As Top Chef season 21 continues to heat up, we’re reminded that beyond its sometimes-chaotic, always-delightful entertainment value, the series has also taught us infinite practical kitchen wisdom. The knowledge we’ve gleaned ranges from general tips and reminders, like pace yourself when cooking a feast (or an Elimination Challenge), and keep your workstation clean and organized, to more specific takeaways. Like in this season’s episode 9, we learned you can make something delicious from all parts of a sunflower, including its seeds and petals. (Thanks, Dan Jacobs!) And we’re still learning. Read on for some of our favorite kitchen tips and surprise tricks — the ones we’re using again and again — from Top Chef contestants over the years.
