Cooking can be a bit daunting, especially for those who are beginning to learn how to do it. There’s a lot of preparation and timing that goes into making the perfect meal, and you can waste a lot of time and supplies if you get it wrong. The whole process is trial and error, but there still a few ways to save your time. If you ever feel pressured or pressed for time when needing to prepare for a meal here are a few easy kitchen tips to help you out.

Pancakes in a bag

Pancakes are an easy recipe to make in the morning as you simply need to plop the batter on the stove and wait for a few minutes.

However, preparing it can be a bit time to consume and messy, which often leads to more wasted dishes that you need to wash afterward. To save some time, you can prepare the pancake batter beforehand and store them in a zip lock or Pastry Bag, as per lifehack.org. If you don’t have a pastry bag, make sure to cut the tip of the zip lock bag so you can easily squeeze the batter out when you’re cooking. This can save you plenty of time, especially when you’re almost late for school or work.

The power of dental floss

Sometimes we need to cut soft foods like pastry rolls or cakes as we make them. However, some times using a knife can get a bit messy and leave you with imperfect slices. As an alternative method, you can use Dental Floss as a substitute for a knife as it will make clean, precise cuts without the mess.

Moreover, you won’t have to wash off any knives as you can simply toss the floss after you’ve used it.

Cook on the weekends

Similar to the pancake hack, you can use your weekend to prep your meals for the week instead of having to wake up early every morning. If you have nothing to do, you can cook up some frozen fish, chicken, and veggies before storing them in plastic containers.

These will usually last for the next few days if you store them in the fridge. All you need to do is microwave the meal, and you’re all set. You can also take the container with you to work or school instead of having to eat at home.

Place your fish on top of lemon slices

When grilling fish, they often break apart or stick to the surface which leads to an annoying mess.

To avoid this, simply slide a few pieces of lemon underneath the fish to make it easier to prepare. Aside from saving you the hassle of cleaning, this method will also give your fish a nice zesty flavor alongside its other seasonings. You can even serve the lemon as part of your meal if you don’t want to waste it.