Cooking can be a delightful activity, but certain habits in the kitchen can really irritate those around you. From making a big mess to constantly over-seasoning, here are 10 common kitchen behaviors that many find annoying.
AUTHOR: Stephanie Allen
Table of Contents
- 1. Full Counter Spaces
- 2. Messy Counter Spaces
- 3. Improper Cutting Board Clearing
- 4. Gourmet Kindergarten
- 5. Premature Evaporation
- 6. Using the Wrong Knives
- 7. Incorrect Cooking Temperatures
- 8. Not Using the Exhaust Hood
- 9. Giant Vegetables in Salads
- 10. Not Practicing Mise en Place
- 12 American Foods That Shock Foreigners
- 12 American Foods That People From Other Countries Are Obsessed With
- 12 Poor People Foods We Can't Stop Eating, No Matter How Rich We Get
- 10 Best Tasting Fish In The World
1. Full Counter Spaces
Unless your house has a restaurant-sized kitchen, chances are that you have a limited amount of counter space to cook and store kitchen equipment. Some cooks cover practically every surface of their counters with kitchen appliances, jars, containers, and knick-knacks. They have so many things sitting on their counters, and you're lucky if you have space to set down your cup of coffee.
2. Messy Counter Spaces
Not putting items away after using them is a pet peeve among many online. When finished with the spices, put them back in the spice rack. If you have refrigerated ingredients sitting on the counter that you don't need anymore, return them to the refrigerator instead of letting them sit out and get warm. If you have cooking trash like eggshells, boxes, wrappers, etc., throw them away. Keep your cooking space tidy.
3. Improper Cutting Board Clearing
When using a cutting board to cut foods like fruits and vegetables, it's natural to have leftover bits of food stuck to the board. What makes cooking pros cringe is seeing someone clear the residue from the cutting board using the knife blade instead of the spine. Using the bladed side of the knife quickly dulls it. Using the knife's spine or a bench scraper preserves the blade.
4. Gourmet Kindergarten
This is the phenomenon of an adult taking an expensive cut of meat or seafood and turning it into something a small child would eat—for example, buying expensive tuna steaks and cutting them into fish sticks instead of eating them as a whole tuna steak. It's okay to do this for a child, but when adults do this for themselves, they deserve the side eye.
5. Premature Evaporation
Some stovetop dishes require the lid to stay on them to allow the food to braise or steam for a specific time. Removing the lid to check on the dish risks ruining it because it releases the steam it needs to cook properly. Some cooks can't help themselves and take a peek into the pot, and seeing others do this drives observers up the wall.
6. Using the Wrong Knives
Anyone with basic cutlery knowledge understands there are different knives for different purposes. A fillet knife is for filleting fish, a butcher knife cuts giant slabs of meat, and a bread knife cuts bread. It annoys the cooks in the group when someone uses one kind of knife to cut everything. Using specific knives to cut the right foods is easier and safer since misusing a knife can result in injury.
7. Incorrect Cooking Temperatures
Cooking foods at the wrong temperatures is bothersome to quite a few cooks. Raw foods have to be cooked at specific temperatures for food safety purposes and to ensure that they're ready to eat when done. Setting the stove or oven temperature too low likely results in undercooked food, and too high temperatures result in overcooked or burned food.
8. Not Using the Exhaust Hood
I have always wondered why some cooks own a range with a perfectly functional exhaust hood and never use it. The whole purpose of having an exhaust hood is to remove the heat, steam, and smoke from cooking on a stovetop. Instead, they prefer that their entire house heats up or smells like smoke before they use the helpful appliance.
9. Giant Vegetables in Salads
One of the joys of eating a salad is getting multiple parts of the salad on your fork, like a little bit of lettuce, a bit of tomato, some carrots, etc. But when the person preparing your salad doesn't bother to cut the various salad elements into pieces, you're stuck trying to eat whole olives, big chunks of avocado, thick cucumber rounds, and large lettuce leaves. It would help if you didn't have to use a steak knife to eat a salad.
10. Not Practicing Mise en Place
Mise en place is French for "setting up" or "put in place." It is the practice of gathering all of the tools and ingredients needed before you start cooking and organizing them so you have them ready when needed. Prepping seems like an essential step until you see someone who cooks by retrieving one item at a time while they are in the process of cooking. It's a disorganized way of cooking and sets the cook up to make mistakes.
Source: Reddit.
12 American Foods That Shock Foreigners
American cuisine is diverse and delicious, but some classics might surprise folks from other countries. This list explores 12 American foods that, despite being beloved domestically, often raise eyebrows abroad.
Click Here For 12 American Foods That Shock Foreigners
12 American Foods That People From Other Countries Are Obsessed With
American cuisine is loved worldwide for its bold flavors and hearty portions. From coast to coast, here are 12 American foods that have won hearts across the globe.
Click Here For 12 American Foods That People From Other Countries Are Obsessed With
12 Poor People Foods We Can't Stop Eating, No Matter How Rich We Get
Simple and comforting, these foods remain favorites regardless of wealth. Their straightforward flavors bring back memories and offer satisfaction.
Click Here For 12 Poor People Foods We Can't Stop Eating, No Matter How Rich We Get
10 Best Tasting Fish In The World
Join us as we explore the 10 best tasting fish from across the globe. From the deep sea to quiet rivers, these fish stand out for their great flavors