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    Home » Kitchen Tips

    50 Signs That You're A Good Cook

    Published: May 24, 2017 · Modified: Jul 29, 2021 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    What makes a good cook? Check out these 50 indicators of culinary expertise and see if your kitchen confidence classes you as a 'good cook'.

    Kitchen countertop.

    Sponsored by Circulon.

    Are you a good cook?

    Do you think of yourself as a good cook, or are you modest and brush off compliments with a nervous laugh?

    Well, before you apply for Masterchef, research from cookware brand Circulon has revealed the top 50 indicators of culinary expertise. 

    Read on and discover how many you can tick.

    From being able to laugh if things go wrong in the kitchen to chopping onions quickly without drawing blood, there are loads of ways to determine if your kitchen confidence is merited.

    Factors include being willing to experiment with foods (hello kale cake  - tick!), being able to prepare a nice meal when there’s nothing in the cupboard and making a list before going to the shop (I'm OBSESSED with lists - tick!)

    Understanding food combinations, knowing what every utensil in the kitchen does and being able to make your own sauces and condiments also feature on the list.

    Tick, tick, tick (well, actually I have a funny vintage whisk tool that I'm not quite sure what to do with - does that count against me?)

    It's also about knowing what to do with unusual ingredients, like the Tops of Carrots.

    It's also useful to know some conversions, such as how many Ounces in a Quart or Ounces in a Gallon.

    A woman cooking in a kitchen.
    Pic by Bill Bradshaw

    Am I A Good Cook? 

    The poll of 2,000 people revealed that cooks should be able to identify common herbs by both sight and appearance, have the confidence to add their own special ‘twist’ to classic dishes - and bake the perfect cake.

    Proficient home cooks tend to be those who are confident about preparing food in front of others, and who are knowledgeable about their food, cookware and kitchen equipment.

    Top-quality cooks will also regularly reel off terms such as ’al dente’, ‘broil’ and ‘blanch’, and have a pantry stocked with unusual ingredients such as masala leaves, mustard seeds and truffle.

    Does that sound like you? I must admit that my spice drawer is overflowing and yup, those terms aren't alien to me.

    But still, can I consider myself to be a good cook? 

    It’s been fascinating to uncover just how many people class themselves as relatively good at cooking – the rise of cookery programmes and the increased popularity of sharing food on social media has influenced Britain’s love of food and desire to cook. - Circulon spokesperson

    Study findings - the numbers

    • 5% classed themselves as excellent cooks
    • 2 in 3 Brits have been labelled a ‘good cook’
    • 54% are happy to try attempt an extravagant new dish when friends are coming over
    • 23% are inspired by cookbooks (how about my cookbook!)
    • The average person cooks 11 dishes in rotation
    • ⅔ are confident about throwing together random ingredients to make a meal
    • 55% are confident in knowing which herbs to use
    • ⅓ of people often try to replicate celebrity recipes
    • 22% don’t bother weighing ingredients

    Top 50 Signs of a Good Cook

    1. Can rustle up anything from scratch
    2. Loving to eat as well as cook
    3. Willing to experiment and try all foods and ingredients when cooking at home
    4. Being happy to prepare food in front of guests
    5. Always being able to whip something up when there's virtually nothing in the cupboard
    6. When making a roast dinner everything finishes cooking at the same time
    7. Can identify certain herbs from the appearance
    8. Can throw things together knowing that the different combinations (of various foods, herbs, spices) will go together
    9. Experiments with dishes by adding a twist on classics
    10. Experimenting with recipes more than once a week

    11. Being able to laugh if things go wrong in the kitchen
    12. Can identify herbs and spices by the taste
    13. Knowing what herbs go in each dishes
    14. Can chop things really finely without injury
    15. Always have eggs and milk in the fridge
    16. Home-makes all condiments and sauces
    17. Owning a spice rack
    18. Always the one people go to for cooking tips
    19. Knows what every utensil in the kitchen does
    20. Have a very well-stocked pantry with all kinds of unusual ingredients including spices and oils

    21. Doesn't need a stock cube to make gravy
    22. Will offer for extra people to stay to dinner at a moment's notice
    23. Rarely eat takeaways
    24. Knows exactly how long to cook a perfectly poached egg
    25. Knows how to peel fruit and veggies most efficiently
    26. Knowing and practicing cooking terms like: 'Al dente', broil, blanch, clarify, deglaze, flambé, gratin, etc.
    27. Always wanting to try a new dish when eating out
    28. Being able to guess what is in a dish just from the taste
    29. Never needing to use a cookbook
    30. Always the designated cook for large family gatherings

    31. Know when a cake is done without having to stick a cocktail stick in it a hundred times
    32. Knowing measurements without having to actually measure
    33. Owns good quality cook-ware
    34. Writes a detailed list for the food shop
    35. Knowing which wine to pair with certain meat or fish
    36. Owning a full set of herbs/spices
    37. Enjoying a messy kitchen
    38. Don't need a timer
    39. Understanding what all the symbols on the oven mean
    40. Can chop an onion in seconds

    41. Being able to cook steaks perfectly using the thumb technique
    42. Can always add in just the right
    43. Knowing what 'Bain Marie' is and having the perfect pans for it
    44. Knowing the correct pronunciation of unusual or exotic foods
    45. Knowing which wine to drink with meat
    46. Can flip a pancake perfectly
    47. Knows how to prepare celeriac
    48. Mum goes round for Sunday dinner rather than the other way round
    49. Always read food magazines
    50. Owns set of fancy knives

    So, how did you do? Can you call yourself a good cook?

    50 Signs That You're a Good Cook
    Pic by Bill Bradshaw

    This post was commissioned by Circulon. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to write Veggie Desserts. 

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    Comments

    1. Nico @ yumsome

      May 28, 2017 at 10:59 am

      15. If flax seeds, aquafaba, and plant milk count, then yes!
      35. Not applicable because I'm vegan, plus, we don't have wine with dinner because K is a lifelong teetotal. But yes, I do know what goes with what though.
      37. No, no, no! A messy kitchen is inefficient and irksome! I clean up as I go along.
      41. Not applicable. But I make awesome seitan, and am a wiz with tofu!
      43. I'd say a great cook doesn't need perfect pans to make a bain-Marie - that they can (and do) improvise, and still get it right! (Welcome to my world!)
      45. Isn't that the same as #35?
      50. I have no need of fancy knives - I use one (very sharp) Japanese knife for everything!

      Am I a good cook? I'm an excellent cook... but I didn't need to be able to tick off everything on this list to tell me that! Ha ha!

      By the way, masala leaves? Do you mean curry leaves? Is is an English thing to call them that? Masala means a blend of spices but I've never heard the leaves called that - not even when I lived in Kerala... they are just 'kari ila' - literally, 'curry leaf'. ('Karee patta' in Hindi.)

      I was initially really surprised about the stat that says the average British cook makes just 11 dishes in rotation. (No wonder so many of my omni friends are blown away when I cook for them. LOL!)

      Thinking about it though, when I was a child, living with my British grandparents, my Gran always made a roast on Sunday, and shepherd's pie on Monday from the leftovers. Tuesday was liver and bacon, Wednesday, steak and kidney pie or pudding - both served with mash, peas, and deliciously thick onion gravy. Thursday would be sausage, egg (*barf!*), and chips with baked beans, and Friday was always fish and chips (from the local chippie, of course). Saturday supper was always the world's most boring cheese salad, no matter what the weather (we'd usually have a big lunch out on Saturdays)! This pattern was the same week in and week out, and the only time it changed was at Christmas - and even then, it was a variation on the same theme!

      I guess if people have been brought up with that kind of routine, and it works for them, it's easy to see how the same 11 dishes would be made over and over again. Interesting stuff, and something I hadn't even considered before. I think I'm going to keep a diary, to see how many I make on a regular basis - I know it will be far in excess of 11!

      Great post, Kate - thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Ashleigh

      May 27, 2017 at 10:36 pm

      I can flip pancakes perfectly! I actually list this as one of my talents haha!

      Reply
    3. Zena's Suitcase

      May 26, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      I thought I was an alright cook until I came to do something with my spice collection then realised I had no idea what to add to my dish to create the flavour I wanted. I need to work on some of these things in your list

      Reply
    4. angela milnes

      May 26, 2017 at 9:45 am

      Omg, this is really a good post and I didn't know that I'm good in cooking. Glad you share this with us

      Reply
    5. shelley

      May 25, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      This is such a fun and interesting post; I asked my boyfriend some of the questions and it has proven that he is an excellent cook - he loves food and cooking just comes so naturally to him! Great idea for a post 🙂

      Reply
    6. Jen

      May 25, 2017 at 11:49 am

      I stopped counting after a while so that must mean I'm a good cook, I kinda knew that anyway ????

      Reply
      • Jen

        May 25, 2017 at 11:50 am

        Silly question marks should be 😉 emoji!

        Reply
    7. Jen

      May 25, 2017 at 10:10 am

      Speaking for myself, I'm pretty terrible with having the encouragement to make adventure foods, or make the time to enjoy my kitchen. If I get the chance, I do enjoy it. Helen (Best-Shaw) on the other hand is a different matter, and I love how confident she is in the kitchen with any ingredients thrown at her. I would aspire to be more like Helen, if I only had the chance.

      Reply
    8. Rhian Westbury

      May 25, 2017 at 9:26 am

      I'd like to think I'm a good cook but I don't tend to experiment too much, I tend to make variations to dishes I already cook x

      Reply
    9. Mummy Times Two

      May 24, 2017 at 9:17 pm

      I think it's safe to say that I am far from a confident cook. I enjoy cooking but am definitely not good at experimenting,

      Reply
    10. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

      May 24, 2017 at 5:18 pm

      Well....I certainly was able to put LOTS of ticks on this list. What an interesting and informative little post you have here.

      Reply
    11. Jessica McDonnell

      May 24, 2017 at 4:24 pm

      I love this post. I managed to tick quite a few things off the list, I must be better than I thought.

      Reply
    12. Nayna Kanabar

      May 24, 2017 at 4:11 pm

      I did not score 50/50 but got close so ai can't be such a bad cook. Interesting survey.

      Reply
    13. Angela Milnes

      May 24, 2017 at 3:07 pm

      This is a great post. I thought I was a good cook but now I'm too sure. I think I must be semi good.

      Reply
    14. Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy

      May 24, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      I got 39 from that list! I could have gotten more, I think but I don't cook meat, so that lopped off some! I think I'm mildly impressed! This was such a fun read! Thank you!

      Reply
    15. Erica Price

      May 24, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Pleased to see how many I can tick off on the being a good cook list.

      Reply
    16. Silvia

      May 24, 2017 at 2:49 pm

      YES!!! I guess I am a good cook 🙂

      Reply
    17. [email protected]

      May 24, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      This is a great read and according to this, I AM a good cook 🙂 Thank you for sharing

      Reply
    18. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      May 24, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      I'm a good cook! BAM! This is a fun little list - glad to see I made the cut!

      Reply

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    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

    • The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Easter Recipes

    • Easter Rice Krispie Nests
    • Italian Easter Bread (Pane di Pasqua)
    • Mushroom Wellington
    • Nut Roast

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    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

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