How-To Guides about Food Hacks

Difficulty: Novice Time: 5-15 minutes per hack Cost: Price of regular menu items

Difficulty: Novice Time: 3-5 minutes Cost: Free (using equipment you have)

Difficulty: Novice Time: 25 minutes Cost: ~$8

Difficulty: Novice Time: 15 minutes Cost: ~$8

You've probably grabbed a box of mac and cheese during a hunger emergency, only to realize you're out of milk. No milk, no problem. Skip the watery plan B and the late-night store run. The trick is not kitchen magic, it is understanding what makes sauces creamy and which easy swaps beat the box directions by a mile.

Difficulty: Novice Time: 15 minutes prep + 20 minutes baking Cost: ~$18 Yield: Serves 8-10 as appetizer

Difficulty: Novice Time: 10 seconds to learn, lifetime to benefit Cost: $0 (uses your existing grater)

Difficulty: Novice Time: 10 minutes per order Cost: Saves $5-25 per order

5 Trader Joe's Protein Hacks That Transform Your Meals in Minutes

Freeze Coffee Beans Like a Pro: 4 Easy Steps to Lock in Freshness for Months

Difficulty: Novice Time: 5-60 minutes per hack Cost: ~$0-15 (using common ingredients)

Reviewed by: Jame Jimenez

Difficulty: Novice Time: 2-3 hours weekly for planning and prep Cost: £50 weekly for family of four

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Picture this: you're scrolling through TikTok when suddenly your feed is flooded with the same mesmerizing video—someone calmly assembling what looks like deconstructed sushi in a bowl. Welcome to the Emily Mariko phenomenon. In 2021, a TikToker named Emily Mariko whipped up a salmon rice bowl that would become the internet's latest obsession. Her simple leftover makeover has garnered over 40 million views and spawned countless recreations, transforming how millions think about leftovers. The...

Ever wonder how to squeeze more flavor, value, and satisfaction out of your McDonald's breakfast run? Whether you're rushing to work or treating yourself to a weekend morning meal, there are clever ways to transform basic menu items into something spectacular. Former McDonald's Corporate Chef Mike Haracz has shared insider tips, and savvy customers have discovered ordering tricks that can save money while delivering better taste. These breakfast sandwich hacks range from simple substitutions to...

Difficulty: Novice Time: 15 minutes Cost: Free Savings: Up to $500 annually

Difficulty: Novice Time: 2-60 minutes per recipe Cost: Free with meal plan to $6 per serving

Difficulty: Novice Time: 30 minutes setup, ongoing savings Cost: Free (saves £5-15 per visit)

A friend asked me the other day what kitchen tool I most frequently use. After my chef's knife, I told him that it had to be my cast-iron skillet. He was a little confused and asked what I used it for other than pancakes and bacon. I told him this: everything.

We like our Egg McMuffins around here, albeit homemade with our preferred ingredients: whole wheat (or homemade sourdough) English muffins, a slice of thick Tillamook cheddar cheese, a meat, perhaps, like Canadian bacon, and finally — that perfectly-fried, perfectly-shaped egg.

When I first started cooking, if I saw lemon juice or zest in a recipe, I almost always left it out. Unless it was a main component, I never thought it made much of a difference in the dish's overall flavor — but I couldn't have been more wrong.

There's an ongoing debate about whether or not it's safe or even desirable to rinse meat before cooking it. Many fall into the anti-rinsing camp, saying that it's not effective at dislodging bacteria, especially on poultry, as we've discussed before. Meanwhile, some argue that rinsing certain meats, like bacon, can rinse away excess surface salt and may reduce shrinkage — though evidence is strictly anecdotal.

Sushi rolls, known as makizushi in Japanese, are only limited by your imagination — and your ability to roll them neatly, of course. While it may seem like a lot of effort, rolling sushi is a snap if you have the right tools.

People will go to amazing lengths to make a grilled cheese sandwich. They'll use irons, waffle makers, or whatever appliance gets hot enough to marry golden, crisp bread with oozy, molten cheese.

Kitchens smell, and whether you find the smell tolerable or revolting is entirely up to you.

Want to show all your foodie friends that you're really in the know? Then it's time to master the art of making edible dirt. Chefs are finding ways to dry, char, and combine various foodstuffs to give the appearance of actual dirt — only with a rich, savory taste.

Everyone talks about how great sliced bread is, but there's nothing better than the taste of a just-baked loaf of crusty French bread. Like most beautiful things in life, however, the beauty of the baguette doesn't last. The next day, it's rock-hard and good for very little except for croutons or breadcrumbs. But there is a trick to make it taste fresh again.

Skip the drive-thru — you can fry up KFC-style Nashville Hot Chicken at home in less time than it takes to find out whether it's still on the menu.

For those of us without rice cookers, conventional wisdom tells us that the stove is our only real option (unless, of course, you dabble in microwavable rice). However, if you're only using the stove for cooking rice start-to-finish, you're missing out on the easiest way to make perfect rice every time.

We're all familiar with the sinking feeling that happens when you cruise through a recipe, only to arrive at an instruction that calls for a tool you don't have. Some of the best food hacks (and my personal favorites) exist to combat that problem. Why spend money on a kitchen tool — or worse, avoid a recipe altogether — when you could find a new way to achieve the same result?

Fall is the time for comfort foods — and what is more comforting than crusty bread slathered in melted cheese? Owning a fondue pot is both convenient and wonderful, but not all of us have the luxury of space for nonessential kitchen appliances. However, there are plenty of ways to make an absolutely delicious, lump-free fondue without the traditional equipment.

Many lazy cooks skip rinsing their grains before cooking them, but that's a big mistake for several reasons. Some grains have coatings you should rinse off to cook properly and taste good.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner... which is the perfect excuse to ignite your inner cupid and bake a heart-shaped cake. If you have a heart-shaped cake or springform pan, you're all set. If not, don't worry—you don't need one! With a little ingenuity, you'll have a beautiful heart cake using the pans you already own.

Lasagna, that layered, creamy baked pasta dish, is a lovely comfort food that's great for a crowd. But if you've ever made it, you know you're usually left with some leftover lasagna noodles. (Although that's always better than the frustration of running out of noodles while you're still making a traditional lasagna.) Still, what do you do when you're left with a bowlful of the wide ribbons?

Being able to sleep deeply and fully is one of the foundations for real health. When you go without it, you feel subhuman and incapable of dealing with the world—just ask a student who's had to pull an all-nighter or the parents of a newborn. In fact, many studies have shown that lack of sleep or irregular sleep is linked to acne, weight gain, and depression.