Techniques

From cooking fundamentals to primers on advanced culinary techniques, these how-to guides will help inform every dish you make no matter your skill level.
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Chicken Stock vs. Broth: A Pro Chef Explains Which One Makes Richer Soups and Stews
A hand adding liquid to a jar filled with sliced onions on a wooden countertop preparing quick pickled onions
The Fast, 2-Ingredient Topping I Make Every Week for Salads, Tacos, and More
A ladle lifting thick and chunky vegetable soup from a bowl
The Easiest, Fastest Ways to Fix Watery Soup—No Flour or Cornstarch Required
Cooked brussels sprouts sliced and arranged on a pan
Stop Settling For Bitter Roasted Brussels Sprouts—Here's How to Make Them Nutty and Delicious
Squeeze bottle with vinegar and oil
This 2-Minute Salad Dressing Trick Makes Healthy Meal Prep Easier
Freshly harvested beets on a tray showing dirt and stems attached
Peeling Beets is Such a Mess—This Simple Trick Saves Your Counters, Towels, and Time
Closeup of a spoon lifting a portion of a dish with cooked rice garnished with herbs and fried shallots from a bowl
These 8 Dishes Actually Taste Better With Day-Old Rice
Overhead view of chickpeas
Why Canned Chickpeas Never Get Creamy—and the 5-Minute Fix for Better Hummus and Stews
Fresh kale with sesame seeds and dressing
Why Most Kale Salads Are Tough—and the Simple Fix That Makes Them Tender and Delicious
An assortment of dried beans of various types arranged in horizontal layers
Can You Stop Beans From Making You Gassy? We Tested 17 Remedies With Harvard Scientists—Here's What Works
Broccoli cut into steaks, stems, and floret scraps.
Stop Throwing Away the Best Part of Your Broccoli—Here Are 3 Better Ways to Use It
A tuna melt sandwich on a plate, cut in half diagonally to make triangles; showing melted yellow American cheese slices on top of a creamy tuna salad and nicely toasted bread.
Want a Better Tuna Melt? These Simple Tips Make All the Difference
Side view of brining vegetables
Stop Roasting Bland Vegetables—I Tested the Simple Salt Step That Makes Them Better
Overhead view of a cut avocado
We Tested Popular Avocado-Ripening Methods—Here’s What Works
Diced pancetta in a skillet being stirred with a slotted spatula
This Restaurant-Tested Trick Makes a Messy Prep Task Much Easier
A bowl of penne pasta topped with tomato sauce and grated cheese
I Tested 5 Common Ways to Reheat Pasta—Here’s the Method Worth Using
Graphic for Rice Cooking Hack
Why Perfect Stovetop Rice Turns Gummy—and the Simple Fix That Prevents It
meatballs
The Simple Trick for Juicy Meatballs—and a Sauce That Tastes Like They Simmered for Hours
Cinnamon rolls in pan with a roll served on a plate peeking into frame
This Cast Iron Skillet Trick Creates the Perfect Proofing Environment—No Water Bath, No Oven Babysitting
A plate of pasta being twirled on a fork topped with grated cheese and seasoning
Restaurant-Quality Pasta at Home Comes Down to 1 Simple Timing Move
Sliced prime rib roast on a wooden board red dish in the background
Perfect Prime Rib: Go High Heat or Go Low? We've Tested It
Slices of cooked steak arranged on a wooden surface
Why So Many Meat Cooking “Rules” Are Wrong—and What Actually Makes Steaks Juicy and Chicken Crisp
A stack of pancakes topped with butter and syrup being poured over them
The Smarter Way to Handle Leftover Pancake Batter—and Get Better Pancakes Later
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I Tested 7 Ways to Reheat Leftover Ham—This Method Kept It Juicy Every Time
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Holiday Baking Disaster? Here’s Why Chocolate Seizes—and What to Do When It Does
Three samples of melted chocolate on paper labeled with their respective descriptions
I Melted Dark, Milk, and White Chocolate 3 Ways—Only 2 Are Worth Using
Sliced prime rib on a wooden cutting board with carving utensils nearby
Why Most Prime Rib Is Cooked Wrong—and How to Fix It
A person washing rice in a metal bowl with water
We Tested a Centuries-Old Rice Technique—Here’s Why It Still Makes the Fluffiest Grains
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6 Easy Decorating Moves a Pastry Chef Swears by for Bakery-Perfect Christmas Cookies
Assorted baked cookies cooling on racks and a table
The Real Reason Your Cookies Lack Flavor (It’s Not the Ingredients)
A glazed ham on a platter ready to serve
I Asked 3 Chefs the Secret to a Perfect Ham Glaze—They All Agreed on the Same Trick
Decorative gingerbread houses arranged on a table
3 Pastry Chefs Reveal the Secret to a Perfect Gingerbread House—and the Common Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
Sliced cooked beef roast presented on a cutting board
I Tested Slow-Cooker Brisket to See If It’s Worth Making—Here’s the Verdict
Overhead view of All American Stew
The 1-Minute Parchment Paper Hack for Richer, More Flavorful Stews
Hands holding a halved fried potato patty with several patties on a marked baking sheet in the background
Gray Potatoes Grossing You Out? Our Tests Show How to Stop It
Two stainless steel bowls with flour labeled 30 and 50 humidity one placed on a digital scale displaying 128 grams
Does Dry Winter Air Really Mess With Your Baking? A Surprising Home Test Says…
A comparison of muffins made with different egg substitutes labeled Egg Chia Aquafaba and Flax on parchment paper
Out of Eggs? The Best Replacement Might Already Be in Your Pantry
Overhead shot of a Jewish-style braised brisket in a sauce of carrots and onions
Stop Making Tough Brisket—Here's the Fix That Works
A bowl of beef stew with vegetables and garnished herbs
My Simple Ingredient Swap for the Richest, Meatiest Beef Stew
Person breaking open a gooey chocolate chip cookie in their hands
Skip the Oven—This Is the Faster, Easier Way to Make Soft, Warm Cookies
Cooked rice in a bowl
This Is the Only Kind of Microwavable Rice I’ll Ever Buy (Hint: It’s Not in the Rice Aisle)
A bowl and plate containing freshly baked buttermilk biscuits
The Real Reason Your Baked Goods Won't Rise (It's Not the Recipe)
A bowl of soup with chunks of chicken herbs and a spoon
The Ancient Cooking Trick That Makes the Creamiest, Coziest Soups (No Dairy Required)
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Skip the Microwave—My Air-Fryer Method Revives Thanksgiving Leftovers Perfectly
A sous vide turkey leg on a bed of herbs next to sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.
Your Leftover Turkey Deserves Better—Here's How to Revive It for Juicy, Crispy Results
The Most Essential Thanksgiving Tools
The One Thing Guaranteed to Ruin Your Turkey (That No One Warns You About)
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No Brown Sugar? This Simple 2-Ingredient Fix Works Every Time
A bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes sits on a table. It's topped with a pat of melting butter and a grinding of fresh black pepper.
Creamy or Fluffy? Here’s the Best Potato for Every Kind of Mash
Overhed view of turkey
The Safest, Easiest Way to Defrost a Turkey, According to Food Safety Pros
Four muffins labeled Oil and Butter one muffin from each group sliced in half to show texture
Butter vs. Oil for Baking—Here's Which Fat Makes the Best Cookies, Cornbread, and Cake
Plate of croquetas with one broken open showing the filling inside
My Mom's Secret for Turning Thanksgiving Leftovers into the Crispiest, Creamiest Snack I Know
Slices of pie reheated using different methods including microwave oven wrapped oven unwrapped air fryer toaster and skillet
The Best Ways to Reheat Thanksgiving Pie—and Keep the Crust Crispy
Slice of pumpkin pie on a plate with a fork next to it
The Pastry Chef Trick for Silky-Smooth Pumpkin Pie Every Time
Side view of saucepans on a baking steel.
The Restaurant Trick I Use to Free Up Stovetop Space on Thanksgiving
Jubilee bundt
12 Essential Cake Tips From Baking Legend Dorie Greenspan
Hand holding a salted popcorn kernel with more popcorn in the background
Why Your Seasoning Never Sticks to Popcorn—and the Simple Fix That Actually Works
A Thanksgiving dinner plate consisting of mashed potatoes roasted vegetables stuffing turkey with cranberry sauce and a fork
Stuffing Your Turkey Could Make You Sick—Here's What Our Editors Do Instead
Four raw turkey breasts labeled oil mayo plain and butter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
We Tested 4 Ways For Crispy, Golden Turkey Skin—Here's What Actually Works