Steaming vegetables safely

Prevent burning a pot dry while steaming veggies by improvising an alarm system. Place a metal spoon under the water and steam as usual. When the water level gets too low, the spoon will rattle and alert you to add more liquid.

Peeling potatoes

An easier way to peel potatoes is to twist a corkscrew in the base of the veggie before peeling it. Use the tool as a handle to keep the potato steady and prevent accidents with the vegetable peeler.

Perfectly cooked ground beef

Break up ground beef using a potato masher to press down on it as it browns. This will leave the meat perfectly partitioned, so the texture of the beef will be consistent and cooked evenly.

Rotisserie chicken at home

When you want to prepare a rotisserie chicken at home and you do not own a vertical roaster, just place your seasoned chicken upright over the central tube of a Bundt pan set inside a roasting pan. The heat will circulate around the meat, making a perfect golden brown juicy bird.

Easy way to chop garlic

To prevent pieces of garlic from sticking to the blade of your knife while chopping them, just sprinkle a few drops of cooking oil (olive, vegetable etc.) over the cloves. This will make them slip off the knife easily.

Keeping a loaf fresh

To maintain a homemade loaf moist and fresh longer, just slice it from the middle instead of the end, sandwich it back together and wrap it in plastic wrap. This will prevent the ends from drying out.

Storing extra basil

To store a large amount of basil, chop all the leaves and place 2 tbsp in each cavity of ice cube trays. Fill all trays with water, freeze and transfer the cubes to zipped plastic bags. When you need the herb, place the portion in a strainer until melted and use it as usual.

Overstuffed sub sandwich

To prevent sub sandwich filling from falling out and making a mess, remove some of the soft interior from the top and bottom halves of the bread (save this part for croutons or breadcrumbs), before adding meat, cheese, lettuce etc. The fillings will be held neatly inside your loaf.

Fix for acidic tomato sauce

If your tomato sauce comes out too acid, add a pinch of baking soda to it. The alkalinity will counteract the acidity, and the sauce will end much milder-tasting.

Alternative oil thermometer

If you do not have a thermometer handy when deep-frying food, just drop a kernel of popcorn in the pan. The kernel will pop if the oil temperature is between 350F and 365F, the ideal temperature for this cooking method.

Storing leftover soup

To cool your leftover soup quickly before storing it in the refrigerator, improvise an ice stick. Fill a clean empty plastic bottle with water, place in the freezer, and use the frozen bottle to stir the soup while in the pot. The liquid will cool fast without losing flavors.

Drain veggies faster

If your vegetables are taking forever to drain in a colander, just place a sealed zip bag, filled halfway with water, on top of them. The weight of the bag will help to press out any extra water from your veggies.

Soggy fried food

To prevent fried food underside from getting soggy while sitting on paper towel, place a cooling rack between the pieces and the towel. Holes in the grate allow the oil to drip off the food keeping it crispy all over.

Revive a cutting board

If the surface of your cutting board looks dull, just moist it with a coat of mineral oil (not cooking oil, which turns rancid) to rehydrate it and fill gaps. Repeat the process every 2 to 3 months.

Cutting bacon strips

To prevent raw bacon fat from sticking together, making difficult your job with the knife, just place bacon in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing it. Hard slices will chop effortlessly and evenly.

Keep cheese fresh

Place cheese in a plastic bag and add 1 sugar cube for every 2 oz cheese before storing it. Sugar absorbs moisture and will prevent mold from growing on its exterior.

Dressing cherry tomatoes

For cherry tomatoes to absorb flavors of a salad dressing, just pierce each one with a fork before adding them to the salad. Dress the dish as usual and let tomatoes drink up sauces before serving it.

Oil splatters in the kitchen

To prevent oil from splashing over your stove top, while grilling or frying food, just place a large metal colander (upside down) over the frying pan. It will trap oil and its small holes will allow the heat to escape. Make sure you use an oven mitt when removing it from the pan.

Beautiful seared meat

As protein cooks, it shrinks and changes shape, so the side that sears first will end up browning more equally. When cooking meat or fish, start with the side that will face up when plated, which will have an attractive golden exterior with nice hatch marks.

Quick fresh citrus juice

Cut citrus fruits (lemon, lime etc.) into wedges, place them in resealable plastic bags and freeze. When you need juice, just place some wedges in the microwave for about 20 seconds and squeeze as needed.