Is a cooking class worth it?

Everyone has their own reasons for enrolling in cooking classes, but learning the ins and outs of good cooking in a hands-on setting not only gives you a unique dining experience, but it will also give you the skills and confidence needed to demonstrate your culinary talent with family and friends. If you're into something like a novice, such as a new technique or a new kitchen, cooking classes can be useful.

Is a cooking class worth it?

Everyone has their own reasons for enrolling in cooking classes, but learning the ins and outs of good cooking in a hands-on setting not only gives you a unique dining experience, but it will also give you the skills and confidence needed to demonstrate your culinary talent with family and friends. If you're into something like a novice, such as a new technique or a new kitchen, cooking classes can be useful. But if you have a medium level of cooking skill, most classes probably won't be too useful compared to learning on your own. If you describe your current skill level and your goals, they can tell you if their cooking class is for you and what you can expect to learn.

If you're the type of person who follows a recipe word for word just to get inedible results, it's worth taking a cooking class (or two). However, keep in mind that a class focusing on regional cuisine won't be particularly in-depth, even if it's a weekly class. But if you're weighing the value of a cooking class to you, I'll give you a few things to think about. And I'd rather take a less expensive class from a very solid, non-famous chef than an expensive class from a famous one, unless it's someone I'm a big fan of.

I attended the evening culinary arts classes without wanting to dedicate myself to the restaurant industry, since I know what it's like to work at BOH and FOH, but I wanted to learn how to cook things properly and learn the science behind food. I attended evening culinary arts classes with no desire to enter the restaurant industry, since I know what it's like to work at BOH and FOH, but I wanted to learn how to cook things well and learn the science behind food. Each class is taught by experts in their field, such as celebrity chefs for cooking content, so you know that you're learning from the best. And I would rather take a less expensive class from a very solid, non-famous chef than an expensive class from a famous one, unless it was someone I was a big fan of.

Cooking classes are short courses aimed at amateur amateurs or undergraduate courses aimed at working professionals. Most of these skills (knife skills, timing a chicken) are skills that you can learn through this class or on YouTube and watching cooking shows, but you won't know them without practice. A cooking class can be a great way to familiarize yourself with kitchens that are mostly alien to you. But no matter what the state of our collective public health is, lazy and rainy days, cold winter weekends and holidays are still waiting for us, and your best new way of overeating could be a cooking class that stays with you longer than in any real crime drama or comedy.

The only skills you'll actually learn from class that can normally be applied at home are knife skills, and since you're only preparing a few dishes and preparing broth and a stew is going to take quite a long time (just because they have to cook for a while), you're unlikely to practice MUCH with the knife. According to new research from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, people who cook frequently at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less.

Trisha Dickensheets
Trisha Dickensheets

Wannabe pop culture geek. Music guru. Hipster-friendly twitter nerd. Professional baconaholic. Proud bacon evangelist.