Though it's my job to search and discover all sorts of kitchen tips and tricks, I sometimes find that the best tips come from you in the comments section. This was the case when commenter Auntie Mumpsimus pointed out that most extract bottle caps can double as measuring spoons.

If there is one kitchen tool that can improve the quality and consistency of your cooking, it's the digital scale. Unlike measuring things by volume, weighing out your ingredients eliminates any doubt you may have about whether you're "doing it right."

Baking with friends is one of my favourite holiday activities, but cooking in someone else's home can put me slightly out of sorts. Not only are other people distracting, but I don't quite trust the measuring cups of others. Luckily, there is an elegant solution: Pre-measure your ingredients beforehand in your kitchen.