Cooking habits, our beliefs about how certain dishes are prepared, and even the speed of completion affect the taste, nutritional value, and health of our dishes.

In this report, the American "Bright Side" website reviewed the most common cooking mistakes:

1- Use the same knife to cut all the food

People who use one knife for everything think this trick can help them speed up meal prep, but they're wrong.

This may lead to the transmission of bacteria.

Do not cut raw meat with the same knife with which you cut meat after cooking.


2- stir the rice

In order to check or taste the rice's doneness, some people stir it, but the only thing they achieve is to increase its moisture.

The reason behind this is simple. Stirring the rice releases the starch and breaks up the rice grains.

So avoid flipping the rice while it is cooking.

Besides, you should use the right amount of water (one cup of water for every half cup of rice) depending on the type of rice, and wait for the cooking time without stirring it.

3- Cut the steaks as soon as they are ready

Instead, it is recommended to leave the meat for a few minutes after removing it from the oven or grill because the heat inside the meat helps the cooking process continue, and ensures that it becomes juicy.

4- Using the wrong type of oil

Not all cooking oils are created equal;

Some are ideal for frying and roasting, while others change flavor at higher temperatures.

Extra virgin olive oil has a dark color and strong flavour, and is ideal for making sauces and roasting at low temperatures, but is not suitable for use at temperatures above 375°F (191°C).

Vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, are best suited for frying, roasting and baking.

Corn oil is lighter and suitable for baking, roasting and deep frying.

Canola oil, extracted from the rapeseed plant, can be used for baking, grilling and stir-frying at elevated temperatures.


5- Not tasting food during preparation

There is nothing wrong with tasting food while cooking as long as there are ideal sanitary conditions, i.e. you do not taste the food while it is still raw and not cooked;

It is important to check whether the sauce is good, or if the meat, pasta, or anything you are preparing is cooked;

This may allow you to avoid mistakes and give you time to fix your recipe.

6- Add the oil to the pasta water

Adding oil to pasta water can make the pasta heavier and make the sauce less sticky, because the fat doesn't mix with the water, and it increases the calories in it.

7- Cutting onions the wrong way

Cutting the onion into slices leads to the breaking of its cells, causing it to release gases that burn the eye and cause tears. Instead, it is recommended to cut the onion with a sharp knife, following the direction of the onion fibers, that is, the lines that extend from the root to the stem, which results in less gas production;

Thus, it produces less tears and irritation.