If you’ve ever looked at a pepper mill and thought, “Hmm, I bet I could use that to grind M&Ms,” then you’re in for a treat… or possibly a mess.
In this latest round of kitchen hack testing, Mrs Barry and I take on six viral food hacks sent in by viewers — from quirky snack-saving tricks to questionable cooking methods. It’s part of an ongoing series where we put trending kitchen shortcuts to the test to see if they actually work, or if they’re just internet nonsense.
Here’s what we tried this time — and what we really thought of them.
1. The Crisp Packet Seal Trick
This one was surprisingly effective. Folding the corners of a bag of crisps and rolling it just right actually creates a decent seal — no clip needed. Definitely useful for mid-movie snack saving.
2. Grinding M&Ms in a Pepper Grinder
Look, we wanted this one to work straight out of the gate… but it didn’t. Not until we gave the M&Ms a bit of a smash beforehand did the grinder start giving us something usable. Fun? Yes. Practical? Debatable. But it was good for a laugh.
3. Spiral Potato Fries with a Grater
Threading a potato onto a skewer and twisting it across a grater gave us curly fries — eventually. This one’s a bit fiddly and probably not worth losing a finger over. Anti-cut gloves strongly advised.
4. Quick-Mince Ginger Hack
This one was a win. Slicing ginger into thick coins, covering it with cling film, and bashing it flat with the side of a knife gave us instant minced ginger with barely any effort. Messy, but effective.
5. Turning a Tortilla into an Ice Cream Cone
We rolled a tortilla into a cone, brushed it with butter, and baked it. It actually held its shape and worked brilliantly. Add chocolate, toppings, and you’ve got a surprisingly solid DIY dessert cone.
6. Frying an Egg with a Heat Gun
A follow-up to the failed hair dryer attempt from a previous episode — this time we went hotter and slower with a heat gun. And guess what? It actually worked! Would we do it again? Probably not… but it’s good to know in case the oven breaks and you’re stuck with only power tools.
We’ve been doing this series for a while now, and the results are always a mix of “Why didn’t I think of that?” and “Please never try this at home.”
If you fancy watching this on YouTube instead, you can catch the full video right here.
And if you want even more chaotic testing of internet-famous food hacks, be sure to check out the full Kitchen Hacks section on the website.