The 7 best Alexa cooking hacks you definitely want to try

#1. When you don’t want to forget where you keep the garlic press…

Or the lemon zester… or the carrot peeler. You can just have Alexa remember where you keep those infrequently used kitchen tools. Then next time you need the carrot peeler, you can ask Alexa where it is.

• Tell Alexa where you're putting the item: "Alexa, remember the lemon zester is in the third drawer next to the sink"
• Next time you need it: "Alexa, where's the lemon zester?"

#2. When you want to remember a recipe as you create it so you can make it again…

Add each ingredient to an Alexa list as you mix it into your culinary creation. It's just like adding items to an Alexa shopping list.

• First, create the new list: "Alexa, create list called Sunday night pasta"
• Then add ingredients to the list: "Alexa, add 6 basil leaves and 1 lb of ground sirloin to Sunday night pasta list" (yep, you can add multiple items to a list in one command or one at a time if you prefer)

Pro Tip: Next time you want to make the Sunday night pasta, just open up the list in the Alexa app to see your recipe.

1. Open the Alexa app
2. Tap the hamburger icon in the upper left corner
3. Tap Lists
4. Tap "Sunday night pasta" (insert name of your recipe) under the "My Lists" section

#3. When dinner is ready but you don’t want to go room to room shouting it out…

Make an Alexa announcement to broadcast it over the Echo speakers across your home.

How? "Alexa, announce that dinner's ready"

Pro Tip: You can also use announcements as part of an Alexa routine. Try a routine that kicks off when you say "Alexa, it's time to cook dinner" and plays your favorite cooking music, turns on the kitchen lights and announces across your home that you're starting to make dinner.

#4. When your recipe calls for olive oil but you just ran out…

Alexa is great for finding recipe substitutions when you don't have an ingredient on hand.

• "Alexa, what's a substitution for olive oil?"
• "Alexa, can you substitute butter for olive oil?" (to find out whether an ingredient you have will work)

#5. When you forget what temperature is medium rare for salmon…

Alexa will know the answer.

How? "Alexa, how many calories are in a prune?" or "Alexa, how many calories are in a medium size apple?"

#6. When you forget how many tablespoons are in a stick of butter…

Alexa can do the unit conversion for you. (The answer is 8!)

How? Ask Alexa any unit conversation question such as "Alexa, how may tablespoons are in a quarter cup?"

#7. When you’re considering having dried fruit for dessert but you’re curious how many calories are in those prunes…

Alexa will know the answer.

How? "Alexa, how many calories are in a prune?" or "Alexa, how many calories are in a medium size apple?"

Katherine Prescott is the founder of VoiceBrew, the first-ever digital media company focused on helping people get the most out of Alexa