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 ...
19
votes
Accepted
How to open a bag of rice sealed with string
There is a "right" and a "wrong" side to start. Note that the seam is typically made with one string, which is exactly the reason it's so easy to unravel.
Look at the side with the loops. You'll ...
15
votes
How to peel an orange?
I really like the Tupperware Orange Peeler. It is used by dragging the hook end around the orange skin, which opens the peel up all the way to the flesh of the orange. Then it's a simple matter of ...
15
votes
Accepted
Stained fridge from dry-erase markers
Isopropyl Alcohol
If the typical 70% rubbing alcohol isn't removing everything, try the higher concentrations (90%+ solution). The 70% solution works, but not quite as well as the higher ...
13
votes
What is an easy way to drain a can of tuna?
I discovered a great way to press out the water or oil from a can of tuna using only the can and a cup.
Start by opening the lid with an old style can opener. (Sadly a safety can opener will not work ...
11
votes
How to peel an orange?
I have found I can reliably peel the entire orange
without splitting any of the inner slices
without causing drips
quickly
I do this by starting at the tip where the stem was attached. If my thumb ...
11
votes
How to wash a sieve?
I use a dish brush to clean colanders and other kitchen items that have holes in them (like some cooking spoons). While sponges get torn apart if you scrub them over the mesh of the sieve, the ...
11
votes
How to pour out liquid from pan
Use a guide bar for pouring.
I learned how to do this kind of thing in a lab using a glass rod and a cylindrical container. A similar technique can be used for your household situation.
Find a spoon ...
10
votes
Accepted
Reduce blender noise
They actually make blender sound enclosures which will dampen a blender's noise considerably. These are generally designed for retail applications (i.e. expensive), but you can draw on the basic ...
10
votes
Accepted
Induction based fry pan not working on induction cooktop
The actual induction heating process will work with any conductive material -- steel, aluminum, copper, even gold (even salted water in a glass pot). Your issue appears to be because the cooktop is ...
9
votes
Keeping the spoon on the surface of a sucralose container
Pour the Splenda into a bowl (temporarily).
Put a tall glass inside the now-empty cereal box.
Put the spoon in the glass.
Pour the Splenda back into the cereal box, around the glass.
Now you have a ...
9
votes
How do I make a lid for this bin?
Plastic plant-pot saucers are inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes and colours, are light weight, strong, tough, and when flipped over are tops for bottoms. You can find them in hardware stores, ...
8
votes
Accepted
How to Resurface/Refinish the induction cooktop
This may be helpful: I use a combination of apple cider vinegar and baking soda, I'm afraid the ratio is "until it forms a thin paste", rather than anything more specific/scientific. Apply with paper ...
7
votes
Best way to clean butter from a knife
If I only used the knife for buttering bread, I clean the knife on the crust of the bread. This way (almost) all butter will be removed from the knife.
7
votes
Accepted
How to roll a dough to a certain thickness
Get a straight (not tapered) rolling pin.
Get 2 long strips of something (cardboard, wood, plastic, etc.) that are each 5mm thick.
Roll your dough out so it's fairly thin, but more than 5mm thick.
...
7
votes
Removing water stuck inside a double glass cup
My glasses are conventional borosilicate glasses which each has a tiny hole sealed with a hardly visible silicon plug on the bottom. Most double-wall glass coffee mugs are like that. When washed at ...
7
votes
How to pour out liquid from pan
That's what ladles are for. Simply scoop the liquid into the cup with a ladle or big spoon.
Once you have transferred most of the liquid from the pot to the cup, pouring the rest will be much easier.
7
votes
How can I close rice bag?
Introducing the Divide and Conquer HACK:
When you buy in bulk quantities, redistribute some of each different food stock into a smaller container for frequent use that is easy to handle and closes ...
6
votes
Tricks for opening very tight jars
If you have to open those glasses more frequently, such a device could help you:
It's a rubber band with a plastic lever arm, that fits on most common glasses:
For occasional use, built one made of ...
6
votes
Accepted
How can I clean stainless steel coffee maker carafe
Ice cubes. Salt. Shake/spin. Dump. Repeat if needed. Rinse when finished.
I worked in a restaurant for the better half of my teens and twenties... We used to do a sanitizer soak on the glass coffee ...
6
votes
How can I deal with refrigerator odor when it is turned off for a long period of time?
You should clean out the interior of your refrigerator with a mild solution of bleach and soap. You should only need to do this before you leave for a long time.
When you are using the fridge, unless ...
6
votes
Tea dispenser leaks
If the dispenser always sits on the same shelf in your refrigerator, put a piece of tape (like red electrical tape) on the shelf to mark the "farthest forward spot" that the dispenser can sit without ...
6
votes
How to remove oil without soap while washing?
I would try a putting few drops of dishwashing soap on a paper towel, then put that in a Ziploc bag with your lunchbox.
One more idea that I got from cleaning cast iron skillets in my home. You're ...
6
votes
How can you get the first brownie out of the pan without destroying it?
I always bake brownies over a "sling" of parchment, which is a strip of oven-safe parchment paper that is draped across both sides of the pan so I can lift the brownies out onto a platter or cutting ...
6
votes
How to remove ice cubes from the ice cube tray?
For many years I had two different plastic ice cube trays in my fridge. One of them, when twisted, caused the cubes to break free and practically jump right out of the tray- and the other one was ...
6
votes
What is an easy way to drain a can of tuna?
Start opening the can and stop after a short bit. (1 to 5 cm, 1/2 to 2")
Repeat on the other side of the can, ideally you have the shorter length on one side and the longer length on the other.
Hold ...
6
votes
What to do with big pieces of chocolate milk powder
At first, I was going to suggest breaking up the lumps in a more scientific way, by splitting them into smaller pieces with something like a chisel. But I have thought of a hack.
Pour warm water into ...
6
votes
How to pour out liquid from pan
My hack is to pour in two steps
First into a pan that can pour, and is large enough not to spill
Second into the target container
With the pan sizes I have available, this might need to be done ...
6
votes
Dish soap nozzle build up
My trick is to hold the nozzle under the running tap as you fill the sink to wash the dishes. This has the twin benefits if removing the crud, whilst stopping it from being wasted because it ...
5
votes
How to peel an orange?
One thing I have found to work is to just cut the orange in four 'quadrants' (use 'vertical cuts, not 'horizontal' ones). The pieces can then be peeled by hand from the corners.
Another method is to ...
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