Cooking Tips — little secrets from the pros
Why does rice turn out fluffy, why won’t dough rise, why does meat get tough? 2163 tips tested by chefs and the community — sorted into categories and explained one by one.
All Tips
2,163 tips listed
How to Care for a Traditional Rolling Pin and a Handled Rolling Pin
Do not wash a traditional rolling pin or a handled rolling pin in water. Water makes the wood fibers in a traditional pin swell and roughens its surface, so dou...
What Is the Fastest Way to Clean a Blender Jar?
Washing a blender jar by hand means reaching your hand toward the blade and stressing the gasket beneath it. A faster and safer way is to use the appliance itse...
Are Baking Powder and Baking Soda the Same?
No. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a base that needs an acid in the recipe to release gas. Baking powder is a prepared mixture of baking soda, a dry aci...
Why Does a Warped Pan Rock on the Stove, and Can It Be Fixed?
A warped pan rests on only a single point of its base on the stove; that makes it spin and rock, and oil runs to the edge, leaving the center dry. You can tell...
How to Clean a Spice Grinder
Do not wash a spice grinder with water: steel burrs rust, moisture can swell the seat of a ceramic burr, and wet spice powder sticks to the burr teeth like past...
Can You Cook Acidic Foods in a Cast-Iron Pan?
You can cook acidic foods in a cast-iron pan, but the answer depends on the seasoning and cooking time. A brief tomato sauce will not leave a mark on seasoning...
How to Clean Between the Glass Panes in an Oven Door
A stain on an oven door is often not on either of its two glass surfaces but between the two panes, so wiping the inside or outside will not remove it, and the...
Why Shouldn’t You Fill a Blender Jar to the Brim with Hot Liquid?
Hot liquid in a closed jar continues to produce steam. When the blade starts spinning, liquid is flung against the walls, the trapped steam expands rapidly, and...
How to Choose and Care for a Turkish Coffee Pot
A Turkish coffee pot is designed with a narrower mouth than base to hold the foam; a wide-mouthed vessel is no substitute. Choosing the right size also depends...
Why Does the Outside of a Copper Pot Tarnish, and How Can You Polish It?
Copper’s outer surface begins to oxidize as soon as it meets air; it first becomes dull, then turns brown and dark. In a damp environment, the process can conti...
Why Does a Carbon Steel Knife Develop a Patina, and When Is the Darkening Rust?
There are two different kinds of darkening on a carbon steel knife, and confusing them can be costly. The blue-gray mark that appears after cutting onions, lemo...
How to Clean an Air Fryer’s Heating Element and Fan
Everyone washes the air-fryer basket, but almost no one looks at the top of the appliance. Yet grease droplets are carried upward by the fan and collect on the...