Redditors shared their experiences on cooking advice they believe is overrated or unnecessary. Common practices like using unsalted butter, boiling pasta in excessive water, and thawing meat properly are challenged. Many home cooks prefer practical shortcuts, such as using salted butter in savory dishes, minimizing water for pasta to concentrate starch, and cooking meat directly from the fridge without letting it reach room temperature. These insights illustrate a shift toward practical cooking methods over conventional wisdom, suggesting that many longstanding rules are more flexible than oft-repeated.
I used salted butter whenever unsalted is called for. I believe a whole stick of salted butter only contains about a quarter teaspoon of salt.
Using large amounts of water to cook pasta. You can use a much smaller amount, and it's actually better for having more concentrated starchy water for dishes like cacio e pepe.
Bringing meat to room temp before cooking it. You can cook meat straight from the fridge, and you will never notice a difference.
When I'm making a baked pasta dish like lasagna, I never boil the pasta ahead of time. A 10-minute soak in hot water is all you need.
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