Article created by: Justinas Keturka

One of the best things that you can do in life is to learn how to cook. That way, you’re self-reliant, you know for a fact what goes into the food you make, and you can impress all of your friends who like take-out meals a tad too much.

However, getting started isn’t the easiest thing in the world. There are a lot of potential hiccups: from not knowing what ingredients to put into the pan first to how to use the tools, techniques and utensils any food enthusiast should know. That’s why some friendly Reddit cooks took it upon themselves to share the best kitchen hacks they know. Scroll down for some delicious nuggets of kitchen advice and upvote the ones that think everyone should know, dear Pandas. When you’re done, we’d love to hear all about your own kitchen and cooking tips and tricks.

Bored Panda got in touch with redditor u/Sunieta25, who started the thread in the first place. Scroll down for our interview with her. Meanwhile, don’t forget to read on for Bored Panda’s second interview with pie artist, the author of ‘Pies Are Awesome,’ and cooking expert Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin. Both of them shared some advice about working in the kitchen that you Pandas might find very useful.

#1

Hand washing kitchen utensils under running water, showcasing pearls of wisdom from friendly internet cooks. Clean while you're cooking. WHILE.

DarkPasta , Catt Liu Report

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    #2

    Friendly cook slicing vegetables on a kitchen counter, sharing culinary wisdom. You follow instructions when baking. You follow your heart when cooking (...but not too much.)

    Frodo_noooo , Daria Shevtsova Report

    Bacon Tentacles
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cooking is an art. Baking is a science.

    #3

    Chopped garlic on a cutting board with a knife, demonstrating cooking wisdom from friendly internet cooks. Contrary to popular belief, it often doesn’t work out great if you add your chopped/minced garlic first to hot oil or butter. It burns so quickly and tastes yuck. I like to brown something else first, like onions, and then add the garlic. The onions are like a burn buffer!

    thefastasleepside , Jason Sandeman Report

    #4

    Close-up of fresh lemon slices, showcasing culinary inspiration from friendly internet cooks' wisdom. Sometimes when you think something needs more salt, what it really needs is acid — lemon juice, vinegar, etc.

    Acceptable_Medicine2 , Sama Hosseini Report

    #5

    Person chopping zucchini on a wooden board, demonstrating cooking wisdom shared by friendly internet cooks. A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. Always keep your knives sharp.

    ticklemytinypickles , Max Delsid Report

    #6

    Baking cinnamon rolls in the oven, representing pearls of wisdom shared by friendly internet cooks. If your towels or oven mitt get wet (or your hands are wet while using them on something hot), they will NOT protect your hands.

    nicholasgnames , Toa Heftiba Report

    #7

    Espresso machine on a counter with a folded kitchen towel, capturing friendly internet cooks’ pearls of wisdom. A good kitchen should be equipped with a plentiful supply of clean, dry towels.

    Ben_zyl , Passionfruit Creative Report

    #8

    A pan with vibrant vegetables cooking, showcasing culinary pearls of wisdom. I am not a chef but I know for a fact that you shouldn't cook something you aren't familiar with if you are having guests.

    [deleted] , Martin Lopez Report

    #9

    A hand cracking an egg into a mixing bowl, surrounded by lemons and herbs, showcasing cooking wisdom. Baking is a perfect example of 'don't tear down walls unless you know why they were built.' If you know the chemistry at play and what each ingredient is doing, you can get creative. Keep in mind that every ingredient does something, so add-ons and substitution can change how everything works together.

    ArthurBonesly , Daria Shevtsova Report

    #10

    Hands being washed at a kitchen sink, illustrating hygiene tips from friendly internet cooks. wash your hands

    A_zuma2007 , Mélissa Jeanty Report

    #11

    A cook pours sauce into a white dish, sharing a cooking tip. Soy sauce goes on more than just Asian foods. Try a dash in scrambled eggs or towards the end of your caramelized onions. It is a savory salt flavor that compliments many dishes.

    -B-H- , Caroline Attwood Report

    #12

    Peeled garlic cloves in a decorative bowl, highlighting cooking wisdom from friendly internet cooks. The amount of garlic flavor is dependent on WHEN you add the garlic. Add it early for light flavor, add it late for bold flavor.

    RazorRamonReigns , Cats Coming Report

    #13

    Person wearing pink gloves washing dishes in a sink, showcasing friendly kitchen wisdom. 'Always be cleaning' is important to end-of-meal satisfaction. It’s such a drag to look up at the end of a great dinner and see a monstrous cleaning task ahead of you.

    Djburnunit , Liliana Drew Report

    #14

    Fried egg in a skillet on a stove top, illustrating cooking wisdom shared by friendly internet cooks. Not a chef but everyone should know how to cook eggs. hard boiled. omelets, scrambled, sunny side up, cooked on both sides. Once you master the Recruit difficultly of eggs. Throw some mushrooms or tomatoes or whatever you like in an omelet or scrambled eggs. Gordan Ramsey made a video on eggs and after trying what he did and really getting better at it, my family and friends just make me, make them eggs.

    ThatSmellySmelly , Nathan Dumlao Report

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    #15

    Half a lime on a wooden board, showcasing fresh cooking ingredients by friendly internet cooks. I recommend choosing an acid based on what you are cooking. Italian? Try some red wine vinegar. Mexican? Try some lime juice. Additionally, if you are working with anything cream based, add acidity literally right at the end or else your sauce/dish will curdle.

    outoftuneGstring2112 , Jessica Lewis Report

    #16

    Cook tasting a dish from a pan, embodying culinary wisdom in home cooking. Taste as you cook, and do it at various stages of cooking (while safe, please don't taste raw meat). Not only does it let you know if you have too much or little of something, but it also helps you develop your palette for what different seasonings do.

    lloydimus87 , Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas Report

    #17

    Sizzling sausages frying in a rustic pan, showcasing friendly internet cooks' wisdom in cooking. Massively improve the quality of your proteins (chicken, beef, tofu, anything) with fond. Fond is the dark brown stuff that sticks to your pan when you're cooking. It's not burnt unless its actually black. To get it off the pan and on the food, pour in either an alcohol or acid to dissolve it and get the now-brown liquid to coat your protein. Different proteins work best with different alcohols. Good rule of thumb — dry white for chicken or any lighter meat. Red for beef. Lemon juice works great for almost everything.

    maverickmain , Denniz Futalan Report

    Bacon Tentacles
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As Kent Rollins would say. "I am very fond of fond."

    #18

    Crispy bacon strips on a baking sheet highlighting cooking wisdom from internet chefs. Cooking bacon in the oven is exponentially easier to perfect and clean up than on a stove top. Set the oven to 405º, line a baking sheet with tin foil, and lay your bacon flat on it. Cook it for 13-15 minutes. It's perfect every time, and you can cook a lot more at once this way. Also, the fat hardens on the foil, so you can just throw it away with no mess.

    apeanutbutterpopcorn , Polina Tankilevitch Report

    #19

    Hands using fork and spoon to lift cooked pasta from a pot, showcasing cooking wisdom. For thick and nice sauces, use the water you cook your pasta with.

    IZiOstra , Klaus Nielsen Report

    #20

    Assorted cinnamon sticks on a gray surface, illustrating cooking wisdom from friendly internet cooks. Cinnamon isn’t just for sweet foods. It can be really, really good in savory foods, too.

    The-one-true-hobbit , Daria Shevtsova Report

    #21

    A person in a blue sweater adjusts a pot on a stove, sharing cooking wisdom with friendly internet cooks. Salt your boiling water.

    BigWingWangKen , Teona Swift Report

    #22

    A hand sprinkling salt on fries in a cardboard box next to a plastic cup, symbolizing shared cooking wisdom. Adding is easy, but removing is hard. People like to argue that you should liberally add butter and seasoning, but tastes differ. It's totally fine to put in less if that's what you fancy.

    0x53r3n17y , Emmy Smith Report

    #23

    Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a stovetop, and cookware. Lemons and herbs on the counter, highlighting wisdom from cooks. Time is the best and most expensive ingredient.

    JimBones31 , Jason Briscoe Report

    #24

    Garlic bulbs and cloves on rustic wooden surface, shared wisdom by friendly internet cooks. If you’re getting annoyed because it’s taking you too long to peel garlic, place an unpeeled garlic clove under the flat side of your kitchen knife and press on it with your hand. The garlic peel will separate easily and your garlic will be crushed.

    FinanceGuyHere , Kjokkenutstyr Net Report

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    #25

    Hands slicing cooked steak on a wooden board, reflecting culinary wisdom from friendly internet cooks. If you want crispness on the outsides of your meats, you should pat them dry before seasoning and putting them in oven or over heat.

    apeanutbutterpopcorn , Los Muertos Crew Report

    Bacon Tentacles
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do that, but several hours before you make the meal. Then put the meat on a cooling rack over a tray and do your own mini dry-aging in the fridge. Makes a huge difference.