We all like to think we’re competent in the kitchen. But let’s be honest, even the most confident home cooks have some habits they’d rather keep secret. From overconfident seasoning decisions to those little shortcuts that don’t quite work out, these are the 10 cooking mistakes that happen behind closed doors and away from judgmental eyes and Instagram food photos.
10. Using The Wrong Size of Pans and Pots
Admit it; many of us are guilty of this. If the recipe calls for a 9-inch pan and you use an 11-inch one, you end up thinking that it’s basically the same. However, the outcome gives you a thin, overcooked cookie or an undercooked cake center. You’ll end up blaming the recipe before admitting that you should have done the math.
9. Not Sharpening Your Knives
If you read this, then this is your sign to sharpen your knives. If you notice that your knives aren’t cutting warm butter finely, then they need to be sharpened. It’s frustrating enough to cut through tomatoes and end up with a pulpy mess. Trust us, a sharp knife would solve 80% of your prep problems.
8. Adding Oil to Pasta Water
You may have heard somewhere that oil prevents pasta from sticking. Of course, you tried out this little “hack” in the kitchen, so you add some in while feeling very professional. Meanwhile, your sauce slides off the slippery noodles, and you end up consuming a bowl of naked pasta for dinner. The sauce? It probably pooled down.
7. Not Tidying Up While You Cook
We get it, cooking can be chaotic. It’s understandable that our kitchens are in kahoots as we get the condiments from drawers and ingredients from the fridge. This is where tidying up comes to the rescue. Before you start, make sure you have everything in front of you, and make sure you put the condiments back where they are placed. Tidying up also means clearing (and cleaning) everything before eating.
6. Substituting Ingredients
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Sure. Baking soda instead of baking powder? Why not? Sometimes it works out fine, but your kitchen has seen some truly bizarre failures you’ll never speak of again. Trust us, that short trip to the grocery is worth saving your dish. But if you don’t have time, you can search the internet for alternatives and see how it works out for you.
5. Not Reading the Entire Recipe
Cooking could feel really exciting. With this, you dive into step one, only to discover halfway through that you needed to marinate something overnight. We’ve all been there, and to be honest, it’s really annoying that we’d have to put it off for another day. Make sure you’ve read through the entire recipe, as this is a very simple step that everyone seems to ignore.
4. Cooking Everything on High
If you think more heat equals faster cooking, then you’re wrong. You try to put every food to the maximum power and wonder why your onions go from raw to burnt in thirty seconds. Meanwhile, your scrambled eggs turn into a rubbery texture. With cooking, patience isn’t overrated, as it would help you enjoy your hard-earned and well-deserved meal.
3. Unevenly-Chopped Vegetables
The art of cooking involves the mastery of chopping your ingredients. Dicing is one of the many techniques you need to master, which involves being thorough. However, we’re in a hurry to cook most of the time, so you end up hacking away veggies, creating a chaotic mix of tiny morsels and chunky wedges. It wouldn’t look or taste good with the vegetables all mushed up.
2. Not Tasting as You Cook
You follow the recipe correctly with all the ingredients and prescribed amount, only to realize that your food is as bland as cardboard. Have you ever considered tasting your food as you cook? Maybe it needs a little more seasoning. Always trust your tastebuds.
1. Overcrowding the Pan
While your logic knows that cramming all the mushrooms in one pan will steam instead of sear, your impatience spoke once again. The result? A soggy mushroom that’s far from the caramelized taste you were hoping for. This also goes to other ingredients, as it could end up ruining your dish. With cooking, patience is a must.