The Latest on Food Hacks

If you've ever unloaded your dishwasher to a warm cloud of steam, then spotted droplets pooling on plates and freckles across your glassware, you're not alone. Even though modern dishwashers use as little as 6 to 12 litres of water per cycle, drying can still disappoint. The twist? A simple fix has been in your linen closet all along. It works so well you might wonder why it never made the manual.

Two-Ingredient Protein Power Snack: Crunchy Quinoa & Almond Butter

Fall Figs + Cheese: Upgrade Your Grilled Sandwich in 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Novice Time: 15 minutes prep, 35-45 minutes baking Cost: ~$8

Perfect Buffalo Chicken Dip: Game Day's Ultimate Crowd-Pleaser

We've all been there, staring at that box of leftover pizza in the fridge, knowing we're about to commit the cardinal sin of microwaving it into rubbery submission. But here's the thing, you don't have to settle for soggy, disappointing reheated pizza anymore. Comprehensive testing of six different methods shows that some techniques can actually bring your slice back to life, and research shows that the winning technique takes just minutes using equipment you already have.

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

Reviewed by Jame Jimenez

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: Moderate Time: 2 hours (40 minutes prep, 1 hour 20 minutes cooking) Cost: ~$15-18 Yield: 6 servings (about 30 meatballs)

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

Got 30 minutes? Here’s how to pick the perfect air fryer without getting overwhelmed by endless options. These compact powerhouses circulate extremely hot air around food, so you get that crispy texture we all crave with minimal oil (Consumer Reports). Market research shows they remain among the most popular countertop appliances, with growth continuing despite post-pandemic expectations (Consumer Reports). What started as a simple gadget for reheating frozen fries has turned into a versatile...

4 Smart Fast-Food Hacks That Cut Your Bill in Half

TikTok's latest fast-food hack is everywhere. Tempting, a little chaotic, and it might make you rethink lunch. A viral wave of videos reworking basic drive-thru orders has racked up millions of views, pulling viewers in with equal parts fascination and side-eye. Multiple creators keep upping the stakes, according to various viral posts, with some clips clearing 28 million views. The promise is big, a reinvented fast-food experience, but some combos tip from clever to what are we even eating.

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

Difficulty: NoviceTime: 5-15 minutes per hackCost: Free (using included cruise amenities)

Reviewed by: Jame Jimenez

Difficulty: Novice to Moderate Time: 5 minutes to 1 hour (depending on recipe) Cost: Under $15 for most recipes

Ready to turn your kitchen into a personal coffeehouse? The path to café-quality espresso at home just became clearer, thanks to extensive professional testing that has separated the standouts from the also-rans. After over 80 hours of rigorous testing by CNET's experts and over 3600 espresso shots pulled by coffee professionals across 75+ machines, the takeaway lands cleanly. 2025's espresso machines deliver real upgrades for home baristas at every price point.

Difficulty: Novice Time: 10-15 minutes per order Cost: Save 25-50% with strategic ordering

Reviewed by Julianne Ngirngir

Difficulty: Novice Time: 20-30 minutes per hack Cost: $0-50 per technique

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...

You know how sometimes you stumble across someone who just seems to have everything figured out? That's exactly what happened when I started noticing how Australian McDonald's customers approach their dessert orders. These folks have cracked a code that goes way beyond just knowing what's on the menu—they've figured out how to work the system to get exactly what they want, when they want it.

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

Got 15 minutes and a wallet that's feeling a little light? Here's how to slash your grocery bills while eating amazing plant-based meals. Research shows that switching to a whole-food vegan diet can cut food costs by 19 percent—that's about $650 in savings per year. The secret isn't complicated: plant-based staples like brown rice, potatoes, and beans are some of the cheapest and healthiest ingredients in the supermarket. Plus, inflation has hit meat at nearly twice the rate of vegetables,...

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

Greek yogurt has always been in my regular snack rotation. Packed with more protein than plain yogurt, it fills me up and stabilizes my energy with its low levels of carbohydrates and sugar.

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.

I grew up in a rural town, which meant we dehydrated a lot of food. Even with a hungry family of five, there was no way that we could eat all the season's tomatoes before they molded, all the orchard's apples before they grew soft, or all the wild mushrooms we picked. And so our dehydrator was always getting a good workout.

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.

Many people rely on the date printed on an egg carton to decide when to toss the dozen, but sell‑by and best‑by dates are quality guidelines — not safety deadlines. If you've been pitching eggs solely because of the date on the carton, you may be wasting perfectly good food.

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.

I'm not a big fan of single-use tools, especially ones that aren't used particularly often. I'm especially not a big fan of seldom-used single-use tools that take up a large amount of space.

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.