Jade Small
Jade Small
October 17, 2024 ·  6 min read

17 Common Kitchen Mistakes People Make All The Time

No matter your cooking style, everyone has room for improvement in the kitchen. Whether you’re someone who loves crafting meals from scratch or you’re all about quick and easy hacks, certain mistakes sneak into our routines. While there’s no wrong way to explore flavors and techniques, some habits can make your cooking process harder or your food less tasty. The good news? These kitchen slip-ups are easy to fix!

Here are 17 common kitchen mistakes that might surprise you, along with simple solutions to help you become a more efficient home chef.

Storing Tomatoes in the Fridge

tomato
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If you’ve ever wondered why your tomatoes taste bland or have a mealy texture, it’s probably because you’re storing them in the fridge. Cold temperatures alter their natural consistency, making them less juicy and flavorful. Instead, keep tomatoes on the countertop at room temperature to preserve their taste and texture. This simple adjustment can make a big difference in the flavor of your salads, sauces, and sandwiches.

Not Organizing Your Ingredients Before Cooking

 a kitchen workspace filled with various cooking ingredients and utensils
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One of the biggest mistakes in the kitchen is not prepping your ingredients beforehand. While it might seem like chopping vegetables and measuring spices as you cook saves time, it usually results in unnecessary chaos. You’ll likely end up with a messy counter, a sink full of dirty dishes, and food that cooks unevenly because you’re multitasking. Taking a few minutes to get everything ready before you start cooking will help you stay organized and make the process much smoother. Plus, it allows you to focus entirely on getting your flavors just right.

Stirring Food Too Often

stirring a dish in a black pan on a stovetop.
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We’ve all been guilty of constantly stirring food while it cooks, but this habit can sabotage the texture of your meals. When you stir too frequently, especially with meat and vegetables, it prevents them from developing a crispy, golden-brown exterior. That sear is what locks in flavor and creates a more satisfying bite. So next time, resist the urge to stir and let your food cook undisturbed for a few minutes—you’ll be rewarded with better texture and flavor.

Overcrowding the Pan

a frying pan on a stovetop with a delicious-looking mix of sliced beef, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
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When cooking, it’s tempting to throw all your ingredients into the pan at once to save time. However, crowding the pan causes your food to steam instead of sear. The water released by vegetables or meats gets trapped in the pan, and instead of getting crispy, everything turns out soggy. To avoid this, cook in batches or use a larger pan, ensuring there’s enough space for the food to breathe and brown properly.

Not Letting Meat Come to Room Temperature

three raw ribeye steaks placed on a piece of white parchment paper on a wooden surface.
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Cooking steak or chicken directly from the fridge is a common error that can leave your meat tough and unevenly cooked. The sudden shift from cold to hot makes the proteins seize up, leading to a rubbery texture. To prevent this, take your meat out of the fridge at least 20-30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. This small step ensures a more tender, juicy result.

Washing Berries Too Early

close-up of a washing  several fresh strawberries.
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Berries are delicate, and while it’s important to wash them before eating, doing so as soon as you bring them home can actually shorten their lifespan. The extra moisture encourages mold and speeds up spoilage. Instead, store them unwashed in the fridge and only rinse them right before you’re ready to eat. This will help keep your berries fresh and flavorful for longer.

Storing Raw Meat on the Top Shelf of Your Fridge

well-stocked with a variety of fresh and delicious ingredients!
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Placing raw meat on the top shelf of your fridge can lead to cross-contamination if any juices drip onto other foods. To avoid this, always store meat on the bottom shelf, ideally in a tray or on a plate to catch any leaks. This simple precaution keeps your fridge cleaner and your food safer from harmful bacteria.

Adding Oil to Pasta Water

oil droplets suspended in a clear liquid, likely water.
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Many people believe that adding oil to boiling pasta water prevents the noodles from sticking together, but this is a myth. The oil doesn’t mix with the water or the pasta—it simply floats to the top and gets poured down the drain. Worse, it can coat your pasta and prevent sauce from sticking properly. Instead, use plenty of salt in the water and stir the pasta occasionally while it cooks.

Using Dull Knives

dull knife
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A dull knife is not just ineffective, it’s also dangerous. When your knife isn’t sharp enough, you have to apply more pressure, which increases the risk of slipping and cutting yourself. Sharp knives allow for more precise, effortless cuts, reducing the chance of injury. Many kitchen stores offer knife-sharpening services, so take advantage of them and keep your blades in top condition.

Not Labeling Leftovers

refrigerator filled with various food items.
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We’ve all had that mystery container sitting in the back of the fridge, uncertain of when it was made. Failing to label leftovers is a common oversight, but it can lead to wasted food or, worse, food poisoning. To avoid this, keep a roll of masking tape and a marker in your kitchen and write the date on anything you store. As a general rule, leftovers should be tossed if they’ve been in the fridge for more than four days.

Refrigerating Unripe Fruit

Storing unripe fruit like avocados, peaches, or bananas in the fridge halts their ripening process, often leaving you with flavorless or overly firm produce. For the best taste and texture, keep these fruits at room temperature until they’re ripe. Once ripened, you can transfer them to the fridge to extend their freshness for a few extra days.

Buying Pre-Shredded Cheese

shredded cheese
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Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but it’s often coated in anti-caking agents like cellulose, which can give it a dry, powdery texture. This affects both the flavor and the way it melts in your dishes. For better results, buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. It takes a little extra time, but the payoff in taste and texture is worth it.

Using Iodized Salt in Recipes

iodized salt
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If your dish comes out saltier than expected, the culprit could be the type of salt you’re using. Iodized salt is much more potent than kosher salt, which is what most recipes call for. To avoid oversalting your food, make sure to use kosher salt in your cooking and save the iodized salt for the table.

Grinding Salt

The image shows a clear acrylic salt grinder filled with coarse salt.
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While grinding pepper fresh is essential for unlocking its flavor, the same doesn’t apply to salt. Salt is a mineral and doesn’t lose its flavor after being ground. Using a salt grinder adds an unnecessary step to your cooking process. Instead, opt for a box of kosher salt or sea salt and skip the grinder altogether.

Not Using an Oven Thermometer

oven thermometer
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Relying on your oven’s built-in thermometer can lead to inconsistent cooking results. Ovens often run hotter or colder than their settings, which can ruin a perfectly good recipe. A simple solution is to invest in a separate oven thermometer to ensure your temperature is accurate. It’s a small tool that can make a big difference in your baking and roasting.

Neglecting Crumbs in Cabinets

a surface with scattered crumbs and droplets of an orange liquid. T
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Just because you can’t see crumbs doesn’t mean they’re not there. Failing to clean out your kitchen cabinets regularly can attract pests like ants or mice. Make it a habit to wipe down shelves and drawers every few months to keep things tidy and pest-free.

Forgetting to Wash Oven Mitts

unwashed mitts
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Oven mitts are often overlooked when it comes to kitchen cleanliness. Even though they don’t touch food directly, they can harbor germs and bacteria from spills and splashes. Make sure to throw your oven mitts in the wash every now and then to keep your kitchen as sanitary as possible.

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