These ingenious tricks are the perfect secret weapons in the kitchen! Not only will they save you money and precious time, but they will also prevent typical kitchen frustrations.

Here are the 21 best culinary tricks divided into practical categories:

💡 Perfect frying, baking and cooking

Cheese trick: No more leaking
To prevent coated cheese (such as baked cheese or Camembert) from leaking when frying, simply coat it twice. First in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs – and then coat it again in egg and breadcrumbs. The double layer holds incredibly well.
Salt the pan to prevent spattering

When frying meat or fish, add a pinch of salt to a cold pan before adding the fat. The salt absorbs moisture and the hot oil barely spatters.
Perfectly browned meat
Before frying, let the meat come to room temperature completely and pat it dry completely with paper towels. If the meat is wet or too cold, the pan will cool and the meat will stew in its own juices instead of browning.
No more boiling pasta water

Simply place a wooden spoon over an open pot. As soon as the boiling foam touches the wood, the bubbles will burst and the water will not boil away.
Pasta water as a “sauce thickener”
Don’t throw away all the pasta water. Set aside a cup. The starch it contains is the perfect thickener, making your sauce creamy and perfectly combined with pasta.
🍎 Keep fruits and vegetables fresh for twice as long

Berry vinegar trick
Berries often go moldy after just two days. Immediately after buying fresh berries, soak them in a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Rinse them thoroughly and dry them. Vinegar kills mold spores, the fruit will last twice as long and will not taste like vinegar after use.
Isolate bananas
Bananas ripen extremely quickly because they release the ripening gas ethylene. Wrap the banana stem tightly in cling film. This drastically slows down the ripening process of the entire plant.
Store avocados with onions

A sliced ​​avocado will quickly turn brown in the refrigerator. Place it in an airtight container with a piece of chopped onion. The sulfur compounds in onions prevent avocados from oxidizing.
Treat herbs like flowers

Fresh herbs don’t just belong in the crisper drawer. Cut off the ends and arrange them in a glass of water in the refrigerator like a bouquet of flowers. A loose plastic bag placed on top will extend the life of parsley and cilantro by weeks.
Celery and Broccoli in Foil

Wrap celery or broccoli tightly in foil before placing in the refrigerator. The foil allows ripening gases to escape while retaining moisture. They’ll stay crunchy for weeks.
⏱️ Save time and effort during prep

Peel garlic in a flash
Microwave for 15 seconds. The minimal steam inside will make the skins peel off easily.
Squeeze the most out of citrus fruits
To get twice as much juice out of a lemon or lime, roll it firmly back and forth under your palm on a cutting board before cutting it. Even better: Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds; this will break up the juice cells.
Slice meat perfectly paper-thin
Whether it’s stir-fry, carpaccio or Philly cheesesteak: Place the meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. It will become firm, won’t deform under the knife and will be paper-thin.

Quickly cut cherry tomatoes in half
Place a handful of cherry tomatoes on a flat plate or plastic lid. Place a second, identical lid on top. Press down lightly on the top lid and run a large, sharp knife horizontally through the gap – all the tomatoes will be cut in half at once!

Peel Ginger Without Throwing It Away
Forget the knife or peeler—too much ginger will go to waste. Simply scrape the skin off with the edge of a regular teaspoon. This works even on the tightest curves of the root.
💰 Save money and save leftovers

Upside-down milk carton
Never store opened milk, cream, or sauces in the refrigerator door—that’s the warmest place. Place them further in the middle to extend their shelf life.
Herb and olive oil ice cubes
When fresh herbs start to wilt, chop them finely, place them in an ice cube tray, and drizzle olive oil on top. Freeze! Next time you’re cooking…