A professional chef usually has plenty of experience and knows all the ins and outs of how to prepare food in the kitchen, and it’s also valuable to learn from a great chef.

The tricks they know to make food tastier can make a world of difference.

Of course, not every chef out there is willing to share all of their secrets, but you can follow these twenty essential cooking tips to improve your cuisine!

1) Easy iceberg lettuce cleaning

The core of iceberg lettuce is something you throw away, but it usually takes some time to get rid of it. Bin Mims shares a simple trick to throw it out in three seconds: simply slam the head of the crop on your cutting board, facing down. Flip it over, and you can pull out the core with ease.

2) How to store herbs

Herbs don’t stay fresh for long, but this simple trick will keep them green and crisper for quite some time. Grab a paper towel, damp it a little bit and use it to wrap your herbs in.

3) Don’t make a mess when peeling vegetables

Whether it’s potatoes, carrots, or something else entirely, peeling vegetables is a process that tends to take long and gets messy. A simple trick is to put a layer of plastic wrap and put it over your cutting board. Quickly grab the wrap and throw all of the peels away in seconds.

4) No more cracked eggs

Most of us know that boiling a cracked egg isn’t exactly how it’s meant to be, but it’s pretty hard to keep the shells in perfect shape because they’re so delicate. Next time, put all of your eggs on a towel, and slightly lower them in all in the cooking pot by grabbing both ends of your towel. No more cracked eggs!

5) Sticky ingredients on spoons

Honey in a spoon? That can definitely take a while to pour out, which can make measuring quite a lengthy process. A great idea is to keep a can of nonstick spray in the kitchen, which will make sure that your kitchen utensils will deal with sticky ingredients much better. Plus, it makes it a ton easier to clean!

6) Brine your fries

Did you know that your fires can actually benefit from a good brine? Saltwater makes sure that there’s some seasoning on the inside of your fries, and it also adds some crispiness.

7) Avocado slicer

Avocado and guacamole have become quite the hype lately, but it’s not always easy to chop an avocado in pieces. However, you can definitely speed up the process. Cut it in half and make sure that you remove the pit. Find yourself a metal cooling rack, and press down. Instant guacamole!

8) Clam sauce in seafood dishes

A lot of chefs swear by clam sauce in seafood dishes, because it really adds an interesting flavor instead of overpowering the original. Some people don’t like the idea of clam sauce, but it’s actually very commonly used in restaurants without people knowing.

9) How to keep meat from spoiling

A lot of people simply freeze their meat, but there’s actually another method to keep your meat from spoiling. Simply wrap it up in paper towels, and then place them in a closed zip lock bag. Refrigerate them, don’t freeze. The explanation is that the blood will be soaked up by the paper towels, making the meat less likely to go bad.

10) Cheap isn’t always bad

Sometimes, it makes you wonder if can save money on some kitchen utensils. When it comes to peelers, it turns out you can.

“Those cheap, Y-shaped peelers you see chefs using … are the only peelers worth buying. Why? Because they’re sturdy, cheap, and gentle enough to peel delicate veggies like baby carrots without ruining them,” chef Jesse tells.

11) A dash of olive oil

High-quality olive oil is a must in the kitchen. It’s incredibly versatile, and also fantastic as a finishing touch for just about every dish. Pizza, pasta, fish, it doesn’t matter – add just a dash of olive oil for some extra oomph and flavor.

12) Extra crispy bacon

If you believe that bacon can’t be crispy enough, you’ll absolutely love this tip. Add a little bit of flour to your uncooked bacon, and then cook it. You also won’t be dealing with as much grease splatter as you usually would.

13) An underrated utensil

Cooking fish on a regular basis? It might be a good idea to invest in something called a fish spatula. This thin utensil will allow you to flip your fish a lot easier without tearing. You can use it for pretty much anything delicate.

14) Super scrambled eggs

If you’ve ever had a super fluffy egg at a restaurant, you might wonder how you could possibly do the same at home. Turns out you can, just by using a blender. Blend at the maximum speed for fifteen seconds, and they’ll be as fluffy as they can be.

15) Freeze your meat before cutting

Cutting meat definitely tends to get messy, but there’s an easy solution if you’ve got fifteen minutes to spare. Put it in the freezer for fifteen minutes, and it’ll make cutting a lot easier. Not only won’t you have to deal with all the mess, but you’ll be able to cut more precisely as well.

16) Toasted nuts

Toasted nuts are absolutely delicious, but it does take some work before you can eat them: peeling the skin off is just plain annoying. Next time, grab a tea towel and roll the toasted nuts in there – the skin will come off much easier.

17) Never make sticky pasta again

Is there anything more annoying in the kitchen than boiling your pasta or noodles, only to have them stick to the surface of your pot? Don’t only add salt, but a splash of olive oil as well. No more stickiness!

18) Brine your chicken as well

Did you know that you can also brine your chicken? It definitely adds to the flavor and juiciness of the chicken meat. Let it simmer in cold, salted water for a little while. Aside from salt, you could also even experiment by adding herbs and spices.

19) Sugar alternatives

Using healthier ingredients in the kitchen can never hurt, and you can substitute sugar with a number of different natural things. For example, agave nectar is ideal to mix with yogurt, and you can use honey for chicken recipes. Maple syrup and potatoes form a pretty sweet combination as well.

20) Perfect crisp on fish skin

Getting that perfect layer of crispy skin on your fish, it’s definitely something that every cook can accomplish. The trick is to get your pan very, very hot, and make your pan a bit smoky by adding oil. Only then should you add the fish to the pan. As soon as you notice it starts to brown, lower the heat and simply wait until it’s done cooking. Heat and patience are the two things you need.

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Source: Sweet & Savory, Reddit (r/cooking)