The kitchen, a wondrous place full of delicious possibilities, can also be a dangerous one. There are hot surfaces and sharp objects all around, and things can get ugly if one is not careful -- from something as benign as a ruined meal to more serious outcomes like severe burns.
Folks, there are do's and don't's when it comes to proper kitchen etiquette. We found the best reddit thread on the subject that has input from industry chefs and home cooks alike. (Who better to weigh in on the subject than those who are learning from their mistakes?) We fact-checked each brilliant piece of advice listed below, credited to the reddit user who wrote it.
Without further ado, here are things you should never do in the kitchen:
1. Never try to catch a falling knife. Just take a step back. (kirkl3s)
2. Don't add dry flour or cornstarch to hot liquid. It'll cause hard-to-whisk-out clumps. Instead, add dry ingredients such as those to cool liquid first to make a slurry and whisk that into the hot liquid. (ThePrimCrow)
3. Never use wet oven mitts to handle hot pots or pans. Heat tranfers a lot faster through wet cloth than dry ones. (razain86)
4. Don't put a hot glass dish on a wet surface. Or, a hot pan on a glass table. OR, hot liquid into an actual glass. It will shatter, and make a big ol' mess (unless of course it's Pyrex glass -- that's been created to withstand heat). (JimmyL2014)
5. Never serve a dish before you taste it. It will almost always need more salt. (amliebsten)
6. Never forget to wash your hands after chopping a chile. Your eyes will thank you. (magicbullets)
7. Don't confuse baking soda for baking powder. Things won't work out as you hope. While both are leaveners they work in entirely different ways. (Taramonia)
8. Never scrape your knife against a cutting board to move food off of it. It'll dull the blade faster than you can say whoops. (baccus82)
9. Don't use metal utensils on a non-stick pan. It'll ruin the coating on the pan. (Andre_the_Pliant)
10. Never mix water and hot oil. Bad things will happen and you could get seriously burned. (nothesharpest)
11. Don't use a dull knife. It's far more dangerous than the sharpest blade in the world. (Every_Name_Is_Tak3n)
12. Never try to beat eggs whites that have a little yolk in them. It just won't work. Save yourself the time and aggrevation and start over.
13. Don't ignore what salt can do. Salt is what makes food taste good. Learn how and when to use it. (PukasScondor)
14. Don't forget: hot glass looks like cold glass. But they both feel very different. (thesteveinator)
15. Don't stir the rice. (Unless you're making risotto.) Rice should be left to cook undisturbed for best results. (Zeppo_is_Dead)
16. Don't cook bacon naked. Grease jumps. You could get hurt. (someredditorswife)
17. For perfect baking results, use a scale not measuring cups and spoons. It'll guarantee the same results every single time. (Pyroboy5)
18. Do not cut steaks right off the heat. Give them time to rest so they can retain their juices. (yunohavenameiwant)
19. If a fire starts in your oven, don't open the door. Opening it will feed the fire by giving it oxygen only making it worse. Instead, turn off the oven and allow the fire to burn itself out. If it doesn't go out, call 911. (Chasing-Amy)
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