No time to cook? With these tips, cooking will go faster - and you'll save not only time but also your nerves. It's all a question of organization!
1. fill the cupboards
Cooking starts with shopping. Stock up on shelf-stable foods like flour, pasta, butter or canned tomatoes - one big purchase takes less time than many small ones. Plus, if you have a well-stocked pantry, you won't go hungry if you don't have time to shop.
You should check your supplies regularly: Which ingredients are almost used up? Can everything still be kept? If you don't notice that something is missing until you're preparing - or even cooking - you'll lose time unnecessarily.
2. smart shopping
It's one of those phenomena that no one can quite explain: Why do retirees, students and all the others who would also have time on other days shop on Saturdays?
Those who are annoyed by long lines at the checkout should take advantage of off-peak hours: Go shopping in the morning before work or in the evening just before the store closes, and you'll be done faster.
3. use flash groceries
No, we don't want to sing the praises of convenience food here. But there are good convenience products beyond bagged soup and frozen pizza: Pre-cooked rice and fresh pasta are cooked quickly, and with herbs, peas, spinach or berries from the freezer, you save yourself the cleaning and chopping. And the puff pastry (and not only that!) you do not necessarily have to make yourself, but can also buy it ready in good quality.
4. buy kitchen gadgets
By "kitchen helpers" we don't mean the private chef or the dishwasher - but rather gadgets that make work in the kitchen easier and faster. A blitz chopper chops faster than a large knife, a food processor kneads dough at the touch of a button, and if you do a lot of stewing, a pressure cooker can come in handy. Especially if you cook and bake frequently, such a purchase can be worthwhile for you. If you're not afraid of making a larger investment, everything cooks especially quickly on a gas or induction stove.
You should also invest in sharp, good-quality knives: they allow you to cut faster and more finely. And because you won't slip as easily with a sharp knife as with a blunt one, there's even less risk of injury.
5. tidy up the kitchen
If you keep things tidy, you're too lazy to look for them? Maybe so. But it's also a fact: If you know where things are, you waste less time. That's why overflowing kitchen shelves should be cleared out mercilessly - that saves time and nerves. If you store seldom-used utensils and exotic ingredients in remote cabinets, you'll have plenty of room next to the stove for salt, pepper, oil and cooking spoons.
6. prepare ingredients
Have all the ingredients and utensils ready before you start cooking. This way, you have spices, oils, knives, boards, slicers and stirring spoons within reach when you need them.
This not only saves time, but also prevents kitchen disasters - otherwise the sauce might burn while you're still rummaging in the cupboard for the can opener. Professional chefs also swear by this method: The prepared workspace is called "Mise en Place".
7. multitask systematically
Read the recipe thoroughly before cooking, from start to finish. Knowing what to do next at all times saves time - and avoids annoying mistakes.
If you know the recipe well, you can identify waiting times in advance and then use them wisely. While the yeast dough for the pizza is going, prepare the toppings. Until the pasta water boils, prepare the sauce. And while the food is cooking on the stove or in the oven, clean up the kitchen.
8. cook faster
Always cook with a lid - this keeps the heat in the pot and the contents cook faster. This not only saves time, but also energy.
You can also boil water with the kettle, which is even faster than in a covered pot. Then simply transfer to a pot, add rice, pasta, vegetables and cook. If you have a microwave, you can use it to warm milk or reheat leftovers in a flash.
Lightning tip for vegetables and potatoes: Everything cooks faster diced than whole!
9 Cook once, eat twice
If you have a freezer (or even better: a freezer), you can cook ahead: Simply prepare twice the amount of the recipe right away and freeze it. This saves time on cooking, washing up - and best of all, when hunger strikes, all you have to do is defrost and reheat the food.
You can also make basic ingredients like salad dressing or broth in larger quantities and then store them in the fridge for a few days.
10. choose quick recipes
Even if you follow all the time-saving tips: How long you spend in the kitchen depends mostly on the recipe. Minute steaks cook faster than a roast, a casserole usually takes longer than a salad, and green asparagus is always ready faster than white because you don't have to peel it. We have a wide selection of quick recipes.