Let’s be honest: we all have prepared some great recipes before, but we've also had some smaller or bigger cooking embarrassments. 

Whether you’ve had people over for breakfast and the fluffy pancakes you wanted to serve just broke apart as you flipped them. So it’s pancake pieces instead.  

Or you took out the brownie from the oven after 30 minutes just to realize it’s completely dry and not soft at all. And this should have been a little present for your partner’s birthday.

Or you get stressed in the kitchen because the vegetables in your pan start to turn black while you’re still cutting the carrots you should have added already five minutes ago! In the end, your onions are burnt, while the carrots are still hard, and the recipe just feels off.

But the good news is, these things happen and we learn from them. So you get better each time you cook.

Still, there are some really common kitchen mistakes that you can avoid easily!

Why make a mistake if you could just do it correctly from the start?

Save your next meals by watching out for these 13 common cooking mistakes.

Always make sure to tuck in your fingertips while cutting

1. Cutting Vegetables Without Having Your Fingers Tucked In

From the personal (and painful) experience of cutting my fingers various times in the past, I cannot stress this point enough. 

When cutting vegetables, make sure you have the tips of your fingers tucked in. Your knuckles should be in front of your fingertips. That way, you’ll guide the knife with each stroke downwards in a straight line, while keeping your fingertips away from the blade.

After each stroke, move your whole hand slightly backwards while keeping the finger position in place. You use your thumb and pinky finger to stabilize and hold the vegetables together. 

When you have never done this before, it might feel a little weird at first. Try it slowly at first so you can get used to the right movement and finger position. 

This tip is really important to safely cut vegetables with a knife.

2. Cutting With A Dull Knife

One of the most annoying situations you can experience in the kitchen is cutting with a dull knife. You have to press the knife really hard to get anything done, and it still does not turn out the right way. 

Instead of dicing an onion finely, you just get big and uneven chunks. When cutting the tomatoes, you press too hard and squeeze all the liquids out. And so on. 

Make sure to always have a knife sharpening tool at hand. Sharpen your knives regularly so you always get the best results. 

Not only will it make cooking more enjoyable, but it also saves time and helps you create beautiful dishes with less effort.

3. You Don't Prepare Ingredients Before Cooking

Once you start cooking, there is no turning back. The pan is hot, the oil is heated, the vegetables are simmering. 

Did you forget to cut the carrots and sweet potato? While you’re trying to get it done, chances are you’ll already be burning your onion and garlic in the pan. 

The easiest and most enjoyable way of cooking is to have everything in place before you even start. 

Cut all the vegetables first and place them in small bowls depending on when you have to use them. Collect and place all the spices and condiments on the kitchen counter. Take out your measurement cups and have them nearby. Have your rice and beans measured correctly, washed, and waiting in a bowl or pot. 

So when you start cooking, you won’t be stressed at all since you have everything prepared beforehand.

4. You Don't Taste Your Food While Cooking

If you never taste your food while cooking and just rely on what the recipe says, you might be in for a big disappointment. 

Yes, following a recipe, especially a new one, is important. But you also have to see whether it actually tastes the way you want. This means you should take a fork or spoon and try your food as you go. Is there anything missing?

Some people prefer their food salty, some prefer it sweet. Other loves spicy, some just hate it. The same is true for people creating and publishing recipes. If you don’t want to rely fully on the personal preferences of someone else, make sure to taste as you go and adjust the recipe as you see fit.

Make sure you read the recipe before you start cooking

5. Not Reading A Recipe Fully Before Cooking

Do you know a situation like this?  

You’re about to make a cashew paste to cover the base of your cheesecake just to find out you should have soaked them for 4 hours beforehand? 

And wait, after making the cashew filling, you need to refrigerate the cake overnight? The best part...your guests are coming in 1 hour and you now have no cake to show.

Were you ever in the middle of cooking a new recipe when you suddenly realized you didn’t prepare the next step?  

It’s a mistake you can prevent entirely by completely reading the recipe before starting to prepare it. Even better, read it two or three times and shortly visualize the different steps to follow. 

That way, you’ll be ready for whatever recipe comes your way.

6. You Over- Or Undercook Your Vegetables

Vegetables aren’t all created equally! They differ in size, shape, color, taste, and well, also the preparation method and cooking time.

Even a single carrot can look and feel completely different simply by cutting it into thin cubes, long stripes, or round slices. And each cut requires a different cooking time.

In short, this means you can over- and undercook vegetables quite easily. Overcooking means the consistency is completely mushy and the color turns less bright. Undercooked means the vegetable is still hard and difficult to chew at some parts.

As a quick tip: smaller slices or pieces take less time to be cooked, while bigger and thicker chunks take longer.

Make sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

7. You Substitute Flours In Baking One-To-One

How to make a recipe gluten-free? Can’t you just replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour or coconut flour and get the same result?

Well, it’s not that easy. And substituting flours and other ingredients in baking one-to-one can lead to not-so-optimal results.

All flours have their own properties and characteristics. Apart from the taste and look, they have a different glue-ability, strength, way of absorbing water and other liquids, and more. 

The result? Your cake or bread might become dry, not rise while baking, be tasteless, feel crumbly, look burnt, or have some other undesired feature.

Therefore, before replacing one flour with another, make sure you know what you’re doing or find a recipe that actually uses the ingredients you want to use.

8. You Don't Know Your Oven's Unique Way Of Working

Ovens aren’t created equally, either. Some heat fast while others heat slowly. In some, the heat is spread evenly, in others, the back of the oven is way hotter and tends to burn the food. 

Unfortunately, there’s no other way of knowing how your oven works than by trying it out a couple of times. And as soon as you understand your oven and its quirks a little better, make sure to adjust the temperature, time, and placement in the oven for any future recipes, if necessary.

Here to help: measurement cups and tools are important for getting the recipes right.

9. You Don't Take Measuring Ingredients Seriously

The recipe says one cup of flour, by why not take a little more? You then need one cup of oat milk, but you only have half left? Well, then that’s what you gotta take, right? 

Not really. It can go pretty wrong. It also really depends on what you’re preparing.

While making a pasta sauce in the pan, you might have more room for playing around with measurements and ingredients. Take a bit more tomatoes, no zucchinis, but carrots instead, no big deal. 

But when baking something, for instance, measurements become really important. Many times, it’s the right proportion between the flour, milk, salt, sugar, and fat that is crucial for your recipe’s success.

Unless you know from experience how to properly adjust recipes and make them better, you should stick with the exact measurements given. 

10. You Don't Keep An Eye On Your Toasting Nuts

Toasted nuts are something wonderful. As they get warm and roast in the oven, the flavors really develop and intensify. 

 However, there’s a crucial sweet spot when toasted nuts become badly burnt. Dark black almonds are not what you’re going for.  

Make sure to always keep an eye for the nuts your toasting and set a timer in case you get distracted. Check at least every five minutes to see how the nuts are turning out.

Always add salt to your pasta water.

11. You Don't Salt The Water For Your Pasta

Why do we actually add salt to the pasta water? Is it really necessary? 

Well, it kind of is. For one, the salt is later absorbed by the pasta and it will greatly enhance the flavor of the pasta. Remember that salt brings out and enriches the flavors of our ingredients, so even in sweet dishes, we use a little bit of salt. 

Second, it increases the water’s boiling point, meaning the water will become hotter and cook the pasta better. Thirdly, it speeds up the boiling process of the water. Adding salt while heating the water will ensure you can boil the pasta sooner. 

Not having your pasta water salted will make the whole recipe feel and taste underseasoned.  

How much salt is enough? As a quick rule of thumb, take 1 teaspoon of salt for every 100 g of pasta and 1 L of water.

12. Not Waiting Until Your Oven Is Fully Heated

You’re hungry and can’t wait to finally have your oven veggies. Well, can’t you just skip the preheating part of the oven and pop the form into the oven from the start?

As you might guess, the short answer is: no. It is important to wait until your oven is fully heated before you continue baking your dish. 

Not every oven heats the same way, and while some are hot after three minutes, others might still be somewhat cold.  

Only once you’ve reached the exact temperature, you can be certain that the cooking time for your dish is correct.

Especially when you’re looking to get that nice crust or the right fluffiness, make sure to follow the instructions on temperature and preheating.   

Again, make sure to know and understand your oven. Once you know how long it will take until fully heated, you can better time when to turn it on.

13. You Don't Soak Your Legumes And Grains Before Boiling Them

You don’t have to experience bloating after eating a curry with red lentils or a kidney bean salad. And when having a big family dinner, it might be nicer for everybody when the lentils don’t make your feel  

Make sure to soak your legumes and grains for at least 4-6 hours (or best overnight) and then rinse them thoroughly before boiling them. 

This soaking process will make them more easily digestible and get rid of anti-nutrients.