably not worth it for that limited use.

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Use a knife to spread thin substances like butter or peanut butter onto bread.

A knife provides a more even layer, allows for precision in corners, and requires less pressure, preventing the bread from being squished.

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Use a mandoline slicer for tasks requiring high consistency, such as homemade potato chips, which are difficult to get with a knife.

Knives lack the consistency needed for paper-thin slicing, making tasks like chip-making miserable.

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Wear cut-resistant gloves, such as Kevlar, when using a mandoline slicer for added protection.

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Garnish deviled eggs with sumac instead of cayenne pepper.

Sumac provides a tangy flavor and a darker burgundy color.

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Whip aquafaba with sugar and flavorings like lemon juice, vanilla, or almond extract to make meringues or mousse. Avoid old powdered sugar as it may impart an off taste.

• Old powdered sugar gave an off taste.

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Use Better Than Bouillon paste for high-quality flavor enhancement if you are willing to spend more.

It is described as great stuff that definitely enhances the final product.

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