Learning how to make dumplings or teaching yourself the fundamentals of knife skills is as easy as logging in from our home kitchen. Read more about our picks for the best online cooking classes.
Best Online Cooking Classes of 2022
Best Overall: America’s Test Kitchen Best Free Class: Better Homes and Gardens’ How to Cook Best for Beginners: The Kitchn Cooking School Best for Vegans: Veecoco Best for Culturally Immersive Cooking: The League of Kitchens Best for Private Cooking Classes: The Table Less Traveled Best for Groups: 18 Reasons Best for Kids: Home Cooking New York
ProsWide selection of over 320 coursesTeaches fundamentals and the science behind recipesCan speak one-on-one with instructors ConsHard to find prices on the website America’s Test Kitchen is known for not only testing and presenting the best recipes, but also explaining the underlying technique and science of why the recipe works. Its online cooking school carries this principle forward by showing you how to make the recipe and explaining why you are doing it, how to avoid pitfalls and mistakes, as well as why certain ingredients are used in the dish. Not only will you end up learning how to make the recipe, but you’ll be able to take that experience and build from it to become a better cook overall. With over 320 courses, you can skim the surface and learn basic techniques or dive in deep and really get to know cuisines and the recipes. Beyond that, you can upload images of your attempt at the recipe so you can track your progress as you learn and get better with experience. You can also consult with an instructor via a private messaging system to get personal feedback. ProsCovers everything from basic to advanced skillsEasy-to-understand, downloadable charts for cookingExtra information like tips and equipment suggestionsFree ConsCourses are not linearWebsite architecture can be confusing Better Homes and Gardens is known for its signature red and white checkerboard-covered cookbook that lives in practically every kitchen in America. Its How to Cook series is a great free resource for learning everything about food. From boiling potatoes to cooking a steak, this warm and approachable set of posts breaks down all the steps. The series has an extensive collection of posts ranging from basic skills for the kitchen, cooking with fruits and vegetables, cooking with meat and poultry, food safety, and preserving and canning. One of our favorites sections is a series of downloadable PDF cooking charts to ensure you cook your steak to your preferred wellness, an explanation of different types of fish, how to shop for produce, and more. Print it out and keep it on your fridge or next to your stove for easy access. ProsCovers knife skills, techniques, plating, and planningLinear, an easy-to-follow courseFree ConsDoesn’t go in-depth on any topic If you’re kitchen curious but don’t want to invest any money (other than the cost of ingredients and your time), The Kitchn’s Cooking School is a great place to start because it’s absolutely free. Expect to learn the basics and fundamentals like knife skills, how to cook an egg, and how to make stock. Once you’ve mastered those, move on to pasta, grains, meat, fish, and dessert. Finish it off with a lesson on plating and how to make your dish look Instagram- and Pinterest-worthy. The class lessons are written in a blog post accompanied by a short video for each lesson. The blog posts give a detailed explanation of the information for the lesson and provide a list of equipment you might want and recipes that will work with the lesson. The posts also have short assignments, ranging from 15 minutes (reading and watching the video) to 30 minutes and even longer “stretch” assignments. With plenty of tips and information, this set of courses is a great intro to cooking. ProsWide range of courses, from basic to advancedAccess to private Facebook group ConsInconsistent pricing structure For those who are just starting out eating vegan, it can be a bit daunting and overwhelming. All the food you can’t eat seems to stand in the way of making a meal. Veecoco flips the script and shows you all the amazing food you can eat by exploring the plant-based diet through a lens of cuisines from around the world. With 23 courses (and growing) and over 800 lessons, Veecoco is a great cooking school for those who are already cooking and eating vegan but are stuck in a rut. You’ll learn recipes inspired by German, Japan, Korea, Italy, Thailand, and more. Focused courses like Swiss chocolate, vegan cheese, and raw food means you can flex and expand your culinary repertoire even more. And when you have questions about vegan cooking, you can ask in the private Facebook group that Veecoco maintains. Not only does this allow you to get an extra level of personalized learning, but you can meet other folks in the community who are learning and taking classes along with you. The cost is $127 per course, while a 12-month membership for all courses is $297 upfront or $35 per month. ProsClasses taught by home cooksCultural importance for each dish is highlightedLive classes means immediate feedback ConsClasses are scheduled on Eastern time You know immediately the sort of class you are signing up for when you read The League of Kitchen’s tagline: “Cook with Grandmas from Around the World.” Friendly and knowledgeable women are the instructors of each workshop. They not only understand the recipes and traditional food they are making, but also the cultural background and importance of the food and its place in their own history. Pick from a wide range of cuisine types, including Russian, Mexican, Indian, Uzbek, Persian, and more. Expect to learn more than just the cuisine as well, with each instructor talking about their country and culture as well as the sort of casual tips and tricks that typically a grandmother would pass on to her grandchild. This is storytelling through food and culinary travel in the comfort of your own home. The classes are well organized and run, with two different cameras: one focusing on the instructor, and one on the prep area or stove. The instructor also has an assistant who helps make sure the class is running smoothly and troubleshoots any issues. And because it is done live, you not only get to know the instructor but also the other participants as well, leading to one of the best online experiences that mimic in-person classes. Classes start at a reasonable $60 per device. ProsInstructors teach from their countrySome price tiers have recipe kits and ingredientsCustomizable by menu, diet, and skill level ConsCan get expensive The Table Less Traveled initially organized culinary tours around the world, including places like Malaysia, Peru, Italy, and Japan. It has since pivoted to online classes using its tour guides and international chefs as instructors. Much like its small group culinary tours, these private cooking classes are led by international chefs in their home countries, teaching the traditional dishes of their culture. There are three different tiered prices for the classes, starting at $600 for up to five screens. The middle tier ($790 for up to 20 screens) and higher-tiered ($1,350 with unlimited attendees) classes have an option to have recipe kits shipped to participants, with pre-measured and prepped ingredients, making cooking along easy for those who are less experienced in the kitchen. Because you’re working directly with The Table Less Traveled to organize the private class, the organization can customize the menu to accommodate dietary restrictions, design a menu for appropriate skill sets, and select the best times for participants in different time zones. ProsSpecific classes geared toward kids onlyClasses suitable for familiesRecipes, instructions are geared toward home cooks ConsOnly live; no option to view class on-demand Home Cooking New York offers classes targeted specifically toward kids as well as some that are suitable for kids as well as adults, making it fun for the whole family. One of the standouts for the is the cooking camp, a week-long discovery of food for kids aged 10 to 15. With meals like spinach-feta spanakopita, crepes, and mango lassis, the rotating menu explores different cuisines. Family-focused classes include the Weekend Baking Club that’s inspired by “The Great British Bake Off” TV show, where the entire family can join in on the fun by making desserts like fruit hand pies and confetti cake with vanilla buttercream. Classes are limited to 12 households, so you get plenty of personal attention as well.
How Do Online Cooking Classes Work?
Online cooking classes operate in two different ways. You can read written blog posts and watch pre-recorded videos that explain the recipe and the technique you wish to learn, or you can log in via a video conference app and learn in real-time from chefs and teachers. The latter allows for personalized attention and interactive questions and answers.
What Do You Learn in an Online Cooking Class?
Classes vary, but you can learn everything from basic knife skills to more advanced recipes or specific cuisines like vegan cooking, Thai food, and others. Beyond that, you can meet other folks who are interested in cooking and also learn about the culture and heritage of a dish.
How Much Do Online Cooking Classes Cost?
Prices will vary for each course and class. Some, like The Kitchn cooking school and Better Homes and Gardens, are free. Others charge by class or device. Other courses are designed as a subscription model, allowing you to access all the courses and classes for one fee.
Methodology
We carefully researched numerous articles, scanned reviews, and consulted with cooking instructors and cooking students to find the best criteria for what makes a successful online class. We opted to highlight a wide range of classes and courses that suit everyone’s needs, whether it’s a free course that you can do on your own, a budget-friendly lesson for your family and kids, or a luxury couples class.
