I am particular about my mashed potatoes. I like a mix of russets and Yukon Golds, but I rice the Yukons. (I don’t like the texture of riced russets.) This necessitates keeping the spuds separate during cooking, because they’re hard to tell apart once peeled and cooked. Rather than break out two different stock pots, I just divide my big pot into two portions with a small sheet pan.

Video: Don’t know how to plunge a toilet? Still taping Scarface posters to your wall? Not sure whether that shirt really needs to be washed or if it can last another few days? We’ve been there, and we’re here for you. This is Lifehacker’s Adulting series, where we’ll guide you through some real-world basics to help you take charge of your life. Now clear away those beer pong cups — we have work to do.

Control over your ingredients gives you control over the final dish, and squeeze bottles can help you become the master of your culinary domain. With them, you can put the exact amount of a liquid ingredient precisely where you want it, and they're super cheap.

A double boiler setup is crucial when you're gently heating foods such as chocolate, eggs for custard, or certain sauces, but I don't do enough gentle heating to buy one, and you probably don't either. Luckily, you can make one from stuff you already have; all you need is a pot, a bowl, and a chopstick or wooden spoon.

Everyone should have a wide-mouth canning funnel. It is a bold proposition, I know. You don't even can, probably. Certainly, I do not can. Moreover, I have no plans to can. I do not have a robust tomato crop to preserve, for one thing, and also I am nervous about hobbies that can give me botulism. (This is due to my own lack of vigilance; canning is great!)

Though I would like to stock my kitchen utensil crock with every Star Wars-themed spatula in existence, I just don't have the room -- or the need -- for that many turners. Really, the average home cook only needs three spatulas.

Hello, and welcome to What's Cooking?, the open thread where you get to share all of your brilliant thoughts, advice, recipes and opinions on all things food-related. Today I want to know about your favourite odd but necessary kitchen tools, even if they are -- gasp -- single-use.

Basting turkeys is a waste of time. Put the turkey baster to better use as a degreasing tool.

Food processors are powerful kitchen appliances that can be used for a wide variety of meals, but they can also be tough to clean. And the lids can be especially troublesome because of all their nooks and crannies. This will make cleanup much easier.

S'mores have never really taken off in Australia, but over in the US they are a staple beloved by campers. Thankfully, it's not too hard to assemble some in your own kitchen. All you need is a culinary torch.

The holidays are fast approaching, which means you need to get to shopping. If someone on your list is serious about cooking, drinking and eating, we have the perfect tools and toys to make their kitchen a happier, tastier place.

Video: Slices of super sharp cheddar make a beautiful, salty contribution to burgers, sandwiches and even plain ol' crackers, but its aged nature makes it hard to cut without crumbling. To get thin, almost deli-worthy slices that will keep their shape, use a mandoline slicer.

There are two routes one can take when purchasing a cast iron skillet: The "traditional" un-coated black pan, or the enamel coated kind. To help you determine which pan is perfect for you, America's Test Kitchen has created a nifty quiz.

Salad greens can start to go bad within a day if you don't store them properly. This salad spinner trick makes sure they get washed, and stay fresh for up to a month.

Mandolines are efficient tools for saving time in the kitchen, but they can be dangerous if you don't use them correctly. These four tips will get you slicing vegetables quicker than ever, and help you keep your fingers in the process.

A decent serrated bread knife should be able to carve through crusty breads, split cake layers, slice squishy tomatoes, and easily cut stacked sandwiches with ease. If you're tired of your knife making a mess out of your food, here's what you should look for in a new one.

You don't need an expensive, fancy pan to bake the perfect pie crusts. In fact, the cheaper the pans the better.