Cooking can be a really overwhelming task if you aren’t aware of any shortcuts that might come in handy. There is no shame in a little “cheating” — if something can be done faster so that you have more time to do the things that matter, then why not do it? There’s no reason to make it harder for yourself!

We’ve gathered tips from different chefs that will make your time in the kitchen so much easier. Check them out below so you can start cooking smarter, not harder.

1. Use a spoon to peel ginger

Ginger can feel like a strange thing to work with. Do you peel it? And if so, how? Turns out if you use a spoon to peel it, your life will be so much easier. Just scrape the spoon against the skin as you would with a knife — except this time you won’t cut your hands.

2. Use a mug to sharpen knives

This might sound crazy, but it works! You don’t need to buy any expensive tools to do this. Just run the knife across the bottom of the mug — the hardness of it will most likely be enough to sharpen up the blades.

3. Freeze steak before cutting into it

Throw your steak in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes will actually make it much more firm, which will then make it easier to cut. This will also allow the meat to keep its texture and flavor!

4. Measure ingredients by weight

Measuring your ingredients by weight will give you a more accurate idea of what you actually need. The ingredient you measure out actually varies because of how it settles in the measuring cup.

5. Before freezing, flatten your food

Another freezer pro tip! The more surface area a frozen food lies on, the easier it is for it to thaw out — which also preserves its taste. Try to flatten it as much as you can. Flattened ground beef thaws faster than one big chunk.

6. Use your palm and a knife blade to peel garlic

Peeling garlic is a dreaded task, but you can actually make it really easy for yourself. Just press the side of the knife blade onto the garlic gently with your palm. This will make it much easier to peel after.

7. Use a separate garbage bowl

When cooking, set aside a separate bowl just for your scraps and any other waste. That way, all you have to do when you’re done is dump the bowl out in the trash — it’s less complicated than running back and forth.

8. Use a wood or plastic cutting board

You definitely want to make sure your cutting board is either wood or plastic. Something like glass will be tough on your knives and then you will have to sharpen them more often. You should also have a separate board for things like chicken to avoid cross-contamination.

9. Crack eggs on a flat surface

We tend to crack eggs on the side of bowls, but that actually makes for an uneven crack which then leads to more shells, etc. Crack on a flat surface like a counter and it will be spot-on.

10. Get a better grip on your knives

Wrap rubber bands around the handle of your knives. This will allow you to get a better grip and have more control when dealing with those sharp tools.

By following some of these pro tips, you should start to have an easier time in the kitchen. Suddenly, things like peeling garlic and ginger don’t seem so terrible! What are you going to put to the test first?

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Source: Home Hacks