6 Ingenious Kitchen Hacks To Save You Time

“Just add water” had a good long run when it comes to quick dinner prep. Continue reading to discover six time-saving kitchen hacks…

1. Stock up on extra sharp knives

If there’s one thing that’ll put a damper on your dinner prep, it’s dull knives. And no – this doesn’t mean you have to schlep all the way to the store to stock up on shiny and sharp new ones every few months. Instead, treat your blades with the respect they deserve. C’mon people — these tools do all the slicing, dicing, and chopping. Without them, we’d be lost. And hungry.

So do not, we repeat, do NOT let your blades dry on the dish rack, toss around in the dishwasher, or chill out in the kitchen sink. These are big no no’s. Also, only use knives with wood or plastic cutting boards, not your granite countertop.

2. Cook with nonstick pans

Avoid any and all sticky situations with the help of one revolutionary kitchen tool: nonstick pans. They require far less oil, are practically no-brainers to clean, and allow for an equal distribution of heat. But whatever you do, don’t use with sharp objects (think knives and metal spatulas) or you risk damaging the coating. Instead, stick with wooden spoons.

3. Bust out the pre-cut veggies

From sweet potatoes to sugar snap peas, there’s a whole lot to love about the colourful world of veggies. What’s not to love for most? The prep time.

Any way you slice it, after a busy day, the idea of chopping a carrot is not a-peeling, and chopping it into rounds just seems like a lot of effort when there’s a frozen pizza ready to do its own thing in the oven. Saving time is a BIG deal. So is eating healthy and spending time with your loved ones. Pre-cut veggies is your solution to all of the above.

And seriously, pre-cut onions are magical.

4. Take advantage of garbage bowls

Can you live without ’em? Sure. Do you want to? Absolutely not. Keep a garbage bowl (or, better yet, the meal kit bags!) close by to collect peels, trimmings, stems, and other scraps as you go.

BONUS: You’ll be rewarded later with an easy-peasy cleanup.

5. Invest in kitchen shears

We love you, knives, but sometimes scissors are the way to go. Or should we say shears.

Snip herbs, cut through dough, and slice bread like a pro. Just be sure to find ones that disassemble so you can thoroughly clean those bad boys.

6. Relish in HelloFresh’s Pronto Plan

Every week, our chefs experiment, test, and toy in the kitchen to come up with the ultimate kitchen hack and winning formula for efficiency in the kitchen. Et voilà — the PRONTO PLAN! Recipes in this plan take under 30 minutes to make, pre-cut ingredients and are full of exciting flavours to help break your mealtime routine.

Now that you’re fully equipped with time-saving kitchen hacks, it’s time to get cooking! These eight burgers have your name written all over them.