Test Kitchen Outtakes: Of Coconuts and Crockpots

Creativity in the kitchen is a joy, but it's also, often, a necessity. Don't have a tart pan? Hack one. Don't own a salad spinner? Use tea towels to dry your greens.

This week in the test kitchen, we got creative with both our tools and our workspace. Because sometimes we need to open a coconut without a machete. Or a crockpot needs to be tended to on the floor rather than the countertop. What can we say? We're a resourceful bunch. See the evidence below, share your favorite kitchen hacks in the comments, and remember to follow us on Instagram for more!

Our newest coconut hack. We were on a super-secret mission to open a coconut yesterday, but there was no machete or cleaver in sight -- so our intern Will had to get resourceful. A hammer ended up doing the trick, after poking two holes with a screwdriver to drain the sweet water inside. Lucky for us, the result was beautiful, and everyone went home with two hands and ten fingers.

Shameless ingredient porn. This is a very beautiful coconut half. You're welcome.

Back to resourcefulness! This is Kristen tending to a Genius Pot Roast on Amanda's floor. Because sometimes that's where the slow cooker lives. The result was worth her floor-stirring, though -- see her beautiful Mother's Day recipe (and James' beautiful photos!) here.

Tell us: what are your favorite kitchen hacks?