Professional Chefs Shared The 18 Most Common Mistakes We're Making, And I Think We Should Listen Up
"Cooking your meals on tinfoil is toxic, and it'll migrate into your food."
We asked the professional chefs of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the most common mistakes we're making in the kitchen. Here's what they had to say:
1. You shouldn't put too much time on the oven timer because you'll ultimately overcook your meal.
"When using the oven, aim for less time — it's always easier to add more time when cooking or baking to avoid overcooking."
2. You should avoid over-seasoning chicken or any kind of meat.
"Most seasonings tend to burn and turn bitter if left in the heat for too long. Salt and pepper will do before cooking, then add the seasonings you want toward the end. Fried chicken is a great example — I recommend using all your seasonings in the buttermilk bath, and then only using salt and pepper in the flour mixture. No one wants burnt fried chicken."
3. Cooking meals on tinfoil isn't always the smartest thing to do.
"It's basically toxic, and it will migrate into your food. Parchment paper is a good substitute for tinfoil."
4. You shouldn't cut vegetables, meat, and other ingredients with dull knives.
"You're much more likely to cut yourself badly using blunt knives, so only use sharp ones."
5. You also shouldn't use knives interchangeably.
"Learning what every kind of knife does is so important, such as when to use a serrated blade versus a chef's knife."
6. Measuring your ingredients before cooking (or mise en place) is always a good idea.
"MISE EN PLACE. Even when I'm making a sandwich, I portion out all of the ingredients, then put the containers away before I start assembling it. Especially in small spaces, this saves so much hassle and frustration and helps make sure things are cooked the way you want them."
7. You don't need high-quality olive oil for every recipe.
"The smoke point is low, so it burns easily. You should use a low-quality olive oil, vegetable oil, or blended oil instead."
8. Salt isn't the most unhealthy ingredient to use in a dish — sometimes it's needed!
"Please use salt in any dish. Salt, acid, fat, and heat are the most important things in your dish. Once you find a way to get a good balance of these four elements, you will be set."
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9. Stop constantly checking on your food in the oven. It'll most likely ruin the whole thing!
"Heat will fly out, and it will have to preheat itself once again. Check it after the time is done."
10. You should stop buying herbs that aren't fresh.
"Use FRESH herbs as MUCH as possible! It makes a world of difference to the dish. You should add most fresh herbs toward the end of cooking a dish, except for heartier herbs like thyme and rosemary. This is going to elevate all of your dishes for sure!"
11. You should always taste your food as you're cooking.
"Adjust seasonings and acid based on what it tastes like, then taste it again until it’s right."
12. Avoid measuring dry ingredients in wet measuring cups (and vice versa).
"It never ensures accuracy."
13. Stop cutting your food unevenly — if you cut it evenly, your food will cook and taste better.
14. Don't leave a huge mess of pots and pans while preparing a meal.
"I work as a chef in a hotel, and one of the first things I was told when I started was the cleaning procedures. No matter how busy my prep list looks in the day, I'm always told to clean down my work surfaces between jobs (clean as you go). Some people might find this really obvious, but you have no idea how much of a difference it makes once you start the next meal."
15. Stop sticking to the exact measurements in a recipe.
"Don't get too stuck following an exact recipe."
16. You should always pay attention to the type of flour you use.
"When you make bread or dough, always pay attention to the flour you use. It is a science."
17. You shouldn't avoid asking for help whenever you're stuck.
"Never be afraid to ask for help, EVER! Whether on the restaurant line or just at home, swallow your pride and just ask for some support. Many dishes can be salvaged (or avoid needing to be salvaged) if you just request some assistance! There’s nothing wrong with asking for a professional opinion on what you need to do with a dish at home — teamwork makes the dream work. 🌈"
18. And you should never just leave your pasta water as is — add salt to it!
"You never even realize how much flavor salted pasta adds to your dish, regardless of how flavorful your sauce may be."
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.