Our food prep guides get down into the nitty-gritty of make-ahead storage, kitchen prep tasks, meal planning, and just how to get dinner onto the table in time.

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Collage of a stand mixer and shredded chicken
The Easiest and Quickest Way to Shred Chicken
Orzo pasta salad with vegetables and chickpeas
Most Pasta Salad Is Bad—Here's How to Make It Great
A piece of medium-rare steak sliced into thin pieces on a wooden cutting board.
How to Most Effectively Tenderize Steak
Side view of caesar pasta
This Is the Most Overlooked Step in Every Recipe—and It Takes 5 Seconds
Ovehead view of steak test
The Science of Marinades
Lemon vinaigrette in a small bowl next to a plate of greens.
Stop Tossing Sad, Barely Dressed Salads—This Simple Vinaigrette Trick Changes Everything
A bunch of peaches
The Foolproof Way to Ripen Peaches Every Time
Overhead view of washing strawberries
How to Clean Strawberries So They Last Longer
Overhead view of washing a chicken in the sink
Should You Wash Chicken?
Overhead view of a cut avocado
How to Ripen and Store Avocados
Overhead view of cherries in a basket
How to Store Cherries So They Stay Fresh Longer
Overhead view of a wok station
How to Set Up a Wok Cooking Station
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Dry-Brining Is the Best Way to Brine Meat, Poultry, and More
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How to Clean, Trim, and Prepare Artichokes
Three towel-lined trays filled with freshly washed kale and lettuce.
How to Clean and Store Fresh Produce
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How to Buy, Prep, and Cut Green Beans
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How to Prepare and Store Ginger
Overhead of a restaurant-inspired kitchen prep station for vegetables.
How to Set Up a Prep Station Like a Pro Cook
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How to Wrap Your Sandwiches for Better Eating on the Go
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How to Prepare Salt-Packed Anchovies
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The Food Lab: How to Prepare Green Spring Produce
A Better Way to Skin Charred Peppers for Chilis, Soups, and Stews
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The Best Way to Prevent Cut Apples From Browning
Overhead view of cutting chicken cutlets
How to Cut Chicken Breasts Into Cutlets
Measuring spoons, measuring cups and a kitchen scale.
The Best and Most Accurate Way to Measure Wet and Dry Ingredients for Baking
How to Trim a Whole Beef Tenderloin for Roasting
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How to Dry-Age Duck at Home
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Save Your Vegetable Scraps, Make Stock
Four Pacific razor clams in their shells on a marble slab.
Pacific Razor Clams: How to Catch, Clean, and Cook Them
Thick slices of perfectly cooked roast turkey breast arranged on a white plate, along with stuffing and a radicchio salad.
The Right Way to Brine Turkey
The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Buying, Prepping, Cooking, and Carving Your Holiday Turkey
Guajillo chilies
What to Do With Dried Chiles: Recipes, Cooking Techniques, and Shopping Tips
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How to Blanch Almonds
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A Japanese Poultry Knife Butchers Chicken With Ease
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How to Clean Shiitake, Portobello, and Oyster Mushrooms | Knife Skills
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How to Trim Pork Spareribs Into a St. Louis-Style Cut
A mussel being opened by hand.
How to Clean and Debeard Mussels
A clip top jar full of homemade instant noodles. A pair of chopsticks lifts a bite from the jar.
Make Your Own Just-Add-Hot-Water Instant Noodles (and Make Your Coworkers Jealous) | The Food Lab
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How to Butcher a Chicken
For the Crispiest Chicken (and Turkey) Skin, Grab the Baking Powder
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The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Buying and Cooking Hams
The rich, water-repellent surface of a well-seasoned board.
How to Season and Maintain a Wooden Cutting Board
Peeling an apple with a Y-peeler
Why a Y-Peeler Is the Best Vegetable Peeler
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The 4 Knife Cuts Every Cook Should Know
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How to Prepare Portobello Mushrooms | Knife Skills
Two hands placing a Ziplock bag with meat into it into a tub filled with water. This image displays how to use the "displacement method" for removing air from a bag without a vacuum sealer.
How to Seal Foods Airtight Without a Vacuum Sealer
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Knife Skills: How to Cut a Whole Beef Strip Loin Into Steaks
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How to Tie a Butcher's Knot
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Stew Science: Should You Marinate the Beef First?
Unfold your steaks
How to Trim Skirt Steaks | Knife Skills
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How to Freeze and Thaw a Fresh-Fruit Pie
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How to Cut Beef For Stir Fries | Knife Skills
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How to Clean and French a Lamb Rack | Knife Skills
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The Better, Faster Way to Freeze and Defrost Your Foods
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How to Eat a Whole Lobster
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The Burger Lab: The Principles of Topping Burgers
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Ounces and Grams: Why Mass Is Not the Best Way to List Ingredients
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How to Stock Your Thanksgiving Pantry