Let’s talk about chefs, baby: Comparing three types of home cooks on recipe use before and during COVID-19

Not everyone comes to the kitchen equally equipped and, as such, does not have the same opportunities for gaining cooking skills, resulting in different taste standards and less healthy food intake. This paper aimed to cluster home cooks based on their ‘cooking capital’, consisting of their incorporated capital (self-reported cooking skills, attitudes, behaviors) and objectivized capital (access to cooking means), and investigate the differences in food-related preferences and behaviors. In total, 19.378 home cooks, older than 26 and living in one of the 38 participating countries, completed an online survey. Two-step clustering was used to create clusters that were then compared on recipe use, bread baking at home, and food intake, both before and during COVID-19. Three segments emerged: low-priority cooks (lowest cooking capital), everyday cooks (middle bracket), and hobby chefs (highest cooking capital). Clusters differed significantly regarding recipe sources, valued recipe aspects, and food intake. Hobby chefs appraised high-capital aspects more (taste, healthiness, sustainability) and reported overall healthier diets. Practical elements (ease, preparation time) were valued highest by low-priority and everyday cooks. During COVID-19, all segments used all recipe sources less frequently; practical ingredient-related variables, tastiness, innovativeness, and health increased in importance for all. Some gaps between clusters on practical and high-capital recipe preferences grew smaller during the pandemic. Implications are made for a segmented communication approach adapted to each cluster of home cooks rather than focusing on upper classes with higher levels of cooking capital.