Kitchen Equipment
90 Helpful Cooking Tips
How to Rid Your Silicone Baking Mat of Sticky Residue
Silicone baking mats are handy tools, but they can get pretty dirty over time. What's the best way to clean them?
Published: September 2020
For Smaller Cookware, Which Burner is Best?
When you are using smaller cookware, does cooking on a bigger burner mean less cooking time?
Published: January 2019
Washing Soda: The Best Cleaner You've Never Heard Of
Removing greasy, sticky buildup from your kitchen walls, appliances, or grill is a snap with a powerful degreaser. Here's how to make one of the most powerful—w…
Published: January 2019
How to Clean a Smelly Silicone Ice Tray
Silicone ice trays make extracting ice easy, but over time they can pick up odors from the freezer, which can give ice an off-flavor. Here's a way to remove tho…
Published: January 2019
Parchment Paper versus Waxed Paper
Parchment paper is the only option when it comes to baking, but it’s expensive. Can you use waxed paper for everything else?
Published: March 2018
Knife Tune-Up: How to Use a Honing Rod
Instead of sharpening a knife, a honing rod "trues" the edge of a slightly dulled blade. So how do you use it effectively?
Published: July 2017
How to Clean a Rasp-Style Grater
Rasp-style graters are easy to use, but they’re not always easy to clean, especially when long, tough ginger fibers get caught in the teeth.
Published: March 2017
How to Clean a Wire Cooling Rack
Cleaning all the wires of our favorite cooling rack can be a challenge. To get it squeaky-clean, here’s our strategy.
Published: January 2017
Carbon Steel versus Cast Iron
Carbon steel is composed of roughly 99 percent iron to 1 percent carbon, while cast iron normally contains 2 to 3 percent carbon to 97 to 98 percent iron. Why d…
Published: September 2015
Testing Knife Sharpness
What's the best way to determine when your knife needs sharpening?
Published: July 2015
Turning Stainless Steel Nonstick
We wanted to know if we could make a
regular stainless-steel skillet
more nonstick with the help
of a vegetable oil spray like
PAM.
Published: July 2015
Tips for Better Stain Fighting
Maximize the effectiveness of stain-removal products with these five tips.
Published: March 2015
Explaining Canelé Molds
These copper molds are used to prepare a French confection known as canelé de Bordeaux.
Published: January 2015
Carbon-Steel Knives: Why a Patina Matters
Your carbon-steel knife's patina not only looks great, but is protective too.
Published: November 2014
Minimizing Static in Burr Grinders
When emptying the grind chamber of burr-style coffee grinders, ground coffee will often stick to the chamber and fly all over the counter. Are there solutions t…
Published: March 2014
Knife Storage
Wooden knife blocks are a traditional way to store knives, but will the act of sliding a knife into a slot day after day eventually dull its edge?
Published: November 2013
Does Cast Iron Work for Stir-Frying?
We tested to see if a well-seasoned cast-iron pan could perform just as well as a nonstick skillet.
Published: September 2013
The Importance of Tube Pans
Why do recipes for angel food cake and chiffon cake always call for a tube pan?
Published: July 2013
The Importance of Preheating Your Pizza Stone
A proper pizza-stone preheating period is essential to produce perfectly browned pizza crusts.
Published: May 2013
A Truly Nonstick Bundt Pan
A clean Bundt pan release can be a tricky thing to manage, but we've found a foolproof method that ensures an intact cake.
Published: May 2013
Cracking Down on Peppercorns
Here are two other ways to achieve coarsely cracked peppercorns, each about the size of a halved whole one.
Published: November 2012
Baking Pies in Disposable Pie Plates
If one must bake a pie in a disposable pan, are there any tips to ensure success?
Published: July 2012
Deodorizing Cast Iron
We discovered a better way to remove stinky fish oils from a cast-iron skillet.
Published: July 2012
Round or Oval Dutch Oven?
Does an oval cast-iron Dutch oven cook as well as a round one?
Published: July 2012
Muffin Pan Myth
If you’re making a half batch of muffins or cupcakes and thus don’t fill all the cups in the pan with batter, many sources suggest filling the empty cups with w…
Published: January 2012
Is Aluminum Cookware Safe?
There are conflicting reports that cooking in aluminum pots and pans is risky because aluminum can leach into the food. Should aluminum cookware be avoided?
Published: January 2012
Plastic Wrap Safety
Is it safe to place plastic wrap directly on the surface of still-warm, fatty foods such as puddings or pastry creams?
Published: November 2011
Keeping the Freshness in Fresh Chiles
Fresh chiles have a relatively brief shelf life in the refrigerator. Is there any way to make them keep their crisp texture and fresh flavor longer?
Published: May 2011
Taking the Pulse of Your Food Processor
Published: March 2011
Can You Heat Parchment Paper Higher Than Manufacturers Recommend?
Is it okay to heat parchment paper higher than the temperature range listed on the packaging? Recipes sometimes call for this.
Published: September 2018
Getting the Best Zest
Should you use a vegetable peeler, channel grater, or rasp-style grater when zesting citrus fruits?
Published: March 2011
Fear-Free Way to Invert a Galette
Published: March 2011
Yes, You Can Freeze Garlic
Published: March 2011
Caramel in the Microwave
Published: March 2011
The Ultimate Way to Season Cast Iron
We'd seasoned our cast iron the same way for years. But when we heard about a new method that creates a slick surface so indestructible that touch-ups are almos…
Published: January 2011