Cooking doesn't have to be complicated – with just a few simple changes you can save time, money and hassle. Here we reveal the handiest food hacks of all time, from getting the most out of leftover pizza to jazzing up your mac 'n' cheese and making the perfect poached egg.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the timeless kitchen tips you’ll use again and again, counting down to the most game-changing of them all.

Slow cooking isn't just for savoury recipes. Make perfect French toast by whisking two eggs with two egg whites, plus a little honey, cinnamon and milk. Place triangles of bread in the bottom of the slow cooker, pour over enough mixture to moisten the bread, then layer more bread and mixture. Cook on high for around two hours or for around four hours on low.

Invest in a banana hanger to stop your fruit from getting bruised and going bad quickly. As long as it's located somewhere that allows for free movement of air around the bananas, this handy contraption will slow down the ripening process. Keep your bunch away from other fruit, too – bananas give off gases that cause produce to spoil faster.

If you do end up with black or brown bananas, fear not. Overripe bananas are ideal for use in baking as they're sweeter and easier to mash into batter than perfectly ripe or underripe ones. Banana bread is of course a favourite for using the fruit – feel free to add extra flavourings to yours, think cocoa nibs or a shot of coffee.

You might already use the juices from roasted meat in your gravy, but don't forget about getting the most from your veggies too. Add the nutrient-rich water from boiled veg, along with any run-off from roasting tins, and you'll end up with a flavourful gravy packed with vitamins.

Nutritional yeast is a great way to add a rich cheesiness to dairy-free dishes. In fact, these flakes are an essential vegan store cupboard ingredient, brilliant for adding a hit of umami flavour to soups, salad dressings, dips and sauces.

This tip is essential for iced coffee lovers who don't want their caffeine hit watered down. Brew fresh coffee (as strong as you like it), pour into an ice cube tray and freeze. Add the frozen coffee cubes to a cold brew or blend them with milk to make an iced latte.

Dried pasta is one of the most versatile ingredients out there – but settling on the perfect pasta and sauce pairing requires a bit of thought. For example, conchiglie (pictured), otherwise known as pasta shells, should be served with thick and chunky sauces, which collect inside the shell and stick to the ribbed outside surface, while spaghetti suits creamy sauces such as carbonara or oil-based ones like pesto.

Whether you've made too much pesto or have spare pasta sauce from a jar, don't throw leftovers away. Instead, transfer to ice cube trays and freeze, ready to be used another day. Once frozen, remove from the ice cube trays and store in the freezer in labelled freezer bags.

Forget about sticky fingers and misshapen meatballs – use an ice cream scoop to portion your minced meat mixture and you'll end up with the perfect sphere every time. The uniform size also means the meatballs will cook more evenly too.

It may seem counter-intuitive to add sugar to savoury dishes and salt to sweet, but this is a great trick for balancing out flavours. Sugar tempers the acidity of ingredients such as tomatoes in pasta sauces or chilli. When baking, a pinch of salt can help strengthen the gluten and bring out flavours, as well as adding a pleasing savoury kick to caramel or chocolate.

When rustling up a fresh tomato sauce or salsa, discarding tough tomato skins is a must. Here’s how to do so the easy way: score an X at the stem of each tomato, drop in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, remove and transfer to a bowl of iced water, until cool enough to handle. Then simply pull the skin away in strips.

Juices and smoothies are a nutritious way to start the day, but prepping can be time-consuming. When you have a moment, chop and divide fruit and veg into individual food bags and store in the freezer or fridge. Take out as and when needed, adding extras such as yogurt, water or plant-based milk before blending.

If last night’s chicken stew or chilli has stained your storage container and hot soapy water just won’t shift it, reach for the baking soda. Wipe the inside with a smooth water-and-soda paste and allow it to sit for a few hours. Wash once more and those stubborn marks should be a thing of the past.

Mangoes can be a pesky fruit to prep, but there's a speedy way to do so without fuss or waste. Cut the mango in half (on each side of the stone), slice a grid pattern into each half, then invert the fruit. You'll be left with mango cubes popped up as pictured – simply cut them off and enjoy.

There are two ways to stop syrup from sticking to your spoon. Try dipping the spoon in hot water first, then into the syrup. Alternatively, wipe the spoon with a little flavourless oil, then plunge it into the jar.

If you want to inject a tangy sweetness into a dish, ketchup might just be the answer. After all, it's an essential ingredient in both barbecue sauce and Marie Rose sauce (a key component of a classic prawn cocktail) and makes a great glaze for poultry. You could also try adding a squeeze of ketchup to tomato-based pasta sauces to round out the flavour.

Invest in glass storage containers that are also oven safe. Not only can you cook the food and then handily store the leftovers in the same dish, you can reheat a meal without creating more washing up. There are also environmental benefits to using glass – it's sustainable and infinitely recyclable, reusable and refillable.

We all know an extra 10 minutes in bed is much more appealing than waking up early to make breakfast. To save time, prep a batch of breakfast burritos on a Sunday, wrap them individually and pop in the freezer, ready for the week ahead. Get one out the night before you want to eat it, leave to defrost in the fridge overnight, then in the morning, microwave the burrito (or griddle on both sides if you want it crispy) until piping hot.

If you’re cooking on a budget, lentils are a great way to make your meals go further and are a good source of fibre and protein. Bulk out meat sauces, soups and salads with the legume for a filling dish. If time is a factor, tinned (rather than dried) lentils are an excellent short-cut ingredient to have on hand.

An omelette cooked in a mug might not look like the real deal, but it's still a quick and simple meal. Whisk together an egg, plus two extra egg whites, some seasoning and grated cheese or chopped ham. Pour the mixture into a greased mug and microwave on high for one minute. Stir, then cook again on high for another minute.

There's a simple way to keep your cooked green vegetables green: blanching. Cook vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes (depending on the variety), then immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water. This stops the vegetables overcooking and means they retain their firm texture and vibrant colour. It also seals in flavour and vitamins and removes bitterness from certain veggies.

Freshly squeezed orange juice isn't just for drinking. Chicken and citrus pair brilliantly in marinades, particularly when ginger, honey, spring onions and a touch of chilli are added to the mix. Orange juice is also a crucial ingredient in mojo, a delicious Cuban marinade that’s made with garlic, olive oil, chilli and fresh herbs like coriander and parsley and used to flavour roast pork.

Want to make pasta dishes like a pro? Don’t throw away that precious, starch-rich cooking water. Rather than draining your pasta in a colander, lift it from the pot and mix it into the sauce on a low heat. While the flavours are mingling, add a ladle or so of the pasta water and the sauce will develop a rich, silky texture.

Stir cooked, grated beetroot into chocolate cake mixes and brownie batters to add an extra layer of earthy flavour and help create a moist texture. Plus, you'll be adding some extra nutrients to your favourite treat too.

Not only are egg muffins an ideal breakfast, snack or lunchbox treat, they can be made with ingredients you need to use up, such as leftover herbs or a solitary slice of meat. Chop up ham, cheese, red pepper, onion or mushrooms, lightly fry everything together, then divide among lightly greased or lined muffin tin holes. Combine eggs with a little milk, pour over the mix and bake for around 20 minutes in a hot oven until golden and cooked through.

Want to take your mac 'n' cheese to the next level? Add a small amount of piquant English mustard to the sauce to bring out the flavour of the cheese and give the dish a subtle kick, without overpowering it. This simple change makes a huge impact.

Prevent the skin from shrinking and pulling away from meat by scoring it in a criss-cross fashion before cooking. Scoring the skin of both meat and fish also allows marinades to be better absorbed and speeds up the cooking process.

There's simply no end to the mug cake variations you can make in your microwave. For a tasty option, add 2 tbsp self-raising flour, 2 tbsp caster sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp instant coffee powder to a mug and mix well. Whisk in an egg, 1 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Cook in the microwave for two minutes on high. Leave to rest for a minute or so before tucking in.

If you're planning on eating raw kale in a salad, give it a good massage beforehand. It may sound odd, but doing so will tenderise the hardy leaves. First, remove and discard the stem and drizzle the leaves with a glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Gently knead the kale with your hands, until the leaves start to wilt a little. Be careful not to overwork the greens though, as they'll become mushy.

When sugar (particularly brown) has been stored in the same container for a long time it eventually forms hard clumps that make it difficult to use. But there’s a very easy and effective way to soften it quickly – simply add a slice of bread to the sealed container of sugar. The bread will quickly absorb the moisture from the sugar, leaving it soft and pliable. The same technique works if you want to soften hard biscuits or cookies.

Fancy a barista-style coffee in the comfort of your own home? For perfect froth, fill a jar halfway with milk, screw on the lid and shake. Once foamy, remove the lid and microwave on full power for 30 seconds. Your froth should double in size and provide the perfect topping for your coffee.

If you're a umami lover, don't just put salt on your favourite movie snack. Blend soy sauce with melted butter and pour over plain popcorn for a super savoury treat that takes popcorn to delicious new heights. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha for a messy but irresistible feast.

When we think of bacon, most of us imagine it sizzling away in a frying pan – but there are quicker ways to cook your favourite breakfast meat. One method is to use a microwave. Lay a paper towel on a plate and arrange strips of bacon, not touching, on top. Cover with another paper towel and cook on high for around three minutes. Transfer the bacon to another paper towel for a few moments to absorb some of the grease before eating.

No one likes a soggy sandwich. Reduce the amount of liquid seeping out from ingredients such as sliced tomato or cucumber by placing them between two pieces of kitchen paper for five minutes before you add them to your sandwich. It’s also a good idea to spread butter, cheese or mayo onto the bread first – this acts as a barrier against wetter ingredients.

Ever wondered why your potatoes aren’t lasting for very long before going bad? Start by storing them in a separate place to your onions. Both potatoes and onions release moisture and gases that will cause the other to spoil faster, so it's best to keep them apart.

To check if eggs are fresh, fill a bowl with cold water and try the ‘float test’. If the egg sinks to the bottom on its side, that means it’s very fresh. If your egg sinks to the bottom in an upright position, this indicates it’s not quite as fresh but still perfectly edible. If your egg floats, it means it has started producing gases that lift the egg to the water’s surface and has most likely gone bad.

Don't worry if the cake you've just made doesn't live up to expectations – baking fails happen to the best of us. Instead, turn it into something else: broken pieces of cake can be used instead of ladyfingers in trifles or even crumbled in a food processor and stirred through ice cream.

Velveting is the simple process (popular in Chinese cookery) of using bicarbonate of soda or cornflour to soften the fibres of economical cuts of steak, chicken and other meats to give them a melt-in-the-mouth texture. Next time you’re cooking a stir-fry, simply toss chunks of meat in 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, along with any other marinade ingredients you want to use. Leave for 15 minutes, then cook as normal.

If you love your steak topped with a slab of melting garlic, herb or chilli butter, don't leave making it to the last minute. Prep a batch of flavoured butter in advance and freeze in ice cube trays – the cubes will only take an hour or so to defrost at room temperature and can be pulled from the freezer as and when you need them.

Ladling pancake mix can be a messy business, so take an empty plastic sauce bottle and use it to squeeze out the batter into circular pancakes instead. Or have a bit of fun and create animals, shapes or numbers out of the batter – kids (old and young) will love it. Just make sure the bottle you use is spotlessly clean before pouring in the batter.

This is so simple but once you make this easy switch, you'll never look back: store your jar of peanut butter upside down. That's it. Natural nut butters don't have any added stabilisers, so the oils will usually separate and move to the top of the jar. Save yourself the time, faff and mess of trying to stir it together and just store upside down. The oils will head to the bottom of the jar, making it much easier to use when the time comes.

Most coffee beans react best to water that’s hot, rather than boiling (although some argue that letting the water boil and then cool down slightly helps deal with hard water and other impurities). Either way, pouring boiling water straight over your coffee scorches the grounds and will result in a mediocre brew.

For those who would prefer to skip the arm workout that comes with mashing potatoes, using an electric hand mixer is an easy solution. As well as taking away all the effort, a hand mixer ensures lump-free mash every time.

Revive leftover, dried-out pizza by microwaving it with a mug of water. As the water evaporates, moisture fills the microwave, rehydrating the dry crust and giving you a gooey, cheesy pizza slice once more.

If you’re having a hard time with cold butter, use a grater to soften the exact amount needed to slather on your bread or toast. Doing so makes the butter easier to spread, without destroying your loaf in the process. This method is also a great solution if a recipe calls for softened butter, but you've forgotten to take it out of the fridge in advance.

Get more juice from a lemon by microwaving it on high for around 20 seconds. The fruit will be warmer and softer than straight from the fridge, making it easier to squeeze. It goes without saying that this is a must-try hack if you're making lemonade.

Waffle irons aren’t just for Belgian-style waffles. You can also use them to cook omelettes, quesadillas and – best of all – hash browns. Grease the waffle iron first and ensure any raw ingredients, such as whisked egg or grated potato, are cooked through before serving.

Despite their hefty size, rolling pins have a habit of going missing just when you need them – probably because most of us don’t use them very often. But worry not, if you have a wine bottle handy (empty or full, it doesn’t really matter) it will make a perfect rolling pin substitute.

American cooks have long sworn by this simple trick to ensure perfectly crisp and caramelised cheese toasties. Instead of spreading the outside of the bread with butter, use a thin layer of full fat mayonnaise instead. The mayo forms a barrier between the bread and the heat source, allowing for even browning and crisping. Mayo also has a higher smoke point than butter, which means it can withstand higher cooking temperatures without burning.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water over bread that's going stale, stick it in a hot oven for 2-3 minutes and your tired loaf will be brought back to life. This handy hack works best on whole, unsliced loaves, baguettes and ciabatta rolls.

You won't get baked potatoes that are perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle just by cooking them in a microwave – but you can use one to save time. Prick the potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a hot oven or air fryer for 10-20 minutes to crisp up the skin.

Don't throw away biscuits that are burnt on the bottom or around the edges. Instead, carefully grate off any blackened bits and they'll be perfectly edible. If the biscuits are a little misshapen, simply dip in melted chocolate or icing to hide a multitude of sins.

If you curdle hollandaise sauce, there's a way to try to rescue it. Whisk a fresh egg yolk in a separate bowl with a knob of butter and a dash of warm water, then just gradually whisk the split sauce into the new one, until smooth.

If your attempts at poached eggs always end in disaster, follow this top tip. Lay a piece of clingfilm in a bowl, lightly oil the inside and crack in an egg. Gather up the sides of the clingfilm and tie to form a sealed pouch. Poach in boiling water for two to four minutes, depending on the size of the egg and how soft you want it.

Want to know the secret for making cut herbs last? Arrange them upright in about 5cm (2in) of water, as you would a bunch of flowers. Shelter them from direct sunlight and change the water regularly and they'll stay fresher for longer.

While we’re not suggesting you throw away your expensive knife set, a good, sturdy pair of kitchen scissors is a fantastic investment that can speed up so many cooking tasks – from slicing pizza and chopping up meat to snipping herbs, trimming green beans and even cutting dough. Using scissors in place of a knife is a common practice in Korean kitchens, where meat and vegetables are often sliced to size at the table, and we reckon they're an underrated tool in your kitchen arsenal.

Now discover the essential money-saving cooking hacks you need to know