To think that cooking isn’t hard...

[CrabappleBiscuit]

....as long as you are physically fit and not unwell and don’t have a disability that makes it hard, and have access to a kitchen and equipment (disclaimer)

Friends who say they or their partners ‘can’t cook’. But hold down jobs, drive cars and can put together flat pack furniture.

It’s not rocket science, read a recipe and do it. I like cooking and I’m good at it, dh isn’t a great cook but he still cooks a fairly limited repertoire but he does.

Is it just laziness?

I have always said if you can read you can cook.

I'd agree- can't believe what people feed their children in particular. We'll probably get flamed, but both myself and husband have FT jobs/commutes and we still manage to cook from scratch most days!

Children cook in lessons at school so grown adults who claim not to be able to cook are lazy.

I think it's quite common, people saying they can't cook, need a cleaner, can't possibly by expected to work once they have a child etc. Lots see, lazy and entitled and leave it to others.

Some people haven't learnt. Some just aren't that good at it. And to some people it's just not that important. Everyone is different

If you've never cooked, it can be daunting. Most things are hard until you've done them with fair frequency, to be fair to those people.

Children cook in lessons at school so grown adults who claim not to be able to cook are lazy.

And what a delicious feast they bring home...

It's having a penis. It means you can't get close enough to the stove to cook. A terrible disadvantage.

It's not rocket science. And even easier these days with endless You Tube videos showing you exactly how to do anything and everything.

"Can't cook" usually means can't be arsed and prefers takeaways or ready meals.

I agree! I think most people just can't be bothered and view that as not being able.

School lessons hardly help!

It’s easy for me to say it’s easy to cook, I am literate and I grew up watching my Mum cook and helping her. Not everyone gets that so even if in theory the basics are easy putting it into practise isn’t for everyone

I hate cooking, been cooking for my family for 30 years, I don't even test it before I dish it up anymore, because I've been cooking for so long. It's a drudge, but family needs to eat and, in our family, it falls on me.

DS21 regularly says I should open up a restaurant, but you can't beat your moms cooking when you're just used to it. I was the same when I left home and I just had to learn.

I'm putting him together a cook book of my recipes for when he does leave home (very soon).

Honestly you've never met my DM. A women who is entirely capable in so many ways, but a total menace in the kitchen. It's a wonder to behold, in that I hold my head and wonder every time I see her try. Last time she cooked the grill was on fire when I walked in the kitchen. I know she tries, it's just not her thing.

DH and I frequently have this conversation and neither of us can understand how you can't cook!

I think people must use it as an excuse because they don't want to or have always had it done for them before and can't be bothered to try!

Cooking often takes time, and if you don’t enjoy it, you don’t want to spend an hour doing it. One of the other problems is that if cooking goes wrong, lots of people just give up and take the easier option.

Children cook in lessons at school so grown adults who claim not to be able to cook are lazy

My ds loves cooking at home and has free range to experiment but he hates cooking at school, they take all the fun out of.

I'm afraid to say I agree. My exSIL always said 'I can't cook'. She was actually very lazy and didn't want to cook.

If you can't cook just get a Hello Fresh box which will tell you how. There's no excuse, with so many ingredients, meal set ups, etc in the supermarket. All you have to do is chuck some chicken breasts in a dish, smear it with a rub, follow the instructions on a packet of spiced couscous and you have a meal. No Excuse.

There is, of course, a very wide range of ‘cooking’. People who claim they can’t boil pasta and open a jar of pesto are probably lazy. Not being able to make a pie from scratch is more to do with lack of skill or knowledge.

Also everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I cook a lot & cook well, but I HATE doing roast dinners and making sure everything is ready at the right time. I see a lot of people on here saying roast dinners are the easiest thing to cook; not me!

FWIW I am crap at omelettes too...

Improvisational cooking - by which I mean planning and putting a meal together from the ingredients you have, without following a recipe - takes practice and experience, as well as the ability to get some trial and error behind you, and I would find it a real chore to have to revert to a recipe every time I wanted to cook (of course I have 'recipes' but they are my own, developed and refined over several goes, and not written down anywhere - i rarely cook to someone else's recipe. Baking is a different matter though!), so if you don't have that practice, or the energy to generate it, I can imagine the prospect of cooking every day feeling daunting.

I personally think ready meals are taking away the need to cook.

Why make a lasagne when you can buy one cheaper?

I'm saying I do this very often but it's time consuming!!!

I generally cook from scratch and love the slow cooker and fresh salad on warm days - but I eat to live not live to eat

I do think it's all trial and error, I remember leaving home at 17 and not having a clue how to cook. But I was broke and I had to eat the mistakes and learn from them! my baked curried spaghetti bolognaise will go down in living memory

I have a spell when I really didn't enjoy cooking for the family, it was just drudge churning out all those meals, but now they've left home I quite enjoy experimenting.

Generally speaking I agree but I do have one friend in good health, professional intelligent woman - can't be trusted to boil an egg - literally! She's blown stuff up, broken expensive equipment etc no idea why she just cannot do it!

But yea, most people in good health can learn. It's not easy but it is simple.

On another thread someone said 'if you can read a cookbook...' But I said that's fine IF you know what the words/terms mean. Funnily enough I'm watching old bake offs on Netflix at mo and there are things I'd consider 'basic' cookery techniques that have arisen and contestants have never done!!

I think reasons people don't cook are -

Lack of time
Lack of confidence (they think they can't cook, someone has told them they can't cook...)
Wrongly thinking it would be more expensive.
Lack of motivation
Lack of support (it not being appreciated)
Laziness - I've put this last as I really don't think it's the main reason.

I agree. I taught DP to cook, I think he helped with a roast dinner to begin with, then the rest followed.
I do think it’s a bit lazy when people don’t cook, but I also think it’s expensive not to know! How do they afford Jarred sauces and packets of things so often?

I don't cook. I have many reasons why which I shan't bore you with, but as my long-suffering (brilliant cook) DH says, it's not that I can't cook, I just prefer not to.

But I'll gladly admit that it is 50% laziness. That doesn't mean I prefer takeaways and ready meals, I'm capable of baking a chicken in the oven and preparing some salad, hell I can even steam some veg. But that's not really cooking is it?

I agree - most people can do most things if they just put their mind to it - be it cooking, diy, computer stuff etc. Just use your noodle

There's no excuse... No Excuse.

Bit harsh

I do cook, but I really don't mind if other people choose not to and make other arrangements. They don't need an excuse, they can please themselves.