7 Secret Kitchen Hacks of Restaurant Chefs

There are many times when we decide to eat out. It could be a simple treat or because cleaning up takes up too much time, or maybe that restaurant food just tastes better. However, eating in and preparing food at home doesn’t always have to be a chore. Once you’ve read these 7 secret kitchen hacks of restaurant chefs, you will find that making food on your own can be easy and fun!

7 Secret Kitchen Hacks Video

When frying burger patties, make a slight dent in the center of each patty with your thumb before it goes on the grill. This will not only reduce the cooking time, but it also ensures that the meat cooks evenly.

Meat patties tend to shrink and puff up in the middle due to protein contraction during the cooking process. The dent will counteract this effect and help the patty hold its shape. You’ll end up with a nice flat patty for your burgers and sandwiches.

Dense cakes such as cheesecakes and pies tend to stick to the knife when they’re sliced. To cut a perfect piece of cake, dip your knife in hot water. Wipe dry before slicing the cake. Try this and you will see that the heat prevents the cake from sticking to the blade. Since the knife cools quickly, you will need to rinse and repeat several times.

As a result, you will be left with perfectly sliced pieces of cake. This keeps your cake looking nice and intact, which will make serving a lot easier. Additionally, you won’t be wasting heaps of cake that usually pulls away with the knife. More cake, more yum!

This is one of the more unconventional kitchen hacks but trust us, it really works! If you have leftover cake from a party, attach slices of bread to the cut edges with toothpicks. This will keep the cake moist for a longer time as the cake will absorb the moisture from the bread. The bread will turn hard and stale while the cake stays soft inside.

If you want to serve more cake again, take out the bread and replace them with fresh slices. Keep in mind that this is also just a temporary solution. Try to finish up the cake as soon as possible to ensure it stays fresh and delicious.

Properly handling a knife is one of the trickiest kitchen skills for beginners. When handling sharp blades, make sure you are holding it properly, so you don’t risk injuring yourself. However, it can be hard to get a good grip on your knife handle when cutting certain items.

To prevent the knife from slipping, a simple yet effective trick is to attach some elastic bands to the handle. The rubbery texture of the elastic bands will add some grip to the handle and make it easier to hold on to it. Add a few at first and test out the grip in your hand; if needed, add some more.

The thicker the lemon peel, the more bitter it is. This is because the white pith of the lemon under the skin is bitter. Keep this in mind when you’re making something that calls for lemon peel for garnish in a drink or dish. You don’t want the lemon spoiling the taste of the dish so make sure to cut it as thin as you can. 

Make sure to cut only the topmost layer of the skin. If you see any white parts underneath, it means you’ve cut too deep. Using a lemon zester or grater will help you get thin peels with ease. If you don’t have a lemon zester or grater, a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife will also help you cut thinner peels.

This is a hack made specifically for Oreo cookie lovers. Dunking an Oreo cookie in milk is the perfect way to enjoy these sandwich cookies. However, using your hands can get your fingers in the milk, especially if you have a very deep or tall glass. Instead, wedge a fork into the cookie’s filling for easy dunking.

This hack gives you cookies a full dunk in the milk, without getting your hands dirty at all! While not strictly a kitchen hack, this is a useful tip to try next time you have cookies and milk.

If you have some recipes that call for egg yolks alone, it becomes tricky to separate the whites from the whole egg. Other kitchen hacks might suggest cracking the egg in your palm and allowing the egg whites to drip through your fingers. However, that can get quite messy.

A cleaner alternative is to use a plastic water bottle to separate the yolk from the whites. Squeeze the bottle slightly and place the bottle mouth on the yolk. Release the bottle to create a gentle “suction pump” to suck up the yolk. In another bowl, simply let the yolk slip out and you have yourself a separated egg!