4 Ways to Start Learning How to Cook

I know plenty of people who’ve made it to 25 and over without ever cooking a proper meal. And hey, without cup ramen and microwaveable pizza, most of us probably wouldn’t have survived college. Because in between cramming for a midterm and trying to eek our 10 pages for a term paper, learning how to cook doesn’t even make it onto the priority list. In fact, I have plenty of friends who go on to graduate, enter the workforce, and still never pick up a sauté pan.

At some point however, whether it’s the desire to eat healthier, the need to get our monthly food budget under control, or simply the natural progression to becoming actual adults and cook for ourselves, many young adults begin looking for ways to learn how to cook. It’s not always easy, but it’s pretty fun and definitely worth the effort. Here are four great ways to get the cooking started.

Get a Cookbook

We start out with the most common way most people try and learn how to cook. There are a wide variety of cookbooks on the market that are easy to find and relatively inexpensive guides to begin your culinary journey. There are even cookbooks especially designed for beginners, teaching them basic techniques through simple recipes. The one drawback is that you are never guaranteed that a cookbook will work for you, or that you will be able to follow the instructions without hands on guidance. When you are just starting out, make sure to read reviews and find a good beginner volume that works for you, without too many tricky techniques, jargon, or requiring expensive tools.

Learn from your Mom

Or Dad, or sibling, or grandparent. Whoever got the cooking gene in your family. Probably the best, least expensive, and most fun way to learn how to cook. You get some family bonding time and maybe even secret recipes to boot. Nothing is better than learning hands on, and spending time with family in the kitchen can be an easy, stress free way to dive into cooking. Plus, you probably already know what recipes run in your family, and can start learning by requesting your favorites.

Take a Cooking Class

Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with family members that are great cooks. If cooking simply doesn’t run in your family, then a cooking class is a good place to turn to for sage advice. Having a professional chef teach is a great way to fast track your way to dinner party star. Just be careful, cooking classes can be expensive, running from a few hundred to thousands of dollars depending on the instructor and length of the course. Plus, you’ll have to fit in regular classes into your busy social schedule.

Find a Cooking Instructor Online

If you don’t feel like shelling out thousands of dollars just so you can learn to feed yourself, and your mom can’t even boil pasta without making a mess, then you’re in luck, Thanks to the gig economy, webcams, and the internet, it’s easier than ever to find someone to offer lessons online. Platforms like Konversai features freelance instructors from all over the world who can help you perfect one particular dish, plan an entire party menu, or teach you enough to make your own salad. Plus, since these classes are conducted on webcam, you can learn in the comfort of your home, and schedule classes when they fit your life. These classes also cost way less than regular cooking classes, and you get to meet and connect with interesting teachers hailing from all sorts of destinations. That’s what I call winner winner chicken dinner.