12 People Who Turned Their Kitchen Into Their Own Little World of Chaos

The kitchen is usually the center of a home, where delicious meals can be made for the whole family. But to do that, some chefs might have developed habits that are unique to them and can sound very strange to anyone else. The good part is that they can still navigate in the kitchen in their unusual circumstances, but we only recommend following their rules for the brave ones.

• Very recently, a friend pointed out that I crack the oven open just enough to slide whatever in or out, instead of just opening it all the way. Maybe I’m subconsciously retaining the heat, because I have no other explanation. What I do have is two forearms pocked with old burn marks. I have no idea why I’ve been doing this. © DyotMeetMat / Reddit
• If I screw something up early in a dish, even if it will only take a few minutes to start over, even if it’s only like a dollar of ingredients, even if I have plenty to spare... I will invariably attempt to salvage it.
  I also have this nasty habit of forgetting to put food away. I’ll go into the kitchen in the morning and well damn, there’s yesterday’s food still out. And most of the time, as long as it’s covered, I’ll just put it away and eat it anyway. Unless it’s rice. I’m scared of spoiled rice now. © GimpsterMcgee / Reddit
• Every time I used the microwave at my son’s house, it smelled sweet. Not food-sweet, more like fabric softener.
  One night, I caught my DIL placing her socks in the microwave. I was about to ask if she’d lost her mind when she very seriously said, “I warm them before bed. Helps me sleep.” I didn’t know whether to be horrified or impressed.
  The next day, I bought her a heating pad shaped like a cat. The following morning, she left two new mugs by my door for tea. We haven’t argued over appliances since.

• If a recipe calls for a certain amount of chicken, I usually just “round up” and dump the whole pack in because I want to use it up and not put back a partial portion of whatever into the back of my freezer.
  But then I have to offset that by using more of every other ingredient, and then before I know it, I’ve made enough to feed a small army. It usually works out fine, but sometimes I lose track of multiplying my ratios, throwing the dish off balance. © sgong33 / Reddit
• I get sidetracked very easily. Today, I was pan-frying chicken thighs and needed something from one of the cupboards. The cupboard looked a little messy, and I decided it needed cleaning there and then. Also began wiping down the sides.
  So I forgot about the chicken. Luckily, thighs are gonna thigh; it wasn’t too bad. © wildgoldchai / Reddit
• My mom’s chili is famous. Every fall, people lined up at our door for her secret-recipe chili — rich, spicy, just the right amount of kick. She never revealed the ingredients, only smiled and said, “It’s all in the love.”
  Last Thanksgiving, while helping her prep, I reached into her spice cabinet for cumin... and found a jar labeled “Special Mix.” Curious, I took a sniff. It smelled weird. Earthy. Not bad, just... off.
  When I asked, she shrugged, “Oh, that’s the base for the chili. It’s Grandpa’s old secret.” That was odd — Grandpa was a mechanic, not a cook. My curiosity took over.
  I snuck the jar to the local grocery store for testing. A few days later, I got the results. It was... ground-up dog biscuits.
  I called her in a panic, and she laughed so hard she wheezed., “Only a tiny bit! They add crunch and protein,” she said. “Even the vet said they’re technically edible.” And the worst part? I still kinda crave that chili.

• I love taste testing my food with just one spoon because I’m the only one who also does dishes. I don’t do it if I’m feeding people who aren’t family, or if I do, I use clean spoons each time, but I often taste test food so I can get the broth or the seasoning perfect. I also don’t do this at all if I’m not feeling well or am sick. © BooksAndStarsLover / Reddit
• I overshoot the mark. It will be cooked perfectly, but I’ll think, “Just another minute,” and before you know it, it’s overdone. I’ll think, “That doesn’t look like enough onions,” and then in the blink of an eye, my dish is 90% onions.
  It’s worse with mashed potatoes. They’ll be just fine, but I’ll think it needs more salt, or milk, or maybe it needs a dash of garlic, and suddenly it’s garlicky, soupy, wallpaper paste. I doubt my first impression, and then go overboard every time. © notreallylucy / Reddit
• As I have to cook as soon as I’m back from work, I will cook wearing the same neat clothes. I have never used an apron in my life. Further, I maintain some weird habits:
  — using a wok to make soups
  — using self-made yogurt sauces on tortillas instead of guacamole
  — seasoning almost everything with smoked paprika and a huge load of cumin
  — always slicing the onions instead of dicing them into small pieces. © Thin_Cauliflower_840 / Reddit

• My bad habit is leaving kitchen cabinet doors or drawers ajar while cooking. As an example, if I need to grab a spice from the cabinet to add a pinch to a simmering pot, I will get the spice and leave the door wide open while adjusting the seasoning; then, when done, return the spice and close the cabinet door.
  The door is gaping while I do this maneuver. I am usually flying solo in the kitchen, so it isn’t a problem, but when I have a helper, it can be a little annoying for them and, at worst, dangerous. © ATreeGrowinBklyn / Reddit
• I don’t wear shoes in the house, generally. I’m a sneakerhead, too, so I’m overprotective of what I wear on my feet. So I usually cook barefoot, despite the dangers of hot oil, dropped knives, and slipping on anything.
  I have a pair of slides that I’ll slip on if I remember to, but I’m usually one dropped pan or knife away from the emergency room. © philosofik / Reddit
• I keep forgetting I have water to boil. I go to do something else, get distracted, and the best case scenario I have an empty pot sizzling on the stove.
  The worst case was a pot of water that had some butter in it. Started a small grease fire, which in my panic, I tried to put out by putting it in the sink with the tap on..... Yeah. That was stupid.
  The ceiling over the sink still has a wavy smoke stain on it. So now when I put water on to boil, I turn on the kitchen timer too. © Commercial_Curve1047 / Reddit

These habits might sound similar to some of us, but you can read about some bizarre kitchen stories in our 17 Epic Kitchen Experiments That Spiraled Into Chaos article.