Announcing Our Kitchen Hacks Contest Winners

We are happy to announce the winners of Taste of Home’s Kitchen Hacks Contest! Back in September, we invited cooks to submit photos and videos of their tips and tricks they use in the kitchen—and they delivered.

Our talented home cooks came through with a myriad of kitchen hacks that helped reduce waste, save money and make dishes taste even better than before. Our panel of judges watched videos from around the country to decide which hacks made the cut.

Meet Our Winners

3rd Place: Parmesan Rind Hack

Donna Cianciola from Nottingham, Maryland

Courtesy Donna Cianciola

Donna’s kitchen hack is simple but often overlooked because it’s a rather unusual ingredient. Adding a parmesan rind to your soup stock is an easy—but brilliant—way to add robust flavor to your soups.

2nd Place: Parchment Paper Waste-Saver Hack

Kaya Moninger from Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Courtesy Kaya Moninger

Kaya’s hack cuts down on food waste and makes cleanup super easy. By just adding a piece of parchment paper under your dry ingredients when measuring them out, you can catch any excess that misses the bowl and dump it back into its container!

1st Place: Tin Foil Mold Hack

Lauren Clarke from Carver, Massachusetts

Courtesy Lauren Clarke

To mold aluminum foil into the perfect shape and size for a baking pan, Lauren molds it to the outside of the pan first. This is a quick way to get a snug fit inside a pan. This clever trick not only eliminates the hassle of guessing and trimming foil, but it also ensures a seamless, mess-free cooking experience.

Grand Prize: Cold Brew Coffee Hack

Tami Kuehl from Loup City, Nebraska 

Courtesy Tami Kuehl

Tami’s method for making homemade cold brew coffee uses just a pitcher of water and a few Folgers premade coffee filters. She simply lets the coffee filters soak in the water for about 6 hours, removes them, and then refrigerates the pitcher. The result? A refreshing, homemade cold brew coffee ready to enjoy anytime, saving both time and money for all coffee lovers!

Congratulations to all our winners! Bookmark our Contests page for more ways to participate and win.