Cooking is part science, part art, and part tradition. As recipes are passed down, so are old habits and assumptions. Some of them hold up, but many are just myths that don’t actually improve your food. In fact, some of these myths can make cooking harder, not easier. Let’s break down ten popular cooking myths that are totally false and explain what you should do instead.
1. Searing Meat Seals in Juices
This is one of the most persistent myths in cooking. Searing meat creates a flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction, but it does not trap juices inside the meat. In reality, moisture is still lost during cooking, whether the meat is seared or not. To retain juiciness, cook meat to the proper internal temperature and let it rest before slicing.
2. You Have to Rinse Pasta After Cooking
Unless you’re making a cold pasta salad, rinsing pasta is unnecessary. In fact, it’s a mistake. The starch on cooked pasta helps sauce cling better. Rinsing washes that away and cools the pasta too fast. If you’re worried about the pasta sticking together, stir it during cooking and toss it with a little sauce or oil after draining.
3. Adding Oil to Pasta Water Prevents Sticking
This sounds logical but doesn’t work the way people think. Oil floats on top of the water and doesn’t mix in, so it does nothing to stop the pasta from sticking. Stirring the pasta regularly in the first few minutes is far more effective. Also, adding oil can make your pasta slippery and prevent sauce from clinging properly.
4. Salt Makes Water Boil Faster
Salted water may boil at a slightly higher temperature, but not fast enough to make a difference. The reason to salt water is for flavor, not speed. Adding salt too early or too much of it could also damage certain pots over time. The real trick to boiling water faster is to cover the pot and use high heat.
5. You Should Always Preheat Your Oven for 10 Minutes
Preheating is important for baking and roasting, but the “ten-minute rule” is not universal. Some ovens heat up quicker or slower depending on the model. What matters more is whether your oven reaches the temperature needed for your dish. Use an oven thermometer for accuracy if your oven is inconsistent.
6. Alcohol Completely Cooks Off
Many people believe that any alcohol added to a dish will evaporate during cooking. The truth is, it takes a long time and high heat to remove alcohol completely. Simmering a sauce for a few minutes won’t get rid of all the alcohol. If you’re cooking for someone who avoids alcohol for health or religious reasons, be cautious and consider using a non-alcoholic substitute.
7. The Red Juice in Meat Is Blood
It may look like blood, but the red liquid in meat is mostly water mixed with myoglobin, a protein that stores oxygen in muscle cells. Almost all blood is drained during slaughter. So, when you cut into a steak and see red juices, it’s not blood—just a sign of a juicy cut of meat.
8. You Can’t Cook with Olive Oil Because It Has a Low Smoke Point
This myth discourages many people from cooking with olive oil. While it’s true that extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than some refined oils, it is still fine for sautéing and most everyday cooking. In fact, olive oil is full of healthy fats and antioxidants. Unless you’re deep frying at very high temperatures, olive oil is perfectly safe and flavorful.
9. Microwaves Cook Food from the Inside Out
Microwaves heat food by exciting water molecules, but they don’t start from the inside. They penetrate food to a certain depth, usually around an inch, and heat from there. That’s why thicker foods often heat unevenly and need to be stirred or rotated. Understanding how microwaves work can help prevent cold spots and improve your results.
10. More Spices Always Mean More Flavor
Adding a variety of spices can create depth, but too many can muddle the flavors or overpower the dish. Quality and balance matter more than quantity. It’s better to understand how individual spices interact and to layer them thoughtfully. Also, how you add them—whether blooming them in oil, toasting, or grinding fresh—can impact flavor more than just using a large amount.
Letting go of cooking myths can improve your kitchen results and make your cooking experience easier and more enjoyable. A lot of these old beliefs stick around because they sound reasonable or because they’ve been passed down for generations. But modern cooking science helps us understand what really works and why.
Being open to learning and questioning long-held assumptions is the best way to grow as a cook. Whether you’re boiling pasta, searing steak, or seasoning soup, small changes in technique and knowledge can make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to ditch the myths and cook smarter.