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
Why Does Mineral Scale Build Up in a Kettle?
Calcium and magnesium in water remain dissolved until the water is heated. As the water approaches a boil, these minerals become less soluble, turn solid, and s...
Why Do Gas Burner Ports Get Clogged, and How Do You Clean Them?
A healthy gas flame is a steady, even ring of blue. If the flame turns yellow, becomes uneven, or does not emerge from some of the ports, the burner cap’s openi...
How Can You Tell When a Knife Has Been Sharpened?
The only proof that a knife has been sharpened is a burr: a fine curl of metal formed on the side opposite the one worked on the stone, hard to see but percepti...
How to Remove Tea Stains from a Teapot and Cup
The brown stain tea leaves behind is a buildup of tannins, not grease; dish soap is made to dissolve grease and does not dissolve tannins. That is why scrubbing...
How to Inspect a Pressure Cooker Lid and Its Valves
The lid of a pressure cooker is a safety component and should be inspected before every use. Check three things: the channel in the pressure regulator valve sho...
What Does a Heat Diffuser Plate (Simmer Plate) Do?
A gas stove flame hits the bottom of a pot in a ring. With a thin-bottomed pan, the area above that ring burns while the center and edges lag behind. A heat dif...
When Should the Tin Lining on a Copper Pot Be Renewed?
The inside of copper cookware is lined with tin because bare copper reacts with acidic foods. Tin is a soft metal and wears down over time. The decision to have...
Why Is Smoke Coming from the Air Fryer?
Smoke from an air fryer is almost never a malfunction. Fat dripping into the drawer beneath the basket exceeds its own smoke point in the hot air continuously b...
Why Should You Empty the Toaster Crumb Tray?
Crumbs that collect in the drawer under a toaster are heated again every time it runs, and then burn. The burnt crumbs transfer a bitter smell to every piece of...
How to Keep Food Cold at a Picnic or Barbecue
There is no refrigerator outdoors, so a cooler takes its place, and a properly packed cooler can keep food below 5°C / 41°F for hours. Keep raw meat in a sealed...
Can You Eat Food Left on the Stove Overnight the Next Day?
No. Food left in a pot overnight has spent hours in the 5–60°C / 40–140°F range where bacteria multiply rapidly, and the limit for time in this range is 2 hours...
When and How Should You Wash Your Hands in the Kitchen?
Wash hands by rubbing them with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds; what matters is the duration and coverage of rubbing, not the type of soap. The...