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Cooking is as much about breaking the "rules" as it is about following them. That's why you taste the dish you're preparing even if you're following a recipe.

Even some restaurant chefs might be deemed as anarchists for abandoning convention but still have their tables booked.

So to find out what practices people have thrown out their kitchen window, Redditor ThatSpyGuy made a post on the platform, asking other users, "What commonly repeated cooking tip is just completely wrong?"

I think it's important to highlight that intention is what matters the most around cooking pots. The ability to recognize precisely what you want on your plate and how your actions impact the end results. We can't really categorize all of the replies ThatSpyGuy has received in terms of "bad" and good". What we can do, however, is appreciate the thinking and experimenting.

#1

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Caramelized onions - 5 minutes. wtf... I see this everywhere. it's takes 20 - 45 minutes to do that

pm_your_masterpiece Report

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ChickyChicky
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a difference between browning onions and caramelizing them.

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#2

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Starting to saute onion and garlic at the same time. Onion takes a lot longer to cook and adding the garlic too early can burn it which can ruin the entire flavour of the dish. So many recipes tell you to do this and I just don't get it!

hbwd , Kukuvaja Feinkost Report

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Hedgeh og
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, it's weird to me how many recipes do this. I save garlic and add it right at the end. Just beyond raw is fine with me.

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#3

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS The prep/cooking time in that recipe you're using is a bald-faced lie.

Frigguggi , Chitokan Report

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Ace Girl
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I usually double it, especially if I'm making that particular recipe for the first time!

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#4

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS "Don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink." I swear this is a rule made up by lushes planning on drinking the wine and using cooking as an excuse to buy it. What I want in a wine to drink is very different than I want in a wine to cook with.

DanTheTerrible , Breakingpic Report

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Akalvin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always cook with a good wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.

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#5

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Rinsing off chicken. I know you don't want to get salmonella, but rinsing off chicken just spreads it. Cooking it solves the problem automatically.

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rumade
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nowadays campylobacter is as much of a threat. Something like 1 in 3 UK chicken carcasses were found to have it. I got an infection years ago from a chicken tender and it was awful. Always cook your chicken well!

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#6

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Break the spaghetti to cook it faster. All you’re doing is breaking someone’s Italian nana’s heart.

Caramel_Cappucino , Isaac Quesada Report

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Jo Johannsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never heard the cook it faster reasoning. I break it for convenience, easier both to submerge and to eat.

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#7

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Not washing/cleaning after you cook because of X amount of reasons. Clean as you cook is the way.

Pochusaurus , Tina Dawson Report

#8

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Not a cooking tip but a drinking one: Don’t put too many ice cubes in your drink because it will melt and you will end up with too much water. Wrong, the more ice cubes you put the longer the ice will stay and not melt. If you put only one or two, they will melt VERY quickly.

(Ofc exceptions has to be made for “on the rocks” spirits)

Navajo__ , Isabella Mendes Report

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Zaza
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me and my re-usable ice cubes never have this problem :D ETA: double bonus because you can stick them in every nook and cranny of the freezer that is empty. Freezing empty air costs a fortune -and is bad for the environment- Putting some bottles of water in and sticking re-usable ice cubes in small empty spaces really helps

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#9

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Myth: high heat is like fast-forward for cooking.

Still working to get my dad to understand this one.

EatLard , Prince Photos Report

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Zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

High heat will do a lot of amazing things that low heat can't, but also means you can screw things up faster.

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#10

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS "Add seasoning to taste" is a great tip to someone who's already a competent and experienced cook (i.e. a person who doesn't need that tip to begin with).

It is a TERRIBLE tip for an inexperienced and/or infrequent cook. Give a suggested amount of seasoning in your recipe or description.

Clapperoth , Calum Lewis Report

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Zaza
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And sometimes it doesn't need seasoning to taste. You can toss in a pound of salt and still not have the food taste like it's properly seasoned, it could just need a drop of lemon juice or vinegar

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#11

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS "Cook until it's ready"

IF I AM NOT PROFESSIONAL HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS READY? WTF? PLEASE GIVE ME INFORMATION HOW LONG SHOUD I COOK IT

eacherRepulsive3942 , Kevin McCutcheon Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't think I've ever seen 'cook until it's ready' in a recipe, usually it's cook until it's a certain colour or consistency, with approximate times. Timings will vary because of equipment and quality of ingredients, you can't go by a set time

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#12

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Using extra virgin olive oil to cook. EVOO has a lower smoke point than regular olive oil, so regular olive oil is better for cooking.

ramblingamblinamblin , RODNAE Productions Report

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#13

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS When making pie crust, rubbing the butter into the flour or using a fork/knife/pasty blender to achieve "pea-sized" crumbles.

Pretty much every recipe will describe it this way, but the expanding water from the butter drives that beautiful flakiness. Use a cheese grater with moderately large holes. Use very cold butter, and handle the butter lightly so that it doesn't melt into your hands. Grate it and toss it into the flour about 1/3 of the butter at a time, tossing it to coat it with flour. Then make your dough. It will be light and flaky and heading in the direction of puff pastry.

Seriously, I use the same dough recipe I always used and the results are just staggeringly better because of this technique.

ETA Yep, this works for biscuits too.

Terpsichorean_Wombat , Nathan Dumlao Report

#14

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Cookies: "bake until golden brown"

The cookie sheet will stay hot after it leaves the oven and keep baking the cookies for a minute or so. If you want soft cookies, it's better to take them out when only the edges look golden brown and let them keep cooking outside of the oven.

Celestaria , Tina Nord Report

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Luther von Wolfen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a good general cooking rule - food continues to cook after it's removed from heat, unless it's immediately cooled.

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#15

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Not really a tip, but a recipe complaint.

Don’t measure flour(or other compressible powders) in volume! Use weight, a cup of sifted flour can be half of a cup of compressed flour.

ThinkIGotHacked , LAUREN GRAY Report

#16

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Leave the burger for a long time, then flip it once.

Lots of people give this advice, including web sites and even chefs.

But then the labs who actually test this stuff find that the burgers are better, and cook faster, if you flip more often.

kangareagle , Fiona Calisti Report

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Darren Fusellier
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, I flip every 3-4 mins for 15 minutes otherwise you end up with dry burnt exterior and undercooked middle.

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#17

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Adding oil to your pasta water to prevent it from clumping. Oil floats in water. Just stir it.

dancingbanana123 , Fulvio Ciccolo Report

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Zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The oil isn't for preventing clumping, it's for breaking the surface tension of the water. If your pasta has too much loose starch or you have hard water, it tends to foam up a lot. Adding a Tbsp or or 2 helps keep the foam down.

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#18

That mayo is superior to butter for grilled cheese. It's not. Yeah, it also gets a nice crust and is easy to spread, but butter tastes way better.

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Lola
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Definitely a matter of taste. Some people also think cauliflower pizza crust is better than regular flour crust. Definitely not for me.

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#19

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Putting in the garlic first. That's a good way to burn it.

AnonymousRedwood Report

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Dorothy Reiser
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless you put the garlic in the oil to flavor it. You must remove the garlic though.

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#20

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS “Microwaving food will destroy nutrient molecules”

Microwaves are far too long-waved to cause any molecular changes. All they do is make molecules vibrate faster. They don’t directly break up molecules.

To actually split chemical bonds you need much shorter wavelengths. UV light at least. It is true that Microwaves can INDIRECTLY cause chemical reactions because they will increase the temperature of the food. But that is no different to any other heat source.

Likely, microwaves preserve nutrients BETTER than boiling/steaming because the heat is delivered faster and the food spends less time in a high temperature state.

antistitute , cottonbro Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Particularly for vegetables, microwaving preserves a lot more of the vitamins than boiling in water, unless you use that water to make gravy, you throw a good proportion of the vitamins away.

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#21

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Great homemade salsa has to have cilantro. Half of us don’t like cilantro. You can substitute:

Celery Leaves (this is pretty good)

Parsley

Mint Leaves

Leave it out all together

GaryNOVA , Dennis Klein Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can also replace cilantro with soap and still achieve the same taste! /s

shodokai
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to taste soap when eating cilantro, at some point in life that shifted and now cilantro is one of my most treasured herbs to add, particularly to salsa, pico de gallo and anything mexican/spanish in nature.

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Nilsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's actually genetic. There is no way cilantro/coriander will taste good for me, it will allways be soapy. We, a couple of % of the population, over-react to a bitter substance found in corander, bell peppers (especially green ones), cucumbers, aloe, and others.

Aline Cahill
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It tastes like soap to me, but I'm ok with cucumber. My husband likes coriander but can't stand even the smell of cucumber.

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Maureen Holloway
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don’t like cilantro that is your choice. Apparently some people taste it differently while many love the flavour. Please don’t insult the herb that is used so much in Asian foods.

TJay
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love cilantro but I grew up eating it in most of our food(my parents are Mexican) but my MIL hates it cause it tastes like soap to her

Celesta
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is that supposed to be salsa? Because that looks like tomato SOUP, definitely not SALSA. If anyone thinks salsa is uniformly smooth they have more to worry about than cilantro.

Benita Valdez
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate cilantro but it doesn't taste like soap to me. I also hate mint

that.bitch.mae
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think cilantro tastes great but if you asked me to describe it, I couldn't tell you anything lol

Laura Gillette
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG yes and why do all store-bought salsas and guacamole have to have cilantro already in them!?? UUUUGGHHH

Sam Neenan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's no need to substitute an ingredient that you don't like. If it's not structurally needed than just omit. If it is structurally needed then don't cook a recipe! You won't enjoy it.

Glirpy
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who is “half of us”? Also, ALWAYS add habeneros to salsa instead of jalapeños. They have way more flavor. And cook them first!

Katherine E
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Half of us is the huge portion of humans who's DNA make cilantro taste like soap.... It's not just a preference thing and no amount of "exposure" makes it better.

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Pangolin Pal
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Celery leaves are so underappreciated! "Hearts of Celery" with pale green stalks and no leaves are missing the point of the vegetable. I love buying celery at the farmer's market, deep dark green and with lots of leaves. They are spicy and fragrant, and make amazing pesto.

Karen Guy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love herbs but cilantro, mint and caraway are awful, I can't stand them.

Callie Ge
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The 21% of the population that has the OR26A Olfactory Receptor gene that makes cilantro/ coriander taste like soap.

Simon Tue Clemmensen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Celery Leaves is one of the few things I can't stand. Bring on the cilantro though.

Hybrid_Hydra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The substitutions are awesome, especially considering my wife is allergic to cilantro

Marco Conti
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cilantro look exactly like Italian Parsley. When I first moved to the US, I bought a bunch and used it in a salad. It was an unpleasant surprise. Now I like cilantro, but I make sure to taste it before I buy parsley.

Knut Nielsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn’t there different types of cilantro? I think I read that somewhere. I once got served a vietnamese meal from an asian colleague, and that cilantro tasted like soap, can’t say I’ve had the same taste of cilantro since.

Lord pretzell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve always liked coriander. I wonder why some people think it tastes like soap

Susan Reid Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Often coriander means the seeds and cilantro is the leaves of the same plant. It is the leaves that can taste like soap.

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Nikki Sevven
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love celery leaves and sometimes wish I could buy them instead of being limited to whatever is included in the bunch of celery.

Irish Lad
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People say they hate anchovy but if they don't know it is in the recipe, they usually love the dressing. Same for salsa, blend it fine and don't over do it and the taste is great. Mint is very distinctive in taste.

CandyAndyPandy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If my grandma eats a lot of cilantro, it makes her really loopy and drunk acting.

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#22

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Myth: Using flour makes chicken the crispiest.

Truth: Using Potato Starch makes it WAYYY more crispy.

OpeningPossible9614 , Eva Elijas Report

#23

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS “When cooking a hamburger patty, press down on it with your spatula to make it cook more evenly/faster.” All this does beside flatten your patty is make all the juices escape, leading to a more dried out burger with less flavour.

ShinCasval , Micah Boerma Report

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rumade
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many gourmet burger places cover their burgers with a lid and squirt a little water. The steam and cover allows for a thick and juicy burger that's cooked through.

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#24

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Every baking recipe I've seen has you add spices with the dry ingredients. It's so much more flavorful if you add them with the butter and even more so if toast or gently fry them first. You can even use the microwave for this, cook just until fragrant.

Also, all my chocolate stuff got better when I realized that cocoa is a spice. Oil-soluble flavenoids.

amb3ergris , Taylor Kiser Report

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Mistralok
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely. The flavors in most spices is oil based and will come out much better with other oils.

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#25

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS That you can't ever have too much garlic. I’ve heard this so many times. My wife made a babaganush one time with so much garlic it burned our mouths. Too much garlic can be a thing.

dmharper , ji jiali Report

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#26

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS This one is cooking related.

Myth: never use soap on cast iron.

Reality: you absolutely can use soap and scrub a well seasoned cast iron. Just don't soak it.

AbbreviationsMuch511 , Nathan Dumlao Report

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Lance d'Boyle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No this is not accurate. If you use soap you lose the seasoning. Seasoning is oil that coats and gets in the crannies of the cast iron. Soap dissolves oil, ergo it will remove the seasoning. If for some reason you want or need to put in a drop of soap it will not harm your pan, but it will remove some seasoning. A properly seasoned and maintained cast iron pan will wipe clean under hot water (and a little elbow grease if needed). If you clean with soap you will need to reseason the pan regularly. I've seen this 'myth busting' claim many times here and it's BS. Follow it at your pans peril.

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#27

People think you can just use eggs and butter at fridge temp for baking but it’s so much better if you do room temp

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Zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the recipe and your goal. Sometimes you want the butter cold, sometimes you want it melted, and everything in between. Each gives you a different result.

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#28

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Use aluminum foil shiny side in.

Reynold's says the shiny side is a result of the manufacturing process and not intended to speed up cooking. The impact of having the shiny side in is so minimal and negligible you will not notice a difference.

Anon-fickleflake , Gustavo Fring Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you use non-stick foil, do make sure you put the non-stick side towards the food ;-)

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#29

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS This one has been disappearing lately but ...

Don't overcook mushrooms and don't rinse them.

It's nearly impossible to overcook mushrooms. Chitin is hard to break down so just keep cooking them. Rinsing may add water, but it's just more liquid to cook off and may in fact help steam them which helps them release more water. Besides, you should wash all produce before use, especially mushrooms. Doubly so if they are wild.

korinth86 , Katerina Holmes Report

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#30

More heat cooks things faster.

Used to believe it but found out the hard way when shallow frying chicken schnitzels. The outside was burnt and the inside was raw. Now I cook them at the lowest heat and always perfectly cook them.

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More heat cooks the OUTSIDE of things faster. There fixed that for you.

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#31

That you need to separately "cook" tomato paste to get rid of "bad" flavors. You don't. Just buy decent tomato paste and add it when it makes sense in the recipe (after the onions and garlics are fried) . S**t tomato paste will always taste bad, and burning it doesn't help.

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#32

Don’t add milk to your mac n cheese! I know the box says to, but use heavy cream instead. It makes the mac so fluffy and the cheese so creamy!

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Lsai Aeon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like adding cream cheese and/or goat cheese to my mac as well.

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#33

The amount of people I've seen thawing frozen food under HOT water is astounding.

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#34

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Undercooked poultry is safe to eat. No, it isn't. Just like game meat or any meat.. But those two are worst risks and yes, you can start an epidemy by serving badly cooked poultry and game to your family. I find the hypocrisy of people who hate anti-vaxxers on one side and brag about eating medium turkey on the other side astonishing.

learn to chew harder , make a proper sauce or eat beef!

applesandoranges990 , Julia Filirovska Report

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Kira Okah
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Medium rare chicken" started as a sh*tpost but people started taking it seriously and got sick. Beef is safe to eat undercooked as long as it isn't minced because the bacteria don't penetrate past the outside of the muscle. Salmonella is present throughout the chicken muscle and has to be cooked through to be safe.

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#35

I love making omelets. I've watched a lot of videos on people making omelets. Some say you beat the eggs with a fork. You must use a fork! Others say do not use a fork, use a whisk!

It's funny to watch different experts directly contradict one another. I've used both, and don't see any difference. But the way I like best, is to put them in a jar and shake them up.

I've made thousands of omelets, and don't think I will ever make one that is perfect.

Some cooks you should use a low heat. Others say you start with a high heat and let the eggs cool the pan down as it cooks. Some say the omelette is perfect when there is a little brown on the surface. Others say eggs should never be cooked to the point of browning.

So many contradictions, so many different ways.

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#36

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS People say you need your cast iron pan RIPPING HOT before placing your steak for a perfect steak, in my experience, there is such thing as TOO HOT, medium high works best, or else the oil burns and the inside doesn’t cook enough (yes I use high heat oils)

WaterASAP , Ivana Cajina Report

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Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

High heat to sear the outside, then reduce the heat to cook through.

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#37

Adding salt to water lowers the boiling point of the water. Wrong. It raises it.

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Kira Okah
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True enough, it does raise it. A little higher, so little with the measurements used in domestic cooking that no difference will be made to cooking time.

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#38

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Putting salt on your food AFTER It's cooked. Meh. Cooking in the salt is better.

Liam_Tang , Milada Vigerova Report

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Titas Burinskas
BoredPanda Staff
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Salt releases water, so if you want juicy meat/whatever, you should add it later.

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#39

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS That you have to wash ALL rice.
Plenty of rice you do, wash it until the water runs clear.
Many brands of commercial rice are fine to not rinse, they'll tell you not to on the packaging itself.
I made the mistake of letting an islander friend know this and they think I eat from a toilet.

Rise_Chan , alleksana Report

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#40

I have spent years, years I tell you trying to perfect home-made pizza. Most recipes I've seen so far say "bake at 350 degrees F" which is utter nonsense. Pizza ovens bake the pizza at around 800 to 900 F. So I finally found out I could get a decent result at home by putting the oven on the highest temp - 500F, and put the pizza on the oven's lowest rack (my broiler is located in the bottom.) Then when the bottom crust is done I put the pizza in the broiler rack below and cook it about 3 mins to get the top done.

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#41

"Don't salt your eggs before cooking them, it makes them tough". Whether I'm just making a quick diner-level omelette in a hot pan, or doing a low & slow stir for really tender eggs - salt scheduling has made zero difference.

Jacques Pepin (hey, I love that guy, his Facebook vids are the cure for this evil age) I think got that promulgated, but plenty of folks have tested it and found it doesn't make a difference.

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shodokai
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well said. As with many of these cooking debates, I simply try it myself and see first hand how it plays out.

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#42

Measuring garlic. Just put as much in as your heart desires. Don't let words on a page tell you how too have a good time.

More garlic!

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Kira Okah
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A Solo Garlic (the garlic where the whole bulb is a single clove) is termed "a good start" in this house! :P

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#43

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Your burgers and steak need more than salt and pepper. Worcestershire sauce, aromatics garlic, onions, etc.

Castlenomics , PK Report

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Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Your burgers and steak might need more than salt and pepper but mine sure as heck do not.

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#44

That your supposed to rinse pasta after you cook it.

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Cicimelia
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cold rinsing will stop your pasta from continuing to cook by reducing the residual heat, which is great for pasta to be eaten later, like pasta salad or leftovers. As for sticking together, whether rinsed or unrinsed, the starches will glue the noodles together unless the noodles are coated with something like oil or sauce.

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#45

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Leaving meat out for 15-30 min to “come to room temperature.” The internal temp of the meat stays low for a lot longer than that. This doesn’t speed up cooking or cause more even cooking. You can speed it up and make it more even by flipping more frequently, though. That means searing comes at the end.

Regardless of all that, resting the meat after cooking is a best practice.

CaliTexJ , Javon Swaby Report

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btaglln
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still taking out the ingredients of the fridge before cooking is good. Especially for cheeses and desserts

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#46

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS That you're supposed to fluff your rice with a fork just before it's done cooking. This is unnecessary and also kinda dumb because then you're moving around uncooked parts with cooked parts, resulting in unevenly cooked rice.

Also whoever is draining water from their rice and thinks this is normal needs to be imprisoned. I swear I saw a viral video a couple years ago of a tv cook doing this.

ThrowRARAw , Faris Mohammed Report

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Mama Penguin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never heard of fluffing your rice with a fork before it's done cooking. I've always heard to do it after.

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#47

My parents still insist on making biscuss using Bisquik. It produces the driest biscuits I've ever had. Biscuits are supposed to be butteray and flaky. Not dried hockey pucks.

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LH25
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I use Bisquik to make strawberry shortcakes. They turn out great, key is to not overbake them.

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#48

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS That potatoes can "suck" salt out of an over salted dish. They don't. They can't. All they do is add volume, and potatoes are naturally not very salty.

sbenzanzenwan , Emile Mbunzama Report

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Zaza
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I disagree. I have used potatoes for this reason a few times and it really can work, you just have to leave them in long enough

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#49

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS If you're not dry brining your meats before you cook them, you're missing out. ESPECIALLY applies to chicken.

Sweepslap , Paul Hermann Report

#50

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Add rice to the boiling water... No, no, no, no .. it's a bad way to cook rice.

For the past 30 years I have been cooking rice like this: Put the desired amount of rice in the pot. Rinse them thoroughly with cold water to remove as much "rice dust" as possible.

Then add cold water toothed rice, so they are covered by approximately 2,5cm/ 1 inch of cold water.

Add salt and put on a lid.

Put the pot on the stove at medium heat. Let it come to a boil while stirring every now and then.

When all the water has been sacked up by the rice, turn of the heat and let the pot sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.

It only takes 20 minutes to cook rice this way instead of 25-30 minutes, and they come out perfectly cooked every single time!!

Oh yeah... bad tip nr. 2 I've learned to no longer follow... "make the sauce/ gravy" as the very last part of the meal.

No, no, no, no .... for the past 4 years I've learned to ALWAYS start cooking the whole meal with the onions and other veggies or herbs for the sauce/ gravy. It takes a long time to get that deep flavor to bind everything together, and a good sauce can lift a meal from "plain everyday quick meal" to "restaurant quality home cooking".

Tuznelda75 , Teona Swift Report

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Kira Okah
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wash it, put it in the rice cooker with water, turn it on, and you don't have to faff around with pans and water order and whatever fluff. Much better.

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#51

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS That searing meat seals in the juices. I mean, seared meat is delicious but the more you sear the drier it's gonna be.

Maxfunky , Salamatu Gwadah Report

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Laura Ketteridge
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does not 'seal in the juices'. The improvement in taste is caused by the Maillard reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor.

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#52

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Putting milk/cream in scrambled eggs. Completely unnecessary if cooked with proper technique.

jbm_the_dream , Sincerely Media Report

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btaglln
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A little bit of milk (like just a spoon) goes a long way to make scrambled eggs and omelette easier

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#53

That pork chops have to be cooked to shoe leather. Store bought is sage. I have changed opinions by grilling mine to medium and they are very juicy.

Actually, probably that most meats are overdone.

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Kira Okah
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People still remember trichinosis infections and it is bloody terrifying. It is safer now but some don't want to take the risk. With meats that are safe to eat undercooked - which is certainly not all of them - the opinion of overcooked depends wholly on the diner. Some would say anything more cooked than "still mooing" is overdone, and fair for them. Some wouldvsay "fully cooked" is a minimum, and that is fair for them too.

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#54

Using a frying pan… As a drying pan

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#55

30 Popular Cooking Tips That People Claim Are Actually BS Putting lemon slices on fish. No idea why people do that. The sushi shop I used to order at always put a slice of lemon on top of my salmon chirashi bowl, which resulted in the salmon under it to get really discolored, ugly and kinda tough to chew, and tasted more like lemon than salmon in the end.

Shadowcat514 , Travis Yewell Report

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Zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Besides being traditional, the lemon is for you to squeeze on as desired. The splash of acid makes the flavors really pop and goes will with fish, but some people don't like it. But cooking the lemon wedge on there... no thanks.

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#56

Myth: adding milk to scrambled eggs makes them fluffier. It ACTUALLY makes them less fluffy.

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Izzy Curer
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, that's just not true at all. I've done them both ways. Milk makes them both fluffier and juicier. Without milk makes them meatier and a little more flavorful. I prefer without milk, but with cheese.

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