People Explain Which Things They're Afraid To Ask About Because It's 'Common Knowledge' They Never Learned
No matter what anyone tells you, neither common sense nor common knowledge are actually all that common.
Every single one of us has a thing we just never really grasped. We all suck at something. All of us. With 100% certainty. There, I said it. Now everyone can relax.
You're among friends here. Clueless friends who, just like you, have gotten really good at the smile-and-nod when it comes to whatever our thing is.
That thing could be different for all of us. It took me way longer than I'd like to admit to learn how to tie my shoes. Some people just aren't good at something like mopping. None of us can fold a fitted sheet.
Reddit user colormeinwords asked:
What is something that you don't know but are afraid to ask because it's supposed to be 'basic knowledge'?
Like I said... you're safe among friends here. Here are some of the more popular "basic knowledge" thing people don't know or know how to do. With answers, of course, cause I'm not a monster.
No there are no instructions here for folding fitted sheets. I'm also not a wizard.
Communication Conundrum
How often do people talk to each other? Like do you just text people every day and let them know about random things that happened to you, and not just talk whenever life happens to put the two of you in the same physical location?
Really depends on the person. With some people I text once every two weeks, others all day every day about the most mundane stuff.
The Mechanics Of Mopping
How the hell you mop the floors. I try to do it properly but afterwards I always get comments like "did you even try to mop" and so on. And this has been going on for 15-ish years, I've evaded it through never mopping. Ever.
- dunk mop in hot (near boiling), soapy water.
- wring most of the water out of the mop.
- don't mimic a sweeping brush. Go side to side in large, shallow arcs.
- start furthest from your sink/exit and step backwards as you swipe.
- Repeat until done or until the water in the bucket is too cold / dirty.
If that still doesn't work: get some other sucker to mop for you!
Darker Colors
I've always been curious about whether black people feel warmer than people with lighter skin tones when they're in the sun because dark colors absorb more heat.
Do tattoos count? I have mostly black tattoos on my rather fair skinned forearms, and they are substantially warmer than the surrounding non tattooed skin. I know it's not exactly the same but I'd imagine it's fairly similar.
Am black, I can't tell if I "feel" hotter than others but I do know you could fry an egg on my shoulder after some sun exposure where as my Scandinavian partner feels like he was been lightly warmed in the microwave after the same exposure.
- rkspm
A New Doctor
How do you get a "doctor"?
My family doctor retired 5 years ago and now I don't know how to get a new one.
Do I just go to a random office and ask to become a patient?
Go on your health insurances website. Most of them have a "find a doctor" link somewhere and you can look for a new primary care physician that is accepting patients. From there call the office and make your first appointment.
- nkdeck07
Never Been Kissed
How to kiss. I've never kissed someone and I REALLY don't wanna screw up my first time.
- Zoh41b
- Place one hand on the small of their back
- place the other on the upper back lower neck
- while your doing this and going in start taking a big inhale from your nose (to help you relax)
- use their nose to line your nose up. You want your noses touching, but to be side by side not squished against each other.
- that will ensure that your lips will connect, which is what a kiss is. lip contact.
- keep your eyes open until you make contact, then close them. Because that way you can be present. And that's what makes a good kiss. Being present with someone you wanna be intimate with.
- A good kiss is different for everybody and a "good kisser" is someone you're compatible with. There is no definitive criteria for what makes a good kisser or bad one. It's all about compatibility and most of that comes from learning over time. It's not something you're supposed to know
- Go get'em tiger!
Cabs And Curved Arrows
What does that button on your car dash/control panel do that is like a picture of the cab with a curved arrow inside the cab?
- Brancher
It shuts the vents so that no air from outside comes in, useful when you're driving somewhere the air is really bad, tunnels and such. The arrow symbolizes the air staying in the car.
Basically, if it's on, you are not bringing in hot outside air through the ac system. You are recirculating the already cool air in the cabin - think of it like max a/c.
Coffee Talk
Is there a difference between regular coffee grounds and espresso grounds?
Barista here - the difference is how fine the grounds are. Espresso grounds are very fine. Regular coffee grounds are medium grind. Half-way between course and fine.
The reason why espresso grounds are fine, is because of how espresso is made. Espresso is very fine grounds of coffee very tightly packed into a small filter. You add very hot and very pressurized water over the grounds to extract the coffee very quickly. Your regular house coffee uses medium grind, with not-as-hot or pressurized water, and takes a few minutes to brew. Espresso (usually) takes under a minute to brew. To get the coffee quicker, you need smaller particles of coffee beans, packed tightly together under very hot water and lots of pressure.
No Toilet Paper
In countries that don't use toilet paper, but instead offer you a bucket of water and a ladle ... are you ... supposed to use your hand to wipe, then you wash your hand off??
I don't know if it's "basic knowledge" but it is in those countries (I'm looking at you Asia/India) it must be.
If you're at the lower middle class to poor end of East Asian countries, then it's somewhat basic knowledge. And this is how you do it: position one hand on your bum, the other hand will hold the ladle which you should position behind your back, just a bit above your crack. Start wiping your butt with your hand and slowly pour the water out so that it streams down to the hand your using to wipe. Rinse and repeat until you feel sufficiently cleaned.
The other comment says bidets, but not every household has them so it's good to know how to do this if you're considering visiting East Asian countries.
Global Warming
Whats actually wrong with global warming? This is a genuine question because its never been explained to me. A warmer climate would mean a longer growing season. If it was warmer out, then the homeless would have an easier time making it through the winter.
- Rising sea levels means flooding and melting ice caps, which is a form of habitat destruction for polar bears, penguins, etc. And for people as well as water levels rise and some islands and coastal cities are lost.
- More drought s= more food shortages for growing population.
- If the air is hot and dry it becomes easy for bushfires and forest fires to start and get out of hand.
- A warmer climate means more tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes etc. And thunderstorms too.
- The gases that cause global warming are pretty toxic and harmful to living beings. Carbon monoxide, etc etc can damage the human body on prolonged exposure.
- Greenhouse gases that cause GW dont stop the sun's uv rays from reaching us tho, unlike ozone which is being depleted in our atmosphere. This can lead to skin cancers and sunburns
Hope this helped.
But Which Train?
How to ride a train. I've been on one but never knew how to decide which train to get on. I'm always with someone else that does.
Usually just use Google maps with the public transport option and it tells you what to take. Usually trains have some kind of tracking board at the platform so you know what train is coming (or sometimes on the front of the train.)
The rule of thumb when eating fast food is very simple: put on the blinders, enjoy the meal, and try not to do it too often.
But what if you work in the kitchen?
In that case, there's simply no escaping a complete understanding of the several horrors that each assembled burger or french fry encounters on its way to that front counter.
UFOs!
<p>"I've been a chef for an embarrassingly long amount of time and have worn many different hats within that realm. At one point I'd go to to other restaurants owned by the same owners and help them get ready for inspections."</p><p>"I've seen some scary sh**, but the most common and the one you get pegged for by the inspectors is mold in the ice machine. One was really bad and glad nobody got sick."</p><p>"Another place had two UFOs in the walk in. Unidentifiable Food Objects. You know how long something has to be in the fridge for nobody to be able to recognize what it was?"</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gotprso?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Aragorn_71</a></p>Microbes on the Move
<p>"I'm the only one who washes my hands after handling raw hamburgers" -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gou17tq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">piku-piku</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I think the most disturbing thing about this is the amount of dudes that don't wash their hands after pi**ing."</p>Out of Sight, Out of Mind
<p>"I worked at a local sub shop in high school. They had this mushroom/steak sub that was really popular. At the end of the shift they would cover and refrigerate the mushroom sauce."</p><p>"I never once seen the pan washed."</p><p>"They just added sauce to it when it was low, heated it and served it, then refrigerate at the end of the shift again. I would think between the never-ending heating/refrigerating and nasty pan they were breaking some codes."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gots9k7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">1980pzx</a></p>Good As Any Other
<p>"I worked at a dishdog at a local small chain restaurant. One day the chef needed a ladle STAT but we just couldn't find any."</p><p>"Chef looks under his workbench and sees a ladle lying in the grease covered nasty floor. He announces '5 month rule!' and just chucks it in the soup."</p><p>"I laughed for a goddamn week"</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gotyblz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">MutantTailThing</a></p>The Bacon Exception
<p>"Subway used to have a double meat option a couple years ago (it's 50% more meat now) that was $2 extra. Adding bacon to your order was $1."</p><p>"Well, a lot of subways were scamming customers out of that extra dollar If they ever got bacon added to their order."</p><p>"Instead of charging you for your sub + bacon, they would charge you as a BLT + your meat so that they could charge you that extra dollar."</p><p>"So if you ordered a tuna sub with bacon, instead of being Tuna Sub($5) + Bacon($1) it would be a BLT($5) + Tuna($2)."</p><p>"My manager would do this every. Single. Time. Someone ordered bacon. He threw a huge fit when subway altered their prices because of this scam."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gott37g?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">EpicBlueDrop</a></p>Structurally Unsound
<p>"I managed a sandwich shop in college."</p><p>"If you think you can pay teenagers minimum wage and expect them to accurately keep the dates of things that expire, wash everything properly, and generally give a fu** about anything related to food safety you are sorely mistaken."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gotof14?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">datacollect_ct</a></p>A Daily "Everything Must Go" Sale
<p>"Don't eat movie theater popcorn before 5pm..."</p><p>"DO NOT EAT THE POPCORN BEFORE 5PM!"</p><p>"If you do, you are most likely to be eating popcorn popped yesterday, collected into containers (my theater used plastic garbage bags), and thrown <em>back</em> into the popper under the heat lamps the next morning. And no new popcorn gets 'popped' until the old stuff is gone..."</p><p>"Thus, if you buy popcorn <em>after</em> 5pm you are more likely to be eating <em>fresh</em> stuff instead of the old stuff."</p><p>"On an unrelated note, popcorn butter is not butter; nobody knows what it is. All I do know is when we paid a guy $20 bucks to drink a glass of it he went into renal failure and almost lost a kidney."</p><p><span></span>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gouf6h4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">DIES-_-IRAE</a></p>Mmmmmmm
<p>"I worked at Arby's."</p><p>"The mold covering the back wall of the fridge, the flash cooked roast beef that was still raw and instructed to be microwaved to finish cooking, and the putrid black fryer oil."</p><p>"Delectable!"</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gotkrdn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">weedynaddys98</a></p>One To Rule Them All
<p>"My brother-in-law has worked at a lot of restaurants as a cook. Basically all the chain restaurants, IHOP, chilis, etc."</p><p>"He said the nastiest one by far in terms of a disgusting kitchen was Olive Garden."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/gotwa99?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">jonahvsthewhale</a></p>A Laundry List of Horrors
<p>"Sonic. We were told to keep breakfast stuff (eggs, potatoes, etc.) in the hot drawers in case someone wanted breakfast at night. So they'd get like 10+ hour old soggy stuff."</p><p>"5 for $5 Tuesdays (no idea if that's a thing still), we'd literally just have like 40 patties sitting on the back of the grill at all times. Sometimes they'd be going out every 2 minutes..slow days they'd just sit for half an hour."</p><p>"If folks complained that their fries weren't "fresh" enough, they'd just get refried, resalted, and sent right back out."</p><p>"No one else adhered to the 30-second handwashing rules that were posted everywhere. We'd just "flash fry" the hot dog links for conies to warm them back up. Same with the nasty popcorn chicken that sat under heat lamps for hours during the day."</p><p>"Most fast food is garbage, but Sonic is its own brand of American fast food."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lswb1t/poeple_who_work_at_fast_food_chains_but_dont_eat/govo00l?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">cavscout43</a></p>People Share The Worst Thing A Teacher Ever Said To Them That Destroyed Their Self-Confidence
As a former teacher, I can tell you that the goal is to always hype up and encourage your students to reach their goals and be their best selves. As a former student, I can also tell you that not every teacher is like this. Unfortunately, there are a handful of teachers out there that use their position of authority to make them feel like they have power. I've seen it happen firsthand, and it's awful.
Sometimes, the people who we depend on for our growth are also the people who hurt our confidence the most. Here are a few examples from former students, who discuss the worst things a teacher could ever say to a growing kid.
U/f1rebird1523 asked: What's the worst thing a teacher has said/done to destroy your self-confidence?
Even the other kids knew this was messed up.
<p>I watched this happen to my friend in 7th grade. It was social studies class and my friend was one of those students where the common core curriculum was horribly suited for the way he learned.</p><p>One day he asked me if he could borrow a red pen (the teacher was too lazy to grade the papers herself so she'd have us do it at the start of every class)</p><p>The teacher caught on to it and literally yelled to me "don't you dare give him that pen." And proceeded to chew him out saying that he was a sad excuse because he was too lazy to remember a simple pen, called him worthless, and told him that he'll go nowhere in life because he can't keep track of simple things.</p><p>She spent the first half of the class continuously belittling him to the point where students were asking her to stop. Despite the fact that half the class reported this terrible treatment, she was not punished.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/WhyAm_I_Alive/" target="_blank">WhyAm_I_Alive</a></p>Way to permanently damage a child.
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwODkxMC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDc4MDY5Mn0.vzGTOSCCCt_ujl5Gykm9mSn08JF_WBDE9lAxrw1q-B8/img.gif?width=980" id="31271" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a935a7d04b1db41aea45f90cc202f57" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="270" data-height="203" />bad teacher fighting GIFGiphy<p>I had a Dutch teacher that used to pick on me always. Once before a presentation she told me that no matter how good my presentation was she wasnt going to give me a grade higher than a 5. I ended up almost having a panic attack in front of the class, told her to go f*ck herself and stormed out of the classroom. Got a 4 eventually.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/dracaryhs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dracaryhs</a></p>This is so unbelievably petty.
<p>I was nominated for a place in the Gifted and Talented program at my school. I was 10 or 11, and had precious little that I was proud of, but I could write like nobody's business. I was nominated for writing and was promised that I would not be tested on mathematics (worst subject then and now).</p><p>The teacher giving me the exam had a beef with my mom, and presented me with the mathematics test. I told her that I'd been told I didn't need to take it. She said it wouldn't count, just to do it. I did.</p><p>I don't remember much else between that moment and sitting in front of the panel, between my parents, silently crying and trying not to make eye contact as I was told I'd done so wretchedly on the mathematics portion of the test, <em>which I wasn't supposed to take</em>, that they were considering pulling me back a grade, and that the nomination had been a horrible mistake and should never have been made in the first place because the Gifted and Talented program was for "students of an outstanding nature and SkepticLinguist just didn't meet our expectations in mathematics." Did I also mention that the teacher who gave me the test was on the panel?</p><p>Saw that teacher later on, and she always gave me the smuggest smile before she flounced away. I was kind to her, as that was really all I had going for me at the time, but that messed me up for years, and still keeps me awake at night some times.</p><p>Jokes on her, though, I'm a published author now.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/SkepticLinguist/" target="_blank">SkepticLinguist</a><br></p>What happened to constructive criticism?
<p>I'm an architecture student and in my design class we'd usually have a panel of guest professors to critique on our projects. In one of them a professor just outright said "your design is boring" and that was it, no other comments or suggestions for improvement. I think another panel member noticed and quickly added in a constructive comment to save it. But that moment still hit me and I've lost a lot of confidence in my designs since then.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Lyr-Neo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lyr-Neo</a></p>Why would you assume that?
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwODkyNy9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDU3Nzc0OX0.2WkfnbLhJ5gtLCej3kl6QqfvdGpv3sXoovf36BEiNFk/img.gif?width=980" id="fdbf3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76ef79f086c57e47faf51acd7f0fc665" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="270" />mean girls no food in class GIFGiphy<p>When I was in high school I had this English teacher that was basically a washed up mean girl in her 50s.</p><p>She gave us an assignment about our goals and where we wanted to go after highschool. I wrote about my interest in music. She shot it down and told me that it would never happen, I would be lucky to get a job as a fast food shift worker.</p><p>I remember some other time I was casually talking to her and she asked where I lived for some reason. I described it to her and she got all confused, then asked me if if I lived in an actual house. She said she was surprised I lived in a house because she assumed I lived in an apartment or trailer or something.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Fuginshet/" target="_blank">Fuginshet</a><br></p>This is a mess all around.
<p>My mum would not allow a PC in the house, she saw them as the devils devices. (She’s very old fashioned and a bit mad if I'm honest) She was convinced that no high school in the world could demand an essay written on a PC.</p><p>One of my teachers asked for an essay and said it needed to be written on a PC and printed out. I tried to convince my mum but she was having none of it. She told me to tell him we couldn't afford one. I straight up did not want to say that because it was a lie and I knew the teacher wouldn't buy it and I knew that regardless, I would be bullied for being poor. I was already being bullied pretty bad at the time due to not having expensive trainers and clothes, so I wanted to avoid adding to the list.</p><p>I wrote the essay by hand, in the best possible handwriting, stapled the pages in order like a little book and put it in a little plastic thingy. I did my best.</p><p>Teacher ripped it up in front of the whole class and threw it in the bin. He refused to beleive there was a household in the world that didn't own a computer and yelled at me for being a lazy little smart a**. He compared the essay (which he did not read) to a dish rag. The class actually went silent and the bullies actually eased up a bit which I did not expect.</p>That’s the worst attempt at “motivating” I’ve ever seen.
<p>Oof. Okay. Middle school seems to be universally bad for everyone but my older sister died the same year middle school started for me. Dealing with grief and undiagnosed ADHD + dyscalculia meant I was not a good student. People were decent that first year, but by the new school year and approximately 1-2 years after my sister's death I was being told by one of my teachers that I needed to be over it.</p><p>12-13 years old by then, struggling immensely and I can't adequately explain why doing things was hard for me so she just took the bad approach: I needed to stop using my sister's death as an excuse and get my grades up or else I was on the path to repeating 8th grade.</p><p>Other teachers were bad there too, with many of them using public humiliation against me having bad grades as an attempt to "motivate" me, but all it did instead was lead me to believe I was a failure.</p><p>That one teacher though hurt me so bad. I'm almost 31 now and I am realizing still how much shame I carry over my ADHD, the distrust I have for authority figures, and the fractured confidence I have that I'm capable of doing things. I work full time with a stable job, I have a boss I like working with, and I'm loved and married and have friends, but this still follows me.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/bdb90/" target="_blank">Bdb90</a></p>That’s not only bullying, but also sexist.
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwODk0MC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDg0MTYwN30.O1hqdH_Foyr7GsA166Ijwe15GC57RN9a1_8_TnSTm6Q/img.gif?width=980" id="1f9ab" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b736e72e4a8ad0e739bc2cae94eb0818" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="568" data-height="319" />sexist laci green GIFGiphy<p>I was doing poorly in school ~2006 because I was horrifically depressed. My 6th grade teacher took a special interest in "helping" since she knew my sisters so one time she made me stay after class and in a roundabout way accused me of being lazy and said "what will you do if your husband dies? how would you support yourself" and I burst into tears because all of my home issues stemmed from my dad dying from an aneurysm very suddenly the year before.</p><p>My grades started drifting even more after that so uh. Thanks Dr. Alexander.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/honkdogs/" target="_blank">Honkdogs</a><br></p>That’s gotta be hard to begin with.
<p>I moved to Germany as a pre-teen, and I didn't speak the language at all upon arrival - had to learn it as I went.</p><p>In my second year here, my mother decided to put me in an all-German school. My language skills were still quite shaky, so it was quite difficult. German class was the hardest.</p><p>I had this teacher who took a disliking to me for being a foreigner. He would constantly pick on me, and make me repeat things, saying he couldn't understand what I was saying due to my accent.</p><p>The cherry on top was when we had an exam, and we had to write an essay on a book we had read in class. I had severely struggled with the book, as it was written in a Berlin dialect - at the time I was barely able to read normal German, let alone a book written in a very heavy dialect. My teacher failed me completely on the exam, saying that I had not understood the task and my spelling and grammar were atrocious. At the time, my mother had a colleague who was a German teacher. She looked over my exam after I had gotten it back and was surprised that he had failed me - I had by no means done brilliantly, but it was still worth a passing grade.</p><p>Needless to say, I was devastated and was convinced that my German is terrible and I was no good, and I would never be any good and I simply suck.</p><p>Even today I am still a little self-conscious when speaking German, especially in public settings. Which is quite unfortunate, considering that I'm an interpreter...</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Glinda45/" target="_blank">Glinda45</a></p>Why would a child lie about that?
<p>I had a teacher in middle school who would pick on me constantly. One time in the sixth grade there was this math problem and it had this banking term I wasn't familiar with cause you know I was 11 and didn't go to the bank. So I tried to do the problem on context clues and got it wrong. </p><p>The next day when she collects the homework she told me how could I get such a simple problem wrong. I tell her I didn't know the meaning of one of the words. She says I'm lying and even if I didn't I should have asked my parents. I told her my parents are immigrants and only my dad can speak English fluently and that he was at work when I wading doing my homework. She says I'm lying again about my mom not knowing too. She berates me some more until I have tears in my eyes.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/parallax_xallarap/" target="_blank">Parallax_xallarap</a></p>We all think we're good cooks, don't we?
Let's Start With The Practical
<p>There's the practical skills, the ones you should be putting into practice every time you step into the kitchen.</p>Slice Slice Slice
<p>Sharpen. Your. Knives.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1ctrj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">jeff_the_nurse</a></p><p>Recently bought some sharpening stones. The difference is immediately apparent</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp2xacz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">1987mark</a></p>Make Them Smaller. Duh.
<p>Cut potatoes into pieces before boiling them, I know it sounds obvious but you wouldn't believe how many people I've met who always put the entire thing in water only to complain about how long it took to cook</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp0l9gy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">Raito_Urekawa</a></p>MORE. Not Less. MORE.
<p>Add more garlic.</p><p>Also the difference between an average cook and a good cook is often adding more butter and/or seasoning.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1duq3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">Squiggles87</a></p><p>If a recipe calls for one clove of garlic, always use at least two cloves. Even if the recipe is "How to cook one clove of garlic"... use two.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp3bptx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">EidolonMom</a></p>The Lesser Known Tips And Tricks Of The Trade
<p>Then there's the lesser known tips, the ones you probably haven't hear of, even in passing, but should keep in your chef's tool belt. </p>Feel Like There's A Painful Story Here...
<p>Never use wet oven gloves. NEVER.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp17yhf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">xReyjinx</a></p><p>Imagine flash steaming your fingers at 450 degrees.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1zlee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">oksono</a></p>Don't Wait Too Long
<p>If your cookies look all the way done when you pull them out they are already burned</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1yf4w?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">hjkkjhkllhj</a></p><p>Yes! Instead take them out when the bottom edges just start to brown. Leave them on the pan for 5 minutes so the bottom and edges crispen up. Remove from pan, set on plate or cooling rack for 5 minutes. Eat.</p><p>Perfectly light crispy outside, gooey warm inside. Heaven on Earth.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/mah_astral_body/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mah_astral_body</a></p>Never Boiled Again
<p>My dad is a chef, so growing up with him has taught me a lot about cooking. I've seen some good tips here already (season your food, season as you go, use sharp knives, preheat the oven etc.) but a really good tip especially for people who are not that fond of vegetables: oven roast them!</p><p>Roased veggies are the best, just give them a little oil and seasoning (I usually do salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder) and give them 20-30 minutes depending on how big the veggie pieces are. If there's a type of vegetable you usually don't like because you've only tried it boiled to oblivion, try oven roasting it. I hate boiled Brussels sprouts, but oven roasted they're my favourite.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp182u6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">rmp2020</a></p>The Obvious Standards To Hit
<p>Then there's these skills, the ones you've probably never even considered, but to ascend to the level of great cook must be a standard to achieve. </p>You Are The Master And The Commander
<p>This is the advise I give all my new cooks I'm training:</p><p>You are stronger and smarter than everything in the kitchen. If it needs to be hotter, turn it up. Knife is dull? Sharpen it. Recipe says to bake for 20 mins but you think it needs 30? Give it 30. Don't let the food rule you. You're in charge.</p><p>Also, clean while you cook. You'll be amazed how many dishes can be done in two free minutes.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp0o372?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">Sirnando138</a></p>Two Different Philosophies On The Same Coin
<p>Unless you're baking go by taste rather than the exact measurements of a recipe</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1ifew?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">XoX_K_XoX</a></p><p>And if you <em>are</em> baking follow the ingredients and amounts <em>exactly</em>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp2msvc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">GozerDGozerian</a></p>For Those In The Back:
<p>WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE COOKING</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp1ubn2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">InCONTROLfreak</a></p><p>and if you've been working with peppers WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER COOKING</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ltpl3z/what_are_the_best_cooking_tips_everyone_should/gp2xscs?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3">hungrylens</a></p>Food is an essential part of life. We need it to survive. But there are some foods that I'd rather drop dead than have to consume. Now I get that there are otherworldly concoctions that can give the palette an orgasmic shock but if the ingredients contain a few certain things--like cow tongue--I'll stay food celibate.
Redditor u/Dependent-Recover353 wanted to know what menu items gets your stomach turning by asking... What food do you just completely despise and why?