Photo by Minaxibose1992. Wikimedia Commons.

10 Best Cooking classes in New York City


 

Adding to your list of skills is never a bad idea. Well, in my amateur opinion, everyone should know how to cook for themselves. A home-cooked meal is a great date idea to impress your visitors or a loved one. Whether you’re a newbie who’s clueless in the kitchen or a home cook looking to learn a new technique, check out these cooking classes in NYC.

These kitchen classrooms offer a range of courses, from basic knife skills to pasta-making 101 to butchering. Tackle classic Italian fare, brush up on your pie-baking skills, learn how to properly sear a steak or dive into the details of sausage-making. You’ll be well-equipped to make a meal at home after taking one of these classes. Here are the 10 of the best cooking classes in New York City.

1. Institute of Culinary Education

Photo by Benreis. Wikimedia Commons.

The Institute of Culinary Education is legendary. Not only do they have 1,500 classes every year, but they have loads of kitchens to work from. You’ll never be battling for elbow room.

Students can learn to cook everything from dim sum to surf and turf here, but beginners might want to start with a basic knife skills course. Practice your slicing, dicing, chopping, julienning and other knife cuts to help grow into the most impressive, efficient and safe chef that you can be.

Location: 225 Liberty St New York 10281

2. Eataly

Revered chef Lidia Bastianich curated the classes here herself, which means that both the content and the food is top-notch.

Hands-on classes include making fresh gnocchi or Italian cheeses, while observation classes encompass topics like the history and techniques of savory baked pasta. Afterwards, shop the store for all the amazing ingredients to cook at home.

Location: 200 Fifth Ave New York 10010

3. CocuSocial

Believe it or not, making your own sushi actually isn’t that difficult. Procuring sushi-grade fish is probably the hardest part—and luckily, the instructors at CocuSocial will take care of that for you.

All that you have to do is layer the ingredients, roll ‘em up into tasty maki rolls and eat them, of course. CocuSocial classes feature a wide variety of experiences that are held in semiprivate spaces such as restaurants and hotels. Capacity ranges from 12 to 28 people, with a 21-year age minimum. Classes generally last two-and-a-half hours.

Location: Flexible – check their schedule online

4. Taste Buds Kitchen

If the thought of cooking with a big-wig chef makes you weak at the knees, opt for a more laid-back cooking class like the BYOB options at Taste Buds Kitchen. Thanks to an easygoing attitude and casual environment, these classes feel more like cooking in a friend’s kitchen than formal training.

Watch attentively as the instructor demonstrates the proper technique for making fresh pasta, then replicate the steps at your personal cooking station. At the end of class, you’ll share a feast of homemade ravioli and fettuccine with your fellow students—and wash it down with plenty of wine, of course.

Location: Chelsea, Manhattan 109 W 27th St 10th Fl Btwn 7th & 6th Avenues New York, New York 10001

5. Ample Hills Creamery

Photo by Ella Olsson. Wikimedia Commons.

Maybe the ice cream you make at home always ends up more ice cube–like than, well, creamy. Beloved parlor Ample Hills teaches dairy lovers the delicious basics, from making your own base to churning it in an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream maker. Tastings are included, of course.

Location: 623 Vanderbilt Ave Brooklyn 11238

6. L’École Valrhona Brooklyn

Chocoholics can take their addictions to the next level with classes held at Valrhona’s new Dumbo kitchen.

Aside from learning how to actually make chocolate, students can also take courses in sweet studies like Caramel 101, Choux Pastry 101 (where you learn how to make éclairs and profiteroles) and even a seminar on the best Italian desserts like tiramisu and chocolate rum cake. And since each course is taught by a working pastry chef, you know you’re getting top-notch instruction.

Location: 222 Water St New York 11201

7. Mille-Feuille Bakery

Photo by Tomás Del Coro. Wikimedia Commons.

Want international fame and notoriety for being the brains behind one of the most delicious franken-desserts this century (cronut, we’re looking at you)? Well, first you’re going to have to start at the bottom – and make sure it’s not a soggy one!

The chefs at Mille-Feuille Bakery in Greenwich Village will help you with all the essentials to get you going on a path to pastry righteousness. In just over two hours you’ll learn how to make croissant dough from scratch (lots of butter and layering involved), resulting in 15 chocolate and almond crescents that you can take home to show off to kith and kin.

Each class is taught by a French-born chef who introduces you to the fine-honed skills of pastry baking: you learn, you have fun, and you leave with your very own delicious creations!

Location: 552 Laguardia Pl New York 10012 (212) 533-4698

8. Abigail’s Kitchen

Chef-owner Abigail Hitchcock invites adults into her restaurant kitchen for hands-on instruction. Guests build confidence by prepping ingredients and doing the sautéing and searing, making it all less of a chore.

Hitchcock is also a certified sommelier, so her wine-tasting sessions provide the groundwork for intelligently perusing wine lists and wine shops. Most classes are limited to 10 students and are about three-and-a-half hours long.

Location: 193 Henry Street New York NY 10002

9. Cozymeal

Cozymeal is good for anyone eager to refine their cooking skills and tackle step-by-step instructions to help create a restaurant-quality dish or master a five-course meal, if that’s of interest. Classes are led by a vetted chef.

Cozymeal is also popular as a corporate team-building activity. Classes are hosted at various approved locations, such as commercial venues around the City (or in a private home), depending on the chef, and can accommodate 2 to 40-plus people. The menu and price range dictate the duration, but classes usually run two to three hours.

Location: Flexible – check their schedule online

10. De Gustibus Cooking School

Photo by FranHogan. Wikimedia Commons.

This culinary theater on the eighth floor of Macy’s Herald Square hosts audiences of up to 60 at long communal tables. Visiting chefs perform multicourse cooking demos that are also projected on large screens.

Demonstrations are two-and-a-half hours long; hands-on instructional classes (limited to 25 students) are three hours. Interactive discussion is encouraged in all classes and attendees are offered samplings, wine tastings and recipes to take home. Select classes are held at the chef’s restaurant. Reservations are required for all.

Location: 151 W 34th St., New York, NY 10001, United States

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