69
votes
Find out if an egg is boiled or not without cracking it
As a non cooked egg is fluid inside we can make use of the rotational energy stored there. Put an egg on your desk and rotate it fast (like a gyro). Then apruptly stop it with a finger, then release ...
- 4,656
58
votes
Accepted
Find out if an egg is boiled or not without cracking it
What's with all those complicated answers? There's a very easy way to check, one that I always use when I don't know if an egg is boiled or not:
Simply put the egg on a flat surface and spin it fast. ...
- 696
55
votes
Accepted
How can I eat my bagel when I lack a knife to cut it?
Knives are useful tools for cutting bagels and applying delicious spreads such as peanut butter or cream cheese, but luckily if you are missing this implement, you can still enjoy your bagel with 3 ...
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44
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if an egg has gone bad without cracking it open?
I place the egg in a glass of water.
If it floats, it is bad. If it stands up, use it for cooking (e.g. a hard boiled egg but not soft), it's getting old. If it sinks, you're safe.
Why?
The outer ...
- 2,282
36
votes
Accepted
Quick and dirty substitute for cream in coffee?
Ice cream is always a good option. Vanilla ice cream is probably the most straightforward.
- 11.4k
33
votes
How do I easily divide dough into thirds?
Another trick: make an evenly roll, lay it down in a S-form and push it together. It works quite well after a bit of practice. Main advantage: you can add more "loops" to make 4, 5, and more parts. ...
- 431
31
votes
How to seal the plastic bags airtight after opening without using rubber band?
Used plastic bottle which has lid will help to keep the plastic bag sealed and works as a container. This will seal the bags which has liquid also if used properly.
Cut the bottle above the body and ...
- 5,712
30
votes
Accepted
How to counteract the burning sensation after eating spicy food?
The cause for the pain from spicy food is often something called capsaicin (which is in chili). Other possibilities include piperine (pepper) or Isothiocyanate (wasabi and related)
Capsaicin is not ...
- 884
27
votes
Accepted
How to peel an orange?
That question has been asked on cooking.stackexchange before, and the answer by Jolenealaska (and originally by blogger E is for Eat) quite qualifies as a life hack:
Basically, you cut off both ends ...
- 576
26
votes
Accepted
How to keep bread fresher for longer
It's all about location, location, location!
There are a couple of things that will aid the growth of mold and bacteria and it is best to try and prevent these conditions being met in order to ...
- 6,454
24
votes
What is the quickest way to cool down a room-temperature drink without pouring it over ice?
If you need to rapidly cool beverages that are still sealed in cans or bottles, put them in a mixture of water, ice, and salt. Once the beverages are submerged in the mixture you can stir them to have ...
- 675
23
votes
Accepted
How to make neat, round pancakes
By putting the pancake batter into a squeeze bottle, you can create any shape you like.
There are products made for this purpose but you can also use any old empty squeeze bottle you have lying ...
- 1,311
23
votes
Quick and dirty substitute for cream in coffee?
Milk. Can't even imagine why you'd want to put cream (or "creamer", whatever that is) into coffee. If your coffee needs "flavour", I suggest getting better coffee.
- 331
22
votes
Mixing coffee without a spoon
Pour solid ingredients into a cup
Pour about a third of a cup full of liquid into the cup
Swirl cup gently until mixed
Fill cup with remainder of liquid
- 383
22
votes
Accepted
How can I sharpen a knife?
One way is using the bottom of a ceramic plate or cup.
On the bottom of some of these, you'll find unglazed ceramic where it's been cut, using this you can rub the blade of the knife along this ...
- 1,268
21
votes
Accepted
How to clean out a peanut butter jar for recycling?
I have found that using hot, hot water from the faucet helps to soften the peanut butter and loosen it from the jar's edges and surface. Often times I will fill it with hot water and let it soak for ...
- 4,497
21
votes
Accepted
How to separate egg yolk from whites?
The Empty-Water-Bottle Method
Squeeze a washed empty water bottle.
Place the opening of the bottle over an egg yolk, still squeezing,
and slowly let go of your squeeze.
The yolk should get sucked ...
- 4,055
21
votes
Accepted
How to quickly peel a bag of potatoes
The Super Peeler
Warning: only do this outside
This method takes some time to prepare, but you only have to prepare it once and every other time you do it, it will be ready.
You need a bucket, a hose, ...
- 11.2k
20
votes
How to clean out a peanut butter jar for recycling?
Have a dog?1 Give it to him/her. The dog will love the treat, since it provides a bit of a puzzle. Most of the larger breeds have very long tongues, capable of reaching inside of the jar.
And.. of ...
- 355
20
votes
How can I stop my straw rising?
Thread a Straw Through the Tab on a Soda Can to Keep It from Rising
It's as simple as turning the tab to the side and sliding the straw
through it. This keeps the straw from rising up and falling ...
- 8,612
20
votes
Accepted
Removing Pepper Juice From Eyes
For quick pain alleviation, put a cold, wet rag on the eye. This won't last, but what will is washing your eye out with milk. Get about a fluid ounce of milk (if you have a shot glass, fill that up). ...
- 11.2k
20
votes
How to eat loud food (chips, celery) quietly
Make sure your mouth is closed completely. You can bite slowly, which might sound quieter, though it is really just enlongating the sound.
- 2,471
19
votes
How can I neatly eat messy food without "common" utensils?
The best way to avoid sticky fingers while dining is to use this ubiquitous and easy to use tool:
19
votes
Accepted
How do I easily divide dough into thirds?
You could measure it out using your hand. Roll out the dough to be close to the width of three hands, and then cut each piece at the width of your hand. It is fairly easy to make an even roll, and the ...
- 6,954
19
votes
How can I eat my bagel when I lack a knife to cut it?
If you can find some dental floss or thread, you can use that to cut the bagel. Wrap it around the circumference (as in picture), then cross ends and pull through. Bagel ready for the toaster.
- 1,025
18
votes
How to remove a hard boiled egg's shell quickly, by hand, without damaging the egg?
The best trick I've come across is to put the egg(s) in some water in a closed container and shake it around. The water prevents the eggs from getting completely destroyed but the banging around ...
- 2,772
18
votes
How do I open a bottle without a bottle opener?
There are many, many options for bottle cap removal.
As mentioned but not really explained there's the lighter trick:
The key to this method is having a tight grip on the neck of the bottle so that ...
- 4,496
18
votes
Accepted
Cleaning a microwave
After watching me struggle with this a for a couple of weeks, the day-cook showed me a really simple trick for cleaning out the microwave:
Find a microwave safe bowl
Fill it half way with water
...
- 4,496
17
votes
Accepted
How to heat up burritos, without the frozen middle
Not sure if this is a life-hack answer but...
Just cook it at a lower power setting for a little longer. For instance rather than 3 minutes on high, try 4 minutes on medium.
Or you could consider ...
- 4,496
17
votes
Accepted
How can I confirm if meat is cooked without a thermometer?
The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat, by Elise on Simply Recipes
Raw:
Open the palm of your hand. Relax the hand. Take the index finger of
your other hand and push on the fleshy ...
- 319
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