55 Easy Kitchen Tips to Help You Every Day

Make meal prep less stressful and more enjoyable with these easy kitchen tips. Use these tricks we use every day to save time and money in the kitchen!

No matter what your cooking skills may be, there is surely a way to make it easier. 

In this post, we’ll share easy kitchen tips that can help make meal preparation less stressful and more enjoyable. Using these helpful cooking tricks will save time with daily food prep using different kitchen gadgets while also saving money by reducing waste from your grocery shopping!  

55 Easy Kitchen Tips to Help You Every Day

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1. Prep ingredients before you start cooking for faster cooking times.

You can make any recipe easier by prepping all of its ingredients beforehand. The more organized and efficient you are, the quicker you can get your food cooked and ready to eat.

2. Make the most of your leftovers by storing them properly.

Leftover vegetables can go bad so quickly. Rather than letting them go to waste, prep them and store them in airtight containers or storage bags for later use in the fridge to prevent any food from going bad.  Make a variety of easy meals by mixing and matching your leftover ingredients together in recipes like casseroles, salads, soups, omelets, frittatas, or quiches.

3.  Make your own flavored salt.

Get more flavor out of your ingredients by making flavored salts out of them. For example, make garlic or herb-flavored fleur de sel, chipotle-spiced smoked sea salt, cinnamon-sugar chai spice mix, or spicy chili powder blend for an extra kick of flavor.

4. Peel garlic easily by microwaving for 30 seconds.

Peeling garlic is a hassle, especially when you have a lot to peel. To make it easier, place the garlic in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The softened cloves will slip right out of their skins.

5. Keep potatoes from turning brown after peeling.

Safe time in the kitchen by prepping your potatoes before using them.  To prevent your potatoes from turning brown after peeling, store them in the fridge with water.  Spuds can be prepped this way 24 hours before you need to cook them.

6. Give your bananas an extra life and keep them fresher for longer.

Separate the bunch of bananas.  Then, wrap the tops (the stem ends) of the bananas in plastic wrap or foil.  The bananas will ripen more slowly than usual because the wrap helps keep the ethylene gas that bananas naturally produce close to the stem end of the banana.  

7. Freeze fresh ginger root to use later in your recipes.

Ginger is one ingredient that you should always keep in the fridge because it can go bad so quickly otherwise.  To prevent your ginger from going bad before you can use it, peel and cut the root into pieces then place it in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out of it.  Store it in your freezer for up to six months.

8. Peel tomatoes easily by boiling them for a few seconds.

Peeling fresh tomatoes can be time-consuming and frustrating when you want your recipes to be done quickly and efficiently without having to spend hours on the task. To make this job faster and simpler, simply place the tomatoes in boiling water for 15-20 seconds then remove them into a bowl of ice water. The skin should slip right off.

9. Store your herbs in a mason jar with water.

Cutting off the ends of your fresh herbs like rosemary, parsley, and cilantro is an easy way to preserve their freshness. To store them for later use, simply place the stem end of the herb into the glass jar then completely cover it in water until submerged. Cover the jar with a plastic bag and secure it in place.  Place the jar in your fridge, then pull out what you need as needed.

10. Freeze your leftover wine into ready-to-use cubes for later.

Nobody likes letting good wine go to waste in the bottle when you’re not quite finished with it. You can keep it for later use by freezing the wine into cubes and using it in your recipes when needed.

Fill an ice cube tray with leftover wine, then place the tray in your freezer until the cubes are frozen. Once they’re hard enough, you can remove them from their molds and store them in a sealable bag.

11. Keep avocados from turning brown.

Brush a little lemon juice on top of the avocado before storing it and then store it in an airtight container.  Another way to keep your cut avocado from turning brown is to brush the tops of the cut avocado with olive oil that does not have a strong taste. 

12. Store iceberg lettuce for up to a month.

Do you always end up throwing out your lettuce due to it going bad in a short amount of time? Don’t let this happen again.  Wash the lettuce.  Then, remove the core of your lettuce. Place the lettuce minus the core in a container with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.  Seal the container and store it in the fridge for up to a month.

13. Don’t cry when chopping onions.

Onions are notorious for making people tear up as they chop them. To avoid this problem and make the job easier on yourself, freeze the onion for about 15 minutes before cutting it. Freezing the onion keeps it from releasing the enzymes that make you cry when cutting and chopping the onion.

14. Freeze your leftover egg whites for later use.

Separating yolks from egg whites? Don’t need the egg whites right now? Never waste them again! You can freeze them in an ice cube tray then pop out the cubes and store them in a freezer bag until you need them for baking or cooking. Both parts of the egg can be frozen for up to a year!

15. Keep brown sugar soft.

Keeping brown sugar soft and easy to use is essential in baking. To prevent it from drying out, simply store it in an airtight container with a slice of bread or a marshmallow. Or you can place it in a storage bag with some orange peels for a few hours and seal it securely. After a few hours, simply take the orange peels out and use the sugar.

16.  Get the most out of your limes and lemons by cutting off both ends before juicing.

You’ll get more juice out of your limes and lemons when you cut off both ends before squeezing or juicing them since a lot of the juice is concentrated in the stem area.

Also, to get the most juice out of your citrus fruits, roll them on the counter while pressing down with your palm before slicing and juicing. This process makes them easier to press and squeeze.

17. Make it easier to grate ginger by freezing it first.

Freezing ginger makes it much easier to grate. You can grate ginger by simply freezing it and then grating it when it’s frozen.  That’s right!  You don’t have to thaw it before grating it!

18. Use this simple kitchen tip to cut corn off the cob with ease.

You can make cutting corn off the cob a breeze by using a bundt pan as your guide. Simply place the ear of corn inside and slice down. The bundt pan will catch the corn as it is falling off the ear.

19. Freeze coffee beans before grinding them for tastier coffee.

Freezing coffee beans makes it easier to grind them in a coffee grinder for faster and smoother results.   You can also store your coffee beans in the freezer to keep them fresh for a longer period of time.

20. Keep cut apples from turning brown.

With these simple tips, you can keep cut apples from turning brown.  Apples turn brown when exposed to air, place the pieces in a bowl of cold water mixed with half a lime or lemon juice.

Don’t have time to soak the apple in water?  After slicing the apple, sprinkle some lemon juice over the apple pieces. Then put the apple back together and hold it together with a rubber band or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. 

21. To make your herbs last longer, place them in olive oil and freeze them.

One of the best ways to preserve herbs for later use is to freeze them. Place the herbs in an ice tray.  Then, simply pour your desired amount of olive oil over the herbs and place them in the freezer. After the cubes are frozen,  pack them in an airtight container or bag, and keep them in the freezer for up to nine months without significant loss of flavor.

 22. Cut cherry tomatoes in half using two lids or plates and a serrated knife.

We love this tip because we don’t have to mess up the cutting board to cut cherry tomatoes. For faster and cleaner cuts, place cherry tomatoes between two lids or plates.   Gently press down on the lids or plates with your hand. You don’t want to squish them.  Use a serrated knife to cut through the tomatoes through the space in between the two lids or plates.  BE CAREFUL!

23. Freeze juice in cubes to add flavor to water.

Instead of buying flavored water, you can make your own by freezing juice in ice cube trays and then adding them to water. 

24. Flatten chicken breasts for even cooking.

To prevent chicken breasts from curling up as they cook, place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound them to an even thickness with the smooth side of a meat mallet or rolling pin. This will allow all of your chicken breasts to cook evenly without any of them becoming unevenly shaped.

25. Make taco shells with a muffin tin.

Tired of buying cracked taco shells? You can avoid this by baking tortillas over a gap in a muffin pan instead. The gap between each section will allow the soft tortillas to become perfectly hard taco shells.

26. Chill a bottle of white wine in 10 minutes.

If you find yourself running out of time to chill a bottle of white wine, try placing the wine bottle in a freezer bag and putting it in ice water. Keep an eye on it as you want to make sure there’s no leakage from the bag before removing the wine from the bath.

27. Make a cake in a coffee mug.

You can make a single-serving cake by mixing your favorite boxed cake mix in a coffee mug and then cook it in the microwave for about 90 seconds or until done in the middle. Top the cake with frosting and any other tasty treats, such as sprinkles or M&M’s. This way you don’t have to heat up the oven!

28. Use a coffee grinder to grind your own spices.

To save money and time, use a coffee grinder to grind your own spices instead of buying them pre-ground. This way, you can get the exact amount you need.

29. Use waffle iron to cook eggs.

Try making your eggs in a waffle iron instead of on the stove. Be sure to coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray before placing the eggs inside and then wait until the light turns off on the waffle iron. When the light turns off, your eggs should be fully cooked.

30. Use your Instant Pot to proof bread.

Using your Instant Pot to proof bread can cut the time it usually takes in half. You’ll use the Yogurt button on your unit. Make you have the temperature on normal instead of high.

Then put the dough in the greased inner pot and cover it with a plate or glass lid. Don’t use your IP lid that seals. Your bread dough will rise faster than it would in a traditional proofing method thanks to the controlled temperature in your Instant Pot.

31. Bake pizza dough in a muffin tin for individual servings.

If you’re just baking for one or two people, you can make smaller portions by baking pizza dough in a muffin tin instead of making one large pizza all at once. This way, everyone gets to choose the type of toppings they want for their individual-sized pizza.

32. Use a hand immersion blender instead of a regular blender for easier, faster, and more thorough blending.

A hand immersion blender doesn’t take up as much space as a regular blender and can be used to blend or puree foods without having to transfer the food from one container to another.  It’s also more efficient at blending smaller amounts of food than an upright blender would be.

33. Forgot to take the butter out to soften? 

If you forgot to take the it out of the fridge ahead of time to soften, there are several ways you can soften butter quickly. You can cut it into slices or grate it on a cheese grater. You can also put the stick of butter between two pieces of wax paper and roll over it with a rolling pin.

34. Easily remove broken eggshells from egg whites using this tip!  

If you accidentally find that there’s a broken shell inside the egg whites, don’t stick your fingers in the mixture to dig it out. Try using the cracked shell to scope the shell out. The broken pieces seem to be attracted to the half of the cracked shell.

35. Peel potatoes the easy way.

The next time you’re peeling potatoes, try this simple hack. First, boil the potatoes for ten minutes or until they are partly cooked. Then, take them out of the pot and put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let them cool for about 10 seconds. Use your hands to peel off the skin.

36. When boiling pasta, don’t add oil to the water.

Contrary to the old myth that adding oil to the water prevents it from clumping together, it will only make for oily pasta. The oil will coat the noodles so the sauce won’t stick to them. According to the Barilla website, you should only put salt in the water.

37. Use an apple slicer to cut perfect potato wedges.

If you’re making crispy potato wedges, use an apple slicer to make the cuts even. It will make your life much easier. This method gives you perfectly shaped slices every time.

38. Make perfect pancakes every time by measuring out the batter with a cookie dough scooper.

A cookie dough scooper is great for not only cookies or muffins, but also for making perfectly-sized pancakes. This method will help you make the perfect stack of pancakes every time.

39. Peel garlic easily with this handy hack.

All you have to do is place your garlic cloves inside a screw-top jar and shake.  The pressure of the lid will cause the garlic clove skins to separate from the garlic itself, making it easy to remove the skins with just your fingers.

40. Use a large slotted spoon instead of a spider to lower food into hot grease.

A spider is great for retrieving food that’s fallen into hot grease, but if you don’t have one on hand, a large slotted spoon works just as well. Just make sure the spoon has a long handle to keep your hands away from grease.

41. Create perfectly shaped bacon in the oven – no more messy frying pans!

Baking bacon in the oven is easier and less of a hassle than frying it on a pan because you don’t need to stand by the stove and monitor it constantly while cooking. Make sure you lay a second tray on top of the bacon. You’ll get perfectly crispy and flat bacon every time.

42. Use an ice cream scooper to make evenly-sized meatballs every time!

This is a great hack if you’re doing batch cooking and want all your meatballs to be the exact same size – no more goof-ups!

43. Use a pan lid to cut perfectly-sized circles out of parchment paper.

Parchment paper is great for lining baking sheets, but it’s also good for creating perfectly sized covers for things like ice cream – just use the top of your container to cut the lining, and voila!

44. Freeze grapes and use them for ice cubes that won’t water down your drink.

Freeze grapes to make healthy, fruit-infused ice cubes that will add flavor to your drinks without watering them down.

45. Use a spoon to cut and scoop out the center of an avocado – no more mess!

A great hack for those who love avocados but hate the mess involved with peeling the avocado. First, you want to cut the avocado in half.  Then, remove the seed.  After you remove the seed, use a spoon and go in between the avocado and the skin.  Push the spoon under the avocado and scoop the avocado out of the skin.

46. Use a straw to hull a strawberry.

This is a great hack for when you’re making strawberry shortcake or strawberry pie. At the bottom point of the strawberry, simply push the straw into the middle and push it back through to the top to remove the core.

47. Poach eggs in a muffin tin in the oven for perfectly round egg shapes.

Cooking poached eggs in a muffin tin will give you perfectly shaped, delicious eggs every time – no more weird shapes!

The great thing about using a muffin tin in the oven is that you don’t have to worry about your poached eggs falling apart because they won’t be sitting in a pool of hot water where their shape can easily be messed up. They’ll also come out perfectly round, making them great for sandwiches and salads.

48. Grate cheese with less mess.

Who likes to grate cheese and have it stick all over the place? I know I don’t! There are several ways to grate cheese with less mess. 

• Freeze the cheese for about 20 minutes before grating.
• Place the edge of the cheese in a plastic bag to catch the cheese as it’s coming out of the grater.
• Lightly spray the inside of the grater with nonstick spray to keep the cheese from sticking to the inside.
• Grate your cheese with a cheese grater that’s actually designed for food storage! 

49. Use an egg slicer for more than slicing a hard boiled egg.

This is a great hack for making fruit trays or fruit salad. Cut up your favorite fruits, place them in the slicer, and close the lid! The slicer will give you perfectly shaped slices of fruit without any mess or hassle.

50. Get double use out of your sheet pans.

Sheet pans can be used for more than just baking cookies.   Use your sheet pan as a tray to keep you organized while you are meal prepping.    

51. Make a spice shaker out of a small mason jar.

All you need is a small mason jar and the lid from a parmesan shaker.   Pour your bulk spices into a clean small mason jar.  Put the lid on and you have an easy way to sprinkle and measure the spices for your next recipe.  Don’t forget to label the front so you know what spice you have in the jar!

52. Put your bread dough in the oven to proof.

Don’t have an Instant Pot and can’t find a warm place in the house to proof your bread dough? The answer is simple!  Try using the oven!  You’ll want to turn the oven on to the lowest temp — usually, 200 degrees F.  After the oven warms up, turn it off.  Place your bread dough inside for proofing.  

53. Make perfect curly fries with your spiralizer.

Using your spiralizer to make some curly fries is a great way to get extra use out of the appliance.  Try making sweet potato curly fries or vegetable curly fries, depending on how healthy you want your meal to be!  Throw them in the air fryer for about 20 minutes.  Serve them while they are warm and crispy!

54. Use a food processor to grate potatoes and cheese.

Tired of scratching your fingers when grating cheese?  Ditch the grater and use your food processor instead.  It’s quicker and you won’t scratch your fingers.   Plus, you can grate larger amounts for later use!

55. Use a muffin tin to cook stuffed peppers perfectly.

If you’re tired of unevenly cooked stuffed peppers or stuffed peppers that fall over in the baking pan, try using a muffin tin to cook them in the oven instead. The cups will ensure that all your peppers stay upright and are evenly cooked.

Use these helpful tips to make life easier in the kitchen!

Many of these easy kitchen tips and hacks are simple and won’t take up too much time in your day. If you’re looking for a few quick ways to make life easier, consider implementing some of these simple kitchen tips we’ve suggested today!

From grating cheese without it sticking all over everything to making perfectly shaped curly fries with your spiralizer, there’s something for everyone.

The best part is that no matter how busy or unorganized you think you may be, there’s always space for one more hack – just get creative!

We hope these hacks will help you save time and even money. Which of these useful kitchen hacks are you going to try? Leave us a comment below and let us know!