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When trying to break a takeout habit, there are two common excuses: cooking is too much work and it never tastes as good as it does at a restaurant. There’s an easy fix for the first one (check out our favorite fast and easy recipes here) but the second can get more complicated.
Professional chefs have an entire toolkit of culinary tips and tricks that make cooking more seamless and food taste better. While some don’t necessarily translate to a home kitchen, there are several techniques that chefs use both on and off the clock. And you’re in luck: many of them are easy for even the least experienced home cooks.
We consulted chefs from all corners of the industry to see which professional techniques they use at home. From simple storage solutions to hard-and-fast cooking rules, these tips and tricks will immediately upgrade your cooking game.
Mise En Place
This French phrase sounds fancy, but the translation is simple: “put in place.” Mise en place (abbreviated by chefs as MEP or just mise) refers to doing all of your necessary ingredient prep ahead of time—from washing to measuring to chopping. “This helps make sure that you don’t forget about adding any crucial ingredients, and also helps your flow so that you’re not stopping to grab something and scale it out in the middle of things,” says Katherine Sprung, pastry chef and founder of Squish Marshmallows.
Donatella Arpaia, celebrity chef, restaurateur and owner of NOMA Beach, Miami, also argues that mise en place should extend to your entire kitchen, not just prepping a recipe. “A clean, organized kitchen, fridge, and pantry will set you up for an easier, more enjoyable cooking experience,” she says.
First In, First Out
If you step foot into any professional kitchen (one not featured in Kitchen Nightmares, at least), the team will live by a firm rule. First in, first out—also known as FIFO—refers to how a kitchen moves through its inventory by using up the older ingredients first. Chef Abishek Sharma, chef and owner of Madam Ji, recommends “labeling to clearly date leftovers and pantry items for easy tracking of how old they are.” With FIFO, you can end up with less food waste and eventually save money at the supermarket.
Toast Your Spices
Have you ever made a pot of stew or chili and felt like it tasted a little dull? One way to guarantee that your spices do their fair share in terms of flavor is to toast them. When you heat spices in oil or butter, it infuses the fat with those flavors and “blooms” the spices to bring out more “depth of flavor,” Sharma says. From there, the seasonings will taste more prominent than if you just sprinkled it directly into the dish.
Don’t Crowd Your Pan
One mistake that all but guarantees soggy, gray food is putting too many ingredients in your pan at once. “Overloading a hot pan causes a sudden drop in temperature, leading to steaming rather than searing, which affects both texture and flavor,” says Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef Gabriel Kreuther. “Searing food in batches ensures proper caramelization, saves time, and reduces waste.”
Secure Your Cutting Board
There are a lot of opportunities for injury in the kitchen, especially when you’re chopping ingredients. Aside from holding your knife correctly and keeping the blade sharp, there’s one easy tip that chefs use to avoid any unwanted cuts. “A simple trick is to place a damp paper towel or cloth underneath your cutting board,” Kreuther says. “The weight of the board will keep it in place.” Another alternative method is using a non-slip pad (like the ones you use under a rug).
Use Deli Containers
The preferred storage containers of virtually every kitchen are plastic deli containers. They come in several different sizes but all use the same lid. They’re dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe. They’re also really affordable, so it’s not a big deal if they get broken or lost. Whether you’re storing or organizing, deli containers are no-brainers. “I can label them with tape and a Sharpie or write directly on the lid for easy identification,” says Nicholas Wilkins, Culinary Specialist at Eat Clean Bro. “They’re ideal not just for holding prepped ingredients but also for storing leftovers, sauces, purees, and much more.”
Finish With Salt & Acid
There is nothing more disappointing than spending hours on a soup, stew, or braise only for it to taste dull. Most recipes call for seasoning food to taste before serving, but you may not know that chefs use multiple ingredients to finish a dish before it ends up on your plate. “Finishing with a splash of acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) can bring out deeper flavors and balance the dish,” says Dennis Littley, chef and recipe expert at Ask Chef Dennis. Arpaia agrees, adding that “a quick taste test and a dash of vinegar can transform a lackluster dish into something vibrant and exciting.”
Expertise: TikTok Trends, Drinks, Pop Culture
Education: B.A. in Journalism and B.S. in Communications from NYU, Culinary Arts degree from The Institute of Culinary Education
About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like and . Her features cover online trends like the , rank everything from to , and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
