10 Best Online Cooking Classes

There has never been a better time to brush up on your cooking skills. Make the most of being ‘stuck’ indoors by gaining some new knowledge in the kitchen, whether it’s becoming a master baker or an expert in Italian food. The internet has a whole range of virtual cookery classes, from mastering world cuisine to learning with top chefs. There’s a class for everyone, so whether you’re a beginner, an advanced cook with more time on your hands, or looking to get the whole family involved, here are some of the best online cooking classes.

Masterclass

Masterclass is one of the best resources out there. The platform offers online classes on a whole range of subjects, from music and writing, to sports and business. Its selling point is that your tutors are famous people who teach you how they became an expert in that field. There’s a food section where you can learn cooking skills from some of the world’s best chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Massimo Bottura and Yotam Ottolenghi. Each course has up to 20 pre recorded videos that range from 10-30 minutes so you can learn at your own pace. Membership is $15/month billed annually.

Slow Life Good Life

Slow Life Good Life is an online community of South West based chefs, gardeners, experts and producers. Inspired by recent events and uncertain times ahead, the community aims to keep you motivated, well-fed, healthy and more self-reliant. Learn how to make pasta at home with Gill Meller or wander around Trill Farm with Kate Norman and Ashley Wheeler. Cook up gluten free delights with Naomi Devlin or learn how to preserve jam with Pam Corbin. There’s all of that plus a virtual community of others who are self-isolating, home schooling or stuck indoors, plus a weekly live broadcast with a new expert each week. The best part is that it costs just £5 a month (excluding VAT) with profits going towards feeding families and supporting small rural businesses affected by COVID-19.

Delia Online

Here’s your chance to learn to cook from the icon herself. Launched by Delia Smith in 2013, Delia Online is an online cooking school which offers free access to recipes and videos. Step-by-step instructions are clear and precise, and you wouldn’t expect anything less from Delia. The course is divided into five ‘terms’ – cakes, eggs, pastry, bread and rice and pasta. You’ll also learn techniques and basics like how to make a vinaigrette dressing or zesting citrus fruits. Aimed at home cooks of all levels, there’s so much to love about Delia Online.

Learning With Experts

Similar to Masterclass, Learning With Experts offers courses led by experts on a range of topics, including gardening, jewellery, floristry and food and drink. There are plenty of courses to dive into, including cake baking and design, the art of chocolate making, wine appreciation, and foraging and feasting. With no more than 20 students per class, you can share your ideas with classmates around the world, test yourself with assignments and receive feedback from expert tutors. Basic level courses start from £29 but you can upgrade to the expert option for £109 which includes personal feedback from the tutor.

Lorna Wing

If you have bored teenagers in the house, it’s worth signing them up to Lorna Wing’s online cookery course for teenagers. The courses are aimed at tech-savvy teenagers who can send photos of their dishes and receive personalised feedback from Lorna via WhatsApp. The course is designed for teenagers to sign up with their friends and use apps like FaceTime, Zoom and Houseparty to make the cooking experience more interactive. The courses cost £150 for one student or £125 each for two students booking together. For every sign up, Lorna will make a donation to Mind, Wandsworth Foodbank and The Silver Line charities.

Jamie Oliver Cookery School

Who hasn’t heard of Jamie Oliver? The Jamie Oliver Cookery School is based in London and has over 30 classes taught by Jamie’s chefs. Due to the pandemic, the classes have been moved online so wherever you are, you can sign up and get cooking. The live classes are held over Zoom and include a recipe card and prep sheet to help you get prepared. The chefs walk you through the recipe steps and cook along with you, answering any questions you may have. The classes are shared with other students, so you won’t miss out on the classroom vibe. There is a whole range of classes, from Vietnamese street food and South Indian curries, to Mexican street food and Italian favourites. Classes cost £29 per household.

Airbnb Online Experiences

Airbnb offers all kinds of one-of-a-kind experiences, whether it’s music history tours in Cuba or breakfast with alpacas in Australia. There are also countless cooking experiences all around the world. Since the start of the pandemic, Airbnb have moved their experiences online, so you can still join experiences from home. There are plenty of virtual cooking classes with hosts in over 30 countries. You can learn how to hand make pasta with an Italian grandmother, Swedish pastries with a professional baker in Stockholm, or tagine with a Moroccan family. Prices vary according to each class, ranging between $1 and $40 per class.

The Cooking Academy

Based in Hertfordshire, The Cooking Academy teaches people how to prepare and cook food from around the world. The classes are hands-on and taught by expert chefs in a home-from-home kitchen environment. Recently, they have introduced live online classes. There is a large range of classes, including Asian, Spanish, Mediterranean and Indian Vegetarian. Each class lasts around 1.5 hours and includes two dishes to make up a tasty meal. You’ll learn all the tips, cooking tricks and kitchen hacks to help you learn delicious recipes with confidence. Classes cost £39 per person.

Food At 52

At Food At 52, you can sign up to a private cooking class (minimum 8 people) held over Zoom. Each class lasts between 2 – 2.5 hours and there are four menus to choose from: Mexican, Italian, British and Paella. Food At 52 will supply the main ingredients to your doorstep and even deliver one of the iconic Food At 52 denim aprons. Classes cost £40-140 per person (excluding VAT), and depends on the group size, menu, and whether you buy your own ingredients or get them ordered. All you need is a computer, a kitchen and a group of hungry friends!

The Devilled Egg

The Devilled Egg has been running for 10 years now and is full of cookery training videos. It only costs £4 a month or £40 annually, although all the content is currently free due to the pandemic. Learn how to make food from around the world, from seafood and steaks, to pastries and pasta. As well as tutorial videos and recipes, there is also a journal section with food related blog posts and an ‘Ask the Chef’ option for all the cooking questions you may have.

As well as these paid courses, there are plenty of free resources out there. You’ll find a whole host of chefs, cooks and food writers doing Instagram live cookalongs. Another fantastic resource is YouTube where you can find just about any tutorial you want. The PastaGrannies YouTube channel posts videos each Friday where you can watch Italian nonnas in their own homes making traditional pasta dishes and other regional Italian dishes. Babish Culinary Universe is another great channel, which covers all kinds of dishes from around the world. Andrew Rea, the host, explains the utility of each ingredient which is helpful if you want to improvise dishes in the future.

If you are looking to refresh your spice and seasoning cupboard for your new found cooking classes view our range here.