The Kitchen Co-Hosts' Top Tricks of the Trade

Learn how to make potato chips in the microwave, break down a pomegranate and achieve a golden sear on meat with go-to tips.

From: Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee Biegel, Marcela Valladolid, Sunny Anderson, and Geoffrey Zakarian

Photo By: David Lang ©David Lang

Photo By: Jason Clairy ©Clairy Productions Inc.

How Bad Is It?

From really bad to pretty bad, find out just how much damage you may be doing every time you carry out seemingly innocent kitchen habits, like disposing of bacon grease down the drain.

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Strategies to Save You Time

Learn how the cast puts simple spins on everyday kitchen tasks, like quickly defrosting a steak, de-pitting cherries in a flash and more.

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How to Grill the Perfect Steak

If you could use a refresher course in how to master the meat on the grill, consider this your go-to lesson. Sunny shares her secret for cooking a rib eye, while GZ, Jeff and Katie dish on how to approach sirloin, filet mignon and the strip steak, respectively.

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The Anatomy of a Pepper

No matter if you're a spice lover or a fearer of heat, find out what parts of the pepper deliver will pack the hottest punch so you can either embrace or avoid them.

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Easy Ingredient Replacements

In this installment of what Jeff calls "Swap School," the cast offers go-to ideas for replacing recipe ingredients with those you have on hand already, so you don't have to give up on the dish just because you're missing one component. Think: homemade cake flour and corn syrup for when you don't have the prepared stuff in your pantry.

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DIY Candy Decor

Special guest Jackie Sorkin teaches the cast how to make jewelry like bracelets and necklaces, as well as bright, colorful centerpieces using everyday sweet treats, like gumballs and gummy candies.

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What to Know About Knives

With so many knives on the market, it can overwhelming to shop for them and decide just which ones you need. Check out the cast's recommendations for picking out the best knife for you, plus tips on when to use which knife (spoiler alert: it's not as complicated as you may think).

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Repurpose Old Tools for New Uses

Scrambling eggs in a cocktail shaker? Yes, it's possible, thanks to Geoffrey Zakarian's easy hack. Plus, with Katie Lee's help, you can squeeze out every drop of juice from a fresh lemon using your everyday kitchen tongs.

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New Uses for a Waffle Iron

Not just for your morning meal, the everyday waffle iron can help you create crispy hash browns, sweet apple turnovers and even hearty biscuits and gravy.

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Slow-Cooker Caramelized Onions

Traditional caramelized onions require a long time of slow and careful cooking, but Sunny Anderson explains that it's indeed possible to have the slow cooker do the work for you. Instead of constant stirring, all it takes is a few quick stirs during the cooking process to guarantee sweet, soft results.

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Prep Tricky Foods with Ease

If you've ever struggled to remove the tiny arils from a pomegranate (those ruby-red bites inside the pomegranate), this is for you. Katie breaks down the process with a simple tip before Marcela Valladolid dishes on prepping butternut squash and GZ makes ginger peeling easier.

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Build a More Flavorful Soup

The key to a rich, satisfying soup is layering ingredients to achieve maximum flavor, and for Jeff Mauro and Sunny, that means starting with fresh vegetables, then adding herbs and spices, and finishing with a bold ingredient that offers umami, like a Parmesan cheese rind.

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Soft-Shelled Tacos Turn Hard

Gently fold soft taco shells and microwave them in a mug for just a few minutes to turn them into hard shells instead. GZ showed the group how, and when Katie took a bite, she heard that all-important crunch.

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Master the Basics

From how to guarantee a successful sear to selecting the best pan for the job, hear from the cast as they share "The Kitchen Rules."

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Potato Chips from the Microwave

Think the only way to guarantee crispy, crunchy homemade potato chips is to dunk the spuds in the deep fryer? Think again because Jeff shares how simple it is to let your trusty microwave do the job instead. Just be sure to slice the potatoes thinly, he explains.

Getting the Grill Set for Cooking

Jeff and GZ dish on how to ready your grill for a summer full of outdoor cooking. Jeff's must-haves? Charcoal and gas, depending on the grill, plus a metal brush to scrub the grates.

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Ice-Cube Trays As Storage for Leftovers

If you find yourself with small amounts of leftovers, like coffee, iced tea or vegetable purees, follow Geoffrey's lead and pour them into ice-cube trays for simple keeping. Plus, Marcela shares the trick to preserving herbs beyond their prime with the help of ice-cube trays, while Katie uses them for keeping buttermilk and fresh ginger.

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