Curious about cooking? High-pressure culinary school requires a lot of time and money. We asked present and former culinary students for their No. 1 "ah-ha!" moment or takeaway from class so you can benefit from what they learned — without enrolling.

Culinary Student: Jenny Bierman, Culinary Producer, Food Network Kitchens

Confession: Scraping pans with burned food was such a pain — until I realized if I just added water to the bottom of the pan while it was still hot on the stove, I could then use a spatula or a paper towel and tongs to clean it immediately. It makes cleaning quick and easy, and it is just like deglazing your pan for a sauce!

For more on the high-pressure ups and downs of culinary school, tune in to The Freshman Class every Monday at 10:30pm ET.