Test Kitchen Tips

Our Test Kitchen is full of culinary experts who have picked up plenty of handy tricks and techniques over the years. Check out our favorite cooking tips that’ll make cooking and baking at home easier than ever.

Add Filter

    You’ve Probably Been Breaking Pasta Wrong This Whole Time

    Not even Nobel Prize-winning scientists knew how to break pasta the right way—until now.


    Tout icon

    Here’s the Actual Difference Between Butter and Margarine

    Yankees or Red Sox. Beatles or Stones. Butter or margarine. As hotly contested debates go, the latter is the most...


    10 Tricks That Cut the Fat in Your Food

    Reducing some of the fat in your food doesn't mean you're stuck with lettuce and carrot sticks from now on....


    What Are Pepitas and What Can You Do with Them?

    What are pepitas? And are they different from pumpkin seeds?


    Tout icon

    Here’s Why Expired Cocoa Powder Is Still Fine to Use

    There's no need to toss that year-old jar just yet.


    10 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Homemade Pizza

    There is nothing better than the smell of fresh pizza dough baking in the oven. Be sure to avoid these...


    Tout icon

    How to Make Wine Taste Better By Aerating It

    You're going to want to try this trick.


    10 Surprising Things You Need to Start Making with Chocolate Milk

    If you're only using chocolate milk as an after-school snack, you don't know what you're missing! Here are 10 ways...

    10 Genius Ways to Use a Muffin Tin

    We've rounded up the most surprising—and borderline genius!—uses for muffin tins around the house. Learn how to make the most...


    12 Secret Ingredients Grandma Used in Her Meatloaf

    Did you know you could put THAT into meatloaf? Now you do!


    6 Things That Will Change The Way You Buy Spices

    Are you buying spices the right way?


    9 Genius Ways to Make Better Scalloped Potatoes

    Rich, creamy and filling, scalloped potatoes are the gold standard when it comes to comfort food. From tweaking the flavor...


    How to Plump Raisins for Baking

    The best bakers take a key extra step—soaking raisins before folding them into the batter.


    The Best Thing to Do With Leftover Bread Crust

    Go ahead—cut off the crusts! We promise they won't go to waste.


    The One Thing You’re Forgetting to Do When Making Cookies

    Use this for perfect cookies every time!


    10 Genius Tricks for Cooking with Gelatin

    From using gelatin to flavor sugar cookies to keeping your Jell-O mold from sliding off the plate, here are our...


    Ice Cream Bread Is a Thing and It’s So, So Good

    You're only an hour away from a moist, delicious and ridiculously easy quick bread!

    Do You Really Have to Preheat Your Oven or Skillet?

    Should you preheat your oven or skillet? Or...can you get away with skipping that step?


    9 Genius Ways to Use a Pizza Stone (Besides Cooking a Pizza)

    Your pizza stone is not a one-hit wonder! It's well worth the investment, and to prove it, here are nine...


    7 Easy Ways to Make Healthier Mac and Cheese

    You can make easy swaps to create a healthy mac and cheese recipe for dinner. Here's what to do!


    How to Bake a Fruit Pie with Frozen Fruit

    Is it possible to bake a blue ribbon-worthy fruit pie with frozen fruit? Abso-fruit-ly!


    Tout icon

    Here’s the Right Way to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients

    Your baking is about to "rise" to a new level!


    So, What’s the Difference Between Light and Dark Brown Sugar?

    You're ready to bake and you've got one or the other. So is there a difference between light and dark...

    10 Secrets to the Best Steak You’ll Ever Cook, According to Professionals

    Want to learn how to cook the best steak you've ever had? After chatting with the executive chef team at...


    The Sneaky Ingredient That’s Hiding in Your Shredded Cheese

    From extra sharp cheddar to Italian blend, cheesy goodness is best when you spring for the good stuff.


    This Is What Imitation Crab Meat Actually Is

    You might not even have realized that it's not real crab meat inside your crab dip.


    Are You Supposed to Wash Chicken?

    Are you supposed to wash chicken? This polarizing poultry problem finally has a clear answer.


    Is Pre-Washed Lettuce Safe to Eat?

    Even when they're labeled "ready to eat," pre-washed salad greens can contain harmful chemicals—and probably aren't even totally clean. Here's...


    The Surprising Reason Why There’s Less Cake Mix in Your Box

    Manufacturers have been downsizing their cake mixes for years. Here's why.