Save time (and your sanity) in the kitchen with these hacks

This is the year that we end our toxic relationship with the kitchen. You know, the place that feeds and sustains us while stirring up an inordinate amount of grief when we’re cooking against the clock.  

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It’s a difficult dynamic, but one not without hope.

With some strategic shortcuts, forward-thinking, and yes, ‘hacks’ (the word itself might feel trite, but the ideas are as fresh as ever) we can work on this love/hate relationship for the better.

Here are some of our current favourite timesavers for the all-too-real kitchen struggle.

 

Power up your prep

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The ‘secret’ of meal prepping has been out for some time, so I don’t doubt you’re well acquainted with its benefits.

But if you’re unsure what it involves or how you can best use it as a time-saver, there are a few good places to start.

Shop in bulk

Less trips to the grocery store means more time for everything else on your list. When you go shopping, bulk buy non-perishable items used regularly in your household (like rice, pasta, and canned goods). Just make sure you have room to store everything!

Pre-cut ingredients

Book out some time on your Sunday to chop and dice the essential ingredients in most of your cooking, particularly the veggies. 

Double the recipe

Serve one batch now and store another for later. It means cooking meals less frequently and keeping you covered on busy nights or times when things don’t go to plan. 

In the words of Gandalf, “All we have to decide is what we do with the time that is given to us.” Granted, he probably wasn’t referring to meal prep, but still. 

 

Use your blender as a kitchen multi-tool

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Just like memes about how humans use the 100 billion neurons in our brains to watch cat videos, it’s worth reevaluating if you’re using your kitchen tools to their fullest potential. 

For instance, the right blender does more than just smoothies. It can blend soup, batter, dough, sauces, dips, purees, nut butters, desserts, dressings, and more with impressive speed and ease. 

If you’re in the market for one, look no further than the Vitamix A3500i Ascent Series Smart Blender. 

This powerful blender pulverises even the toughest ingredients and boasts features like Variable Speed Control and Pulse, five pre-set program settings, touchscreen controls, and SELF-DETECT technology for a customised blending system.

Vitamix also protects your investment, with a 10-year warranty, so you can also trust that it’ll last.

 

Keep meals on rotation

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Growing up, our family dinners had a certain predictability. We had a few go-to recipes we’d rotate through the week (lasagna, mac and cheese, roast chicken, soup, stir fry) while the weekends were exclusively reserved for barbeques (we’re South African). 

Sure, it’s not the most ‘exciting.’ It does, however, save a lot of time, energy, and thought. Plus, you’re more likely to have the right ingredients on hand, making it a money saver too. 

This strategy is usually referred to as a ‘meal plan rotation.’ You could have specific, set meals or just choose a theme for each night of the week (like Wednesday nights are pasta, while Tuesday nights are fish). 

Also, try to incorporate leftovers into your menu plan. For instance, having a pork roast on Sunday could mean a pork stir fry on Tuesday with the leftover ingredients. 

One-pot dinners

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If there’s one thing busy families can appreciate, it’s the ease of a one-pan dinner. 

They’re easy to prepare (yay) and involve way less washing up (double yay). 

You can throw all your ingredients into one pot, pan, or tray, and let it do the hard work for you. Stews, curries, or even a pasta dish where the noodles cook right in the sauce – these are all great options.

The beauty of these meals is that they’re forgiving. (It’s hard to go wrong with everything cooking in one saucy broth.)

Organise your workstation

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Unless you’re a Marie Kondo fan, this might not be the most exciting tip. All the same, efficiency in the kitchen has a lot to do with how you organise it; knowing where each tool is and being able to grab it quickly. 

Start with the basics: make sure your kitchen tools, pots, and pans are stored in places that make sense for how you cook. Keep the utensils you use most – like tongs, knives, and wooden spoons – within easy reach, and group similar items together so you’re not hunting for a vegetable peeler halfway through chopping carrots.

Clear, clutter-free benchtops are just as important. You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect kitchen, but having a dedicated space to chop, mix, and prep can make the whole experience feel more enjoyable (and less chaotic). A quick pre-cooking tidy-up to put away stray mail or school bags is also a game-changer.

Wrapping it up

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The kitchen does not have to be your enemy. 

With these tips (and the help of the Vitamix A3500i blender), you might even discover that it can be a place of mindfulness and connection. Cooking, when it isn’t fuelled by stress, has a way of pulling us into the present and recharging our batteries to be the best version of ourselves. 

That’s the ultimate win.