Boiling water, open flames, and sharp knives are all traditionally a part of a professionally trained culinarian’s kitchen. What could possibly go wrong?

Kitchen mistakes happen, even to the best chefs and their kitchen staff. Common kitchen mistakes are often the result of carelessness – especially if you’re new to the culinary arts industry. You dangle a potholder a little too close to the flame at the stove. You grab the dish out of the oven in a hurry and brush your hand against the hot metal rack. You get your face a little too close to the steaming pot of boiling water. Being careless can result in hurting yourself, hurting your co-workers, and even ruining the meal.

How To Make Fewer Kitchen Mistakes

Want to stay safe while you hone your cooking skills in your culinary arts training class? Learn about knife safety tips to enhance your cutting skills! Check out our post on 10 Mistakes Culinary Students Make When Using Knives.

Most kitchens present a number of dangers to those who do not pay attention to their surroundings. They offer the potential for you to cut yourself on the sharp knives and other tools, to burn yourself on the stove or oven, and even to fall after tripping on something left on the floor.  When a dish is dropped on the floor or spilled accidentally, the meal has to be thrown out. This could waste time since  you would have to prepare the dishes all over again.

The kitchen does not have to be dangerous, though. Keep yourself safe, and avoid common kitchen mistakes by following these do’s and don’ts in kitchen safety:

Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove

The kitchen is a hive of activity. It doesn’t take much for someone to carelessly brush past a pot handle and tip the whole thing onto the floor. If the contents of the pot are hot, everyone in its path is in danger of being burned.

Keep the floor clean

Slipping on a greasy floor or tripping over something that has been dropped on the floor can cause serious injuries. Standard kitchen cleaning steps should include maintaining clean floors as well as countertops and cooking surfaces.

Be smart when using knives to cut or chop

Keep fingers away from the cutting side of the knife. Check out this kitchen tips and tricks video, from Kroger Culinary 411, that provides some great information about basic knife skills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eL7llVPuJg.

Put potholders, dish towels, and other cloth items in a safe spot, away from flames

A potholder dropped too close to the stove can quickly catch on fire. Keep cloth items in a wire basket or other safe container, far enough away from the heat source that they are not in danger of going up in flames.

These tips are become more important as do’s and don’ts in a restaurant kitchen, where the activity is much more intense than in a home kitchen – and the possibility of danger is even greater.

Dorsey Culinary Academy provides training in safety and sanitation, along with all the great skills you can use in a culinary career. We want to help you learn all the culinary fundamentals, including how to avoid the dangers caused by carelessness in the kitchen!

Learn more about Dorsey Culinary Academy on our website at https://www.dorsey.edu/dorsey-culinary-academy/.

Resources

Kroger Culinary 411, on the Internet at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eL7llVPuJg.

Reviewed and edited 12/6/17