Broccoli is incredibly nutritious, brimming with vitamins and fibre, yet it remains a divisive vegetable – you either adore it or can't stand it. I firmly belong to the former category, as broccoli ranks amongst my favourite accompaniments and I relish its subtly nutty taste.

That said, I'm always taken aback when people describe broccoli as tasteless or even unpleasant, which made me wonder whether they're simply preparing it incorrectly. There are numerous ways to prepare broccoli: boiling, roasting, or pan-frying it with a generous knob of butter. I set out to test three different cooking techniques to determine whether altering the method could genuinely enhance its flavour.

It is easy to boil broccoli but it can be a little bland and mushy

My approach was straightforward: add a small amount of salt to cold water in a saucepan, place it on medium heat, and cook for four minutes.

This hands-free technique for cooking broccoli was wonderfully convenient, though the outcome left much to be desired.

The broccoli tasted incredibly dull and was frankly tedious to eat. It had also become somewhat soggy, which was thoroughly off-putting and helped me grasp why some individuals genuinely dislike broccoli.

Additionally, it produced an unpleasant sulphurous odour throughout my kitchen, requiring the extractor fan to run extensively to disperse it.

Whilst boiling broccoli is undeniably straightforward, you sacrifice most of the flavour, and I'd much rather invest a bit more effort into alternative cooking methods for a more enjoyable meal.

Rating: 3/10

Stir-frying broccoli can leave it charred and unevenly cooked

Stir-frying broccoli is straightforward: I simply set the hob to medium heat and added a knob of butter to the pan.

I seasoned my broccoli with salt and pepper, tossed it into the pan and cooked it for five minutes. If desired, you could also incorporate garlic, soy sauce or lemon juice for additional flavour.

Pan-cooking broccoli is simple, but it does demand constant attention, as you need to keep stirring it to stop one side from scorching.

It tasted wonderful, with a genuinely rich flavour and a slightly crispy texture. However, despite that extra effort, the broccoli turned out inconsistent, with some charred edges and other sections softer than I'd have liked.

Using a pan to prepare broccoli is acceptable, and certainly superior to boiling it, but the texture wasn't as impressive as I'd anticipated.

Rating: 5/10

Broccoli that has been roasted is really tasty and has a almost nutty-like flavour

To cook broccoli in the oven, I first placed the vegetable in a bowl with oil, salt and pepper. I then arranged the broccoli on a baking tray and allowed it to roast for 15 minutes until the edges started to crisp up.

I'd never cooked broccoli in the oven before, but it's now my absolute favourite method for preparing it.

The broccoli was genuinely crispy and tasted slightly sweet as it had caramelised somewhat in the oven to create these delicious golden-brown edges.

It had the perfect texture as it was tender whilst still retaining a bit of crunch, so it was genuinely satisfying to eat. Roasting broccoli is a breeze, requiring just two minutes of prep time, yet it yields a far more delicious result. It's the ultimate method for creating a nutritious dish that doesn't skimp on taste.

Rating: 10/10