Chefs share 24 common mistakes we should all avoid while cooking

Even the most experienced of home cooks among us probably make a culinary faux pas now and then. We might not even realize we're doing it wrong as that's simply the way we've always done it. Now, thanks to the professional chefs of Reddit, we all have a chance to recognize and alter some of the most common things "we're probably all doing wrong in the kitchen." More than 2000 Reddit users responded to this prompt by u/Joker042, sharing a range of tips, including why you should never add onion and garlic at the same time or why it's so important to have ingredients and tools ready at hand before you start the actual cooking process.

Here are 24 of the most popular responses:

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"Having things ready in place. Have you ever been halfway done with a dish and realize you didn't have the cheese grated? Now everything is on hold (and overcooking) while you grate cheese? Having everything ready to go at the start lets you add the things when they need adding and helps put dishes out at the appropriate time." — Johndough99999

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"Never letting meat rest... not keeping sharp knives, and just knife work in general... cooking should be simple and easy... fighting with prep work is never fun." — Wheres_the_sand 

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"Keep your fingertips tucked behind your knuckles and your thumb behind your fingers. That way, the worst possible thing you can do to yourself is slice off a bit of flesh around your knuckle instead of lopping a finger off. This is for holding the food you're cutting, not the knife, lol. Use your knuckles/flat part of your fingers as a guide." — moal09

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"When researching recipes for a certain dish, look up a handful or more recipes (mostly from good, trustworthy sources) to come up with a 'fundamental' recipe. By having multiple recipes, you'll be able to identify which ones simply give you incorrect instructions and which ones include steps that are more of a personal preference for that specific cook. Then, after you've figured out the 'fundamental' recipe for a certain dish, you can experiment with your own personal touches." — BullGooseLooney904 

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"Putting your knives in a drawer. It ruins the edge. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. (Because you can’t slice through the food and you struggle, this results in an injury.)" — MorbeMaddness

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"Just finished that awesome, wholesome, home-cooked and hot delicious meal? Don't put it on a cold plate from the cabinet. Some ovens have a warm plate setting or even keeping a stack in hot water and drying them off right before plating can keep a hot meal hot. I always hated cooking an awesome dinner and then by the time I've served everyone and sat down my food is cold because it's sitting on an ice-cold plate. Hell, even some of the newer dishwashers have a plat warmer setting." — MaybeItsJustMike

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"Most people suck at roasting vegetables. Brussel sprouts are the number one f**k up and most people lose their shit when I serve them properly done brussels. Toss with olive oil (more than you think), salt (more than you think), and any other herbs/spices (e.g. curry spices with cauliflower), lay cut side down on a baking sheet, and throw that into a 200C/400F oven until it's visibly browned. Depending on the veggie (e.g carrots) you'll probably want to turn over to the other side and continue roasting for a bit. Once they're done you can toss with pepper or fresh/delicate herbs before serving (e.g. mushrooms with tarragon or parsley). Just because it's fork-tender and cooked through doesn't mean it's delicious. Yet." — Reddit

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"Not sanitizing your hands and work area after handling raw meat, especially chicken. Can't count the number of times I've been cooking with friends or family and have to stop them from chopping salad veggies on the same cutting board as raw meat or running their hands under cold water for a second to 'clean them' before going to grab stuff out of the fridge or drawer or even just going about their day.
Same goes for giving your slimy raw-chicken cutting board a quick scrub to wash it using the same sponge you use for everything else. If it's touched raw meat, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with hot water and either soap (your hands) or bleach (everything else)." — Pitchesotoole02