The 7 best YouTube channels for learning how to cook

That's great if you've already invested in being a home cook, but it's a massive learning experience for most people. So, where to start?!
Thankfully, like so many disciplines in modern life, YouTube has countless instructional videos dedicated to teaching cooking skills.
Here are the best channels to start with.
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Three meals per day, seven times each week?

That's a ton of cooking for anyone, but it's an especially tough burden on the millions of people who consider themselves novices in the kitchen.

Rather than looking at it as a battle, though, there's another way: Now is likely the best opportunity you'll ever have to learn how to really nail your favorite foods. The time has finally come to learn how to make perfect chicken parm. Finally!

The best way to get there, of course, is by going back to foundations. And there's where the YouTube channels below come in: These are the best channels we've found for learning everything from how to break down a chicken to how to turn that chicken into a delicious stock, and much more!

1. Bon Appetit

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Despite Bon Apptit's reputation (in some circles) as a highfalutin food publication aimed at decorous chefs, the magazine's video arm on YouTube is full of excellent, approachable videos that run the gamut from instructional to silly to yes the occasionally fancy aside.

There's a good reason why Bon Apptit is still relevant more than 60 years after its founding: Because its writers and editors really know food, and know how to present cooking in a way that's approachable.

Perhaps you've already heard all the hubbub about BA's YouTube channel ? It's kind of a big deal lately. In short, it's full of delightfully modern and smart programs that feel like a modern update to the Food Network shows that no doubt inspired them, and they're hosted by equally affable hosts.

Where to begin? Start here:

2. Food52

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Ever buy a cookbook from your favorite restaurant, but never actually make any of those recipes?

Well, first and foremost: Welcome to the party. Nearly everyone is here.

But also, now is the perfect time to finally dig in and make Momofuku's Bo Ssam. But perhaps you're looking for some inspiration, and maybe a demonstration of how it's done first?

Look no further than Food52 , which regularly recreates popular dishes from famous restaurants (and the cookbooks those restaurants publish).

Where to begin? Start here:

3. Munchies, from Vice

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Munchies is kind of like the exact opposite vibe of Bon Apptit, with a focus on chefs and attitude over more traditional "stand and stir" shows.

That said, Munchies is full of useful cooking techniques that are aimed at helping home cooks.

In particular, Munchies' culinary director Farideh Sadeghin's "The Cooking Show" is full of both over-the-top recipes and genuinely helpful information. Though her recipes sometimes fall more into the novelty side of things, and the show's format is a bit... loose, the tips you'll pick up along the way are worth it.

Where to begin? Start here:

4. "Binging with Babish" & "Basics with Babish"

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Andrew Rea is the host of "Binging with Babish" and "Basics with Babish" two excellent shows on his YouTube cookingchannel .

He's appeared on late-night talk shows and daytime TV. It's entirely possible you've already heard of his channel, but you might not realize it's much more than re-creating dishes from movies and TV.

Yes, "Binging with Babish" focuses on adapting foods from pop culture, which sounds fluffy but is surprisingly dense with useful cooking information. His take on Spaghetti Carbonara from "Master of None," for instance, demonstrates how to make pasta from scratch,among many other useful techniques.

"Basics with Babish," however, is even better for learning how to cook.

It's the kind of basics-focused cooking show that reinforces crucial foundational aspects of cooking that you'll need for the rest of your life. Ever wondered why some sauces are better for certain dishes than others? His episode on sauces will answer your questions and more!

Where to begin? Start here:

5. Joshua Weissman

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YouTube is full of home cooks with a camera, but a few of those home cooks rise above the rest Joshua Weissman is one such creator.

His videos are quirky, insightful, and wide-ranging. And just like the best cooking shows, Weissman goes into detail on the why behind so many of cooking's "secrets."

Why does meat brown, and how do you achieve it? Why use butter instead of oil, or vice versa?

It's these questions that prove so foundational to success in the kitchen, and Weissman's channel regularly offers excellent demonstrations.

Where to begin? Start here:

6. J. Kenji Lpez-Alt

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J. Kenji Lpez-Alt is a big deal in the food world, and he's usually found at Serious Eats. Due to the ongoing shelter in place order in California, he's been stuck at home.

And for Lpez-Alt, that means a lot of home cooking with a head-mounted camera seriously!

These videos are light on verbal instruction. The big takeaway is watching him cook, seeing how he sequences preparation with cooking so that his actions are carefully synchronized and different components of a meal come together.

After learning foundational steps like how to hold a knife, how to cut an onion, and how to brown meat, synchronizing those techniques with individual ingredients is how dishes come together.

Simply put: There's no better way to learn this than by cooking, but watching someone who's cooked a lot isn't a bad place to start either.

Where to begin? Start here:

7. Food Wishes

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Chef John's Food Wishes is my personal favorite YouTube channel about cooking. Not only does he have years of experience, but he's a hilarious, quirky man.

Moreover, Chef John's been doing the YouTube thing longer than most in the game his videos go back 10 years! Before that, he was doing theactual chefthing as John Mitzewich, working in kitchens for years and eventually teaching at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

His videos range from simple to complex, American comfort food to ancient Roman throwbacks. Food Wishes may be the most outright approachable of any channel on here, and his back catalog of recipes is over a decade long I can't encourage you enough to plumb its depths.

Where to begin? Start here:

Bonus: If youve got Netflix, or access to someone elses account, watch "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat."

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What "The Joy of Cooking" and Julia Child was for generations past, such is Samin Nosrat and her book/Netflix series " Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat " for contemporary generations.

The series focuses on the four pillars of flavor that shape cooking at its basest levels. Each of the series' four episodes dives into each of those four pillars, and explores how those broad concepts apply to everything from ice cream to olive oil.

Nosrat is a lively, passionate host who radiates excitement about food. It's hard to imagine a better chaperone for novice cooks.