Even if you have a fear of all things cooking, these tips and products will take you by the shoulders and tell you that YOU CAN DO IT. Mainly because they’ll *almost* do all the work for you.
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Beautify your egg-cooking abilities on (a.k.a. I know how to not burn things) by cracking the egg into a strainer first. The yolk will come out perfectly yellow, which means you're about to hit 100+ likes on Instagram.
Check out more for an incredibly simple step-by-step for making Insta-worthy eggs!
Get a set of three strainers on Amazon for $9.97 or a similar set from Walmart for $1.97.
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Check online stores and compare prices for gourmet ingredients like extra virgin olive oil. Chances are they're cheaper online (plus, you can probably buy in bulk). Fancy recipes, here 👏 you 👏 come.
Check out even more ingredients that are cheaper online than at the grocery store!
Promising review: "This oil has a rich and lovely flavor, especially if unheated or drizzled on cooked dishes just before serving. The BPA-free metal container is great for keeping out the light, so it has long shelf life. Plus, the price was right. Five stars!" –G. Simon
Get it from Amazon for $10.99 or from Walmart for $11.14.
Upgrade your usual roast chicken by trussing it and baking it on a roasting rack. It'll bring out the chicken's natural flavor and moisture, and it'll taste like you did a heck a lot more than just get frisky with your food.
What you'll need: cooking twine ($4.99 on Amazon), roasting rack ($11.99 on Amazon), salt, and pepper. THAT'S IT, BABY.
Check out the full run-down on how to make the perfect three ingredient roast chicken.
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Explore more possibilities than just baked goods when using a muffin pan (poached eggs, anyone?). All that is required of you is tossing in a few ingredients, and of course, not burning the house down.
Check out the full recipe for muffin tin veggie egg cups!
Get a two-pack of muffin tins from the Tasty collection at Walmart for $13.85.
Invest in a full set of knives so you always have the proper tool for recipes. You can't eat your meal in a timely manner if you spend 15 minutes whittling at a piece of meat with a butter knife, ok?
This set includes an 8" chef knife, 8" slicing knife, 8" serrated bread Knife, 7" santoku knife, 6.5" utility knife, and a 3.5" paring knife.
Promising review: "Like many, I'd love to head to Williams-Sonoma and drop $1,000 on a great set of knives. However, I'm a graduate student so that's just not in the cards given my stipend. That being said, these are truly excellent for the price. If you don't have a set of knives, get these now. They are smooth and cut effortlessly. I primarily use the chef, Japanese, and paring knives and I love them. At this price, there's no excuse for using steak knives. They've made cooking so much more enjoyable." —Joseph Tolsma
Get a six-pack from Amazon for $19.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $16.89.
Satisfy your cheesy cravings without ordering takeout (or suffering in the kitchen) with an easy-peasy five minute pizza recipe. Is this dinner for the rest of your life? Probably.
Get the full recipe from The Baker Chick and then check out even more insanely simple recipes!
Take a trick from professional chefs and *bake* bacon instead of frying them. Not only is it healthier (less grease), but they're actually a lot crispier this way!
Check out more cooking hacks that are surprisingly easy!
Get big results with minimal effort by making your meals in a slow cooker. You just need to muster the energy to toss everything into the pot, set the timer, and leave. It'll do all the hard work while you spend your day doing anything but cooking.
Promising review: "This Crock-Pot has made my life much easier when it comes to preparing meals. I simply place everything in the Crock-Pot before I log in for work and voilà: hours later my husband and I can enjoy a tasty home-cooked meal. I love how tender the roasts come out and that the settings are pretty much goof proof. I also love that it has a warm setting to keep the meal from getting cold, while preventing over-cooking." —MrsIN
Does that chicken look good to you? It only requires FIVE ingredients! Check out the recipe from No. 2 Pencil!
Get it from Amazon for $26.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $24.94.
Incorporate previously cumbersome techniques like spiralizing and pureeing with just the touch of a button by using an electric handheld immersion blender.
It has a powerful 300 watt motor to quickly puree, blend, mix, and spiralize. It includes an extension for blending, as well as three different types of spiralizing blade attachments!
Promising review: "This is one of the best purchases I've made in the last year. This little machine performs a lot of tasks. My new years goal is to reduce the amount of carbs in my diet and increase the amount of veggies that I eat. I knew I wanted something I could use to make veggie and fruit ribbons. Pre-made veggie noodles at the grocery store are costly. My manual device was too hard on my hands. I didn't want a big expensive machine that only made veggie noodles. With this multi-functionality of the Chefman, I've been able to complete several cooking tasks with one appliance. That's a win for me. My tiny apartment doesn't have much storage space and this doesn't take up much room." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $10.97.
Show off your *raw* talent by revamping boring salads into your own personal masterpiece. It takes zero effort AND you can give your body its monthly veggie intake. #Health.
Check out how to make the above from Cafe Delites with this no-cook salad!
End any struggles with measuring by enlisting the help of stainless steel mixing bowls with measuring guide markings. No math, no problem.
They come with three bowls: 1.7 quarts, three quarts, and five quarts. Plus they have non-slip bases and silicone comfort grips! Oh, and they're dishwasher safe because who likes to wash dishes?
Promising review: "I love these! The non-slip bottoms are fabulous and make mixing so much easier. I hold the beater with one hand and alternate pours of ingredients with the others and never have to worry about the bowl moving on me. The measurements inside the bowls are a great tool and save me time and extra dirty dishes/tools. I don't cook as often as I'd like, so when I do, it's a huge production with multiple things happening at once. These bowls are worth every penny and then some!" —DRM
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $25.45+ or from Walmart for $25.99.
Take control of your knives and finally learn how to chop like a pro (better skills = less time before you manger). If you can efficiently cut an onion then there's nothing to *cry* about, right?
Learn how by watching this Tasty 101 video! *Chop* to it! Sorry.
Elevate your dishes (but still cook everything in the same place) with a non-stick carbon steel wok. Microwave who? We're fancy now.
It even has a helper handle for easy lifting!
Promising review: "I'm fairly new to cooking with a wok but I LOVE it. I love one pan meals and this wok is just elevating my whole cooking experience. I cook sirfrys a few times a week and large skillets/frying pans just don't do the same thing. This wok makes stir frying so much easier and the high sides and large size of this wok means you can fit a LOT of ingredients in here." —xtinaaag
Get it from the Tasty collection at Walmart for $19.98.
Reach Ina Garten status while doing a whole lot less (ahem, store bought IS fine) by cooking your entire meal in a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. Aesthetically pleasing? Check. Barely trying? Double check.
Find all the inspiration you need by learning these cast iron skillet recipes like the above loaded smashed potatoes!
Promising review: "I'm enjoying cooking now that I have my cast iron skillet. This skillet is used for just about everything I cook! I love that it can go from the burner to the oven and back again without having to use two pans. Clean-up is so easy, too!" —J. Hicks
Get it from Amazon for $14 or a similar product from Walmart for $9.88.
~Cut out~ the annoying task of chopping herbs with a pair of five-blade stainless steel scissors. Now you have some actual green in your meals, and it took about .02 seconds.
Plus they're dishwasher safe, because they're here to make your life easy!
Promising review: "These scissors are the best tool ever! Instead of chopping up my fresh herbs and scraping them into whatever dish I'm making, I just hold the herbs over the dish and clip away. It's fast, convenient, not messy, and has no fuss. In the morning, when I'm preparing a fresh salad to take to work, instead of having to drag out the knife and cutting board, I just snip the fresh basil into the salad!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $8.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $10.03.
Don't ~boil over~ when it comes to your pot overflowing. Just use a safeguard lid so excess water sits at the surface. Hacker man level 100.
Promising review: "How did I live without this! It's so nice to finally be able to keep the boiling liquids where they belong! No more cleaning the stove after each time water boils over!" —BroncoKat
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $8.25.
Fret not if baking anything other than pre-made cookie dough terrifies you. A non-stick springform pan makes removing desserts like cheesecake fail-safe so your efforts are never wasted.
It has a quick release latch side clip with a separate bottom piece that can be removed so your dreams don't *crumble* after baking.
Get it from the Tasty collection at Walmart for $17.74.
Make sure you're cooking in the right-sized pot or pan — anything too big or small won't evenly distribute flavors (i.e. onions, garlic, etc.). Invest in a nonstick cookware set so you never compromise your hard work again.
This 11-piece kit includes a 9.5" fry pan, 11" griddle pan, 1.5 qt. saucepan with glass lid, 2.5 qt. saucepan with lid, 4 qt. deep cooker with glass lid and helper handle, a 6 qt. Dutch oven with glass lid, and a recipe booklet. Don't worry, they're dishwasher-safe!
Get an 11-pack from the Tasty collection at Walmart for $99 (available in three colors).
Unleash the magic of garlic (it makes EVERYTHING taste better) without any of the work. A silicone garlic peeler avoids that painstaking process of getting to the clove yourself.
Promising review: "This simple little kitchen gadget is a must have! I can put five to six pieces of garlic in it, roll, and like magic the papery skin of the garlic comes off and my hands don't smell! It's worth every penny!" —Kimrochelle
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 or a similar product from Walmart for $8.99.
When you finally master cooking and end your relationship with your takeout menu:
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Screen Gems
Check out the entire collection of Tasty kitchenware at Walmart!
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