Kitchen Tips and Troubleshooting

Don't Google that question again. Consult our kitchen tips and troubleshooting guides for organizational hacks, safety and cleaning how-tos, and more.
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
Bowl of instant pot oatmeal in a bowl with blue textile
Why Your Microwave Oatmeal Explodes—and the Easy Fix
Side view of brining vegetables
Stop Roasting Bland Vegetables—I Tested the Simple Salt Step That Makes Them Better
Overhead view of dishwasher
Stop Loading Your Dishwasher Wrong—Here’s the Best Way to Do It, According to a Pro
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
Container of fresh mushrooms on a marble surface
I Tested 6 Ways to Store Mushrooms—Only 1 Kept Them Fresh for Nearly 2 Weeks
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
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The Overlooked Step That Can Make or Break Your Cake
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
An arrangement of a grazing board adorned with various cheeses meats fruits bread slices and garnishes displayed on a table
Make-Ahead Tips for the Ultimate Charcuterie Board for Your Party
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
Overhead view of a batch of brownies
The Easy Upgrades That Make Boxed Brownies Taste Bakery-Worthy
Three pies with slices removed labeled as metal ceramic and glass each with a piece on a plate below
I Baked the Same Pie Crust in Metal, Glass, and Ceramic—Here’s the Material That Won by a Mile
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
Basting lamb.
The Simple Carving Trick That Gives You Perfectly Even Lamb Chops Every Time
Overhead view of chickpeas
Why Canned Chickpeas Stay Tough—and the Simple Fix That Softens Them Fast
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
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We Tested 5 Cookie Storage Methods—Here's What Kept Them Freshest
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
Half and half being poured into a bowl.
Out of Half-and-Half? This Surprising Ratio Gives You the Same Silky Results
Overhead view of holiday cookie assortment
I’m a Pastry Expert—Here’s Exactly How I Build a Holiday Cookie Box That Lasts for Days
Herb s in a bag being drizzled with olive oil next to a cutting board with a bunch of herbs and a knife.
We Tested Several Ways to Freeze Herbs—This Method Keeps Them Fresh for Months
Overhead view of cookie
This Pastry Chef Trick Guarantees You'll Have the Prettiest Cookies at Your Holiday Swap
A starshaped cookie cutter on rolled dough sprinkled with flour on a surface
I’ve Rolled Thousands of Cookies—These Are the Rules I Swear By for Easier Shaping
A bowl and plate containing freshly baked buttermilk biscuits
The Real Reason Your Baked Goods Won't Rise (It's Not the Recipe)
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I've Baked Thousands of Cookies—This Simple Trick Stops Bottoms from Burning
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)
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
Closeup of the Diletta Mio Espresso Machine brewing an espresso into a glass
A Pinch of This Everyday Ingredient Might Make Your Coffee Taste Smoother
Green potatoes graphic
Is It Ever Safe to Eat Green Potatoes? A Food Safety Expert Breaks It Down
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
A slice of pumpkin pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream on a plate with a fork placed beside it on a table
I Asked 3 Pastry Chefs How to Make the Best Thanksgiving Pies—They All Said the Same Thing
Various pie crusts and fruitfilled pies arranged on a table
I Tested Butter, Shortening, and Lard in Pie Crusts—This One Was the Clear Winner
Graphic of baking soda and diced onions
This Simple Kitchen Hack Gets You Golden Onions in Record Time
A dish of stuffing with herbs and bread cubes on a table with other dishes
I Made Thanksgiving Stuffing 3 Ways—Only 1 Didn't Turn to Mush
Overhed view of turkey
The Safest, Easiest Way to Defrost a Turkey, According to Food Safety Pros
Overhead view of ultra fluffy mashed potatoes
8 Thanksgiving Recipes Perfect for Small Gatherings
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