5 foods that swing wildly between ‘best thing ever’ and ‘absolutely awful’

As we move into the holidays, the importance of finding delicious treats and meals for ourselves and for delighting friends and family becomes a top priority. This time of year is an opportunity to share family traditions and secrets gained through the trials of preparation. However, knowing exactly what to prepare and the best way to do it can be more complicated than most might think.

There are certain foods that can be either incredibly great or terribly boring, depending on how well you prepare them. Do they have the right amount of spices? Were they cooked at the right temperature, and were they sliced and diced to create a wonderful textural experience?

In a r/AskReddit thread, the seasonally important question was asked, "What food has the largest disparity between being really good or really bad, depending on who is making it?" Redditors flooded the comments section with personal horror stories and spectacularly delicious choices.

Hungry and ready.Photo credit Canva

Simple foods that can be amazing or awful

Simple, basic dishes can delight or disgust, depending not only on the preparation style but also on the chef's skill level, as they put their techniques to the test. Redditors argued that, though these foods are hard to ruin, even the simplest of dishes require a deft touch to be satisfying.

The mac and cheese staple presentation.Photo credit Canva

It's time for macaroni and cheese

Probably one of the most iconic American dishes is macaroni and cheese. Some prefer the finest of cheeses, while others crave brand-name powdered cheese from a cardboard box. These were some Redditors' opinions:

"We spent Covid perfecting our Mac and cheese. In the last couple of weeks, we also made it a couple of times to ensure we can nail it. Ours tastes amazing, is creamy, yet has amazing cheese pull, develops a perfect crunchy top crust, and reheats perfectly."

"Macaroni and cheese is my thought. Box stuff is fine, but a lot of people try to make it from scratch and slave away for a significantly worse product than a $1.99 (thanks inflation) box of Kraft."

"Top with more shredded cheese and bake till you like how it's browned. That's about it, and it turns out AMAZING! Some things are meant to be simple. I imagine I’m forgetting a seasoning, but I do keep it simple cause mac n cheese is all about the mac and the cheese!"

Pizza ready from the oven.Photo credit Canva

Almost everyone loves a slice of pizza

Many people argue that any slice of pizza is a simple and delicious win. There is no doubt that people have their favorite version and style, be it standard or deep dish. However, Redditors have strong opinions on what makes good pizza and what makes a failed attempt.

"I always was told that pizza is like sex, even if it's bad, it's still good. That was until I moved from Connecticut to South Carolina and realized that is not true."

"False. You ever had someone dump a bunch of sugar into the pizza sauce? Like pizza sauce sweeter than ketchup? I had a chef coworker who did this. YUCK, bro! Unsalvageable."

"I've also had pizza where the crust was overwhelmingly doughy and flavorless, sauce was bland, and cheese was sub-par in either quantity or quality. In an office I worked years ago, there was a nearby food court that had a pizza place...it was super convenient if you were in a rush to get lunch because they always had slices ready to go, and it always looked so good...but was also always so disappointing. I honestly don't know how they managed to make such bad pizza."

Friends hover around the barbeque.Photo credit Canva

Getting it right off the grill with BBQ

Food cooked on the grill often smells delicious and will satisfy even the hungriest—when it's done right. Whether it's actually prepared to taste or following a specific temperature zone, do it right or don't do it all. After all, humans have been cooking over fire for millions of years. It's one of our oldest skills for a reason.

"BBQ. It can be a religious experience when good. When your neighbor Steve makes it, it can be gag inducing."

"Your BBQ sucks Steve. We were just being polite because we like your dog."

"Another trick I used would be to smoke a pork shoulder for an hour in with the pellet smoker then bring it inside, let it cool a bit, before bagging it and putting it in a sous vide water bath for 36 or more hours. Best pulled pork I've ever had until I got a real smoker. Just....buttery smooth and amazingly flavourful."

"Brisket When done really well, it is comparable with a great steak. But it is extremely hard to get it to that quality. I live in Texas and have visited most of the best bbq places and only a handful are able to get it to this level. When done poorly it is a tough rubbery lump of grizzle and fat."

"I'm not sure if it's how prevalent meat thermometers are now or what, but my parents made horrible tough pork chops, too. My wife and I make unbelievable pork chops by using thicker cuts and actually checking temps."

"Someone that understands good slow-and-low cooking vs someone that grills it until the juices are gone and slathers it in $2 bbq sauce."

Seafood platter on the beach.Photo credit Canva

Get fancy or keep it simple with seafood

Seafood lends itself to all kinds of cooking skill levels—if you're careful and know what you're doing. If not, it could be a total disaster. Keeping food safety and proper preparation in mind, the perfect seafood dish could be as simple as chilled shrimp in cocktail sauce or as succulent as a lobster tail dipped in warm, clarified butter.

"My wife insisted she HATED squid - then she had a dish at Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona that wound up being her favorite dish, ever. Our lesson: try things we think we may not like, as it's possible every chef before was having an off night. And be open to great chefs changing your mind!"

"Yes!!! I laugh when people say they are looking for a seafood buffet. Seafood is only good if it cooked in small batches and served fast. The taste of lobster in Maine on those "side of the road" places is second to none! Steamed and served nothing better. Once it gets cold that's it."

"My wife hates seafood but as a kid she only had access to the really bad stuff. It's a shame, because good seafood is one of the greatest things there is imo. Fresh poke in Hawaii, fresh shrimp in Florida and fresh lobster in Maine are possibly the greatest food I have ever eaten."

"Overcooked seafood is a disaster and there are fine lines between under, good, perfect, okay, and disaster. Scallops require a hot pan, fat, and close attention. If you get a nice sear, you’re typically good to go because of carry over - particularly if you baste at the end."

Scarecrow watches over a vegetable garden.Photo credit Canva

Health-conscious people like a daily dose of vegetables

Some people just don't like vegetables. For those who love them, though, the argument usually follows that the haters just haven't had them prepared correctly.

"Anything eggplant-related. So many people insist they hate it until they have it at a good restaurant or have the right dish."

It's one of those vegetables where the texture can be great or awful depending on how it's prepared. When it's good, it's very, very good. When it's bad, it's horrid."

"I couldn't understand why everyone on Reddit seems crazy for roast vegetables and only recently learned they're talking about veggies oil roasted on a tray, not mushy, water-logged, vaguely meat-flavoured "Sunday roast" carrots. Makes so much more sense now.

"I'm not saying there isn't a way to make Brussels sprouts delicious, I cook them all the time. I'm saying covering something in bacon is not a valid recipe for cooking vegetables. It's a pretty obvious sign someone is not a serious cook, they're covering up the flavour of them instead of expanding it."

"I remember my ex-wife being astonished that my stepdaughter was inhaling the Brussels sprouts I made for dinner one time. She said “she’s always hated those!” I asked her how she normally prepared them, and when she started with “first, I open the can,” I just stopped her right there and decided I was going to teach her how to make fresh veggies with good, complementary spices. Turns out, her kid loves vegetables, she just hates canned s*** like the rest of us."

"I liked canned beets. I absolutely love pickled beets, but roasted are infinitely superior. Corn is better frozen, as is chopped spinach, but fresh better still. The only vegetable that is a personal exception is lima beans, which I find vile in every iteration, and even then I had them once where they weren't awful, and I never had that experience again."

How do you prepare your food?

According to a 2025 article in the Journal of Future Foods, new techniques such as sous vide and controlled emulsification give chefs greater control over achieving exact textures and flavors. Staples like boiling vegetables in water are being replaced by new methods, such as steaming. A 2025 study in MDPI found that both techniques had a similar effect on the dietary fiber profiles of vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. For those who prefer the flavor and texture from steaming, science says go for it.

For those curious about even newer tech gadgets entering the kitchen, a 2024 study reported at Cornell University introduced YORI, a dual-arm robot kitchen system. The system doesn't cook things perfectly without the chef, but it shows where cooking precision is heading with technology. Whatever your flavor palate, finding the right preparation method goes a long way toward making choices that offer both tasty meals and healthy options for the holidays and beyond.