30 Small Habits That Make You a Better Cook
Good cooking isn't only about recipes. It's the little habits around them. None of these takes more than a minute, and together they'll make you calmer, cleaner and better at the stove. Pick two or three to try this week, and the rest will follow.
Set Yourself Up
1. Keep a scrap bowl beside you. One bowl for peelings and trimmings saves a dozen trips to the bin and keeps your board clear.
2. Stop your board from sliding. Lay a damp tea towel or paper towel underneath it. A board that moves is how fingers get nicked.
3. Get everything ready before the heat goes on. Chop, measure and set it all out in little bowls. Chefs call it mise en place. I call it the secret to never burning the garlic while you hunt for the oregano.
4. Read the recipe twice before you start. Once to understand it, and once to spot the step that says "marinate overnight" before it's too late.
Clean as You Go
5. Buy a bench scraper. It scoops up crumbs, carries chopped onions to the pan and scrapes your board clean. It's the best few dollars you'll spend in the kitchen. Here's the one I use.
6. Wash up while things simmer. A quick rinse of the bowls and a wipe of the board as you go, and you'll sit down to dinner, not a mountain of dishes.
7. Look after your sponge. Wring it out and let it dry between uses. To clean it, microwave it soaking wet (never dry) for a minute or two, or run it through a hot dishwasher cycle with heated dry. And replace it often.
8. Protect your nonstick pans. Stack them with a paper plate or a folded tea towel between each one, so the coating doesn't scratch.
9. Label and date before you freeze. Write on the bag while it's flat and empty. Nobody wants to play "guess the mystery stew" in February.
Measure with Confidence
10. Use an instant-read thermometer. It takes the guesswork out of "is it done?" and is the quickest way to go from a good cook to a great one. My searing lesson has the temperatures to aim for.
11. Bake by weight, not cups. A digital scale is far more accurate than a measuring cup, and baking rewards accuracy.
12. Oil the cup for sticky things. A quick spray of oil in the measuring cup and honey or syrup slides straight out, all of it.
Season and Taste
13. Taste as you go. Always. It's the only way to know what your food needs.
14. Test before you commit. Wondering if it needs salt, sugar or a squeeze of lemon? Add a pinch to a spoonful first and taste that.
15. If it still tastes flat, reach for acid. When you've salted and something is still missing, a little lemon juice or vinegar usually brings it to life. My Salt 101 lesson explains why.
16. Grind your pepper fresh. Pre-ground pepper loses most of its aroma in the tin. A pepper mill is one of the cheapest upgrades in the kitchen, and here's why.
Little Techniques, Big Difference
17. Whisk side to side, not round and round. A quick back-and-forth stroke is easier to keep up and whisks far faster than a circle.
18. Choose how strong you want your garlic. Grate it for a punchy, fiery flavour. Slice it for something gentle and sweet.
19. Stop the stains before they start. A light spray of oil on the board before you cut beets, or anything else that bleeds colour, makes it wipe clean.
20. Let it rest longer than you think. Meat needs a few minutes off the heat so the juices stay in the meat, not all over the board. Patience is an ingredient too.
At the Stove
21. Pat it dry. Meat, fish and even vegetables brown far better when the surface is dry. Wet food steams and turns grey. A minute with paper towels is all it takes.
22. Let the pan get hot first. Put the pan on the heat, wait, then add the oil and the food. If it doesn't sizzle when it goes in, it's too soon.
23. Give everything room. A crowded pan cools down and starts to steam. Cook in batches, and the browning that makes food taste wonderful will come. More in How to Sear Meat.
24. Season from a height. Sprinkle salt from about a foot above the food, the way chefs do. It falls evenly instead of landing in one salty clump.
25. Boil the kettle first. Pour boiling water from the kettle into your pasta pot and it comes back to the boil in no time. It's my favourite Liverpool kitchen shortcut. Then follow my perfect pasta lesson.
26. Toast your spices and nuts, then stay close. A minute in a dry pan wakes up their flavour. But they go from golden to burnt in seconds, so this is not the moment to check your phone.
Store It Smart, Cook It Safe
27. Keep herbs like a bunch of flowers. Stand parsley and cilantro in a glass of water in the fridge. Basil hates the cold, so keep it on the counter. And keep tomatoes out of the fridge too, for the best flavour.
28. Save the bits you'd throw away. Freeze Parmesan rinds for soups and sauces, and keep a bag of onion ends, carrot peel and herb stalks in the freezer for stock.
29. Keep your knife sharp. A sharp knife goes where you send it, while a blunt one slips. Hone it every few uses and have it sharpened once or twice a year. My Knife Skills lesson shows you how to use it.
30. Grab hot pans with a dry towel, and turn handles in. A damp towel gives you a steam burn in a second, so keep a dry one handy. Turn pan handles away from the edge of the stove, so nobody knocks one off.
This is where my Anyone Can Cook Kitchen School begins. Next lesson: Salt 101.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important cooking skills for beginners?
Start with good habits: set everything out before you cook, keep your knife sharp, taste as you go and use a thermometer. Then learn to season with salt, use a knife safely and sear meat properly.
What does mise en place mean?
It's French for "everything in its place": chopping, measuring and setting out every ingredient before you start cooking, so nothing burns while you search for the next one.
Why should I use a kitchen thermometer?
It tells you exactly when meat is cooked through but not overcooked, so you never have to guess or cut into it to check.
How do I clean a kitchen sponge safely?
Microwave it soaking wet, never dry, for a minute or two, or run it through a hot dishwasher cycle with heated dry. Let it dry between uses and replace it often.
Why do my vegetables and meat go grey instead of brown?
Usually the pan is too crowded or the food is wet. Pat food dry, heat the pan first and cook in batches so everything has room to brown.
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