Home cooks come in all different shapes and sizes. Some absolutely nail their cooking adventures, others rely a little too heavily on the microwave, and then there are those that don't even know how to use pots and pans. And while we'd love to say that the photos below are epic examples of what you can cook at home if you really put your mind to it, we don't really want to do that. After all, these kitchen fails look totally inedible.
Satan's Pasta?
Part of being a home cook is the fun of experimenting with traditional recipes. When you go to a restaurant, you're stuck eating the same combinations of flavors that are known to work - and who wants the same thing all day, every day? At home, you can mix things up and try something new whenever you want, and that's exactly what this person did when they decided to add Curcuma to their rice noodle water.
With so many healing and healthy properties, we don't blame them for adding a splash of this spice powder to their dish. But is anyone else getting a hint of Hell?
A Real Tragedy
There are two kinds of people in this world; there are those that love cheesecake, and then there are people we refuse to acknowledge. Yes, cheesecake is a real labor of love - especially if you make it at home. You have to make sure you weigh the ingredients properly to maintain the right consistency, and you need to make sure that everything is chilled before you start slicing it up. If you don't, this could happen.
This is one of the most tragic things we've ever seen! We bet the home cook that made this cheesecake saw their life flash before their eyes went this fell to the floor in slow motion.
Coq Au Plastique
Let's be honest; cooking a chicken isn't easy. That's why so many people head to the grocery store and buy a rotisserie chicken instead! But this home cook obviously wanted to test themselves with this dish, and they decided to cook their chicken dinner from scratch. However, it seems as though they didn't spend enough time reading the instructions on the baking bag. In fact, they didn't buy a baking bag at all. It was a brining bag.
We don't think anyone out there likes the taste of plastic with their chicken, which just makes this kitchen fail even worse. That poor chicken probably didn't even get eaten.
Expectation Vs. Reality
We live in a world full of professional cookbooks, food bloggers, and Instagram chefs who all seem to make the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing food we've ever seen. And this is great for home cooks who need a little inspiration! But this photo just sums up our expectations vs our reality when it comes to these picture-perfect recipes. Some things just don't work out the way they're supposed to.
To give this home cook some credit, though, the first waffle is never good! You always have to make a test waffle before the real fun begins. So, let's hope this was the first one.
Flat as a (Pan)Cake
They say that cooking is feeling and baking is science. In this case, this person is definitely not a scientist! Although they had all of the kitchen utensils, the pots, the pans, and the excitement to bake a cake, it just didn't work in their favor. We don't know whether they didn't put enough flour in the mixture or whether they opened the oven door when they shouldn't have, but what we do know is that it's as flat as a (pan)cake!
If we're totally honest, though, this wouldn't stop us from eating the cake. You could slather it in frosting or top it with ice cream and we bet it would still be delicious.
Cookies or Churros?
So many wannabe bakers in this world have all of the gear but no idea. Sure, they have cake tins, spatulas, and all of the kitchen utensils they could possibly need - but they don't have the know-how to really pull a recipe off. And we have a feeling that this home cook falls into that category! They tried to make churros, but the last time we checked churros are deep fried, and not baked in the oven.
But while we can't decide whether these are more like churros or cookies, the biggest crime here is the distribution of chocolate chips. Come on, people, you have to evenly distribute them!
A Really Bad Idea
In today's day and age, avocados are all the rage. You can't head to your favorite brunch spot without spotting at least three variations of avocado on toast on the menu, and chefs are turning to avocado to make things like cakes, mousses, hummus, and so much more! But have you ever seen anything quite like pickled avocado before? Well, there's probably a reason for that, as it sounds (and looks) horrific.
We don't know what came over this home cook when they decided to pickle their avocado, but let's just hope that they realized their mistake before they decided to taste their creation.
A Cracking Mistake
Some kitchen fails are just too bad for us to comprehend. And this is one of them! Have you ever realized that egg timers don't go up to 30 minutes? If this home cook had realized that before putting their eggs in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, they wouldn't have been left with these dry, hard eggs that tasted like plastic. But alas, they didn't listen to their gut.
But while we know this is a major cooking fail, we can't help but think that these eggs would make a great toy in a child's play kitchen set. After all, those eggs will probably stay like that for the next 1,000 years.
Not an Eggcellent Idea
You probably don't need us to tell you that eggs are extremely versatile. You can boil them, poach them, fry them, and even scramble them. But while you can basically do anything you want with an egg, that doesn't mean that you should! Especially if your plan is to cook an egg with Worcestershire sauce. We don't know why anyone would want to do that, but this person did. And this was the result.
This looks like something the cat would throw up rather than something a human would eat, and we really hope this person didn't eat it. But if they did, hopefully, they closed their eyes and pinched their nose.
Absolute Pandamonium
Most people associate macarons with fancy afternoon teas and expensive patisseries, but did you know that they're actually pretty easy for home cooks to make in their own kitchen? Of course, it's important to follow a recipe to a T, and you must be prepared for a few mistakes. No batch will be 100% perfect... not even if you make them into cute pandas! Yes, this batch is utter pandamonium.
These pandas are still super cute, despite the overflow of ingredients. Let's just say that these pandas had a long night and were feeling a bit bedraggled, and leave it at that!
More Like Spoon-Shi
Sushi is an acquired taste, but one that goes down extremely well when properly prepared. But there's a reason why sushi chefs have to train for years to perfect their craft. Yes, it's hard! And while we admire this person for trying it out for themselves and having a go, it's fair to say that it didn't exactly go to plan. This is less sushi and more spoon-shi, as a spoon is the only appropriate kitchen utensil to eat this with.
But we guess it's not the end of the world for this apprentice sushi maker. If they shove all of this in a bowl, they could call it their very own poke bowl!
Just Keep Swimming
If you're part of a PTA group, you also need to become a home cook. After all, you're constantly asked to bake a cake for the cake sale, cookies for the after-school meetings, and take very culturally specific food for the around-the-world school event. And on this occasion, one mom decided to bake ghostly cupcakes for the Halloween party. But with just one googly eye and a strange tail, they don't look very PG!
At least, we assume they're ghosts. Perhaps they could be white whales or tadpoles. But whatever the case, let's hope that they at least tasted yummy and went down a treat with the other parents.
A True Fail
It's very easy to fail at cooking. You just need to leave something in the oven for too long, you just need to add too much of one ingredient and not enough of another, and you just need to use the wrong ingredients altogether. But have you ever heard of someone burning Pop-Tarts? Well, that's when you know that you've not only failed at cooking, but you've also failed at life.
These things literally just need a few seconds in the toaster or in the microwave, but this person managed to royally mess that up. We love Pop-Tarts, but even we couldn't eat them.
A+ for Effort
Most people fall into one of two camps. Some people are fully on board the carrot cake trend, while others would prefer not to have vegetables in their cake. But anyone who has ever made carrot cake will know that the moisture content in carrots can cause problems when you're baking it, and it seems as though this person had that exact problem. And according to them, it not only looked bad... it also tasted bad.
Although this carrot cake may not have been this home cook's shining glory, we're definitely going to give them an A+ for effort. They even topped it with nuts and everything!
What a Mess
While some cooking requires a huge number of pots and pans and kitchen utensils, there are some cooking hacks that make life much easier for wannabe chefs. Yes, say hello to the microwave mug cake! The idea behind this hack is that you put all of the ingredients for a cake into a mug and then cook it in the microwave for a little while. The end result should be delicious.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have worked for this person. Instead of baking a delicious and fluffy chocolate cake, they had an explosion that even Thor couldn't ignore. Poor guy.
A Crime Scene
Don't worry; no humans were harmed in the making of this epic kitchen fail. Instead, hot sauce was harmed! This person decided to fill an electronic mixer with a load of hot sauce, and while that probably sounded like a good idea to them at the time, they failed to realize that red splatters across walls are normally associated with a crime scene. We wonder what they were trying to make?
We can't help but wonder why someone would put hot sauce in a blender in the first place, but who are we to judge a home cook's culinary exploits? You do you.
The Leaning Tower of Cake
If you've ever tried to cook with a friend or relative who is arguably a much better cook than you, you'll know that it can be pretty embarrassing. Your creations always look worse than the other person's, even when you try your hardest. And despite the fact that this person decided to replicate their friend's cake on the right, they just didn't quite nail it. In fact, they failed it.
But does the rest of the world need to know that they were trying to copy their friend? For all we know, this could be a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
A Little Burnt
Hands up if you've ever burnt a piece of bread? Most of us have been faced with burnt toast at least once, but this is way beyond burnt. We don't think scraping off the burnt bits would help in this situation, as the whole thing is a burnt bit! And while we're pretty impressed that someone has been able to burn a piece of toast so much, we do have questions.
Did the person making this not smell burning? Was the smoke not a giveaway? The whole thing seems too bad to be true. But unfortunately for one toast-less person, it was true.
There's a Mug Under There?
Houston, we have another mug cake problem! It seems as though home cooks just can't seem to get a mug cake right, no matter how hard they try. They fill up the ingredients, then turn on the microwave, and they're greeted with a brown explosion rather than a delicious afternoon snack. This whole thing doesn't exactly look good enough to eat, but we're going to go ahead and assume that this person ate it anyway.
After all, it may not look pretty, but the ingredients are still yummy! Well, we guess that whatever ingredients were left in the mug after the explosion were yummy, anyway.
Just... How?
If you're looking at this kitchen fail and wondering what you're looking at, don't worry. You could probably guess for hours and still not correctly guess what this is. So, are you ready for the big reveal? It's Alfredo sauce! We don't know how someone managed to get a sauce so wrong, but it looks as though they burnt the butter and flour mix and just decided to keep cooking it.
Of course, anyone who has a cat will know that this doesn't look like Alfredo sauce at all. It looks suspiciously like cat vomit, and we won't be proven otherwise.
A Secret Setting
If you're a home cook who relies heavily on the microwave, then you're not alone. Microwaves are so handy and perfect for those who don't have a lot of time on their hands. Most microwaves come with settings to defrost meat, cook popcorn, or even cook baked potatoes. But have you heard of this secret setting? Yes, this is the setting to cook a child. All you have to do is then enter the weight of the child.
Of course, we're kidding! But it's pretty strange that this microwave has come up with such a setting. Perhaps this microwave only agrees to work when it's received a sacrifice in return.
Literally Burning a CD
Gen Z-ers will never understand the concept of burning a CD. The '00s were full of wannabe DJs burning their favorite songs onto their epic summer mixes, but this was a metaphorical burning. However, it turns out that you can literally burn a CD if you really wanted to! And we can kind of understand why someone would want to, as this is what happens when you put a CD in the microwave.
From the cracked effect to the rainbow of colors, this is pretty neat. We've even heard that some people burn whole piles of these things and attach them to their Christmas trees.
Would You Eat It?
Just because you can basically put anything in a microwave doesn't mean that you should, but it seems as though some people haven't gotten that memo. And when this home cook didn't fancy making a proper breakfast on this occasion, they decided to grab a frozen uncooked croissant and "cook" it in the microwave! But it looks a little deflated if you ask us, and not cooked in the slightest.
We can put our hands on our hearts and quite honestly say that we would never eat something like this if it was put on our dinner plate, but would you?
Anti-Gravity Activated
Let's be honest; cream is a great addition to any home cook's ingredient cupboard. Not only can cream be used to make delicious cakes and cheesecakes, but it can also be used to make savory sauces and so much more. But if you ever needed a reminder to keep your cream away from the microwave, then use this as that reminder! On this occasion, this home cook managed to solve their anti-gravity problem.
We have no idea how this cream managed to explode and then stick to the roof of the microwave, but it's actually quite impressive. We've never seen anything like it before.
What's the Time, Mr. Cockroach?
If you're not a professional chef and prefer to call yourself a home cook, you might rely on a few household items to bring your epic dinners to life. You might have the best pots and pans on the market, you might have expensive utensils, and you might even utilize the practicality of a microwave. But it's fair to say that this home cook was a little surprised when they looked at their microwave and saw it glitching.
At first, this person thought their microwave clock was broken. But on closer inspection, they realized that it was a cockroach laying on the screen! So, time to burn the house down.
If Spam Made Cake
If you're the kind of person that loves to eat Spam, then we don't blame you. It's cheap, cheerful, and utterly delicious. But did you know that Spam made cake? Just kidding, but this failed mug cake certainly looks like it could pass off as a Spam cake. We don't know what happened here, but it looks as though this microwave chef put way too much cake mixture into their mug.
At least the one positive of this mug cake explosion is that it looks as though this person won't have to clean up their mug, afterward. It looks like it'll slide right out.
A Nutella Volcano
If you've ever had Nutella before, you'll know that it's one of the most delicious sandwich spreads in the world. It's chocolatey, it's nutty, and it's super spreadable. As it's yummy already, we don't think it needs to be tampered with - but it seems as though this woman wanted to mix things up a bit. She put a whole jar of Nutella in the microwave, and we think she must have forgotten about it.
Not only did the whole jar of Nutella burn to a crisp, but it also created a Nutella volcano! Legend has it that this Nutella volcano is still smoking today.
Abstract Art
Although microwaves are pretty handy, they're also pretty temperamental. You have to get the temperature, the setting, and the timings just right - otherwise, you end up with a kitchen fail just like this one. However, some people would say that this isn't a failure at all! When this person tried to microwave an Oreo and burned it in the process, they left an imprint on the plate that wouldn't wash off, no matter how hard they tried.
Some would say that this is abstract (and delicious) art! And while we didn't think dishes and plates could come with commercials attached to them, we guess we've been proven wrong.
Making Pepperoni Chips
If you're someone that loves pepperoni, you'll probably agree that this isn't a kitchen fail. In fact, this person is basically a professional chef! That's because there's nothing nicer than crispy pepperoni, especially if you're someone that doesn't love the carbs and the dough involved in the rest of a pizza. This way, you can eat the best bit without having to compromise on taste! It looks delicious, if you ask us.
Apparently, this person's wife simply pops these pepperoni slices into the microwave until they're finished bleeding the yellow oil - and that sounds pretty legit. From now on, we will only be taking cooking tips from this woman.
That Seems Safe...
We didn't think we'd have to remind people about this, but children shouldn't be left unsupervised around microwaves and other hot cooking appliances! But it seems as though the parents of this toddler didn't quite get that memo, and this is the result. When the toddler realized what a microwave could do, they decided to put whatever they could find in it. Including an Xbox controller, batteries, and a shoe!
In defense of these parents, though, toddlers have naughty minds that take over their bodies without their parents realizing it. This was probably done in about 10 seconds, while their parents sneezed!
Drying Them off
You don't need to be a genius to know that when things are wet, heating them up can dry them off. That's just a general rule of life. But another general rule of life is that you should never put electronic items into a microwave. However, it seems as though the owner of these AirPods got those two rules a little mixed up, which is why she decided to try and dry her AirPods by placing them in the microwave.
The end result was pretty messy, and we have a feeling that she won't be using those headphones again anytime soon. It's pretty clear that they are burnt way beyond repair.
A Major Kitchen Fail
On this list, we've seen so many kitchen fails. From exploding mug cakes to plastic eggs, it seems as though home cooks keep doing things wrong. But if you want our opinion, this is the worst by far! We don't know how, but this person's microwave caught on fire and almost burnt the whole room down. Thankfully, the rest of the room was spared from the flames, but the smoke got everything.
We bet it was a pretty big clean-up trying to get the black smoke off the ceiling of this house, and we have a feeling that this person won't be using their microwave again anytime soon!
Honey, I Exploded the Honey
The whole story behind this one is a little strange. Apparently, after 60 hours of power in the middle of winter, this person decided to celebrate getting their power back by microwaving some frozen honey! So, if you ever find yourself in the same situation, we're here to let you know that this won't work. Especially if you forget to open the lid before you actually put it in the microwave.
Although this was probably a nuisance to clean up, the person behind this kitchen fail could have just mopped up the whole thing with some toast. That would have been delicious.
That's One Way to Do It
If you've ever prepared an avocado before, you'll know that it can be hard work. Not only do you need to remove it without taking too much of the flesh with it, but you also have to deal with the giant pit in the middle. Most home cooks simply try and stab the pit with a knife and pull it out, but this can be pretty dangerous. So, this person decided to try a different method.
For some reason, they opted to put their avocado in the microwave! It's not something that we would encourage, as we can only imagine this microwave explosion smells absolutely disgusting.
Nothing to See Here
Let's be honest; we would have loved to have gotten on with our day without seeing this bizarre and downright scary image. But we've seen it now, and so have you! And there's no going back! Of course, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this was something you'd see in a toilet rather than in a microwave. But thankfully, it's not what you think. This is a frozen chorizo, that someone tried to thaw in the microwave.
While microwaves are a great invention, sometimes home cooks should be a little patient. After seeing this thawed chorizo, would you even want to eat it? We know that we certainly wouldn't.
Not Microwave Safe
Although you could technically put anything in a microwave, that doesn't mean that you should. But this person definitely found themselves in a predicament when they bought the white mug in 2018. It quickly became their favorite mug, and it was 100% microwave-safe. So when they bought the black version of the mug in 2019, they just assumed again that it would be microwave-safe. You know what they say about assuming, though...
In this case, assuming led to some serious burns - and not the metaphorical burns! The hot handle of the mug quite literally took off the skin of this person. And it looks like it hurts.
Flipping Hot in There
Any home cook will know that microwaves are unpredictable. Although anyone cooking dinner will know that a knife will cut, a pot will heat, and other kitchen utensils will do what they're meant to do, microwaves are a little different. Sure, they might heat your food. But they also might flip your food over, cause it to explode, and fall out of its pot. That's exactly what happened here, anyway.
We guess you could say that it was flipping hot in that microwave! But that joke probably wasn't funny to the person who had to eat their lunch off a dirty microwave plate.
A New and Improved Frisbee
Some people just have bad luck in the kitchen. Although they can do everything right and follow recipes to a T while also adhering to microwave safety guidelines, sometimes things just don't work out. And this person realized that for themselves when they tried to heat up their dinner and were left with a broken plate and a massively overflowing dinner. We don't even know how this could have happened.
On the bright side, this person at least got a new frisbee out of their unfortunate kitchen fail. Although it's safe to say that we'd hate to get hit in the head with this.
Kitchen Jenga
If you're looking to install a new appliance in your kitchen, you might want to clear the area beforehand. If you don't, something like this might happen! After all, this person decided to balance their brand new $450 microwave on top of the cooler when their cat jumped onto the counter and knocked the whole thing onto the floor. But when you play kitchen Jenga, you have to face the consequences!
Although we had to cringe when we saw the price of this microwave, this home cook was asking for it. If a cat sees something on a counter, it's going to knock it off.
A Unique Setup
The kitchen is the heart of the home, right? And if you're a home cook who owns their own house, then you can do whatever you'd like to your kitchen. You can decorate it how you want, you can set up the counters how you want, and you can even get some spray paint involved if you're that way inclined. One mom obviously wanted to do that, which is why she spray-painted a microwave and a fridge to match the table below.
Of course, everyone's taste is different, so we can't judge this unique look. But it's certainly unusual! The duck and the plastic football helmet really brings the whole look together, too.