9 Kitchen Hacks To Make Home-Chef Life Simpler

It's tough to run a kitchen. That's not an opinion, that’s a fact. What's tougher to do, then? Tougher is running a kitchen while keeping cost, taste, and well-being all 3 in mind. So, you will not find anyone who doesn’t want to make things easier in the kitchen. You will see how professional cooks move effortlessly through their kitchens. They turn ordinary kitchen ingredients into culinary delights with ease and grace. But did you know that even experienced chefs use certain kitchen shortcuts, tricks, and creative solutions that simplify their job and enhance flavours? In this post, we give you some of our favourite kitchen hacks that provide convenience and help you unveil the potential of everyday ingredients.

Let's run through 9 kitchen storage hacks that help you make more interesting choices while taking up less time overall.

1. Stock Up On Staples 

Busy days shouldn’t give you the green light to overspend on outside food delivery. You may even be busy today, so let’s jump straight to the point - always keep 5 staple vegetables on hand! Onions, tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, and beans are more valuable than you can imagine. Whip up delicious and nutritious dishes such as stir fry, poha, uttapam, and more in under 10 minutes.

2. Prepare A Pre-Made Snack List  

Mindless eating, what a slippery slope! The best tip to prevent that slip is to have quality snacks at home. Quality also means snacks you enjoy eating to increase the chances of feeling satiated. Make a list of these foods and store them in containers. This ensures you always have ‘pre-packaged’ foods on hand to scratch your snacking itch.

3. Fruits Are Your Friends  

The easiest way to incorporate healthy habits is simply: by keeping your fruit basket full. You’ll always have something to look forward to when you mindlessly open your fridge door! Stock up on seasonal fruits and some of your personal favourites to ensure that ice cream isn’t the only cold and sweet snack you have on hand.

Fun Fact: A cucumber is a fruit! It’s usually considered a vegetable because of how it’s used in the culinary world. Still, on a technical basis, cucumbers have seeds and are grown from flowers, botanically making them a fruit! Don’t leave out cucumbers from your fruit basket.

4. Homemade Is Healthier

Homemade foods will always be healthier than their 'take-out' alternative because you know what exactly goes in! Why waste money on preservative-filled pastes and batters when you could make them yourself? Borosil's Fortuner Mixer-Grinder will save you time in the kitchen with its powerful 1000W motor. Easily prepare healthy pastes, masalas, or batters for less than half their prices in the market!

5. Smart And Efficient Storage  

You may want to wash and store all the fresh produce you bought, but doing so can harm some of it. Don't wash your leafy greens beforehand. Why? They rot faster and promote bacterial growth. Instead, you can dry clean and store them for later and only wash them right before cooking.

6. Ginger Can Be Gruelling 

As a root vegetable, ginger has a lot of dirt on its surface and is pretty hard to store. Wash and dry your ginger pieces and store them in the fridge. Storing them outside can make them spoil quicker. The best way to store them would be in a napkin-lined storage container in a not-so-cool area of your fridge. Make sure not to peel the skin!

7. Optimize Your Space For Utility 

A cluttered space is a sign of a cluttered mind, and a cluttered countertop slows down the pace of your cooking. Set designated spaces on your counter for prepping, chopping, and cooking to streamline your cooking process! Also, you can add indoor plants to create a vibe in your kitchen.

8. Reverse Meal Planning  

Eating the same dals and sabzis on repeat can get very boring very quickly, urging you to order from outside. A creative way to hack your boredom is to note down everything you eat, whether homecooked food or takeout, over a month. Then, you can start recreating all those foods at home in the same order for the next month. Who knows, you may even come out a better-experienced chef in the process!

9. Mindful Multitasking  

The Oxford Dictionary defines' multitasking' as "dealing with more than one task at the same time." But what's the point if the tasks are not dealt with efficiently? The best way to multitask in the kitchen is to clean as you go. Sounds simple in concept, but it can be quite hard to execute. Here's how you can do it. Set out all ingredients needed for your dish on the counter so you aren't haphazardly grabbing for ingredients at the last second. Move on to adding all your ingredients to your cooking utensil. Now that your dish is cooking, you have ample time to clean used containers or a cabinet in your kitchen, giving future some much-needed free time. Mindful multitasking > blindly multitasking.

Importance Of An Organised Kitchen

Learning adequate kitchen life hacks will ultimately leave one with an organised kitchen. The list below tries to elaborate on how an organised kitchen will be a practical game changer and why you should always look forward to one. 

Your Kitchen Interiors Appear To Be Aesthetically Pleasing

A clutter-free kitchen with all the spices and other condiments rightfully placed on the shelves is always aesthetically pleasing. With designated spaces for chopping, prepping and cooking, the rest of the kitchen remains untouched and undisturbed. That makes for a more comfortable place to work in. 

Safety

Safety is the first and most important reason to keep your kitchen organised! Your kitchen is safe with the chopping knives placed in their holders, gas cylinders locked, and glass bowls safely stacked in the cabinet. Unplanned meal preps are normal when you have kids or pets at home. In a clutter-free kitchen, you can train your little ones to prepare their own meals, like a cheese sandwich or biscuit chaats, without worrying about them getting injured.  

Saves Money

You will naturally order less from outside with all the staples stocked up in an organised way and snacks readily available in allocated jars. Also, while cooking, you will find all the masalas right in their place. This will eliminate frequent visits to the nearby grocery shop for re-purchases.     

No More Time Waste On The Unnecessities

Further, a well-organised kitchen helps one develop time-efficient habits. You will gradually have to invest less time into meal planning, grocery unpacking, and daily preparations. Putting extra time and effort into organising your kitchen will eventually profit you in other ways. No more unwanted stress!

Instills Responsibilities Among The Children

When you have an organised kitchen, working with children and training them at certain jobs other than cooking and cutting is easier. For example, you can ask your child to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher or help you bring the glasses from the dining table. That way, your child learns about essential organisational skills besides understanding their responsibilities at home. 

Enhanced Functionality 

Cooking seems fun when you have all the vegetables, spices and other ingredients rightfully available. Also, an organised space eliminates any chances of you tripping over things or wasting time finding the right cooking utensil. When you want to organise an ideal kitchen, it must be set up in a triangle shape - prep, cleanup, and cooking space.  

Products Last Longer

Keep your food in designated containers rather than storing them in packets. This will keep them fresh and eliminate contamination by nasty bugs or rodents. Also, when you opt for air-tight storage space, it will keep the food safe from bacterial growth, reducing time wasted  and money spent. 

Special Tips For The Indian Kitchens

Simple kitchen hacks are always beneficial! However, when dealing with Indian spices and curries, you must level up and abide by the different setups. So as an additional help, here is a list of expert-approved special tips for Indian kitchens.

Squeeze More Juice In Less Time

Indians use lemon juice almost in every other dish. However, lemons being a tough nut makes it difficult to extract their juices in the right amount. As a quick help, you can microwave the lemons for 10 to 20 seconds after getting them out of the fridge. This will help you squeeze out more juice than earlier.   

Get Rid Of The Stubborn Stains

The stains left by the traditional Indian curries are too hard to get rid of. However, for a remarkable result, you can make a thick paste of vinegar and baking soda to clean off the stains from your kitchen counters and blender sides.

No More Dry Dhania And Pudina

Coriander and mint leaves are the quintessential part of the Indian kitchen. However, they do dry up soon. This particular hack will save you from such wastage. Store the dhania and pudina in airtight containers in the fridge. This will make the leaves last up to a week. 

Garlic Peeling Is Easy

Peeling garlic is the most irritating chore and takes a lot of time. The garlic buds are so tiny, with the peels being extra stubborn. To eliminate the irritation and save time, chop off the top and bottom of the garlic buds. Now, microwave them for 10 to 20 seconds. Once out, it will be easy to peel.

Sharpen Blender Blades At Home

Blenders are the most underrated yet irreplaceable appliance in the Indian kitchen. However, the blades get blunt with daily use. But you don’t have to worry; we have an expert-approved tip for you readily available! Put some rock salt inside the blender, and blend it for some time. It will help you sharpen the blades naturally at home. 

Conclusion 

In today’s fast-paced world, the simple kitchen hacks mentioned above are the unsung heroes of the heart of the home. They not only offer convenience but also give unique solutions to everyday cooking. These 9 tips will redefine how you function in the kitchen. Happy cooking!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are kitchen hacks only for cooking? 

You can find kitchen hacks for many things, such as easy ways to clean appliances, maintain utensils, and other kitchen-related tasks. 

2. Do kitchen hacks work for specific dietary preferences or restrictions?
Whether you're vegan, gluten-free, or on a specific diet, you can find hacks that suit your recipes and cooking methods.

3. Do kitchen hacks work for everyone?
Yes. No matter your cooking experience, kitchen hacks can make your work easy by offering practical solutions and enhancing your culinary experience.