It was really hard, choosing just 40 kitchen hacks and tips from this past year. We have so many good tips, tricks, techniques, demonstrations, and tutorials in our archives! But here are a few of our favorites, from how to make milk foam without a machine to building a cooling rack or tube pan out of other kitchen pans. Plus how to use naked lemons, and ways to keep your cutting board from slipping!

Links in bold are pictured above, left to right and top to bottom.

Look for another roundup of tutorials and demonstrations next week. There's just so much good stuff back in those archives!

• See the full Tips & Techniques archive here.

Tool and Cleaning Tips
• Unitasker Redemption: Chop Nuts with a Pastry Cutter
• 10 Tips To Make Your Dishwasher Run Better
• Kitchen Keeping: How to Clean the Pot After Boiling Sugar
• Look! Metal Mixing Bowl As Dining Accessory
• Cleaning Tip: Vacuum Your Stovetop and Refrigerator
• Kitchen Hack: How To Make a DIY Tube Pan
• DIY Oven Maintenance: Adjusting the Temperature Gauge
• Quick Tip: Use Men's Handkerchiefs Instead of Cheesecloth
• Best Way to Drizzle Chocolate: A Squeeze Bottle
• Use Parchment Paper as Muffin Cup Liners
• How To: Calibrate Your Meat Thermometer
• How to Build a Make-Shift Cooling Rack
• Quick Tip: Preheat Your Cookie Sheets!
• Five Ways to Keep Your Cutting Board from Slipping
• Easy Entertaining: Five Simple Tips for Plating Food
• Use an Asian Soup Spoon to Fill Muffin Cups
• Make Stock in a Pasta Strainer
• Reader Tip: Organize Your Fridge with Six-Packs

Cooking and Preserving Food
• Tip: Freeze Fruit Fillings for Pies Right Now
• How to Make Milk Foam (Without a Frother or a Machine!)
• Mix & Match Bagged Meals At Home
• How To Make a Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich
• Quick n' Easy: Ways to Soften Butter
• Tip: Boil Your Vegetables with Your Pasta
• Lunch at Work: How Do You Keep Your Sandwiches from Getting Soggy?
• Tip: How To Chill Wine Quickly with Salt
• How To Plump Up Your Raisins
• What To Do With...? 75 Tips for Leftovers and Ingredients
• Salt and Drain Cucumbers and Zucchini
• In a Cooking Rut? Change How the Food Is Served
• Five Ways to Use Naked Lemons
• Tip: Turn Leftover Soup into a Dip
• How To Cook Eggs in the Microwave
• Use a Whisk to Break Up Brown Sugar
• How To Separate an Egg
• Creamier (and Lighter!) Sauce With Pasta Water
• How To Peel Things
• Use Yogurt for a Creamy Soup
• How To Make Soup from Almost Anything
• How to Peel Garlic by Hand

Were there any tips from The Kitchn's writers or commenters that you found especially helpful this past year? We have learned so many great new tips and tricks from you guys!