How to make drinking water from ice (and other 'obvious' kitchen tips you’re too embarrassed to ask)

Let’s start with a question that sounds more like a joke than a genuine curiosity:

How do you make drinking water from ice?

Answer: You wait.

And yet, in the age of TikTok tutorials on how to boil water and influencers rating toast doneness like Michelin critics, nothing is off the table—including turning frozen water back into… well, water.

So now we ask, only half-jokingly:

Does Gen Z need a “Cookbook for Dummies” to survive the obvious?

The ice-water “hack” nobody asked for
Somewhere in the labyrinth of the internet, a young content creator films themselves holding a bowl of ice cubes. They pop it in the microwave, stare at the camera with faux drama, and—ta-da!—present a cup of water with the pride of a Nobel laureate.

Comments roll in:
“No way”
“This saved my life fr”
“Wait… it works???”

And just like that, what your grandmother simply called melting is rebranded as a life hack.

The age of performative obviousness
It’s tempting to blame this on Gen Z being “too online,” but the truth is, the internet loves performative simplicity. Boiling an egg is content. Folding a towel is content. Drinking water made from ice is survival content—complete with ASMR sound design and trending audio.

The real question isn’t whether young people know how ice works.

It’s that, in a world of overstimulation, even the obvious needs a thumbnail.

Do they really not know?

Short answer: They do.

Most of them aren’t clueless. They’re clever, ironic, and meme-fluent. The “Cookbook for Dummies” vibe is often self-aware—satire dressed up as sincerity. They know that ice melts. They also know that filming it might earn them 300,000 views.

But there’s a downside.

When everything becomes content, genuine curiosity often gets drowned in performance. People might hesitate to ask basic questions in real life—for fear of sounding “dumb”—only to search for the answers online, where someone is pretending not to know, just to go viral.

The “obvious” tips you’re not alone in Googling
Let’s take this as a gentle invitation:
Here are a few more kitchen truths no one taught you (but you wish they had).

1. Salt your pasta water—like, really salt it
It should taste like seawater. That’s your only shot at seasoning the pasta itself.

2. Yes, you can freeze bread
In fact, bakeries do it all the time. Slice it first and pull out only what you need—straight into the toaster.

3. Microwaving leftovers? Add a splash of water
Especially for rice, pasta, or anything with sauce. A spoonful of water and a microwave-safe lid (or just a plate on top) helps retain moisture and prevents dry, rubbery results.

4. Eggs can last past their ‘best by’ date. If they float, toss them
Drop one in a glass of water. If it sinks and lies flat, it’s good. If it floats, it’s probably time to let go.

5. No toaster? Toast bread in a pan
Heat a pan, add a little butter, and press the bread down. Crispy magic—no toaster required.

6. You don’t have to peel garlic
Smash a clove with the flat side of a knife. The peel comes right off. Too lazy to chop? Grate it. Or roast it whole for a sweet, mellow spread.

7. Don't cook cold meat straight from the fridge
Let meat come to room temperature before cooking for more even results. Cold meat = dry outside, raw inside.

8. Your non-stick pan isn’t meant for high heat
It breaks down the coating and ruins the pan. Use medium heat, and save the searing for stainless steel.

9. Store tomatoes out of the fridge
Refrigeration kills their flavour. Keep them on the counter unless they’re overripe.

10. Wooden spoons can go bad
If they smell funky or have deep cracks, it’s time to replace them. Also: don't put them in the dishwasher!

11. Use scissors for herbs and spring onions
No need for a knife and board. A clean pair of kitchen scissors snips right into your dish or bowl.

12. Butter doesn't burn—milk solids do
Use clarified butter (ghee) or oil+butter if you’re cooking at high heat.

13. Don’t store onions and potatoes together
They release gases that make each other spoil faster. Separate baskets, separate corners.

14. Always preheat your pan
A cold pan = stuck food. Heat first, then oil, then ingredients.

15. Put a wooden spoon across a pot to stop it from boiling over
It breaks the bubbles. (Kitchen magic? No. Just surface tension.)

Why these “duh” tips actually matter
In a food world that often feels curated for pros—with jargon, gadgets, and recipes that assume you own a blowtorch—it’s easy to feel left behind.

But food is for everyone. No one is born knowing how to separate an egg, reheat pizza properly, or keep coriander from turning into green slime. We all start somewhere, and we all mess up a lot.

So whether you're melting ice or learning to salt pasta water properly—you’re doing just fine.

Bookmark this. Share it with someone who pretends to know everything. Or better yet, start your own ‘obvious tips’ list—and pass it on. Because sometimes the most basic questions lead to the best kitchen confidence.