There are two kinds of people in this world: People who can cook and people who microwave mac and cheese and call it lunch. We may be the latter, but there are lots of home cooks who are willing to share their best advice with people like us. (Thank goodness!)

In a recent Reddit thread, home cooks shared their advice bout what he biggest no-nos they see happen a lot in the kitchen. These tips are great to keep in your back pocket when preparing your next meal!

1. Don’t Overcrowd the Pan

   “If there’s too much food too close together, moisture will have a hard time evaporating away and you will have a hard time getting any color on the bottom.”

2. Don’t Put Oil in the Pasta Pot

   “The sauce will just slip and slide away instead of sticking to the pasta.”

3. Use Seasonings—But Don’t Overdo It

   “There is a reason pretty much every recipe including candy and ice cream includes salt you morons. Still, don’t overdo it either. Plenty of stuff is pre-loaded with heaps of salt.”

4. Never Pour Spices Directly Into a Steaming Pot on the Stove

   “The spices will congeal in their containers from the moisture introduced. Instead put the spices in a separate side container then add to a steaming pot.”

5. Don’t Rinse Your Pasta for a Warm Dish

   “The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately.”

6. Cranking the Heat to Reduce Cooking Time

   “This will leave you with a burnt outside and an under-done inside.”

7. Wear Pants While Cooking Bacon

   “Or just an apron.”

8. Cutting With a Dull Knife

   “Get yourself a sharpener, even if it’s a cheap one.”

9. Not Seasoning Chicken

   “Or waiting until after the meat is cooked to season it.”

10. Glass Cutting Boards

    “Like seriously, just GTFO.”

11. Blenders Are Not Just for Smoothies

    “Use them for sauces and your life will be changed.”

12. Don’t Use Clumpy Baking Powder

    “Tiny rocks of baking powder ruin anything you bake.”

13. Don’t Misplace Your Cooking Scissors

    “How anyone cooks without a scissor nearby is nuts to me. How are you gonna open packages of bacon?”

14. Diversify Ingredients

    “Most Americans and Europeans cook with the same 20 things? Every time you go to the grocery store pick up a new ingredient and try it out! Beets? Amazing. Like mushrooms? Try oyster mushrooms instead of generic shiitakes. Like onions? Grab a leek. Seriously, CHANGE IT UP.”

15. Let Hot Pans Drop

    “if a hot pan falls off of a counter or stove top just let it fall and pick it up carefully by the handle. A falling pan has no handle either. Trust me, I speak from experience and I have a gnarly scar on my palm to prove it.”

What cooking “no-no” are you guilty of?