Cooking might sometimes feel repetitive—after all, there are only so many ways to use your trusty air fryer and Instant Pot. But thanks to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, a new wave of creative cooking hacks has emerged, promising to save you time, reduce kitchen stress, and even trim your grocery bills. To separate the genuinely useful tricks from the short-lived fads, we’ve consulted chef instructor Kierin Baldwin from the Institute of Culinary Education. Below are nine viral hacks she says are actually worth trying—and a few tips on when you might be better off with more traditional techniques.
1. Use a Wine Bottle as a Rolling Pin
Situation: You’re in the middle of making pizza dough, sugar cookies, or cinnamon rolls, but you can’t find your rolling pin. Enter the wine bottle.
Why It Works:
A wine bottle is naturally shaped with a slight taper, much like a rolling pin’s handle. As long as the bottle is completely clean, you can use it the same way you’d use a real rolling pin.
Chef’s Note:Baldwin points out that wine bottles are shorter, which can be frustrating if you have a large batch of dough. If you find yourself resorting to this hack often, it’s time to invest in a proper rolling pin. They’re inexpensive, low-maintenance, and far more efficient.
2. Slice Creamy Foods With Dental Floss
Ever struggle with slicing soft, creamy foods like cheesecake or goat cheese? You can end up smearing the frosting on top of your cake or flattening your delicate cheeses. Try dental floss!
How to Do It:
Use a piece of dental floss (avoid mint-flavored if you don’t want that extra “zing”).
Loop the floss around the item and pull gently for a clean, even cut.
Ideal For:
Cheesecake
Goat cheese logs
Cinnamon roll dough before baking (prevents “squashing” the rolls)
3. Dice or Mash Using a Cooling Rack
Pressing certain foods through a cooling rack can speed up dicing and even peel off skins.
Perfect For:
Roasted squash: Place it skin-side up and push it through the rack to separate flesh from skin.
Avocados: Smash them directly into perfect chunks for guacamole.
Potatoes and other mashables (especially if you’re aiming for a roughly mashed consistency rather than perfectly uniform cubes).
4. Add Oil to Pasta Water to Prevent Sticking
Many professional chefs will tell you that oil in the pasta water is unnecessary, but Baldwin says otherwise:
What to Do:
Pour a little oil into the pot before adding your pasta.
As the noodles enter the water, they pass through the oil “film,” which lightly coats them and helps prevent sticking.
Other Pasta Tip:
Placing a wooden spoon across the top of the pot can help stop the water from boiling over.
5. Slice Multiple Round Items at Once Using Takeout Lids
Cutting cherry tomatoes, grapes, or other small round items one by one can eat up precious minutes. This hack is a lifesaver:
Step-by-Step:
Place one deli/takeout lid right-side up on your counter.
Spread a single layer of round items on it.
Invert a second lid on top.
Gently press down while sliding your knife horizontally between the lids to cut everything in half at once.
Tip:
If you don’t have any lids handy, you can usually buy a cheap pack of plastic deli containers online.
6. Freeze Individual Portions in Ice Cube Trays
You’ve probably seen online tips about freezing pesto in ice cube trays, but you can apply the same logic to any sauce or ingredient you want to preserve in small amounts.
Examples:
Tomato paste (often used a spoonful at a time)
Chipotles in adobo (add a smokey kick without opening a whole can each time)
Homemade chicken stock
Leftover wine (perfect for deglazing pans or adding to sauces)
Pro Tip:
Use different-sized trays so you can freeze ingredients in portions that fit your typical recipes.
7. Keep Ginger in the Freezer for Easy Grating
No more wrestling with peeling and dicing knobby ginger! Baldwin swears by the frozen method.
How It Works:
Store the whole ginger root, unpeeled, in a freezer bag.
When needed, take it out and use a Microplane grater to grate the amount you want.
Pop it back into the freezer.
Why It’s Great:
The skin becomes so thin and brittle when frozen that you can skip peeling entirely.
It’s significantly faster than chopping fresh ginger.
8. Cut Pizza With Kitchen Scissors
A standard pizza cutter or knife can sometimes shred your carefully crafted pizza. Kitchen scissors are a surprising but effective solution.
Key Points:
Use scissors designed for kitchen use that fully disassemble for easy cleaning.
Never use office or craft scissors for obvious hygiene reasons.
Bonus:
For pizza enthusiasts, check out the Scizzas by Dreamfarm—specially engineered pizza scissors that make slicing even smoother.
9. Keep Your Knives Sharp to Avoid Tears
We’ve all heard the hacks for tear-free onion cutting—running water, chewing gum, holding bread in your mouth. Baldwin says most of these are less effective than simply having a sharp knife.
Reason:
A dull blade crushes onion cells, releasing more of the tear-inducing compounds.
A sharp knife makes a cleaner cut and minimizes irritation.
Bonus Tip: Store Cheese Properly to Prolong Freshness
Cheese is a common kitchen staple that’s often prone to drying out or developing unwanted odors if stored incorrectly. Here’s how to keep your favorite cheddar or brie tasting great:
Wrap It Right:
Use cheese paper or wax paper instead of plastic wrap to allow the cheese to breathe.
If you must use plastic wrap, loosely wrap it and place it in a partially open bag or container.
Keep It Cool and Dark:
Store cheese in the vegetable crisper or a dedicated cheese drawer (if your fridge has one).
Avoid placing it in the coldest part of the refrigerator to prevent overly drying out the cheese.
Extra Kitchen Storage Tips
Leftovers:
Cool them quickly and store in airtight containers.
Label and date leftovers to avoid letting them go to waste.
Herbs:
Keep them fresh by storing them in a jar of water in the fridge, covered lightly with a plastic bag.
Condiments:
Check expiration dates, wipe rims, and seal tightly to prolong shelf life.