Here at Food Network, our conversations tend to have a common theme – food. We all share some of the things we like to eat, and some of the things we don't, but every now and then we hear something that we haven't heard before. Almost everyone has at least one unpopular opinion about food; these are just some of the ones we discovered from our own staff.

1. This War Against Chocolate Desserts

“Chocolate desserts are overrated. All respect to good-quality chocolate itself, but chocolate sweets – you know, brownies, birthday cake, ice cream – are always inferior to their vanilla counterparts. Vanilla desserts show off the quality of the ingredients and the cook’s techniques and care. Long live the slightly melty vanilla-bean-flecked scoop of ice cream (in a cup, not a cone). Unpopular x 2!”

- Deb Puchalla, SVP, Food Network Video & Programming

2. A Little Staleness Never Hurt Anyone 🤷‍♀️

“I love stale snacks. Pretzels left out overnight? Give them to me with some yellow mustard and I’m a happy gal 😊.”

- Danielle Strain, Culinary Production

3. But How Do You Live Without This?! 💔

“I don’t like coffee. And by that, I mean that I cannot STAND the taste of coffee. I’ve given it a try, I really have. I’ve tried every coffee concoction in the book, but I just can’t get on board. This goes for all coffee-flavored foods and drinks. Coffee ice cream? Nope. Chocolate-covered espresso beans? Nuh-uh. Let’s just say that if you see me sucking down a caramel or vanilla whatever, I’m suffering through the pain for some much-needed caffeine.”

- Allison Underhill, Editorial Assistant, Snapchat Discover

4. At Least Someone Loves Salads

“Call me crazy, but I have to admit that salads are one of my favorite foods. Toppings are the star of the show for me and a homemade dressing does wonders for any salad! Plus, I love how easy salads are to make at home – mix and match anything you have in your kitchen to make an EPIC combo!”

- Gabriela Rodiles, Social Media Manager

5. Who Knew A Flake of Salt Could Stir Up So Many Emotions?

“Stop putting salt on my chocolate chip cookies: Seeing home bakers and chefs alike shower chocolate chip cookies with flaky salt drives me crazy. Stop the madness. When I want a chocolate chip cookie it’s because I’m craving something sweet - not a sweet/savory hybrid. My dislike is twofold: first is that flaky salt is very powerful and even two small flakes adds a big hit of salinity, yet most people shower their cookies as if it’s something mild. Second is that it’s just not necessary. Culture has brainwashed so many people that the cookie will be bland or lacking if not covered in salt. A good cookie recipe should have the appropriate hit of salt in the cookie dough itself where it can fully integrate into the dessert. So while it makes me unpopular, I keep that box of Maldon as far away from my cookies as possible.”

- Melissa Gaman, Recipe Developer

6. But How Can You Not Love This Dessert...?

“I think rice pudding is the best dessert to ever grace this Earth. Am I an old lady trapped in a 20-something-year-old’s body? Why yes, yes I am. Nothing embodies comfort to me more than scooping up a spoonful of this cool, smooth and slightly chewy cinnamon and rice GOOP. I could eat it for days. I would eat it every day if I could.”

- Maggie Wong, Associate Editor, Snapchat Discover

7. When You Love Mayo TOO MUCH

“I. Love. Mayonnaise. I love it in a cold pasta salad with tuna. I love it in a creamy spinach dip. I love it in a crunchy coleslaw. The only thing I craved when I was pregnant, much to my husband’s repulsion, is what I like to call a ‘mayonnaise sandwich:’ sliced bread slathered with mayo. A lot of people are quick to voice their hatred for mayonnaise, but how would party-perfect deviled eggs be without mayo? Not as rich and creamy, my friend. You can also thank mayonnaise for making a chocolate cake super moist and delicious. Honestly, the world would be a much sadder place without mayo.”

- Meghan Cole, Associate Editor

8. When Tuna Actually? Isn't? Music To Your Ears?

“I HATE Canned Tuna Fish. I hate the smell, the way it sounds when people chew it (the sound is horrible), and most importantly, I hate it when someone brings it on a plane. This also goes for egg salad. As you can tell, I’ve been wanting to vent about this.”

- Dave Mechlowicz, Director of Culinary Production

9. When You Realize There's More Candy For You 🤷‍♀️

“Confession: I LOVE Dots. Yup, the super-chewy candy you used to try to trade away at Halloween as a kid; it’s my favorite. Whenever I first break into a bag of fun-sized boxes, I leave it open in the pantry for a couple of days. This lets the candy dry out a little and get extra chewy. (I know. Weird.) It never occurred to me that my love of Dots might be unique until I shared it with my boyfriend who immediately reacted with, “Wait, no one actually likes those!” I’ll admit, I don’t know anyone in my life who loves Dots, let alone likes them, as much as I do. But come Halloween, I’m the happiest trick-or-treater around.”

- T.K. Brady, Digital Editor

10. When You Have To Start Keeping Secrets From Your Own Family 👀

“Please, no judgement: I’m just going to say it; I eat SpaghettiOs straight out of the can. That’s right, no bowl, no microwave, no heating at all actually. Straight from the can, with a spoon, while standing at my kitchen counter. As an Italian-American I keep this secret close for fear of familial judgement, but I can’t hide it anymore! (Even better if there are meatballs involved!)”

- Tina Weber, Executive Producer

11. When You Can’t See Why Everything *Has* to Be Homemade

“I recently shared with our team that I think bouillon cubes are great, which was met with some surprise. Please hear me out. First thing’s first: of course homemade stock is delicious. No one is saying otherwise. It’s just that the chicken bones that you need to save for the stock take up so much freezer space! So does the stock itself. Oh you’re not making it, you’re buying? Say goodbye to pantry space, especially if you’re hoping to cook more than 2 to 4 servings of soup. Additionally, an entire box of bouillon cubes is usually LESS THAN HALF of what ONE QUART of chicken stock costs. Come on people! Is it a different kind of delicious than homemade stock? Sure, but delicious nonetheless. If you have limited pantry space, freezer space, or a grocery budget, bouillon cubes are the way to go.”

- Larisa Alvarez, Managing Culinary Producer, Food Network and Discovery Digital Studios

12. Why Ruin a Good Cheese Slice?

“I am so not on board with the “roni-cup” pizza trend. I would never order pepperoni on a pizza first of all, especially when it’s an assault of gritty overcooked cured meat cups. The masterful bind of fat and meat becomes broken and the fat leaches out. It completely overpowers the sublime balance of dough, tomatoes and cheese. No wonder people associate pizza with heartburn!”

- Alexis Pisciotta, Recipe Developer

13. Say GOODBYE to This Trend

“NO MORE RAINBOW UNICORN!!!

…And no more Red Velvet! Chocolate cake is great, why muck it up with all that red dye??”

- Robert Bleifer, Executive Chef, VP Culinary

Related Links:

Food Network Editors' 50 Favorite Groceries

Food Network Staffers' Must-Have Kitchen Organization Products

10 Smart Kitchen Habits of Highly Organized People