Cooking questions. Clear answers.

CookClear: clear, tested answers to everyday cooking questions

Most asked this week

  1. 1Which Signs Help You Choose a Ripe Tomato With Real Flavor?
  2. 2Is There a Mayo Substitute That Tastes Good in Tuna or Chicken Salad?
  3. 3The Vanilla Extract Bottle Is Empty, So Which Substitute Works Best?
  4. 4Does a Rice Cooker Earn Its Counter Space, or Is a Pot Worth as Much?
  5. 5When a Recipe Calls for Fresh Herbs, How Much Dried Do You Use Instead?

Just Off the Stove

Cooking Times

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Substitutes

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Food Storage

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Kitchen Tools

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Black nonstick frying pan sitting on a stovetop burner

Why Do Nonstick Pans Lose Their Coating So Fast, and Can You Stop It?

Nonstick coatings usually fail early from high heat, cooking spray buildup, the dishwasher, and metal tools. Fix those habits and a pan can last 3 to 5 years.

Blender jar filled with frozen fruit and other smoothie ingredients ready to blend

What Stops a Blender From Leaving Frozen Fruit Chunks in Smoothies?

Chunks usually mean an air pocket over the blade. Add liquid first, use at least 1/4 cup per cup of solids, start on low, then ramp up to high speed.

Green stand mixer with a metal bowl sitting on a kitchen counter

Is a Stand Mixer Worth Buying If You Only Bake a Few Times a Year?

Usually no. If you bake only a few times a year, a hand mixer and no-knead methods cover nearly everything. A stand mixer pays off for bread and big batches.

Techniques

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Whole garlic bulbs and loose cloves on a brown wooden table

Why Does Garlic Turn Bitter in the Pan, and How Do You Keep It Sweet?

Person chopping a peeled onion on a wooden cutting board with a chef's knife

Which Tricks Stop Crying When Cutting Onions, and Which Are Myths?

Hand holding a container of grilled bone in chicken thighs with browned, crisp skin

What's the Trick to Crispy Chicken Thigh Skin With Juicy Meat Inside?

Measurements & Conversions

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Start here

Are There 8 Ounces in a Cup for Both Liquid and Dry Ingredients?

A US cup holds 8 fluid ounces. Fluid ounces measure volume, not weight, so a cup of flour weighs about 4 1/4 ounces while a cup of sugar weighs about 7.

Clear glass liquid measuring cup with printed ounce markings resting on a white plate

Picking Produce

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Bunch of yellow bananas with a few small brown marks resting on a kitchen counter

Which Bananas Should You Pick So They Ripen on Your Own Schedule?

Pick bananas by peel color: full yellow to eat today, yellow with green tips for tomorrow, more green than yellow for 3 to 5 days. Buy a mix to last the week.

Brown and white fresh eggs resting in a straw nest box, the kind you might check with an egg float test

How Can You Tell an Egg Is Fresh, and Is the Egg Float Test Reliable?

The egg float test shows age, not safety: fresh eggs sink flat, older ones tilt or stand, and floaters are old but may still be fine. Smell it before using.

Quick Bites