A new survey commissioned by a premium food supplier reveals that as many as three out of four Americans are ‘clueless’ about cooking. That’s harsh. But it’s based on what poll respondents said about themselves…
Who’s behind the survey?
That would be The Linz Shop. And they make no bones about their place in the Beef World: “What started back in 1963 as a small, family-owned butcher shop on the south side of Chicago has evolved into the country’s premier independent meat purveyor.”
As the company is proud to report, Linz Heritage Angus Beef is shipped to prestige restaurants across the US, and exported to 16 foreign countries.
What they did
The Linz people commissioned ‘an analysis of Google search terms related to basic cooking skills’ to come up with a picture of the State of Culinary Expertise in America. The results surprised – even shocked – folks, including food-sector veterans.
What they found
In the interests of efficiency, we herewith list the survey report’s key findings:
- More than half of Americans (54 percent) admit they are not proficient in the kitchen
- Nearly one in five (20 percent) describe themselves as ‘beginner’ cooks
- One in three (33 percent) have received negative feedback about their cooking skills
- More than one-quarter (28 percent) are embarrassed by their cooking skills
- Three in four (75 percent) have failed ‘miserably’ at cooking a meal
- Among married respondents, 31 percent said their spouse is not a good cook
- …And more than half of those (57 percent) have opted not to reveal that to their spouse
- 35 percent say they won’t ever try to become a good cook…
The worst cooks…
The data mining analysis also produced a ranking of what the Linz people call the nation’s ‘Cities With The Most Clueless Cooks’.
At the (inescapably ignominious) top of the list came…
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Seattle, Washington
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Lubbock, Texas
- Portland, Oregon
- Austin, Texas
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Nashville, Tennessee
The best cooks…
Overall, the survey confirmed there are clueless cooks in every corner of America. But the most skilled and confident cooks were tellingly found across a wide variety of geographical locations and societal demographics:
Note: The following list is ordered by increasing number, with the highest numbers indicating the cities with the fewst incompetent cooks…
41. Kansas City, Missouri
42. Washington, DC
43. El Paso, Texas
44. San Antonio, Texas
45. Boston Massachusetts
46. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
47. San Francisco, California
48. Sacramento, California
49. Lincoln, Nebraska
50. New Orleans, Louisiana
My take
The 2024 Clueless Cooks Report is a real eye-opener. And it contains many more compelling facts and figures than I have time or space to relay here. Be sure to click over to it, and settle in with a fresh cuppa for a really fascinating read!
~ Maggie J.