9 Common Cooking Mistakes And How To Fix Them

by John Griffith
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Cooking is both a rewarding and challenging activity. And whether you are just stating out or have years of experience, there is one thing all cooks have in common: we all make mistakes. We may notice some of these mistakes immediately, like burning food or putting too much salt, and fix them the next time. However, there are some mishaps that we constantly make and never ever actually think about. And while mistakes may not be making the food inedible, they are taking away it’s full potential. That’s why today we want to share with you some super common cooking mistakes you may be making unknowingly and how to easily fix them. This will help elevate your meals, and save you time, effort, and money.

Cooking is both a rewarding and challenging activity

man and woman cooking dinner

There is one thing all cooks have in common: we all make mistakes

pot steaming on stove top

Common Cooking Mistakes

Cooking is an art form. It requires practice, patience, and time to master it. And yet, even after years of practice, there is always something new to learn about cooking – a new recipe, a new technique, or some mistakes you may have been making all this time. So, let’s see what are some things you may unknowingly be doing wrong while you are cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Cooking is an art form

chopping herbs on a cutting board

Cooking requires practice, patience, and time to master it

common cooking mistakes person cooking food in pan

#Oil in a cold pan

This is one of the most common cooking mistakes on the planet. We often put the fat (butter or oil) to the pan while it’s still cold. This is a no-no. Professional chefs recommend adding oil and butter to a pan once it’s already hot. This helps to ensure a good sear and makes sure that the food doesn’t stick to the pan. So, next time put the pan on the heat, wait a bit, and then add your source of fat.

Professional chefs recommend adding oil and butter to a pan once it’s already hot

cooking veggies in a pan

#Salt after cooking

Salt helps to draw out the flavors of the ingredients and makes everything takes good. However, that’s only true if you use salt while you are cooking and not after. Sprinkling on salt after the meal is already cooked just adds a salty flavor and does nothing else. Adding salt while cooking however also helps to ensure that it is distributed more evenly and that the ingredients have plenty of time to absorb it.

Salt helps to draw out the flavors of the ingredients

person sprinkling salt on food

#Using dull knives

So what if your knife is dull when it still gets the job done, right? Well, this is a very problematic way of thinking. For started a dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one. This is because you apply much more pressure in order to make the cuts, which gives you less control of the blade itself. Not only that but a dull knife doesn’t allow for clean cuts and pushes out the moisture and flavors out of fresh produce (especially tomatoes). So, make sure to sharpen your knives the moment you see them getting dull.

A dull knife can also tear up your meat

person cutting fish fillet

#Not sifting flour

We know this may seem like an annoying and useless step in most recipes, but it’s actually very important. Sifting your flour before adding it to a recipe helps prevent any unwanted lumps. If you don’t do this you will get a ton of lumps in your sauces, batters, and gravies. And nobody wants to chew on a flour-y ball. So, make sure to sift your flour. If you forgot to sift it, you can do damage control and throw your sauce, batter, or gravy in the blender for a bit to smooth it out.

Sifting your flour before adding it to a recipe helps prevent any unwanted lumps

woman sifting flour in a bowl

#Constantly opening the oven

It is very tempting to open up the oven and check up on how your food is doing. However, by doing this you are causing more harm than good. Constantly opening up the oven can cause your food to take longer or even come out undercooked. This is because every time you open the door it releases enough heat that the temperature inside the oven changes. That’s why it’s best to check on your food only thought the glass window.

It is very tempting to open up the oven and check up on how your food is doing

common cooking mistakes woman and child in front of open oven

#Cold ingredients

If you enjoy baking, but sometimes struggle with the fact that things just don’t come out the way you planned, you may be making this common mistakes. When it comes to baking, it’s very important that you use room temperature ingredients (unless a recipe states otherwise). Warmer ingredients are much easier to combine, but also make the end results fluffier and yummier. So, make sure you take out the needed ingredients out of the fridge beforehand.

It’s very important that you use room temperature ingredients

baking ingredients all together

#Crowding the pan

You may think you are saving time by throwing everything in the pan, but in some cases this may be doing you a disfavor. Crowding the pan can result in food being burnt on the outside, yet raw on the inside. It takes double the time, it can lead to steaming, and overall an unsatisfying result. Chefs recommend taking your time and cooking in batches. Make sure everything has its own place in the pan and that there is plenty of space in between each item.

Crowding the pan can result in food being burnt on the outside, yet raw on the inside

overcrowded pan on stove top

#Adding garlic too soon

Garlic makes a great addition to pretty much any savory dish. However, many cooks make the common mistake of throwing it in the pan way too early. Adding it to your pan of veggies, that need a significant amount of time to cook, can cause it to burn and turn bitter. This diminishes the whole point of adding garlic and kind of ruins the dish. That’s why it’s important to always make a mental note to add the garlic near to last as it cooks quicker than most other ingredients.

Garlic makes a great addition to pretty much any savory dish

common cooking mistakes chopped up garlic on marble counter

#Moving ingredients around too much

While it’s tempting to want to constantly flip, move and stir your ingredients around, so you can make sure they don’t burn or check if they are done, this is a mistake. Moving ingredients around too much doesn’t give them enough time for the magic to happen. Have some patience and leave everything in the pan for a bit, so it can develop a nice golden color and cook faster. This leaves you with better texture and flavor.

Moving ingredients around too much doesn’t give them enough time to cook

stirring a pot of tomato sauce

These were some super common cooking mistakes you might be making and how to fix them. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can avoid these little things and elevate your cooking skills and dishes to a new level.

These were some super common cooking mistakes you might be making

preparing ingredients for cooking

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John Griffith
John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.

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