Stop pressing down on your burger while it cooks!
It squeezes out all the juices, and your burger will be dry.
We asked theBuzzFeed Communityto tell us the worstcookingmistakespeople make in the kitchen and whichgoodhabitsthey should have instead.
Here are the must-read results.
Some responses also comefromReddit.
That literally squeezes all the juice out, and you’ll be left with a dry burger."
Loaf pans trap all the grease and fat and will make your meatloaf soggy."
3.Bad habit: “There really is such thing as too much garlic.
4.Good habit: “Slice your chicken before cooking it.
Not only will it cook faster, but everything will cook at the same time.
No more overcooked or dry pieces.”
6.Good habit: “c’mon.
7.Bad habit: “Don’t use the blade side of your knife to scrape up food.
That dulls it super quickly.
Instead, use the top of it (the nonsharp side).”
This allows for an excellent texture and a nice sear.”
9.Bad habit: “Stop using a glass cutting board.
The surface will ruin the hell out of your knives.
11.Bad habit: “Stop overmixing your pancake and waffle batter.
In addition, you should let the batter sit for 15-ish minutes after you’re done mixing.
You’ll get fluffier, lighter pancakes and waffles this way.”
12.Good habit: “Always deglaze your pan.
you could use wine or stock, but water works great too.
13.Bad habit: “Stop using measuring spoons for baking.
Instead, use a kitchen scale.
Baking is a science, so you better measure things out exactly.
Measuring spoons are not as accurate as the scale, and it can affect the result.”
Instead, this is literally what cooking wine/sherry is for.”
16.Good habit: “Keep a note of your recipes and rate them.
Mark the exact quantities of ingredients, serving sizes, the process, etc.
you’ll be able to improve it by adjusting a few variables at a time.”
17.Bad habit: “Stop using water when cooking your grains.
Instead, time everything out.
For home cooks, mise en place (prepping, cutting, measuring ingredients, etc.)
can be done while something else is happening, rather than all at once in the beginning.”
Garlic, carrots, onions, celery, and so on ALL cook differently.
No one wants to eat overcooked mush or tough, stringy cardboard.”
Cutting the meat as soon as it comes off or out of the heat drains all the juices.”
21.Bad habit: “Dont rinse or wash your raw chicken or turkey.
When you rinse meat, you’re only splashing germs around the sink and counter.
Theres no real point in doing it.
Chicken doesn’t show up full of dirt the way leeks do, so just cook it.”
It’s my favorite hack!"
23.Bad habit: “Stop draining your pasta with a colander over the sink.
The best way is to use tongs to directly transfer the pasta into the sauce from its cooking water.
24.Good habit: “Clean.
25.Bad habit: “Stop instantly running your hot pot or pan under cold water.
It can lead to cracking and warping.”
Then just cover it and refrigerate.”
27.Bad habit: “Don’t buy herbs that aren’t fresh.
This will make a huge difference, especially when baking cakes.
Most ovens are never accurate and will alert you that they’re preheated before they really are.”
The moisture will instantly turn to steam and burn you.”
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
