How Long Does it Take to Learn Basic Cooking?

The answer to this question is not a simple or neat one. You could spend a few days or a week watching videos online, cooking shows on television, reading cookbooks, and memorizing a few recipes, and claim to know how to cook. But if you’ve yet to cook something successfully more than a couple of times, you probably haven’t learned what you think you’ve learned. 

Learning to cook depends on several factors. If you’re a quick study, then you may learn basic cooking in a relatively short amount of time, but if you find it challenging, then cooking may as well be like learning to speak Klingon. Whether you choose to learn from a teacher in a culinary classroom or studio or from videos online can also affect the length of time it takes to learn. Everyone’s journey is going to be different and without persistent practice in the kitchen, cooking will likely take a lot longer to master. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn basic cooking and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Basic Cooking? 

Cooking of any kind is at its core defined as the preparation of food using heat. Of all the ways humans use heat, cooking just might be one of the most vital uses. People have been cooking for so long that no one knows when it truly began. Not long after humans harnessed the power of fire, cooking began its steady evolution becoming more and more nuanced and exciting. 

The earliest form of cooking was likely the roasting of spitted meats over an open flame. At some point in the Neolithic period, pottery was introduced, and cooking vessels came into use, which allowed for other forms of food preparation. During the Paleolithic period, there were some cultures that were steaming food inside of wet leaves. 

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Nowadays, there are many techniques to cook food, and just as many kinds of vessels in which to cook them. Now chefs can roast, bake, fry, saute, and sous vide their food to prepare it for consumption. Cooking happens over open flames, microwaves, and pressure cookers. Each method creates different textures and makes for a different dining experience. In fact, cooking often looks different according to culture. Ingredients, flavors, and cooking utensils may differ, but there are still basic cooking techniques at work.

Benefits of Learning Basic Cooking?

Learning to cook comes with some great perks. In fact, the benefits of knowing how to cook far outweigh that of not knowing. One of the more valuable benefits is being able to create healthier dishes that will nourish your body and your mind. You’ll be able to control the amount of salt, sugar, and heat, as well as swap ingredients to better match your dietary restrictions or choices. Eating should be what you want it to be, and when you know how to do it for yourself, you can have it your way with the quality of ingredients you desire. 

Another bonus to learning how to cook is saving money. It costs a lot more money to dine out than it does to cook at home. The cost of dining out includes overhead costs like labor, wages, rent, and convenience. In addition to saving some money, you’ll be able to put some of those savings into hosting dinner parties for families and friends. Social gatherings that feature your culinary styling will be a way to strengthen bonds, learn new recipes, and relieve some stress. 

Cooking is relaxing unless you have hungry children breathing down your neck. The act of preparing a meal or a dish allows you to focus on that task, organize your steps and process, and put intention into what you’ll be eating. The rhythmic chopping and stirring can be meditative in many ways. The aromas that come from the pot are somewhat soul-cleansing. It’s a full-body experience that allows you to use all of your many senses.

Average Time It Takes to Learn Basic Cooking

On average, it takes someone about 18 months to two years to complete a formal culinary school education and become a classically trained chef. But if you’re looking to become a home chef that knows the tenets of basic cooking, this time frame will likely be much shorter for you. It could be as little as a few days or as long as a couple of months.

There is no one size fits all answer to the length of time it takes to learn basic cooking. For some, the time that it takes to complete a basic cooking course, whether it’s a few hours or a six-week bootcamp, is sufficient. For others, a class may need to be repeated or quite a bit more practice involved. Learning how to cook can be as simple as mastering one dish at a time. Typically, there are several cooking techniques highlighted in any one meal, so you’ll be able to practice several skills at once.

It will undoubtedly take time to learn basic cooking. Just how much time that will be rests on you and your level of commitment to master the skill. And once you’ve gotten good at the basics, you’ll be ready to tackle more advanced techniques. There’s a lot to learn regarding cooking and it’s an open-ended topic that allows for lifetime learning. There will always be new ways to use ingredients and combine flavors, so if you find yourself really drawn to cooking, you’ll be learning for the rest of your life.

Other Factors

There are a lot of factors that will impact the length of time it takes to learn basic cooking. Things like the amount of time you have to practice cooking, your learning method, and learning time will all play a role in how long it takes to advance a cook.

Your Learning Speed

Some people can easily learn how to cook because they’re a quick study or because they have some prior experience in the kitchen. There are individuals that have to put a lot more thought and effort into learning how to cook. Everyone learns skills at their own speed, and how fast or slow you pick up basic cooking does not inform your culinary prowess. Your ability to follow directions and adapt to conditions as they present themselves is also going to impact your learning speed.

Practice Time

The amount of time you’re willing to devote to getting in the kitchen and practicing the skill will play a major role in how long it takes you to master basic cooking. Being persistent with the recipes and skills that you’re learning in class will help you to improve your skill and get you more comfortable in the kitchen. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Rushed meals often suffer in some aspects, so be patient while you’re practicing your craft.

It’s okay if you only have time to focus on 30-minute meals. That means that in time, you’re going to be really good at those quick meals. And if you have time to work on your cooking skills every weekend, you’ll also progress. Since most people eat multiple times a day, you have more time than you may realize to practice. Of course, every day won’t involve five course meals, but even cooking steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast is cooking practice.

Your Chosen Method

How you choose to learn basic cooking is up to you, but the method you choose can greatly lengthen or speed up the time it takes to learn how to cook. Although this isn’t always true, self-paced learning tends to take a while, especially if you have a busy or demanding schedule and you’re fitting in cooking wherever you can. Live online classes and workshops are a good tool to progress your learning and cooking skills because you’ll have the ability to get feedback in real-time and ask questions for clarity and curiosity. Traditional in-person classes are more widely accepted as the fastest and more thorough way to learn cooking because they allow students to get both practical and theoretical training under the eye of a trained professional.

Prior Knowledge

Chances are that if an adult in your family allowed you to watch them prepare meals, you probably have some idea of what cooking looks like and how much work goes into cooking a tasty meal. You may, in fact, have a couple of basic cooking techniques like boiling and toasting already in your culinary repertoire. Being able to draw upon previous kitchen experience may help to make some kitchen concepts easier to learn, or allow you to put less effort into practicing them successfully.

What to Know Before Learning Basic Cooking 

Before you begin learning basic cooking there are some things you want to know. The cost of learning is likely one of your first questions. There is no one answer to the cost of learning how to cook. The learning method you choose and the educational facility you choose will make a big difference in the cost. An accredited culinary school will cost more than an experiential or recreational culinary studio. Apprenticing allows you to earn as you learn with on-the-job training. 

You may also be concerned about whether or not you’re qualified to learn basic cooking and if there are any prerequisites to learning. The short answer is that there are no prerequisites to taking on basic cooking, and that novice cooks of all levels are qualified to learn how to cook. 

The level of difficulty of any culinary class or program will be specified by the educational entity. Some programs are tailored specifically to novices and beginning chefs, while others are created for home cooks. These programs want participants to succeed and the degree of difficulty will be clearly defined so that no one is blindsided by the course content.

Can I Learn Basic Cooking for Free / on My Own?

Yes, absolutely, you can learn basic cooking for free. You don’t have to attend any formal courses or workshops or recreational classes— you can learn on your own. There are lots of professional self-taught chefs who are making big waves in the culinary world. Cookbooks from your local library, online videos, cooking blogs, and cooking with family and friends are all perfectly acceptable ways to learn basic cooking. And as previously stated, cooking is an open-ended field, where there is always more to learn, and consistent practice is in your best interest if you truly want to become a good cook. 

Key Takeaways

• Cooking is an ages-old practice that has evolved over the many centuries and has sustained generation after generation. 
• Learning how to cook is a life skill that comes with many benefits, including saving money, relieving stress, and improving and strengthening social bonds with others.
• Factors affecting how long it takes to learn basic cooking include your method of learning, your prior kitchen knowledge, and your learning speed.
• It doesn’t have to cost a lot to learn basic cooking. But if your learning style requires hands-on instruction, cooking classes are your best option for success.
• If you’re interested in learning more basic cooking skills and techniques, contact CourseHorse to learn more about in-person and online educational opportunities as well as private group sessions.