No matter your kitchen skills, these 25 essential cooking tips work perfectly for any home cook. You’ll feel more confident in the kitchen in no time!
1. Use recipes
The kitchen can be a great place to experiment. But it is better to use a recipe for those starting something new. Recipe writers repeatedly test their dishes to ensure correct measurements and timings. You can create your twist once you get more comfortable cooking the new dish!
2. Read the whole recipe first
It can be tempting to skip all the tips and tricks given in a recipe, but it is important to read everything first. Reading the whole recipe guarantees that you have all the ingredients you need and gives you a better understanding of what is to come.
3. Prep your ingredients ahead of time
Professional kitchens give us some of the best essential cooking tips. A favorite has to be mise en place. Instead of preparing your ingredients while cooking, you chop and measure all of your ingredients before putting the pots on the stove. This helps you to feel more at ease with managing your time in the kitchen and can help prevent burning food.
4. Start simple
You may want to cook many different recipes to impress your friends and family, but it's important to start your cooking journey with easy recipes. Starting with simple dishes can help you hone your cooking skills while boosting your confidence in the kitchen. Try this recipe to get started: Pickled Cucumbers.
5. Don’t use dull knives
One of the essential cooking tips any chef will give you is to use a good-quality, sharp knife. A dull knife will not cut through ingredients well and can even lead to more injuries.
6. Taste, taste, taste!
To have the best-seasoned food, season as you cook rather than at the end. If you only season your food at the end, then all the salt and seasoning will be on top rather than cooked into the ingredients. This could make your dish taste salty, even if there isn’t much salt in it.
7. Use salt and spices
Under-salting leaves food incredibly bland, so don’t be afraid to use salt. If you taste the dish throughout the cooking process, you’ll know how much salt to use. Spices and herbs can add many layers of flavor to food, so experiment and see what you enjoy.
8. Be patient
Cooking takes time, so take your time as well. Depending on what you are cooking, undercooked food can be dangerous. If you are short on time, there are plenty of 30-minute recipes to try. This Blackened Cod is a great one to start with.
9. Learn to control the heat
Controlling the heat can look different depending on what kind of stove you have. It is important to try and maintain a steady heat while cooking to prevent burning your food. Learning how to use your stove best is one of the most essential cooking tips out there.
10. Stay organized
As you cook, try to have stations: one for preparing the ingredients, one for cooking, and one for serving. Organizing your cooking space will help you feel calmer in the kitchen and enjoy the experience more.
11. Keep things clean
In addition to being organized, clean your kitchen while you cook. This prevents your kitchen from getting overly messy while you cook and makes the clean-up process much faster after your meal.
12. Use the right-sized pan
When cooking, ensure your pots and pans are big enough to fit all your ingredients. This will ensure even cooking of your ingredients, so no part is left under or overcooked.
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13. Don’t cross-contaminate
If you cook with meat or fish, using separate stations for raw meat and other ingredients is important. After you are done preparing raw meat, make sure to clean the surface thoroughly as well. Cross-contamination can lead to cases of salmonella or other food-borne illnesses.
14. Timers are your friend
For first-time cooks, keeping track of time can be challenging, especially if you’re overwhelmed. Using a timer to track your cooking times can make things easier. Most phones have a timer function, so there’s no need to buy one.
15. Mistakes are normal
Even if you follow a recipe step-by-step or know it by heart, mistakes can happen. And that is okay! Mistakes are completely normal and can be a great learning opportunity. Don’t let a small error deter you from trying a recipe again.
16. Cook with a friend
You may be used to cooking alone, but professional kitchens run best in teams. If you're going to follow any of these essential cooking tips, give this one a try! Cooking is much easier when you have a friend or family member by your side. It can calm your anxiety, but it can also just make cooking a lot more fun!
17. Watch a video
Reading a recipe can be challenging for visual learners. Luckily, there is always the option of video cooking recipes. Videos are a great tool for helping you see how the food should look throughout the process and can give you a good comparison tool while you cook.
18. Learn a few basics
Some basic staple dishes, like rice and pasta, are easy to learn in the cooking space. Once you master those two, you can easily start adding flavors and other ingredients to the mix. Here is a fantastic rice to try: Jamaican Rice and Peas.
19. Take a cooking class
If you are starting your cooking journey, taking a cooking class could be one of your best cooking tips. Check online to see if any local cooking schools in your area offer beginner classes. It’s a great way to get professional lessons while meeting people in the same boat as you!
20. Have fun!
Cooking does not have to be boring or stressful. To make the experience more exciting and fun, play some music or put on your favorite podcast while you cook.
21. Practice, practice, practice
Just like any skill, cooking takes practice. You won’t be a Michelin-star chef after cooking a dish for the first time, but the more you cook, the better you will get. Keep practicing and trying out different recipes to improve your cooking skills.
22. Cook foods you enjoy
This is one of the more fun cooking tips. Taking the time and effort to cook deserves a reward, and what better reward than a meal you enjoy? Even if a dish is simple to make, don't cook it if you don’t like its ingredients. Cook with ingredients and cuisines that excite and motivate you.
23. Take notes
If it’s your first time following a recipe, write notes as you cook. See which steps were easy or hard for you or if you had to adjust anything. This will help you improve upon the recipe the next time you cook.
24. Switch out ingredients
Following a recipe is important for beginners, but sometimes there are some ingredients you don’t want to eat (or can’t eat). When this happens, substitute them! Many recipes include ingredient swaps in their notes, so feel free to take a glance there. Check out my page on ingredient substitution for some ideas.
25. Have faith in yourself
The toughest critic you will ever meet is yourself. It can be hard to trust yourself while doing something completely new. Follow these cooking tips, and you'll improve in no time!
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