Only an Actual Adult Has Any Chance of Scoring 18/30 on This Kitchen Quiz


By: Zoe Samuel

6 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

They say if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen - but if you can, you're probably a real grownup! Cooking is something that literally anyone can do at a basic level, but it takes a mature, patient person to really excel at it. You have to be willing to wait for those soft peaks to appear in your cake mix; not to open the oven until your souffle is ready, no matter how hungry you are; to keep stirring your carbonara so that it doesn't curdle. You need skin like leather on your hands and the foresight to put your apron on before you ruin your dry-clean-only blouse. You need to be able to juggle multiple physical tasks and track the timing of every step in order to plate and serve everything at the same moment, just the way it should be. You need to know how to cater to allergies, preferences and fussy eaters.

Once you can do all of this, you will have elevated your cooking from ingredients to meals. It's a beautiful thing when it's done well. Do you have what it takes? If so, then click on through, because it's time to get cooking!

How can you easily dislodge dried-on gook in the microwave?

Steam is the solution - with vinegar included. Never use steel wool in your microwave.


What's an oven called that distributes air around the food so as to evenly distribute heat?

A convection oven is very good indeed. It's a great way to bake or roast!


How do you know when your cake is baked?

If you stick a toothpick in the cake and it comes out dirty, the cake is underbaked. If it's clean, the cake is ready - or possibly overbaked.


What's the best way to mass peel tomatoes?

If you want to try this at home, make sure you wait for the water to cool down so you can touch the tomatoes without burning your hands. Peel and enjoy.


If you made a dish too spicy, what's one way to cool it a little without bulking it up?

A smidge of sugar should take the edge off! Just don't get carried away, or you will ruin your recipe.


You have leftover oil from cooking. You don't have a plan to re-use it. Where should you put it?

Pouring oil down the drain can cause blockages in the sewers (and if you want to be horrified by how gross it gets, Google the term "fatburger"). Pour used fat into an old tin (eg for tomatoes), let it cool, then freeze it. Once it's full, throw it out in the regular trash.


How do you get onion smell off your hands?

Lemon will achieve this. Then your hands will smell nice and lemony.


How long is cooked chicken safe to eat, if you pop it in the fridge?

Don't go past four days unless you really enjoy puking.


What popular kitchen flooring was invented in 1855?

Lino is very popular as it can be made to look like almost anything and it wipes clean. That's why it's popular in the kitchen.


How do you know white fish is cooked?

If it flakes, it's done. If it's like rock, it's burned. If it's springy, you underdid it; keep going.


For how long do you roast a chicken at 350F?

20mins/lb plus 20mins is the formula for chicken. That, or cook it until the juices run clear.


How can you use one piece of spaghetti to test if it's all cooked?

If it comes off the wall immediately, you overdid it. If it sticks a very little bit and then peels off, you nailed it.


How can you prevent pasta from boiling over?

The spoon pops the bubbles! Just remember it'll get very hot, so use a mitt to take it off.


What's the trick to crispy baked potato skin?

Scrub your potatoes, then rub them with olive oil. When baked, your potatoes will have a nice crispy skin.


What can you do to reduce the amount of oil splatter when frying?

This reduces but will not eliminate splatter. Perhaps the salt absorbs moisture from frying foods.


How can you reduce tears from cutting onions?

Also try wearing glasses or working near a flame. The other option is to just soldier on through.


What's a great way to mass-peel garlic cloves?

It works! It sounds impossible, but it works. Just bash the whole head of garlic on the table to loosen the cloves up first.


How much time do Americans spend in the kitchen per week?

If you have a great room, an open floor plan or a really amazing kitchen, it's probably higher, but this is the average for most of us. How do you compare?


How do you keep rice from sticking together?

A couple drops of lemon will work a miracle! Your rice will not stick or clump.


What are oven mitts made of?

Modern oven mitts are made of silicone, which is an amazing substance. It simply refuses to transfer heat to your hands.


You got distracted, stopped stirring, and your carbonara sauce is curdling! What urgent step can you take?

Stir it, of course, but also, use a couple cubes of ice if it's really urgent. Keep your heat on low and pay attention, then this will never happen to you.


What will help reduce the smells inside your fridge?

If you want to absorb smells - because cleaning just won't help since odors are inherent in some of the items in the fridge - then baking soda is your friend. Remember to open the box and don't spill it.


How can you help the scales come right off when you scale a fish?

A little vinegar rub helps the scales come right off.


What electrical item in the kitchen is responsible for the highest number of injuries?

Yep, it's a toaster. Stop sticking knives in there, people!


How do you know pumpkin pie is done?

You want a little jiggle in the center, but not too much! Look for an area about the size of a quarter.


What is 375F in Celsius?

This is the best temperature at which to roast a chicken! You should know whether your oven registers temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius.


Which is safer: plastic or wooden chopping boards?

More bacteria die quickly on wood. This assumes, of course, that you clean and dry things properly.


Which of these is the least environmentally friendly thing to have in your kitchen?

Beef is the least environmentally friendly food, due to habitat loss and methane production. We're not saying give it up if you don't want to; we're just giving you a way to stop your hippie friend from criticizing you for your citrus fruit habit.


What can you put in your freezer to deodorize it?

It's not clear why this works, but it does. Coffee grounds absorb odors.


How long can you freeze unbaked cookie dough?

A freezer doesn't stop time, but it comes darn close.


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