23 Convenient Food Hacks For Simple Cooking in 2024

If you’re struggling to find ways to do more at home or you want original food hacks, prepare to be inspired. Get the most out of your kitchen by using your space in clever ways. Or find new ways to use the tools you own to prepare your meals.

If you're wondering what to do in the kitchen when you’re bored? Consider learning these clever food hacks to keep you busy. If you want to know some genius cooking hacks that make life easier, we’ve put together some of our favorite tips and tricks to make you fall in love with your kitchen. Check ou these must-know food hacks that actually work.

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• Food Hacks for Easier Cooking
• Easy Storage Hacks for a Small Kitchen
• Food Hacks for Easier Cleaning
• Genius Cooking Hacks
• Food Hacks for Tools

Food Hacks for Easier Cooking

1. Freeze Fresh Herbs

Reduce waste and make it easier to incorporate herbs into recipes by freezing them. Some herbs like thyme, oregano, basil and parsley can be frozen whole — just crumble them into your cooking for a burst of flavor. Alternatively, chop the herbs and freeze them in an ice cube tray with broth, water or olive oil. Ice cube trays in interesting shapes also make fun and inexpensive food hacks, especially if someone in your family loves to mix up the best cocktails.

2. Store Herbs in a Vase

Another hack for herbs is to store fresh herbs in a vase with water, just like you would with flowers. Arrange them in the vase with about two inches of water, keep them out of sunlight and remember to replace the water regularly. This makes them last longer while also looking good in the kitchen. Attractive vases are fantastic gifts for foodies too, whether your recipient is using them for herbs or flowers.

3. Cut Cheese with Dental Floss

It can be tricky to cut soft cheeses like goat’s cheese without making a mess but there’s an easy hack for that — use dental floss. Simply loop the floss around the cheese and pull for a clean slice. Or loop the floss around your fingers and push down. If you’re going to use this hack, it’s a good idea to use non-flavored floss. Christmas is a time for indulging with food and a cheese selection can be a great foodie option if you’re looking for Christmas charcuterie board ideas. You can shop for a ready-made selection or choose a few of your favorite cheeses to gift.

4. Attend a Cooking Class

How do I get faster in the kitchen? Whether you’re thinking of yourself or food hacks, a great way to pick up new skills and make cooking quicker and easier is to go to a cooking class. With guidance from an expert chef, you can learn to cook your favorite dishes, from sushi and Asian cuisines to pasta or other Italian classics.

5. Revitalize Your Cabinets

Find out how to paint kitchen cabinets so that you can freshen up your kitchen interior without straining your wallet. Painting cabinets and changing how you use them can instantly revitalize your kitchen. If someone you know needs to restyle their space, offering to revamp their cabinets is one of the most original ways to enhance your space in the kitchen to inspire these food hacks.

6. Use Equipment as Decor

If you own eye-catching kitchen pieces like flatware, cutting boards or jars of ingredients, turn them into a design feature. Displaying them on shelves or counters gives you more space inside your cabinets and adds a new sense of style to the kitchen.

Choosing attractive kitchen equipment and recipe books can give you lots of inspiration for recipes and even more food hacks. Think about what you enjoy cooking or what might be missing from your kitchen to come up with ideas that are useful as well as beautiful.

7. Dispose of Unnecessary Packaging

If you’re keeping products like coffee, pasta, rice and flour in their original packaging, you might find that they're taking up a lot of space in the kitchen. An easy hack is to dispose of unnecessary packaging and decant ingredients into attractive containers. This tip adds a shot of style to the room too. 

A stylish set of containers is another great option if you’re thinking of beautiful food hacks. It’s a smart idea for family members with smaller spaces or who prefer a minimalist aesthetic. With a vast range of kitchen containers on the market, you can find something that perfectly matches your home.

8. Use Hooks

Benefit from extra storage space around the kitchen by using hooks. Hooks can be placed on the walls or inside cabinet doors to immediately offer more storage. They come in a range of styles and fixture types and can be used to store a variety of kitchen equipment including utensils, pans and dishcloths. If someone you know is working with a small kitchen, attractive kitchen hooks can work as unique food hacks. Hooks can add to the look of a smaller kitchen while also being a practical gift.

9. Use an Island for Extra Storage

One of the easier food hacks to instantly create more space in the kitchen is to add an island. An island gives you additional storage as well as another counter to work on. When you’re choosing an island, a portable design works in a small kitchen because you can move it around the space whenever you need to. Islands can be pricey, but there are some inexpensive ways if you use a bit of ingenuity like these IKEA hacks.

Food Hacks for Easier Cleaning

10. Polish Stainless Steel With Olive Oil

Olive oils aren’t just edible goodies for the foodies in your life — they make helpful cleaning food hacks too. Polishing stainless steel surfaces with olive oil is a smart way to get them looking bright and shiny. Put a small dab of olive oil onto a paper towel or microfiber cloth and polish surfaces for dazzling results.

11. Clean Your Blender Quickly

Properly cleaning your blender might seem tough but there’s a smart kitchen hack for that. One of the best food hacks for cleaning is that your blender can clean itself! Fill it halfway with water, add a small amount of dish soap and turn it on. It does the hard work itself and you just need to rinse it with clean water. Add a drop of lemon juice or vinegar to tackle stubborn stains.

12. Clean a Cast Iron Pan With Salt

If you know an aspiring chef, durable cast iron pans are perfect cooking gifts. Taking care of them in the right way is essential. Easy food hacks for looking after cast iron pans is to scrub them with salt and a few drops of warm water instead of dish soap. The abrasive salt removes residue without causing damage.

13. Use a Brush to Clean Your Toaster

Crumbs at the bottom of your toaster are messy but also pose a fire hazard. One of the simplest food hacks it to clean your toaster using a small brush like a paintbrush, toothbrush or pastry brush. They’re perfect for getting to spots that are hard to reach and can easily remove crumbs.

14. Deodorize Cutting Boards With a Lemon

Wooden cutting boards with interesting designs are ideal food hacks. However, wooden boards can retain odors and be difficult to keep in good condition. It’s easy to refresh your cutting board if you sprinkle it with salt and scrub the surface with the cut side of a lemon. This hack quickly removes lingering smells.

Genius Cooking Hacks

15. Make an Easy Rainbow Cake

Rainbow cakes look impressive but can be challenging to make if you’re not a master baker. A hack for an easy rainbow cake is to mix multicolored sprinkles through your mixture before you bake it. The result is a cute and colorful cake. Rainbow cupcakes are suitable for the entire family, making this one of the sweetest food hacks for sharing.

16. Turn Salad Leaves Into Pesto

Leafy greens are amongst the most wasted grocery items, with millions of dollars worth of leaves thrown out each year, according to Sustainable America. If you have bagged salad leaves like spinach or arugula or other leafy greens such as kale that might turn bad before you use them, you can reduce waste and make delicious food by transforming them into pesto. Blend your choice of leaves with garlic, olive oil, Italian hard cheese and pine nuts to create a delicious sauce you can use for pasta, pizza, salad dressings and sandwiches. Making jars of pesto some of the simplest yet most delicious homemade food hacks.

17. Learn to Cook Online

Another genius cooking hack is to learn to cook online from the comfort of your own kitchen. You can take a variety of cooking classes on Zoom that build your skills and confidence. Chef-led sessions covering dishes from pasta to plant-based food are available. Check out our list of online cooking classes where you can learn to cook like a pro.

18. Make Your Own Flavored Oils

Store-bought olive oils are great gifts, but you can add a homemade touch by making your own flavored oils with these food hacks. Pour a light cooking oil like olive oil into a pan, add dry herbs or spices to enhance the flavor and gently heat the mixture. Once the flavors are infused, strain the oil and decant into attractive glass bottles.

Food Hacks for Tools

19. Use a Wine Bottle as a Rolling Pin

If you want to bake but don’t own a rolling pin, a wine bottle is an easy substitute. For these food hacks, make sure the bottle is clean and then use it just like you would use a rolling pin. The bottle’s neck even acts as a convenient handle.

20. Swap Knives for Kitchen Scissors

You can make lots of tasks in the kitchen easier when you swap knives for scissors. From chopping herbs and leafy vegetables to slicing pizza and trimming meat, this versatile utensil is one of the best food hacks for tools.

21. Grate Cold Butter for Easy Baking

Lots of home bakers know how difficult it is to mix your ingredients when the butter is too cold. A smart kitchen tool hack for baking is to use your grater and grate butter into your mixture, helping it combine more easily with the other ingredients. This is one of the most inventive yet easy food hacks.

22. Spritz Non-Stick Spray on Measuring Spoons

Getting the measurements right is crucial for home baking but it can be tricky when you’re using sticky ingredients like honey or molasses. Another one of the clever baking food hacks is to use non-stick spray on your measuring spoon before you weigh these ingredients. The ingredients will easily slide out of the spoon so you don’t waste a drop.

23. Use a Grater to Rescue Burnt Cookies

Easily salvage burnt cookies by using a grater to gently remove any blackened parts. This is one of the simplest food hacks that can also help if the cookies get misshapen during baking. No one will know they were burnt after you’ve decorated them.

If you're wondering, "How can I spend less time in my kitchen?" Try some of these top food hacks as they will make time in the kitchen more enjoyable and less labor-intensive. From getting more out of your space to making it easier to prepare food, these smart food hacks can help.

For even more fun cooking gift ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!