The Toothpick Hack For Slicing Potatoes Is So Wild It Just Might Work

Fried, mashed, scalloped, whatever way you like them, potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables for a reason — they're the perfect canvas for your favorite comfort flavors and textures. But when it comes to preparation, they can be annoyingly sticky due to the starches that are released when their cells break down. We discovered a clever, cheap knife hack to keep potato slices (and any other clingy food) from sticking when cutting.

Cooking is a craft, but this tip turns it into a bit of a craft project. All you need is a toothpick and some tape. Start by pulling out a piece of adhesive that's a little bit longer than your toothpick — about ¼ inch on each side should be just fine. Line the tape, non-sticky side down horizontally on your counter, then place the toothpick, horizontally as well, to the sticky side. Your wood strip should be completely covered by the adhesive. Next, stick your toothpick-tape combo to one side of your knife, being extra careful around the sharp edge. Now, you're ready to rock (or slice, rather).

Traditional chef's knives feature a perfectly balanced, double-bevel metal blade that's sleek and textureless on both sides. While this design helps for smooth slicing, it does nothing to prevent food from sticking to the blade. However, a Granton edge, typically found on Japanese Santoku knives, features divots that provide pockets of air between your potatoes and is made of impermeable metal that helps keep the glue-like starches from sticking. Similar to a chef's knife, Japanese Santoku knives are great multi-purpose kitchen tools, but not everyone has the luxury of owning both types.

This is where the toothpick and tape trick comes in handy. For single-knife kitchens, adding pockets of air between your knife and the food can ease to your potato-cutting process. Another subtle benefit of adding a taped toothpick to your knife — we still cannot believe we're actually recommending this — is that it acts as a little wedge between your potato and the blade. This pushes the slice away from your tool and lets it fall onto your cutting board at a very satisfying angle. The hack doesn't just work for potatoes, either — it works on all sorts of sticky culprits from eggs to cheese. Give it a go, but make sure to unstick and toss the tape and toothpick before you wash your knife to avoid any gunky residue.