If you’re new to cooking, the whole experience can be both exciting and intimidating. But don’t worry, with these hacks, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a great chef in no time!
1. Get organized.
This is key for any cook, but especially for beginners. Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking. This will help you stay on track and avoid any last-minute scrambling.
2. Master the basics.
Before you start getting too fancy with your dishes, make sure you have a good handle on the basics. This includes things like boiling water, frying an egg, and making a simple sauce.
3. Season as you go.
One of the biggest mistakes that novice cooks make is not seasoning their food enough. Remember to season each layer of your dish as you’re cooking it, not just at the end. This will help bring out all the flavors and make your dish more delicious overall. Preheat your pan. Another common mistake is not preheating your pan before adding oil or other ingredients. This can cause your food to stick or even burn. So make sure to always preheat your pan before cooking anything in it.
4.Heat your pan before adding oil.
Adding oil to a cold pan is a surefire way to stick your food to the surface. Get the pan hot first, then add a little bit of oil. This will help create a nonstick surface and prevent sticking.
5. Use two pans when cooking bacon.
Bacon is best cooked in two pans. Place the bacon in one pan and put another pan on top of it. This will help cook the bacon evenly and prevent it from curling up and sticking to the pan.
6. Put salt on your cutting board.
Cutting boards can be hard to keep clean, but you can make them easier to clean by sprinkling salt on them before chopping vegetables or meat. The salt will help absorb any excess moisture and make it easier to wipe away debris.
7. Use mayonnaise to prevent grilled cheese from sticking.
Mayonnaise may seem like an odd ingredient for grilled cheese, but it works wonders. First, spread a thin layer of mayo on the bread before adding the cheese and other toppings. This will create a barrier between the bread and cheese, so they don’t stick together.
8. Use fresh ingredients.
Whenever possible, try to use fresh ingredients instead of canned or frozen ones. Not only will your food taste better, but it will also be more nutritious.
9. Know your knives.
A good chef always knows their knives and how to use them properly. If you’re not sure how to properly hold or sharpen a knife, ask someone who does or look up a tutorial online. It’s worth taking the time to learn since having sharp, well-maintained knives will make cooking much easier (and safer).
10. Mise en place.
This French term means “everything in its place.” A cluttered kitchen is a recipe for disaster. Before you begin cooking, make sure all of your ingredients are prepped and within reach.
11. Cook chicken in a slow cooker.
Chicken is a meat that can be tough to cook, but it’s practically impossible to screw up in a slow cooker. Just throw some chicken breasts (frozen or thawed) into the pot with some seasonings, set it to low, and let it cook all day. You’ll come home to perfectly cooked chicken every time.
12. Use parchment paper when baking cookies.
Parchment paper is key for getting perfect cookies every time. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper before adding the cookie dough. This will prevent sticking and make cleanup a breeze.
13. Soak beans overnight before cooking them.
Beans can take forever to cook, but you can speed up the process by soaking them overnight beforehand. Simply put them in a bowl of water and leave them on the countertop overnight. They’ll be ready to cook first thing in the morning!
14. Taste as you go.
One of the best ways to ensure a dish turns out well is to taste it as you go. That way, you can adjust seasoning and other elements to suit your taste.
15. Use a coffee grinder to grind spices.
If you want freshly ground spices, there’s no need to buy a separate grinder. Instead, use your coffee grinder! It will work just as well for grinding spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
16. Add garlic to olive oil for an easy flavor boost.
Garlic and olive oil are a match made in heaven, so it’s no surprise that adding garlic to olive oil is an easy way to flavor your food. Add a few garlic cloves to a jar of olive oil and let it sit for a few days. The garlic will infuse the oil with its flavor, making it perfect for cooking or dipping bread.
17. Roast tomatoes before using them in sauce.
Tomatoes are the key ingredient in many sauces, but they can be tricky to cook with because they can be watery and have seeds that can make the sauce bitter. To avoid these problems, roast the tomatoes before using them in the sauce. Just slice them in half, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will lose their wateriness, and their seeds will be easier to remove.
18. Pay attention to detail.
The difference between a good dish and a great dish often lies in the details. Make sure you’re measuring ingredients accurately, following directions carefully, and paying attention to timing and temperature.
19. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Cooking is all about experimentation, so don’t be afraid to try new things. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a great dish. It takes time and practice to perfect your skills, so be patient with yourself.
20. Onion and Garlic.
When chopping onions, place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before chopping. This will help to prevent tears. To easily peel garlic, simply place the cloves in a jar and shake vigorously. The skins will come right off.
21. Use chicken broth instead of water when cooking rice.
Cooking rice is simple, but you can make it even better by cooking it in chicken broth instead of water. The broth adds extra flavor and makes the rice more moist and delicious.
22. Make perfect hard-boiled eggs every time.
Hard-boiled eggs are a great snack or addition to salads, but they can be tough to cook perfectly. To get perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, place them in a pot and cover them with cold water. First, bring the water to a boil, and once it has reached that temperature, remove it from the heat and let it sit for a full 12 minutes. Once the 12 minutes have passed, place the eggs in an ice bath and wait until they have totally cooled before peeling.
23. Use a muffin tin to cook eggs.
If you’re tired of your eggs sticking to the pan, try cooking them in a muffin. Just spray the tin with cooking spray, crack an egg into each cup, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. The eggs will come out perfectly cooked with no sticking!
24. Make ahead pancake mix.
Pancakes are a weekend breakfast staple, but they can be time-consuming to make from scratch. To save time on busy mornings, make a big batch of pancake mix ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, when ready for pancakes, add water and cook as usual.
25. Grate cheese instead of slicing it.
Grated cheese melts better than sliced cheese, so it’s perfect for toppings like nachos or tacos. Just use the largest hole on your box grater to grate cheese or shred it in a food processor. It’s that easy!
26. Use frozen vegetables to make stir fry.
Stir fry is a quick and easy weeknight meal, but chopping all the vegetables can take forever. To speed up the process, use frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones. They’ll cook faster, and you won’t have to do any prep work!
27. Cook bacon in the oven.
Bacon is delicious, but it can be painful to cook on the stovetop. The grease splatters everywhere, and it’s hard to get the bacon evenly cooked. To make things easier, cook bacon in the oven! Just line a baking sheet with foil, lay out the bacon, and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The bacon will be perfectly crisp with no fuss.
28. Use a waffle iron to make grilled cheese.
Grilled cheese is one of the simplest sandwiches, but getting that perfect golden brown color can be tough without burning the bread. The solution? Cook your grilled cheese in a waffle iron! Just spray the iron with cooking spray, add your sandwich ingredients, and close the lid. In just a few minutes, you’ll have perfectly cooked grilled cheese. No flipping required!
29. Use yogurt to tenderize meat.
Yogurt may seem like an odd meat ingredient, but it works wonders as a tenderizer. Just spread a thin layer of yogurt on your meat before cooking it and rest it for 60 minutes; you’ll end up with juicy, flavorful results. There are a few different ways to tenderize meat visit this page
30. Get to know your local farmers and purveyors.
They can provide you with fresh, quality ingredients that will make your cooking even better. So you can keep a well-stocked pantry and fridge. This will ensure that you always have what you need to make a great meal.
31. Use a straw to core strawberries.
Coring strawberries can be a pain, but there’s an easy way to do it with a straw. Just insert the straw into the bottom of the strawberry and push it up through the top. The core will come out cleanly, leaving you with perfectly cored strawberries every time.
32. Use a fork to distribute the cake batter evenly.
If you’re tired of uneven cakes, there’s an easy fix. Use a fork to distribute the batter in the pan before baking evenly. This will help ensure that your cake cooks evenly and looks perfect every time.
33. Make soft-boiled eggs in the microwave.
Cooking soft-boiled eggs on the stovetop can be tricky, but luckily there’s an easier way to do it in the microwave. Just place your egg in a mug, add water until it covers the egg entirely, and microwave for 1 minute per egg. The result will be perfectly cooked eggs that are ready in just minutes!
34. Use a cake tester to check if meat is cooked.
A cake tester isn’t just for cakes! You can also use it to check if meat is cooked. Just insert the cake tester into the center of the meat, and if it comes out clean, the meat is done. This is a great way to avoid overcooking your food.
35. Use a can of soda to tenderize meat.
If you’re looking for an easy way to tenderize meat, reach for a can of soda! The acidity in the soda will help break down the tough fibers in the meat, making it more tender and flavorful. Just marinate your meat in a can of soda for an hour before cooking it, and you’ll be amazed at the results.
36. Preheat your oven before roasting vegetables.
Roasting vegetables is a great way to bring out their natural flavors, but you must ensure your oven is preheated before adding them. Otherwise, they’ll take longer to cook and won’t get that nice crispy texture that makes roasted veggies so good.
37. Use mayonnaise to keep salad greens from wilting.
Salad greens are delicate and quickly wilted by dressing or other ingredients, but there’s an easy way to prevent this problem. Add a dollop of mayonnaise to your salad before adding any other ingredients. The mayonnaise will create a barrier between the greens and other ingredients, keeping them fresh and crisp all day long! Try this hack next time you’re packing lunch or taking salad on a picnic.
38. Make perfect rice every time with this simple method.
Rice is one of those staples that everyone should know how to cook perfectly, but it’s often overcooked or mushy when made at home. The key to perfect rice is using the right water ratio to rice, Boiling it uncovered, and cooking it covered for the appropriate amount of time.
39. Cook in small batches whenever possible.
First, it is more energy efficient since you are only using the stove or oven for a short period of time. Second, it allows you to cook more food at once, which is great for entertaining or large families. Finally, it prevents food from drying out or burning. When cooking in small batches, be sure to keep an eye on your food so that it does not overcook.
40. Invest in quality kitchen tools and appliances.
If you‘re serious about cooking, then you know that having quality tools and appliances in your kitchen is a must. After all, you can‘t cook a good meal if you don‘t have the right tools. Investing in quality kitchen tools and appliances will make your life easier and help you create better meals.
41. Store your food properly.
Food spoilage is a big problem in the world today. It not only wastes money, but it can also make people sick. There are a few simple things that you can do to help reduce food spoilage in your home. One way to help reduce food spoilage is to store your food properly. Make sure to keep your food in airtight containers and in a cool, dark place. Heat and light are two of the biggest enemies of food, so keeping your food in a dark cupboard or pantry is ideal. Another way to help reduce food spoilage is to eat leftovers within a few days.
If you have food that you know you won’t be able to eat within a few days, consider freezing it. Freezing is a great way to help food last longer and reduce waste.
42. To make perfect fried eggs.
You need to start with a hot pan. Add a little oil to the pan and then crack the eggs into the pan. Cook the eggs for a minute or two and then use a spatula to flip them over. Cook the eggs for another minute or two and then remove them from the pan.
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