What's your worst kitchen habit?

[David A. Goldfarb]

But as I sit down to scrape Bar Keeper's Friend out from under my fingernails, I realize that my worst habit is not cleaning the stovetop often enough. It's a white ceramic top, and you'd think persistent ugliness would encourage me, but no.

For the stovetop, try Easy Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner. Spray it on, leave it for about a half hour, and wipe it all off with a sponge. It's so satisfying to get all that baked on blackened grease that you thought would never come off, you'll want to do it all the time.

[heidih]

I think my worst one is the constant use of paper goods to save clean up as I cook. I don't mean a few paper towels. I am talking about paper plates to hold mise en place, plastic utensils to get something from a jar like mustard. They are so cheap I can't resist, but I know it is environmentally horrid. It is even worse now that I have no dishwasher.

[LindaK]

My self-peeve is not keeping good track of how I make a dish as I go. How many times have I made an amazing dish only to not be able to exactly duplicate it because I make it up as I go?

This is one of my bad habits too. It's especially irritating as I've been transitioning to a new range w/ a convection oven, something I'd never used before. Every time I bake something, I swear I'll make a note about temperature, time, convection on/off, especially when something turns out perfectly. But I don't, and end up experimenting unnecessarily again and again. If you cook professionally and repeat dishes many times every night, day after day, this probably isn't an issue. But for us home cooks, notes seem like a smart idea. If only I could remember to do it.

[CKatCook]

As I read threw this thread, I realized I am guilty of almost all these at one point or another. My worse one now is not cleaning the oven. I don't think I ever had, I had apartments and was moving before I ever did it. Now that I own my house I still don't. And I have a self cleaning oven.

Waste. Period. We throw out so much veggies that were bought and never cooked, made way too much rice so half goes out. Leftovers never ate. It's crazy. There needs to be a 12 step group for this....

[nibor]

I stack wet dishes on top of dry ones instead of putting the dry ones away first.

[pax]

Wait, wait...I keep seeing this phrase "clean the oven". Vas ist das?

[MattyC]

I think mine is cleaning based at home. For some reason while at work, I ALWAYS keep my stations clean - but then again, I also have someone to wash my dishes for me. I think over time i've gotten so used to that fact, i'm pretty sloppy when it comes to cleanup at home, and then usually get chewed out by my roommate because i'll be sitting watching tv after making dinner and I haven't 'gotten around' to the majority of the cleanup yet. I wipe everything down for the most part, but for some reason I just want to be lazy when i'm home

[Anna N]

Wait, wait...I keep seeing this phrase "clean the oven". Vas ist das?

Stop worrying! You only have to do it if you are moving out of your apartment or selling your house - hopefully just once in a lifetime.

[mkayahara]

Wait, wait...I keep seeing this phrase "clean the oven". Vas ist das?

Stop worrying! You only have to do it if you are moving out of your apartment or selling your house - hopefully just once in a lifetime.

Unless you have an overzealous smoke detector like I do, in which case there comes a time when you have to suck it up and clean it anyway.

I'm guilty of lots of the habits listed in this thread, especially wasting produce and failing to wear an apron. I do handle my knives properly, though!

My partner will tell you that my worst kitchen habit is poor planning: when it's just the two of us for dinner, I never fail to underestimate how long certain things will take, so we sometimes end up eating at 6:00... and sometimes at 9:00. Just the other night, he had to gently remind me that it might be a good idea to put the chicken in the oven to roast before making the dressing for the salad.

[Special K]

I think my worst one is the constant use of paper goods to save clean up as I cook. I don't mean a few paper towels. I am talking about paper plates to hold mise en place, plastic utensils to get something from a jar like mustard. They are so cheap I can't resist, but I know it is environmentally horrid. It is even worse now that I have no dishwasher.

I used to feel guilty about this, too, and about using aluminum foil as well. Then Seattle started letting us put paper towels (and pizza boxes, and meat, and bones, and a multitude of other used-to-be-garbage items) in the compost bin (they use high heat), and (rinsed) foil in the recycling bin. Sweet! Also, I use fewer paper towels now since I got myself a stack of microfiber towels at the local Goodwill.

[Special K]

My self-peeve is not keeping good track of how I make a dish as I go. How many times have I made an amazing dish only to not be able to exactly duplicate it because I make it up as I go?

This is one of my bad habits too. It's especially irritating as I've been transitioning to a new range w/ a convection oven, something I'd never used before.

LindaK, it's like we're leading parallel lives!

[Special K]

i'm pretty sloppy when it comes to cleanup at home, and then usually get chewed out by my roommate because i'll be sitting watching tv after making dinner and I haven't 'gotten around' to the majority of the cleanup yet.

Wait, what? If you make dinner, shouldn't your roomate be doing the cleanup?

[Jenni]

I consistently make too much food. I always know that I'm kinda making a bit too much, but I just worry that someone will be really hungry and will feel let down if they can't have seconds.

[Darienne]

My partner will tell you that my worst kitchen habit is poor planning: when it's just the two of us for dinner, I never fail to underestimate how long certain things will take, so we sometimes end up eating at 6:00... and sometimes at 9:00.

Oh yes, this one too. Starting out too late to make something which will take too long. Dumping it partway through. Well, almost right at the beginning. Just closing the book and putting everything back usually. And then eating popcorn and orange shakes instead. Or toast. Or granola.

[birder53]

Wait, wait...I keep seeing this phrase "clean the oven". Vas ist das?

Stop worrying! You only have to do it if you are moving out of your apartment or selling your house - hopefully just once in a lifetime.

How funny! We had a self-clean oven that I never cleaned until it was time to sell the house. Once I saw what a nice job it did and how easy it was, I regret that I left such a mess for so many years.

[Toliver]

As I read threw this thread, I realized I am guilty of almost all these at one point or another. My worse one now is not cleaning the oven. I don't think I ever had, I had apartments and was moving before I ever did it. Now that I own my house I still don't. And I have a self cleaning oven.

Waste. Period. We throw out so much veggies that were bought and never cooked, made way too much rice so half goes out. Leftovers never ate. It's crazy. There needs to be a 12 step group for this....

Regarding the veggies I used to be guilty of this, as well. But now I make it a point that when I get home from grocery shopping, I will cut and prep whatever veggies I can right then and there. I have a small tall plastic pitcher that I fill with water and holds my prepped celery and radishes (change the water every 2 to 3 days). Cauliflower and/or broccoli gets cut up and put into a ziploc bag. The veggies get eaten since prepping them is half the battle some days.

And don't throw the rice out. Use it for an easy fried rice, or rice pudding or save to add to soups or salads.

[Sony]

I have a habit of letting my freezer become a black hole of leftovers and "emergency meals" for those days I don't feel like cooking. (Those days don't really come around too often!) Have started transitioning some to the office freezer for the days I need to eat at my desk, but the pile-up is still notorious.

Also freezer-related.....sometimes I don't label my freezer contents. Could be because Sharpie that is supposed to stay in my cutlery drawer gets misplaced. Or the plastic container immediately builds beads of condensation on it, making it impossible to write on it or have a piece of tape stick to it.

Regardless, I've gotten much better ever since I mistook tamarind chutney for demi glace.

[emmalish]

I think my worst kitchen habit is that if I've just used my measuring spoons or cups for dry ingredients, I tend not to wash them. What? It's just a little flour... I'll usually give them a quick wipe with a dry cloth. Sometimes not even that tho. Is that wrong?

[Anna N]

My new worst kitchen habit is constantly watching myself to determine all my bad kitchan habits! Thanks! I also rarely wash anything used for dry ingredients. I give them a quick swipe with a towel and put them away. I also have the VERY bad habit of sweeping my kitchen floor but not grabbing the dustpan to pick up the dirt. I just hide it behind the broom.

[Lilija]

I think my worst kitchen habit is that if I've just used my measuring spoons or cups for dry ingredients, I tend not to wash them. What? It's just a little flour... I'll usually give them a quick wipe with a dry cloth. Sometimes not even that tho. Is that wrong?

I do that too, sometimes, and I don't think it's wrong. It's sort of a non-issue, for me.

Now, my bad habit is a little strange. First, I have to say, I clean as I go along usually. I wash dishes at stopping points, and during big cooking, I keep a pan of soapy water to wash certain things that I use a lot. Like, I've cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner with one bowl. I'm very tidy and efficient, in that regard...

But my horrible habit comes in when I'm prepping vegetables or fruit. I just shove the trimmings, cores, and peels off the back or sides of the cutting board. I'll peel carrots or potatoes right on the counter. During a big cooking session, or making a salad, it looks like I'm working in the center of a compost heap. I clean it all up very well, after, but when I'm on a tear, I just shove stuff around.

[emmalish]

Now, my bad habit is a little strange. First, I have to say, I clean as I go along usually. I wash dishes at stopping points, and during big cooking, I keep a pan of soapy water to wash certain things that I use a lot. Like, I've cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner with one bowl. I'm very tidy and efficient, in that regard...

But my horrible habit comes in when I'm prepping vegetables or fruit. I just shove the trimmings, cores, and peels off the back or sides of the cutting board. I'll peel carrots or potatoes right on the counter. During a big cooking session, or making a salad, it looks like I'm working in the center of a compost heap. I clean it all up very well, after, but when I'm on a tear, I just shove stuff around.

Ditto to all of that. I wash up my dishes as I go so I don't have a big pile to wash at the end. But like you, I just shove all my peelings and cores off to the side of the cutting board. But it's all clean, right? So no problem. Right?

Oh, and Anna, I do the thing with the broom too. But not just in the kitchen.

[Darienne]

Now, my bad habit is a little strange. First, I have to say, I clean as I go along usually. I wash dishes at stopping points, and during big cooking, I keep a pan of soapy water to wash certain things that I use a lot. Like, I've cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner with one bowl. I'm very tidy and efficient, in that regard...

But my horrible habit comes in when I'm prepping vegetables or fruit. I just shove the trimmings, cores, and peels off the back or sides of the cutting board. I'll peel carrots or potatoes right on the counter. During a big cooking session, or making a salad, it looks like I'm working in the center of a compost heap. I clean it all up very well, after, but when I'm on a tear, I just shove stuff around.

Ditto to all of that. I wash up my dishes as I go so I don't have a big pile to wash at the end. But like you, I just shove all my peelings and cores off to the side of the cutting board. But it's all clean, right? So no problem. Right?

Oh, and Anna, I do the thing with the broom too. But not just in the kitchen.

As I noted far above in the posts, my kitchen always looks as if a tornado went through it when I am cooking. DH often points this out. So many of us are in the boat, or kitchen, so to speak.

However, framed on my kitchen wall is the following that my departed Mother said long ago about my kitchen habits, and keep in mind, my Mother had little or no sense of humor or whimsy...she was dead serious:

Keeping a dirty kitchen is better than living a life of thievery and killing

What more is there to say?

[baroness]

IN the same sentiment, one of my refrigerator magnets reads: "Dull women have immaculate houses"

[judiu]

Now, my bad habit is a little strange. First, I have to say, I clean as I go along usually. I wash dishes at stopping points, and during big cooking, I keep a pan of soapy water to wash certain things that I use a lot. Like, I've cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner with one bowl. I'm very tidy and efficient, in that regard...

But my horrible habit comes in when I'm prepping vegetables or fruit. I just shove the trimmings, cores, and peels off the back or sides of the cutting board. I'll peel carrots or potatoes right on the counter. During a big cooking session, or making a salad, it looks like I'm working in the center of a compost heap. I clean it all up very well, after, but when I'm on a tear, I just shove stuff around.

Ditto to all of that. I wash up my dishes as I go so I don't have a big pile to wash at the end. But like you, I just shove all my peelings and cores off to the side of the cutting board. But it's all clean, right? So no problem. Right?

Oh, and Anna, I do the thing with the broom too. But not just in the kitchen.

The kitchen in my tiny condo is proportionatly tiny as well, so I don't have room for the cutting board, much less trimmings on it. Thank G-d for the garbage disposal! I love that slurpy, gringing crunch noise! I'd love having chickens bettter, but what Condo wants, Condo gets

[helenjp]

Filling the fridge so full of preserves that there's no room for actual fresh food, which has to take its chances on the counter.

That is, it would take its chances on the counter if I didn't fill the extremely limited counter up with condiments (soy/mirin/vinegar/sake...etc etc) and MORE pickle containers. So the microwave gets used as counter space, and food prep is done on the well-known chopping board balanced on the ledge of the double sink. I know better, yes I do...