Cook smarter, not harder.
Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed
We asked the Buzzfeed Community to share some of the best cooking tips and tricks they learned from cooking in restaurants. Here are some of the life-saving hacks they swear by.
1. Core iceberg lettuce by smashing it onto a cutting board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ybO41ZJTnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ybO41ZJTnM
"You can core a head of iceberg lettuce by slamming it, core down, on the countertop. The core will pop out all in one piece!"
—katw46e15b743
Check out this video to see how it's done.
2. Never struggle with peeling hard-boiled eggs again with the help of baking soda.
Getty Images
Getty Images
"Add baking soda (about 1/4 teaspoon) to your water when boiling eggs. It will help the eggshells peel off easier."
—marah-stellej
3. Achieve perfectly juicy chicken every time by brining.
Zach DeSart / Via bonappetit.com
"Soak your chicken in a brine whenever possible!"
—lsimon2088
Learn how to make an all-purpose poultry brine here.
4. Quickly clean up after peeling vegetables with plastic wrap.
Alenkadr / Getty Images
Getty Images
"When peeling vegetables, lay a piece of plastic wrap over your cutting board and peel above it. When you're done, pick up the plastic for an instantly clean cutting board."
—kated488289752
5. Secure your cutting board with a damp kitchen towel.
Emily Fleischaker/Buzzfeed
"Put a dish towel under your cutting board to keep it in place as you chop things. It is also helpful if you are rolling out dough on a cutting board."
—cristat
6. Remove the skin of toasted nuts with a tea towel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_RUPGJzBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_RUPGJzBk
"Roll toasted nuts in a tea towel to easily remove skins."
—c4a49bd1bf
Check out this video to see how it's done.
7. Dredge bacon in flour before cooking for optimum crispness.
http://soupaddict.com/2010/02/burn-your-bacon-no-more-bake-it/
http://soupaddict.com/2010/02/burn-your-bacon-no-more-bake-it/
"Lightly flour bacon before cooking it on the stove top. It comes out nice and crispy and there is no splatter."
—Jean Presiler Melek, Facebook
Check out a step-by-step guide to dredging bacon here.
8. Steam-baste your eggs for a new take on sunny-side up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd3lDnP2dqA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd3lDnP2dqA
"I worked as a breakfast cook for a bit in college where I learned how to make basted eggs. I haven't had to flip an egg since! You get the same runny yolk/cooked whites effect as over easy, without risking broken yolks."
—NC89
Learn how to perfect the technique here.
9. Use a touch test to cook steak perfectly.
Robsonabbott / Getty Images
"When I was working as a server and it was slow, my chef friend would teach me little cooking tricks. The one that I use the most is how to tell if a steak is done. When you press on it and it feels like you are pressing on your chin, that's rare. If it feels like you are pressing on your nose, that's medium. If it feels like you are pressing on your forehead, that's well. I use this all the time and now I am the steak grill master at our house!"
—amandah418f577fe
10. And use the surprisingly accurate finger test to perfectly cook rice every time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHN60UKQx_o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHN60UKQx_o
"When cooking rice, add your liquid until it comes up to the first knuckle on your index finger (placed so the tip is touching the very top of the rice). Cover with foil and place in an oven for 45 minutes at 350°, or 30 minutes in a convection oven. Perfect rice every time. No measuring required."
—jon11288
11. Three Words: Mise. En. Place.
www.instagram.com
www.instagram.com
"This may not be an actual cooking hack, but it makes cooking so much easier. Have all your ingredients prepped, measured and ready to go. When you actually start the cooking process, it's as easy as can be and you're not scrambling for things at the last second."
—maiat40d30191e
12. Soak peeled onions in ice water before cutting to prevent tears.
Centralitalliance / Getty Images
Getty Images
"Soak onions in ice water right before chopping them to help with the crying."
—cristat
13. Season every step of the cooking process to prevent over-salting at the end.
Wavebreak / Getty Images
www.instagram.com
"Season your food liberally, but taste as you go along. You can always add salt, but you can't take it away!"
—mandyciampa
14. Prevent cut vegetables from browning by storing them in water.
Szakaly / Getty Images
"If you are cutting potatoes but don't want to use them immediately, store them in water so they don't turn black."
—camillabrock
15. No peeler handy? Use the back of your knife.
Luckybusiness / Getty Images
"Use the back of your knife to peel carrots and other hearty vegetables."
—pandabear14
16. Deep-fry expensive cuts of meat for even cooking throughout.
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott / Via bonappetit.com
"Deep-fry your steak. The oil doesn't penetrate the meat and the technique cooks it evenly throughout. Afterwards, pop it on the grill for nice marks."
—b41e461f6e
Check out a step-by-step guide to deep-frying steaks here.
17. Dry off any meat or tofu with a paper towel to achieve a perfect sear.
Szakaly / Getty Images
"Always pat dry your proteins before searing to get that great crispy skin and seal in the moisture."
—cattibriep
Note: Submissions have been lightly edited for length and/or clarity.
