DIY Restaurant Kitchen Hacks: 106 Clever Tips to Save Time and Money

DIY Kitchen Hacks: 106 Clever Tips to Save Time and Money

Your Ultimate Guide to Saving Time and Taking Control of Your Kitchen

We’ve put together 106 tips that will help you conquer all the menial kitchen-related tasks in your life from food prep to food storage to cleaning. There’s even a section of hacks that show you how to use appliances for, shall we say, “alternative” purposes.

The kitchen is the room of a house that turns a living space into a home. It’s where you spend time with family, make new friends, fuel your life, and exercise your culinary creativity.

You should be able to enjoy your kitchen. However, there are times when being in the kitchen is a challenge. Our restaurant hacks are here to help.

Whether you’re learning to cook a new dish or suddenly notice a smell in the microwave, it’s nice to have a few hacks up your sleeve. Try these kitchen life hacks on for size...

Easy Food Hacks & Meal Prep Tips

Hack #1: Pit Cherries quickly with a straw and glass bottle

Hack #1: Pit Cherries quickly with a straw and glass bottle

Place the cherry upside down on the mouth of the bottle and shove the straw straight through the middle of the cherry. The pit will drop into the bottle and you’ll have a delicious cherry without the tooth-shattering surprise in the middle.

Hack #2: Peel Garlic the easy way

Hack #2: Peel Garlic the easy way

Smash your garlic cloves with a bowl, then place them in a Tupperware container and shake until you’re a little bit dizzy. This separates the cloves from the peels. All you have to do now is dump everything on the counter and take what you need.

Hack #3: Slice potatoes with an apple slicer

Hack #3: Slice potatoes with an apple slicer

Repurpose your apple slicer to create potato wedges. Peel the potato and then slice for southwestern steak fries!

Hack #4: Two ways to peel a hard-boiled egg

Hack #4: Two ways to peel a hard boiled egg

Either stick a push-pin in one end of the egg before boiling or add baking soda to the water and your egg will be much easier to peel. Trust us, the push-pin thing is weird, but it’s one of those cooking hacks that just works.

Hack #5: Use a wooden spoon to keep pots from boiling over

Hack #5: Use a wooden spoon to keep pots from boiling over

Place a wooden spoon over your pot of water as if you were building a little log bridge for toy soldiers with it from one end of the pot to the other.

Why does this work? Witchcraft? Science? The world may never know, but there’s no denying that it does work.

Maybe the wood absorbs the steam? No doubt it works, and you don’t even need a magic wand.

Hack #6: Use cooking oil to keep pots from boiling over

Hack #6: Use cooking oil to keep pots from boiling over

Drop a small amount of cooking oil into a boiling pot and it will keep the pot from boiling over onto the cooktop.

Hack #7: Separate egg yolk from the whites with a bottle

Hack #7: Separate egg yolk from the whites with a bottle

Put a boiled egg in a small glass of water, cover the open end, and shake vigorously over the sink. When everyone looks at you like you’ve lost it, remove the eggshell with one move to remind them of the thin line between madness and genius. See how here.

Hack #8: Cut corn off the cob with ease using a bundt cake pan

Hack #8: Cut corn off the cob with ease using a bundt cake pan

 Using the center of a bundt cake pan and using the center spike, hold a corn cob vertically while shaving the kernels with a paring knife. They will fall into the cake pan neatly, ready for you to cook to your liking.

Hack #9: Easy way to check if an egg has gone bad

Hack #9: Easy way to check if an egg has gone bad

This is one of those kitchen hacks for cooking that could really save you from a lot of discomfort by ensuring you avoid eating rotten eggs (literally)!

Drop an egg in a pan of water and if it sinks, it’s edible. If it floats, it’s past its expiration date — don’t crack it unless you’re playing a prank on someone.

Once you determine if it's ready to be cracked and after it's been boiled, use should use a kitchen knife to slice it into beautiful little slices. If your kitchen knife gets dull, don't forget to sharpen it with a whetstone. Learn how to use a whetstone in 7 easy steps.

Hack #10: A great way to grate cheese

Hack #10: A great way to grate cheese

Grate softer cheeses quickly and easily by freezing them for thirty minutes before grating.

Hack #11: Use your blender to make homemade ice cream

Hack #11: Use your blender to make homemade ice cream

Forget boring old vanilla! Here are thirteen different recipes for making homemade ice cream in your blender.

Hack #12: Make crunchy taco shells from tortillas with your oven rack

Hack #12: Make crunchy taco shells from tortillas with your oven rack

Since store-bought crunchy taco shells go stale in a hot minute, make your crunchy taco shells from your soft tortillas only when you need them!

Drape the tortillas over your oven rack in the shape of a crunchy taco shell until crispy. Then, proceed to eat your weight in tacos (which is the only way to eat them)! However, it is not suggested to use this technique in commercial ovens or restaurant ranges. You're better off using a rolling tortilla warmer in a restaurant.

Hack #13: Hard-Boil a Golden Egg

Hack #13: Hard-Boil a Golden Egg

Before dropping your egg into the boiling water, shake it vigorously for 2-3 minutes. After boiling and peeling, you’ll have a golden egg that you didn’t have to slay a giant for.

Hack #14: Easily remove eggshell pieces from yolk

Hack #14: Easily remove eggshell pieces from yolk

Those tiny pieces are so impossible to grab with your fingers. Don’t worry, science is here to save the day! Just wet your fingers and touch the shell pieces and they should stick to your fingertips and come right out.

Hack #15: Make tortilla chips in your oven

Hack #15: Make tortilla chips in your oven

Cut up soft tortillas and place them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven until crispy and never run out of chips at the party again!

Hack #16: Use a coffee grinder to create your own spice blends

Hack #16: Use a coffee grinder to create your own spice blends

Throw herbs and spices together in a regular old coffee grinder and create spice combos and dry rub seasonings only available at YOUR barbeque!

Hack #17: Remove fat from soup, casserole, or stew

Hack #17: Remove fat from soup, casserole, or stew

Fat is gross. Remove fat by putting an ice cube in a hot soup or casserole. The fat will congeal on the top and be easy to scoop out with a spoon.

Hack #18: Use the cracked half eggshell to scoop out small fragments of eggshell

Hack #18: Use the cracked half eggshell to scoop out small fragments of eggshell

Those pesky eggshells again! Use the larger eggshell pieces to scoop the tiny pieces out of the yolk or whites to clean your farm-fresh, free-range eggs from a chicken named Esther who had a pretty good life.

Kitchen Hacks for Produce

Hack #19: Slice multiple cherry tomatoes at once with two plates

Hack #19: Slice multiple cherry tomatoes at once with two plates

Cherry tomatoes are so small that there is about a 50/50 chance you’re going to cut your finger instead. Place several on a small plate. Using an identical plate, gently sandwich the tomatoes between the two plates.

Gently, but firmly, hold one hand on the plates while passing a long knife between the plates using a sawing pattern to evenly slice all of the tomatoes at once. You may find that a serrated knife works best to tear through the tomato skin.

Hack #20: Ironically remove the stem of a strawberry with a straw

Hack #20: Ironically remove the stem of a strawberry with a straw

Strawberry stems can be easily removed with a drinking straw. Simply push the straw through the strawberry from the tip to the stem and it will pop right out! Now it’s a REAL “straw” berry.

Hack #21: Easy way to check if your avocado is ripe

Hack #21: Easy way to check if your avocado is ripe

If you look at the skin under the stem of the avocado and it’s yellow or green, you’re good to go! If it’s brown, toss it. Green means go, brown means garbage.

Hack #22: An easy way to cut a watermelon without a mess

Hack #22: An easy way to cut a watermelon without a mess

Cut the watermelon in half. Lay one half on the cutting board with the flat side down.

Keeping the watermelon together, cut it into slices about 1-2” apart. Turn the watermelon, keeping it all together and cut across it the same way (like you’re cutting a pan of brownies). Now, enjoy the mouth-sized slices of watermelon by the pool!

Bonus: keeping the rind on the watermelon will keep it fresher longer.

Hack #23: Peel an apple quickly with a power drill

Hack #23: Peel an apple quickly with a power drill

If you need an apple peeled, just use your teeth. But if you need a LOT of apples peeled, then use a power drill. Just stab the drill bit down into the center of the apple, hold your apple peeler against the apple, and spin the apple on the drill. You can peel an apple clean in about 5 seconds.

Hack #24: Peeling a banana is so easy a monkey can do it

Hack #24: Peeling a banana is so easy a monkey can do it

Nature has something to teach us about bananas. Humans are the only species that try to open the banana from the long stem end. Monkeys will take the non-stemmed end, pinch it, and peel the banana with ease.

Hack #25: Get the most juice from a lemon

Hack #25: Get the most juice from a lemon

Lemons have many practical uses, but they’re often used for their juice. Juicing lemons can be a real grind, though. To get the most juice out of a lemon, first, refrigerate your lemons for about 30 minutes. Microwave them for 20 seconds afterward, and use tongs to squeeze the juice out.

Hack #26: Another perfect way to cut a watermelon

Hack #26: Another perfect way to cut a watermelon

First, take a quartered piece of watermelon and cut two horizontal lines the length of the melon on both sides. Next, cut vertical, perpendicular lines down to the rind. Last, cut along the entire bottom “scoop,” where the rind meets the melon. Now dump the perfectly cubed watermelon out into a bowl or on a plate and enjoy!

Hack #27: Quickly ripen bananas in the oven

Hack #27: Quickly ripen bananas in the oven

If your bananas are still too green to eat but you’ve just got to have one, throw them on a baking sheet with the peels on and pop them in the oven for a few minutes. About 350 degrees for a few minutes should do it.

Hack #28: Use your oven for creating dried fruit snacks

Hack #28: Use your oven for creating dried fruit snacks

Most fruits can be sliced up and placed in the oven at 130-160 degrees for 6 hours to create dried fruit snacks. Add 2-4 hours for citrus fruits. (There’s a LOT of juice in those).

Hack #29: Use your waffle iron to cook eggs

Hack #29: Use your waffle iron to cook eggs

Waffle irons are essentially just a griddle with abs. It may seem like you’re just making a huge mess for yourself to clean up, but if you’re in a bind, you can throw eggs and bacon on it in a pinch and they will come out just fine.

Looking for restaurant cleaning hacks to take care of the mess afterward? Make a baking soda and water paste to clean your waffle iron. Or, try placing a damp sheet of paper towel in the waffle iron to get into all the crevices.

Hack #30: Make lemons tap out with tongs

Hack #30: Make lemons tap out with tongs

Instead of using your hands, squeeze lemons with a set of kitchen tongs and use the physical science of the lever to force all the juice out.

Hack #31: Keep bananas from over-ripening

Hack #31: Keep bananas from over-ripening

Wrap the stalk of the banana in saran wrap to prevent over-ripening because what really keeps bananas from going bad is a little cling-film hat.

Cooking, Grilling, and Baking Hacks

Hack #32: Keep bacon from splattering and popping with a little water in the pan

Hack #32: Keep bacon from splattering and popping with a little water in the pan

Adding enough water just to cover the bottom of the pan not only renders the fat, preventing popping and splattering, but it also cooks a better slice of bacon! This is how you get that tender-yet-crispy bacon strip that you didn’t burn but it still crunches.

Hack #33: Cook a whole bird evenly

Hack #33: Cook a whole bird evenly

Here’s a restaurant recipe hack you’ll come back to every Thanksgiving.

Dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat. If you chill or ice the white meat components of your bird (whether it be a turkey or a chicken)like the breasts and wings, it will allow the whole bird to evenly cook. Tell us that’s not one of the best restaurant recipe hacks?! Even your in-laws will love it.

Hack #34: Grill your fish on a bed of lemons

Hack #34: Grill your fish on a bed of lemons

Again, lemons are magic. Cooking your fish on a bed of lemons prevents it from sticking to the grill as well as infuses a punch of citrusflavor into the fish for a light and brightfilet!

Hack #35: Make hash browns with a waffle iron

Hack #35: Make hash browns with a waffle iron

Fill the waffle iron with your grated potatoes to create a delicious, waffle-shaped hash brown pattie.

Hack #36: Turn your grill into a smoker

Hack #36: Turn your grill into a smoker

Wrap a handful of wood chips in tin foil and place them inside your grill. The chips will heat up (and not catch on fire) to release a flavorful smoke into the grill while you cook. Or, just get a smoker instead.

Hack #37: Use a waffle iron to make bacon

Hack #37: Use a waffle iron to make bacon

Yes, you can cook bacon on a waffle iron. If you want to go next level, lay the bacon on the waffle iron, pour batter over it, and cook the bacon into the waffle. You’re welcome.

Hack #38: Cook bacon in your hotel room with the iron or coffee maker

Hack #38: Cook bacon in your hotel room with the iron or coffee maker

Wrap bacon in tin foil and press with the iron for several minutes. This also works on the small burner at the base of a coffee maker. Just be careful not to set off the smoke alarms…and do NOT attempt this if you don’t have tin foil! Can you imagine that explanation to the firemen later?

Hack #39: How to cook a panini with an iron

Hack #39: How to cook a panini with an iron

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which you have a panini but no press. But if you ever do find yourself in such a predicament, wrap the panini in tin foil and press with a hot iron; it’s basically the same thing.

Hack #40: Coat measuring cups with cooking spray

Hack #40: Coat measuring cups with cooking spray

If you’re going to measure something sticky like peanut butter, honey, or syrup with your measuring cups, spray them down with some cooking spray or coat them with flavorless oil first. They will be much easier to clean afterward.

Hack #41: How to keep your tacos standing up in the oven while you broil the cheese

Hack #41: How to keep your tacos standing up in the oven while you broil the cheese

Place tacos on a baking sheet with balls of tin foil between them to help them stay propped up. Now you can broil the cheese on top without having to settle for a floppy microwave taco.

Hack #42: Turn a drawer into a cutting board

Hack #42: Turn a drawer into a cutting board

Open a drawer and lay your cutting board across it to gain counter space in a smaller kitchen.

Hack #43: Natural non-stick for your grill

Hack #43: Natural non-stick for your grill

Cut a large onion in half and rub your grill grates down after cooking. Not only does this clean your grill, but makes it a non-stick surface for next time!

Drink/Beverage Hacks

Hack #44: Stop sharing your drinks on the patio with yard bugs

Hack #44: Stop sharing your drinks on the patio with yard bugs

Poke a drinking straw through an upside-down cupcake paper and drape it over the top of your cup. For extra security, use a rubber band to hold the new makeshift “lid” on tight. That oughta teach those bugs who’s boss!

Hack #45: Fancy, Clear Ice Cubes

Hack #45: Fancy, Clear Ice Cubes

If you’re going for that picture-perfect dinner with friends, a nice touch is to boil water before freezing it into ice cubes. This makes the cubes freeze into crystal-clear cubes for drinks.

Hack #46: Foam milk without a fancy frother. Shake it like a polaroid and nuke it 30sec

Hack #46: Foam milk without a fancy frother. Shake it like a polaroid and nuke it 30sec

If you want a foamy cappuccino but can’t afford a fancy-schmancy machine, then foam your own milk. Fill a lidded container about halfway with milk. Then shake it like a Polaroid picture until it expands to fill the cup. Microwave for 30 seconds and faster than you can say tall latte with a whip, you’ve got a foamy addition to your coffee or cappuccino.

Hack #47: Creative whipped coffee toppers

Hack #47: Creative whipped coffee toppers

Dollop some cool whip into a cookie cutter and freeze it to create cute shapes for topping your favorite fancy coffee.

Hack #48: Freeze lemons in a cupcake pan for large cubes meant for pitchers

Hack #48: Freeze lemons in a cupcake pan for large cubes meant for pitchers

During the summertime, there’s nothing like a cold glass of lemonade. If you’re outside and need giant ice cubes for the pitcher, use your muffin tins as ice trays for pitcher-sized cubes.

Hack #49: A properly functioning Sangria

Hack #49: A properly functioning Sangria

Put ice on top of the fruit in your sangria to hold the fruit down in the glass. Nobody likes a pushy pineapple.

Hack #50: Chill a Coke (or bottle of wine) in two minutes

Hack #50: Chill a Coke (or bottle of wine) in two minutes

Fill a bucket with ice water and add lots of salt. The mixture will react and super freeze whatever is in the bucket in two minutes. This is also the recipe for basic homemade ice cream.

Hack #51: Open a coke bottle with a piece of paper

Hack #51: Open a coke bottle with a piece of paper

Take a regular sheet of paper and fold it as many times as you can. Using the hardest corner created from the folding, leverage it against the underside of the bottle cap and pop it right off!

Kitchen Storage Hacks for Food

Hack #52: Freeze herbs in olive oil for later use

Hack #52: Freeze herbs in olive oil for later use

Do you ever really use all of the herbs you bought at the farmer’s market? Probably not at one time. Freeze the leftovers in olive oil for later use. It prevents freezer burn and locks the original flavor in.

Hack #53: Use an empty Tic Tac dispenser to hold spices

Hack #53: Use empty Tic Tac dispenser to hold spices

The circle of life demands that the container that once carried tablets to freshen your breath should carry spices to worsen it later. Fill empty Tic-Tac containers with spices for cooking for easy dispensing.

Hack #54: Keep potatoes white

Hack #54: Keep potatoes white

Rinsing peeled potatoes with cold water before cooking prevents graying/browning caused by the release of starch. Nobody wants to eat a gray potato.

Hack #55: Slow Down rotting tomatoes

Hack #55: Slow Down rotting tomatoes

Store tomatoes with the stem end down to prevent moisture from entering the fruit too quickly. Also, storing them at room temperature instead of in the refrigerator can prolong life too.

Hack #56: Decrystallize honey

Hack #56: Decrystallize honey

When your honey crystallizes, it may look gross, but it’s actually still ok to eat. Just put the container in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes and it should go back to its regular form.

Hack #57: Give leftovers new life

Hack #57: Give leftovers new life

Instead of throwing leftovers out, repurpose them into other meals throughout the week. Rice and grilled chicken can be used in so many ways, there’s no reason any should go to waste.

Hack #58: Proper ways to reheat pizza quickly in the microwave

Hack #58: Proper ways to reheat pizza

Reheating pizza in the microwave usually results in a slice that’s either warm on the edges and cold in the middle or boiling lava hot which guarantees you won’t taste anything else for the next day and a half.

Regardless of temperature, pizza always comes back dry, so put a cup of water in the microwave with it. As the microwave heats the pizza, it also releases water into the air, keeping your slice moist and delicious.

Hack #59: Correctly reheat pasta

Hack #59: Correctly reheat pasta

A clump of pasta will reheat unevenly, leaving a few surprise ice-cold sections right next to a “surface of the sun” section. Reheat it evenly by arranging the pasta in a donut shape. This allows it to reheat at the same rate and prevents the destruction of your mouth.

Hack #60: Reheat bread correctly in the microwave

Hack #60: Reheat bread correctly in the microwave

The key is to add moisture. Set the microwave on a low power setting and wrap the bread in a wet paper towel. You could also put a cup of water in the microwave with the bread if you are reheating a sandwich and can’t really wrap it in anything.

Hack #61: Turn a mason jar into a salt container with pouring spout

Hack #61: Turn a mason jar into a salt container with pouring spout

Cut the top of an empty salt container off. Cut it to the size of the mason jar lid and make sure to include the pouring spout in the cutout. Then place the cutout inside the jar ring (remove the metal disc of the lid) and replace the new lid on the jar. Now you have a reusable salt dispenser with a pouring spout!

Hack #62: Keep brown sugar from clumping with marshmallows

Hack #62: Keep brown sugar from clumping with marshmallows

If you put a few giant marshmallows in your bag of brown sugar, the sugar won’t clump up over time. It will stay ready to be measured for the next time you need it.

Hack #63: Ice cream that never bends the spoon

Hack #63: Ice cream that never bends the spoon

Keeping your ice cream closed up in a gallon-sized ziplock bag in the freezer will ensure that it is soft and ready to serve every time you take it out!

Hack #64: Keep avocados from turning brown

Hack #64: Keep avocados from turning brown

Avocado on top of stuff? Good. Brown avocado on top of stuff? Dog food.

Keep your avocados from turning brown by sprinkling a little lemon juice on top of them before storing.

Hack #65: Keep Guacamole from turning brown

Hack #65: Keep Guacamole from turning brown

When you store guacamole, put a little water on top of it in the container and place a lid on it. When you’re ready to eat it again, drain the water and serve. Green guacamole makes everyone happy!

Utensils and Kitchen Organization Hacks

Hack #66: Cut the cake or cut the cheese with dental floss

Hack #66: Cut the cake or cut the cheese with dental floss

Use dental floss to easily slice soft cakes or cheeses and avoid the mess. This method also gives you a nice, clean-cut so your dessert presentation is always classy.

Hack #67: Use a plastic knife to cut brownies for no stick

Hack #67: Use a plastic knife to cut brownies for no stick

When cutting brownies with a metal utensil...well, we should say “when tearing brownies” with a metal utensil, it always leaves a big mess. A plastic knife, however, will mysteriously slice through brownies without leaving any chocolatey carnage behind.

Hack #68: Master Plastic wrap

Hack #68: Master Plastic wrap

Avoid being the other guy on an infomercial about plastic wrap by storing it in the fridge. Chilling the wrap makes it chill out when you’re trying to wrap your bowl of leftovers with it.

Hack #69: Cover food with a shower cap in the shortage of saran wrap

Hack #69: Cover food with a shower cap in the shortage of saran wrap

It’s a long shot, but if you happen to have a shower cap and no plastic wrap (ie. while in a hotel), you can tag in the cap for the wrap and keep leftovers fairly fresh until you get back from that boring museum the next day.

Hack #70: Open a difficult jar lid with a rubber band

Hack #70: Open a difficult jar lid with a rubber band

If you wrap the rubber band around the edge of difficult-to-open jar lids, it can provide some traction to get the lid to budge. If that doesn’t work, just hand it to your wife and watch it pop off with ease.

Hack #71: Run a knife under hot water for perfect cake slices

Hack #71: Run a knife under hot water for perfect cake slices

You’ve heard that expression “like a hot knife through cake,” right? Maybe it should be a thing because this definitely works.

Hack #72: Use a bottle opener to open tough jars

Hack #72: Use a bottle opener to open tough jars

Those stubborn jars! If you use the leverage of a bottle opener under the edge of the lid until you hear a pop, you can then open the difficult jar with ease.

Hack #73: Create a disposable funnel with an envelope

Hack #73: Create a disposable funnel with an envelope

If you’re baking a cake or just really enjoy funnels, make a disposable funnel by cutting the corner of an envelope off. Depending on the strength of the envelope, you might even be able to pour liquids through it.

Kitchen Cleaning Hacks

Hack #74: Clean and polish stainless steel appliances with baby oil and dish soap

Hack #74: Clean and polish stainless steel appliances with baby oil and dish soap

Mix baby oil and dish soap in a bowl and dip your washcloth in it to clean stainless steel appliance surfaces. Your fridge will feel like it’s lying face down in a Hawaiian beach hut and its fingerprinted cares are just melting away...

Hack #75: How to clean your microwave and sanitize the sponge

Hack #75: How to clean your microwave and sanitize the sponge

This might sound weird, but stay with us. Soak a sponge in water and microwave it for one minute. It will loosen up the grime inside by steaming it.

Afterward, soak the sponge in water and vinegar and then microwave for another minute. Now both the microwave and sponge are sanitized!

Hack #76: Use Baking Soda to clean baking sheets

Hack #76: Use Baking Soda to clean baking sheets

Get ready to learn just how powerful baking soda is! To clean baking sheets, sprinkle baking soda on the surface of the baking sheet and mix with hydrogen peroxide. When you scrub the surface, the lather that forms have strong cleaning power.

Hack #77: Eco-Friendly sink cleaner

Hack #77: Eco Friendly sink cleaner

Combine Lemon with baking soda and vinegar to clean tough stains out of your sink in an eco-friendly way. If you can get your garbage disposal to erupt on command, though, you could win the science fair too!

Hack #78: Clean your sink with baking soda

Hack #78: Clean your sink with baking soda

If you’re short of powder cleaners like Comet, sprinkling baking soda in your sink with a little water can return your sink’s shine just as well!

Hack #79: Clean your microwave with water and lemon

Hack #79: Clean your microwave with water and lemon

Squeeze lemons into a microwave-safe bowl with water and stir. Then put the bowl in the microwave until you start to see steam rising from the bowl, which will clean and loosen tough grease and stains. After the steam clean, remove the really hot bowl of lemon water and wipe the inside of the microwave down. All done!

Hack #80: An easy way to clean your toaster

Hack #80: An easy way to clean your toaster

Toasters are tough to clean because of all the bread crumbs. You can turn yours upside down over the sink and shake it, but it’s a lot easier if you have a removable crumb tray. Use a small basting brush to brush out crumbs and if you need to, use some soapy water on the crumb tray. All that’s left after you reassemble it is to shine it up with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar!

Hack #81: Make your blender clean itself

Hack #81: Make your blender clean itself

Just like your mom used to say, clean up after yourself. Let’s tell that to the blender, shall we? Pour dish soap and fill the used blender halfway with water. Turn it on low and let the blender clean itself. Rinse under the sink and dry and get back to doing what you want to do.

Hack #82: Clean dirty pans with a dryer sheet

Hack #82: Clean dirty pans with a dryer sheet

This is probably the most amazing hack on the list. If you fill a dirty pan with warm water and drop a dryer sheet in it, the dryer sheet will begin sucking up all of the grease and grime from the pan for an easy wipe-down. Hmm...who knew? Snuggles does the dishes too.

Hack #83: Clean wooden cutting board with lemon and salt

Hack #83: Clean wooden cutting board with lemon and salt

Wooden cutting boards are incredibly durable, but also very porous, allowing bacteria to live where it should not.

To clean your cutting boards made of wood, all you need is a lemon and some salt. Take a lemon, cut it in half, and use one-half to squeeze the juice onto the board, using the lemon to spread it like a sponge. Then add salt and spread it with the lemon in circular overlapping passes. This knocks a lot of bacteria out as well as deodorizes the board.

Then use the other half of the lemon and repeat. When you’re done, take a damp paper towel and wipe the board down. Stand it on its side to dry.

Hack #84: Clean your crock pot with oven cleaner

Hack #84: Clean your crock pot with oven cleaner

As long as they’re uncoated metal, kitchen appliances may be cleanable using oven cleaner other. For instance, to clean the tough stains in a crockpot that develop over time, spray oven cleaner around the inside of the crockpot. Probably better done outside.

Let it sit for about an hour and when you come back to it, you should be able to easily wipe the crusty stains out easily with a damp sponge. Be Bill Clinton and don’t inhale the oven cleaner though!

Hack #85: Clean copper pots with common ingredients

Hack #85: Clean copper pots with common ingredients

With a little vinegar and salt mix, you can make your copper pots look new again.

Hack #86: Clean the oil from your cooktop with more oil

Hack #86: Clean the oil from your cooktop with more oil

Fight fire with fire, cure hangovers with more alcohol, and clean oil splatters with more oil! Mineral oil works best to clean up those messy cooking splatters.

Hack #87: Clean your nasty stove burners with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda

Hack #87: Clean your nasty stove burners with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can clean almost any surface in the kitchen. They are natural enemies of grease and will help you clean nasty stove top burners easily.

Hack #88: Vacuum your refrigerator coils

Hack #88: Vacuum your refrigerator coils

Though it may seem like the behavior of a crazy person, keeping your refrigerator coils clear of dust can extend the life of your fridge. Just vacuum the coils from time to time with a regular vacuum hose to keep your fridge from working harder than it has to.

Hack #89: Clean stainless steel appliances with dish soap and white vinegar

Hack #89: Clean stainless steel appliances with dish soap and white vinegar

This eco-friendly cleaner actually does a better job than most stainless appliance cleaners.

Hack #90: Use aluminum foil as a glass scrubber

Hack #90: Use aluminum foil as a glass scrubber

Wad up aluminum foil to create a great scrubber for glass dishes and pans. It’s soft enough that it won’t scratch but tough enough to knock off the hardened grease.

Hack #91: Whiten your cutting boards with bleach

Hack #91: Whiten your cutting boards with bleach

Don’t try this on wooden boards; it won’t work and why would you want to whiten a wooden cutting board? Those white cutting boards made of plastic can start to stain from onions and tomatoes, so throw a little bleach mixed with water on them and scrub them back to their former, shiny selves.

Hack #92: Remove coffee stains from mugs with baking soda

Hack #92: Remove coffee stains from mugs with baking soda

Your breath isn’t the only thing coffee can stain. Over time, ceramic mugs bear the marks of coffee lovers too.

To remove the stains, sprinkle baking soda (at this point, we may as well call it fairy dust) around the inside of the mug. Sprinkle some warm water inside too and let the dust work its magic.

Then take a warm, damp cloth and wipe away the stains. Repeat until you’re satisfied. Maybe this is why they put baking soda in toothpaste, too...

Hack #93: Remove hard water stains on flatware

Hack #93: Remove hard water stains on flatware

You guessed it: baking soda! Mix it with a little hydrogen peroxide to scrub out hard water stains from flatware or any other metal in the kitchen.

Kitchen Appliance and Technology Hacks

Hack #94: Convert creamer bottles into kid snack dispensers

Hack #94: Convert creamer bottles into kid snack dispensers

Before throwing those old coffee creamer bottles, rinse them out and use them as snack dispensers for your kids on road trips or while walking through the department store.

Hack #95: Remove the smell of garlic from your hands

Hack #95: Remove the smell of garlic from your hands

Garlic is strong and repels more than just vampires. So how to remove it from your hands after cooking with it? Well, we won’t mince words. Just wipe your hands on stainless steel appliances or other stainless steel items and it should come right off.

Of course, then you’ll have to use one of our other hacks to clean the fingerprints off your stainless appliances, but hey, at least your hands won’t smell like garlic!

Hack #96: Use your waffle iron to make waffle brownies

Hack #96: Use your waffle iron to make waffle brownies

Right now, you’re probably doing what we did: asking ourselves why we’ve never thought of this! Take your regular old brownie mix and drop it in the waffle iron. Cooking time may vary, so keep a close eye on the final stages of delicious brownie waffles!

Hack #97: Use a popcorn popper to toast nuts

Hack #97: Use a popcorn popper to toast nuts

After all, popcorn makers are just fancy, low-powered ovens, right? Drop your nuts in the popcorn maker for about one minute or until golden brown. It’s almost guaranteed you won’t burn them like in the oven.

Hack #98: A coffee maker can boil vegetables

Hack #98: A coffee maker can boil vegetables

Ok, so hear us out...what makes a pot of boiling water faster than coffee makers? Nothing. So why not drop some veggies in there and boil up some nutrition? Sure.

Hack #99: Use a french press to whip cream

Hack #99: Use a french press to whip cream

Granted, it won’t be as fluffy as normal whipped cream, but you’ll get at least one good dollop out of it.

Hack #100: Use a slow cooker to caramelize onions

Hack #100: Use a slow cooker to caramelize onions

To truly caramelize onions, it takes FOREVER. That’s why using a slow cooker is a natural remedy to our impatience for caramelized onions on our burgers and steaks. Just plan ahead and you’ll give them plenty of time to infuse the sugar in the slow cooker.

Hack #101: Use a micro plane to grate ginger or garlic

Hack #101: Use a micro plane to grate ginger or garlic

Ginger and garlic are really small and difficult to grate or mince by hand. So take a micro plane, which is a grater of sorts for tiny projects, and grate just the right amount for your meal.

Hack #102: Use your Keurig coffee maker to make oatmeal or soup

Hack #102: Use your Keurig coffee maker to make oatmeal or soup

Just like a coffee maker, a Keurig can steam up some H2O pretty quickly, which is great for a bowl of oatmeal or soup on the go.

Hack #103: Slice strawberries with an egg slicer

Hack #103: Slice strawberries with an egg slicer

They’re about the same size, right? Just don’t do both at the same time. Not a great combo.

Hack #104: Cook food in your dishwasher

Hack #104: Cook food in your dishwasher

We had to put this one on here because surely there are people somewhere who can tell you a story of how they’ve cooked in the dishwasher. Basically, you can place food in mason jars and put them in the high-temperature wash cycle. These are the same people that cook bacon under the hood of their cars.

Hack #105: Use a turkey baster to squeeze shapes out of pancake batter

Hack #105: Use a turkey baster to squeeze shapes out of pancake batter

Are round pancakes boring? Wouldn’t you like to draw a picture and then eat it? Well, just use a turkey baster to suck up pancake batter and doodle your breakfast into existence! Or take it to the next level like this.

Hack #106: Use a pizza wheel to chop fresh herbs

Hack #106: Use a pizza wheel to chop fresh herbs

Place your fresh herbs on a cutting board in a pile. Then roll a pizza cutter back and forth several times in several directions.

Looking for More Kitchen Hacks?

For 12 more kitchen hacks, check out our kitchen cleaning hacks infographic and keep your kitchen clean and happy! We hope you’ve enjoyed our restaurant food hacks and kitchen cleanup tips.

Comments

  1. comment authorAirbnb Clean Oct 12, 2018

    All tips are effortless and time saving. Thanks for sharing these cleaning hacks. Will make sure to use them next time.

  2. comment authorCarley Aug 26, 2020

    Hack #9 is wrong - its the other way around, if the egg floats its bad, if it sinks its fresh and if it stands up but still at the bottom it is still okay to eat.

    comment authorGoFoodservice Invalid Date

    Thanks for the corr-eggtion! :D

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