Food delivery has taken the country by storm without question, but it comes with plenty of tradeoffs. On the one hand, there’s a lot that being in the restaurant has to offer, including the freshness of the food, that you lose out on. However, being at home and getting the food to come straight to you also provides its conveniences.

By looking at what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to delivery, it’s possible to mitigate the cons and transform the food delivery experience into the jack-of-all-trades we can lifehack it to be. From using our stovetops to saving on water for dishes, there’s plenty of small changes we can make when ordering in that’ll take the experience up to a whole new level.

Here’s a few quick hacks that you can easily pull off the next time you’re ordering delivery.

Reboil Your Broths

When ordering pho or ramen, you want that broth to be piping hot to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. Since it usually arrives at your door slightly cooled down, reheating is the best option here. Microwaves can be pretty uneven with bringing every part of your container to temperature, so bringing it up to a boil on your stove is the way to go. Your tastebuds and stomach will be thanking you.

The Perfectly Timed Delivery

Photo: Lok Shesa // Wikimedia Commons CC 4.0

It may take a while to master this, but if you can time your delivery order so it arrives at home the same time you do, there’s no need to wait. It requires knowing how long your commute home is and how long the delivery will take, but that extra attention to detail will be worth the result.

Keep Rice On Deck

Photo: Aaron Goodwin // Flickr CC 2.0

One of the biggest gripes with delivery is the extra charge all of that rice can stack on. Why pay a huge markup for the starch when you’ve got bags of it in your apartment? Whether you make a couple of cups in the rice cooker or have a microwaveable pouch on standby, it’ll help save a bit of money in the long run.

Take Advantage Of Your Toaster Oven/Air Fryer

Nothing’s worse than when the fries, fried chicken, or other crispy foods show up having lost their crunch. A quick blast in a toaster oven or air fryer, however, is all they need to be revitalized and to enjoy that eruptive texture.

Buying Your Favorite Mains In Bulk

If you’re skipping the rice deliveries as mentioned above, why just get a single order of orange chicken or spicy wings? Stock up on a few, and you won’t have to get delivery so much, reducing those additional fee costs. A few orders at a time means you can save some in the fridge and appropriately reheat them to get your favorite meals on repeat at a better overall price.

Know Who’s Got The Best Deals

Every food delivery app has its strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to know when to use which for each situation. Chief amongst that is keeping tabs on deals and discounts, which can be ordered via coupon or code. Grubhub and Doordash are your spots for coupons, while Postmates and Ubereats tend to have some helpful codes dropping weekly.

Any Container Can Be A Plate, Too

Dishwashing can always be a chore with delivery, but remember that the serving vessels also make for great plates, too. Even a standard vertical takeout box can be broken down into a functional bowl if you know how to hack it right. Check the above video for clutch a step-by-step guide.