Some of the world’s greatest cooks share their clever, simple tips so you too can work like a pro in the kitchen.

The Momofuku founder plans ahead at his restaurants and maintains that this is important for home cooks too. Making lists and being prepared will help you avoid any mistakes.

For perfect roast potatoes forget what you’ve been taught before; boil the potatoes to “within an inch of their lives” so they’re about to fall apart, let them steam dry and cool down, then coat them in melted beef dripping or goose fat and cook them for between 45-90 minutes.

To cook basmati rice to perfection fill an empty, clean, tin can with rice and pour into a pan, followed by two tins of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil then simmer until the rice has absorbed the water; you shouldn’t have to drain off any liquid.

If you over-salt a dish, the famous French chef suggests adding a peeled potato while cooking to absorb excess seasoning.

When cooking pasta, add some of the pasta water to the sauce you’re cooking just before you drain. The starchy water emulsifies the sauce so it clings to the pasta better.

Use sharp knives every time you cook – it’s not only more efficient it’s safer too, recommends the British chef of NYC’s Michelin-starred The Spotted Pig and The Breslin.

The US-based Austrian celebrity chef always tests the thickness of sauces and soups with a spoon test. The liquids should leave a film on the spoon and there should be a clean streak when you run your finger across this film.

To prevent onions from burning when frying, sprinkle them with salt – the water content in the vegetables will be drawn out and this moisture will prevent burning. Alternatively, cover the pan with a lid, says the two Michelin-starred chef.

The Michelin-starred chef recommends using sugar as a seasoning, like salt, to balance flavor. Adding a pinch of sugar to tinned tomatoes and vinaigrettes also takes away some of the acidity.

To cook the perfect roast beef, the legendary British chef uses well-marbled meat that’s preferably been hung for at least a month. He then browns the beef with a little oil in a large pan on the stove on a medium-high heat before cooking it in the oven – this helps caramelize the beef.

American chef Thomas Keller, of The French Laundry fame, always brings food to room temperature before cooking it as it helps the food to cook evenly, at the right temperature, and for the right amount of time.

The chef patron of London’s popular Soho haunt Bocca di Lupo seasons with salt throughout cooking, not just at the end – professional chefs will use as much salt as possible without making a dish too salty because it enhances flavor.

The acclaimed French chef believes the ingredients should speak for themselves so choose the best you can afford and cook them simply.

Owner of the iconic elBulli in Spain, Adria is known for combining creativity with technique. When cooking meat on a stove he stresses that the thicker the pan the better, use a minimal amount of oil, and make sure the pan is very hot.

If you love to bake, taking the eggs and butter out of the refrigerator the night before so they come up to room temperature will give you better results.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in the kitchen, says The Naked Chef, as it’s often the most productive way to discover new recipes.

The King of modern French cooking lives on thanks to his books and to the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in the US, which highlights on its website some common mistakes, including crowding a pan when cooking meat. This lowers the heat and creates moisture, which results in uneven cooking and stops the surface of the meat from searing properly.

The French legend cooks the perfect ribeye or sirloin steak by cooking it first on its fatty side to render the fat down, before laying the steak flat and cooking on both sides.

One of India’s biggest chefs, Kapoor wants to dispel the myth that Indian food is complicated to prepare. Once you have the basic spices it’s simply a case of tossing them in a pan, he explains. He also adds a dash of cream to raita to give it extra flavor.

Australian chef Thompson made his name creating exquisite Thai dishes for his restaurant Nahm. His tip for getting Thai dishes right is to taste, taste, taste in order to achieve the fine balance of hot, salty, sweet and sour that’s required. And make the rice the hero of any Thai meal.

To cook well professionally or at home investing in good pans and a decent set of knives is essential says the Michelin-starred chef.

The French great is a master of sauce. One of his recommendations is to always season, but to do so carefully, adding salt and pepper and herbs to the base at the beginning then slowly building up.

The Australian all-rounder (she’s a cook, stylist, writer, host and magazine founder) encourages home cooks to cheat a little for great results. Decent store-bought pastry is not a sin, while good quality cured meats such as pancetta and cured meats are ideal to have in the fridge for when you need to make a quick salad, frittata or salad.

For the best chicken stock the Willy Wonka of the restaurant world advises chopping up chicken wings then dusting them with milk powder before roasting them with a bit of oil and some carrots and onions. Then make the stock.

To peel a garlic clove bash it with the side of a broad knife; the skin peels away easily, says the superstar chef. To peel a whole bulb, crush with the palm of your hand, separate the cloves, cover in a bowl and shake hard for 10 seconds, then simply pick out the peeled cloves.

To get the most flavor from fresh herbs do as the experts do. Rather than chopping, Wareing uses the back of a knife to break down herbs such as thyme and rosemary to release their natural aromas.

Brian has opened successful restaurants around the US and was a mentor on the first season of cooking TV show The Taste. His top tip for grilling fish, as told to the Party Blueprints blog, is to “make sure the grill is extra clean”. He also advises making sure “the heat is high enough so it sears it.”

The Korean-American chef thinks that fish sauce is the Vietnamese answer to ketchup. It has a great umami flavor which can enhance all sorts of dishes from soups to stews to sauces. Make it a store cupboard staple.

The British chef, writer and food campaigner has many tips on being a responsible chef by avoiding food waste. This includes caring for fresh food by keeping it in its wrapping in the fridge, and freezing what you don’t eat – such as dairy products, veg and sauce – rather than discarding.

Ramsay is adamant that a clean cook is an efficient cook. When cooking always have a waste bowl next to you; it saves multiple trips to the bin.

French chef Ludo Lefebvre runs a couple of highly-rated restaurants in LA and has been a mentor on TV show The Taste. His top tip for creating the perfect omelete is to move the pan while you're stirring your eggs.

And lastly, take this advice from chef and world traveler Bourdain, who said: “Basic cooking skills are a virtue… the ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill.”