Ummmm...Who Was Gonna Tell Me About These 19 Life-Changing Kitchen "Cheat Codes"

2 weeks ago 18

Some of the most useful kitchen tricks are also ridiculously simple. So we asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the cooking, cleaning, and food storage hacks they wish more people knew about. Here are 19 kitchen "cheat codes" that will make your life sooo much easier:

Note: Some submissions are sourced from TikTok.

1. Put a small metal bowl in the middle of the pan while cooking oily food so the excess oil collects around it rather than coating the food.

“The only time I use physics." Suggests adding oil once cooking is done

2. Put warm, cooked chicken in a container, close the lid, and shake to shred it in seconds.

A person in a headband is holding a blue-lidded container, captioned, "LIFE HACK I've used for 6 years YOU."

3. Placing sealed frozen meat between two metal pans will thaw it much faster because metal conducts heat well.

"My husband casually teaching me how to thaw meat in 30 minutes after watching me soak it in cold water for 6 years."

4. Put your cucumbers in an airtight container with a paper towel on the bottom and a metal spoon inside. Add another paper towel on top before closing it to help keep them fresh longer.

Open jar with several pickles inside placed on a kitchen countertop

5. "After opening a bag of chips, seal the leftovers well and put them in the freezer to help keep them crisp longer."

A hand places a bag of Lay's Classic chips in a freezer drawer containing other frozen items. Text on image says "Freezing Chips."

6. "Cut a mango in half, then slide the edge of a drinking glass between the flesh and peel. The mango flesh drops right into the glass."

"Peel it in seconds."

7. If rice is stuck to the bottom of your pot, add a little cold water, cover it, and let it sit. The cold water can help loosen the rice from the bottom.

Rice is soaking with ice cubes in a copper pot. Text reads, "but this is all, like, stuck."

8. "Wrap the stems of your bananas in aluminum foil to help slow down ripening and keep them fresh longer."

Bananas with foil wrapped around their stems in a kitchen bowl

9. If you run out of fresh garlic, rehydrate dehydrated minced garlic in warm water for about 10 minutes before using it.

Bowl of fluffy, cooked rice on a wooden surface with text "TEN MINUTES LATER" below

10. "The best way to reheat cooked rice is to wet a paper towel, wring it out, and place it over the rice before microwaving it. It helps the rice steam as it reheats so it doesn't dry out."

A microwave with a glass turntable covered in a steaming, crumpled paper towel, suggesting food warming or recent cooking mishap

11. "Kitchen shears for EVERYTHING. In addition to the obvious things, I use them to cut pizza and steak, chop lettuce and herbs, cut the crust off bread, and make perfect diagonal cuts across sandwiches and grilled cheese. I keep them clean, but use them daily."

A large pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, and other toppings is being cut with scissors on a table

12. "Keep the rubber band around a bunch of asparagus while you cut the woody ends off. The stems stay together, so cleanup is much easier."

A bundle of fresh asparagus tied with rubber bands on a cutting board, surrounded by avocados, cherry tomatoes, and an onion

13. Freeze your bread, then toast slices straight from the freezer whenever you need them.

Frozen bread and pastries wrapped in plastic bags on a freezer shelf

14. "Boil water in an electric kettle first, then pour it into your pot before cooking pasta or rice. It can get you to boiling water faster than starting with cold water on the stove."

Electric kettle on a kitchen countertop, partially filled with water, featuring a blue light indicator

15. "Put a damp paper towel underneath your cutting board to help keep it from sliding around while you chop."

A wooden cutting board sits on a kitchen counter, ready for food preparation

16. "Put paper towels in with lettuce and fresh herbs to absorb excess moisture and help them last longer."

A packaged bag of M&amp;S baby leaf salad, labeled as mild, washed, and ready to eat, placed on a wooden surface

17. "Put a dry wooden spoon across the top of a pot when it starts foaming up. It can temporarily help keep the bubbles from spilling over."

Pot on stove with water boiling over, wooden spoon on top to prevent spills

18. "Toast whole spices before grinding them to bring out even more of their flavor and aroma."

A cast iron pan with various spices including cinnamon, star anise, coriander, and fennel seeds

19. Lastly, "Mise en place is a total game-changer. I chop and measure everything before I start cooking, then work backward from when I want everything to be finished so I know when each part needs to start."

Various small bowls on a cutting board contain ingredients like minced garlic, chopped shallots, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

So what's a kitchen "cheat code" you swear more people NEED to know? Share your photo or hack in the comments below, or just your hack in the anonymous form, and your response may be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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