21 Kitchen Tips You Wish You Knew Sooner

Nowadays, I’m looking for ease in the kitchen–any hack, I will try! If you’re like me, you’ve come to the right place! Check out these brilliant kitchen hacks!

Here is a compiled list of some no-sweat, time-saving, and frankly, kind of fun tricks to try in the kitchen.

The best part of this list? There are no crazy gadgets to buy.

Most of these things are already likely in your cabinet, fridge, or drawers! And, if you do not have them at the moment, a lot is a natural shopping list item.

Needless to say, this hack list is for everyone, and let us know if you try any of these out!

VIDEO: 21 Best Kitchen Hacks

1. Open a Stubborn Jar with a Rubber Band

Are you always wrestling with a pesky jar lid? Say goodbye to those days and use a rubber band!

Simply slip a band around the jar’s lid and twist. Ever since I learned this, I haven’t found a cap that’s given me trouble.

Once you are done with the jar, you can upcycle it into these scented candles.

2. Use Plastic Wrap to Cover Cell Phone When Cooking

I know when I get going in a kitchen, I will look up halfway through to see a real mess going on. It can be especially tricky when referencing your phone for a recipe.

To keep my phone safe from the mess, I wrap this plastic wrap around it while making a meal. It has saved me a few times!

3. Keep Cut Fruit from Browning

While slicing bananas for a recipe, they can turn a little funky before I’m ready to serve or add to a recipe. The next time you’d like to preserve your fruit, squeeze some lemon evenly overtop.

The acid from the lemon helps prevent the natural browning process in fruit.

4. Remove Eggshell Pieces

Breaking eggs can be a tricky business!

No one can escape a broken bit from time to time. No worries.

Grab half of the broken shell and scoop up the broken piece(s). It’s magic and will save you so much time from fishing in your eggs or whatever recipe.

It’s like a magnetic attraction, and very cool to see it happen.

5. Prevent Food From Drying Out When Microwaving

When microwaving a leftover, add a cup of water to help rehydrate.

While your food is warming up in a microwave, it tends to have more moisture pulled out of it. The water will prevent dehydration and will help yesterday’s meal feel a little less like a leftover.

6. Get Extra Grip on Jars with Plastic Wrap

Another way to get those tough jars to budge is using plastic wrap.

Grab the amount of wrap that you’ll need for the container, cover the cap, and twist. The friction between the plastic and lid will help you get a better grasp.

7. Prevent Spilling from Glass

If you want to ensure no spills happen while sipping a beverage, grab some plastic wrap!

Not something I would’ve ever thought about, but a friend uses it in a pinch when all of her lids are dirty.

Put some plastic wrap over the top, poke a hole with a straw, and get drinking! Not necessarily successful if the tip cups over, but it has been a saving moment more often than she can count.

8. Make Cheese Grating Easier with Freezing

Freezing cheese seems odd, but it makes the process of grating cheese so much easier!

Place your block of cheese into the freezer until firm, or about 15-20 minutes should do the job.

 When firm, pull out and grate! The cheese will have less give when getting grated, making the process easier overall.

9. Deep Clean Chopping Boards

Grimy cutting boards? Don’t fret; grab a lemon, table salt, and your cutting board. 

Sprinkle salt across the surface, squeeze the lemon juice over the top, and then after letting sit, use the lemon half as a scrubby.

In a circular motion, scrub the salt into the trouble areas of the board, rinse off when finished, and then wash normally.

10. Freeze an Onion to Keep the Tears Away

We all have cried onion tears before, and I think we can all agree that it isn’t fun. Sticking your onion in the fridge is an excellent way to deter this.

Another freezer idea that I never expected, but the coldness locks up the smell.

Throw an onion into the freezer when you’re getting ready to prep dinner. When ready to use, pull out the onion and cut it up however you need to.

Tears no more! Or at least for the small stuff.

11. Get More Juice Out of a Lemon

The best, most surefire way to get the most out of your lemon without questions of seeds getting into your food?

Use those muscles and squeeze all the lemon juice you can into a cup. Strain the seeds out and add seedless lemon juice to whatever you desire.

12. Freeze Your Herbs for Future Cooking

Afraid to buy fresh herbs since they always seem to spoil before you use them all? A way to avoid sad greens is to batch-freeze them.

You can prep as much or little as you want. You’ll need this ice cube tray, your herb of choice, and your liquid of choice (water, oil, etc.)

Chop the herbs to the desired state, fill an ice cube tray ¾ with liquid, add seasonings to each and freeze. When frozen, use as needed! Let thaw or throw right into a pan.

13. Speed Up Fruit Ripening

The next time you find yourself with a less-than-ripe fruit, throw it into a paper bag.

Avocados, bananas, and more will all ripen faster this way. The enclosed environment will help the specific item or bunch in this breathable yet concentrated area.

14. Keep Your Fridge Smelling Good

Using essential oils is an easy way to keep your fridge smelling nice and clean.

Store some cotton balls in a container in the back of your fridge and apply some drops of your favorite essential oil as needed. The oils will help deodorize any smell.

When cotton balls can’t absorb anymore, swap them out for new ones.

15. Tap a Jar on a Hard Surface to Open It

Tapping a tough jar lid on a hard surface works if you do not have a plastic wrap or rubber bands.

It’s a simple trick, but the truly important part of trying this hack is, don’t hit the jar too hard! I’ve had friends tell me they’ve broken containers that way.

Tap against the counter and rotate as you go.

Ideally, one rotation of tapping should do the trick. If not, continue for a second round.

16. Use Frozen Grapes to Cool Your Wine

Using frozen grapes as an alternative to ice cubes is a fun and adult double boozy hack.

It helps the wine get and stay colder while drinking, especially if you’ve forgotten to chill a bottle of wine before serving.

After, there you have a little snack! So pretty looking and tasty.

Not sure what to do with the empty wine bottle? Check out these wine bottle crafts.

17. Separate the Egg Yolk from White with a Bottle

Separating an egg yolk from the whites can be tricky business. One of the most straightforward ways to accomplish this is to grab an empty plastic water bottle and an egg.

Crack the egg onto a flatter surface, grab your water bottle, bring the bottle’s opening to the egg, and then squeeze the bottle.

The action will separate the white from the yolk, and then go ahead and proceed with whatever recipe you’re working on at the moment.

Want to keep clean while cooking? Learn how to make an apron.

18. Don’t Waste the Wine

After opening a bottle of wine, from time to time, there’s leftovers. Instead of dumping it or feeling like you need to drink it the next day, freeze it!

Grab an ice cube tray and pour your leftover wine into the open cells.

19. Flavor Up Your Grains with Tea Bags

A savvy way to liven up your rice, quinoa, or barley is to add a used tea bag. Weird sounding, I know.

The tea bag gets tossed in while the water is coming to a boil.

Feel free to use as many bags as you’d like. Once ready to add grain, pull the bags.

The tea adds a subtle roundness to your dish that some may even think is restaurant quality!

20. Use Sheet Pan as a Tray

Cooking and working in the kitchen can get kind of wild quickly.

An excellent way to keep yourself organized, whether you’re staying in to cook or planning on bringing ingredients to another location, having these sheet pans as trays can save you time and your sanity.

The beautiful thing about this is that sheet trays are so available and versatile. Grab as many as you need and organize as you please!

Check out these other upcycling ideas!

21. Organize Lunchbox with Cupcake Liners

Packing lunch boxes can be stressful, specifically cleaning them and repacking them every day, only to do it again. And that’s only if you have one lunch to pack.

Needless to say, it can get very time-consuming so quickly. An essential part of hacking the packing routine is using these cupcake liners to hold the different components of your meals.

Meal planning means less cleaning time, faster packing into squares, and less stress in making the planned food. A more green option for this hack is buying some silicone muffin liners.

Looking for more brilliant kitchen hacks? Check out these aluminum foil hacks.