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Cooking from scratch

98 replies

Zoomie1 · 07/01/2024 00:38

I have started to cook from scratch, batch cooking. I have been thinking by the time you consider the high cost of gas/electricity. Does it work out cheaper than convenience food?

OP posts:
Quitelikeit · 07/01/2024 23:57

Obviously you have the initial outlay of buying the herbs and oil

You don’t use a full jar each time with a tin of toms do you?!

god give me strength!

Katypp · 08/01/2024 00:13

Quitelikeit · 07/01/2024 23:57

Obviously you have the initial outlay of buying the herbs and oil

You don’t use a full jar each time with a tin of toms do you?!

god give me strength!

Ah, so it's not just a case of adding a few herbs to a can or tomatoes then?
Maybe a tablespoon of olive oil at 15p + an onion at 12p? A tin of value Tom's at 35p. So 62p + those herbs.
So say 64p. Jar is 47p. I rest my case - give me strength!

Paw2024 · 08/01/2024 00:45

Quitelikeit · 07/01/2024 23:57

Obviously you have the initial outlay of buying the herbs and oil

You don’t use a full jar each time with a tin of toms do you?!

god give me strength!

No of course not but some peoples budget is so tight that
They have the 50p for the sauce. They don't have the money for herbs. Or they don't have the confidence it will taste nice. Or they have a picky child. Loads of reasons
I'm not skint but my food budget is very fixed, there's no extra so I have to count up as I go round the supermarket

I would love to use a local butcher and greengrocer but they both closed and it's not possible to go if you work and they open 9-5. It's also more expensive than using frozen veg or Aldi

sashh · 08/01/2024 01:07

blackpanth · 07/01/2024 19:49

From the bottom of the Martin Lewis article.

The average oven uses around 3kW, meaning it costs around £1.02 an hour to use.

The average wattage of an air fryer is 1kW, meaning they cost around 30p per hour to run.

microwaves and slow cookers were found to be the most energy-efficient kitchen appliances.

At 700w, microwaves cost 23.8p per hour to run, while slow cookers cost 5p an hour.

mathanxiety · 08/01/2024 02:36

If you're going to buy fresh herbs then your cost will be far higher than it would otherwise be.

I grow rosemary, thyme, and basil indoors year round for the occasions when I prefer fresh herbs. Most of the time I use the far cheaper dried herbs.

JingleSnowmanTree · 08/01/2024 02:44

blackpanth · 07/01/2024 01:14

It's been proven that an air fryer/slow cooker doesn't work out cheaper

@blackpanth

It HAS to depend on what you're cooking and how much you're cooking.

I bought mine for convenience & because it's far less 'wasteful' than using the 'big oven'. I now cook things I was reluctant to put the 'big oven' on for, for 1 person

New2024 · 08/01/2024 11:49

Katypp · 07/01/2024 23:14

I think if you really think that buying from a local fishmonger or butcher will 'save a fortune' you are deluding yourself. Save a fortune compared to what exactly??

Thank you for your ignorant and rude reply. Buying meat from the butcher is a ton cheaper than from the supermarket and a lot better quality.

Katypp · 08/01/2024 11:53

From your butcher maybe. As a general rule, definitely not

Comedycook · 08/01/2024 11:55

New2024 · 08/01/2024 11:49

Thank you for your ignorant and rude reply. Buying meat from the butcher is a ton cheaper than from the supermarket and a lot better quality.

I haven't found this is to be true. The butcher is much more expensive than the supermarket round my way.

blackpanth · 08/01/2024 11:57

Comedycook · 08/01/2024 11:55

I haven't found this is to be true. The butcher is much more expensive than the supermarket round my way.

I'm lucky my dad's a butcher so get it for free.

But yes much better quality than supermarkets

Livinginanotherworld · 08/01/2024 11:57

Rather than cooking spag Bol, chilli etc for 2, make a big pan and freeze the rest in portions. You can do this with so many things. Invest in a massive stockpot size pan.

New2024 · 08/01/2024 11:59

Quitelikeit · 07/01/2024 23:29

What a riot this thread is!

a meat pack from the butcher

and the veg to go with the dishes

Equals nice, clean, safe nutritional food

you get what you pay for

and yes you could buy a 47p jar of sauce but you could buy a tin of toms and add some spices for the same cost

This all the way. There might be cheap convenience food but I’d never want to eat it. By that I don’t mean cheaper tinned tomatoes or budget tinned kidney beans, but convenience meals and jars of pasta sauce are not my thing.

New2024 · 08/01/2024 12:03

Comedycook · 08/01/2024 11:55

I haven't found this is to be true. The butcher is much more expensive than the supermarket round my way.

I guess we are just lucky then. All the butchers round here are pretty good and not expensive. I don’t supermarket chicken, even in M and S you find 2 chicken breasts are smaller than 1 from the butcher and they are also less tender. Steak at any supermarket is very expensive.

New2024 · 08/01/2024 12:04

Livinginanotherworld · 08/01/2024 11:57

Rather than cooking spag Bol, chilli etc for 2, make a big pan and freeze the rest in portions. You can do this with so many things. Invest in a massive stockpot size pan.

I’ve got 3 of those type of pans they are fab

Katypp · 08/01/2024 12:07

New2024 · 08/01/2024 11:59

This all the way. There might be cheap convenience food but I’d never want to eat it. By that I don’t mean cheaper tinned tomatoes or budget tinned kidney beans, but convenience meals and jars of pasta sauce are not my thing.

But that's back to quality again. I am not advocating cheap ready meals and jars of pasta sauce for those who can opt for quality over price. I am just saving that the automatic assumption - as seen on this thread - that cooking from scratch is ALWAYS cheaper is wrong

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 08/01/2024 12:27

Re butchers and how expensive meat is - in our area (inner SE London) we have two independent butchers within walking distance who both market themselves as selling premium meat. They stock unusual cuts, give information about the animals' diet and welfare, information about their suppliers, etc etc. Local equivalent of Borough Market, I suppose. I never buy there because we don't eat that much meat and it's more expensive than I'm prepared to pay.

We also have butchers and a fishmonger operating on the nearest high street who sell in high volumes and their selling point is price, purely and simply. I never buy there because I'd have concerns about where the meat has come from, to be honest.

When it comes to fruit and veg, I would buy from the market on the high street if it was nearer, but I wouldn't expect the produce to last as long as it does from the supermarket because I don't think it's been kept under the same conditions prior to sale (i.e. it's spent longer out of the fridge and it's not packaged to extend its life). The market stalls also sell entirely on price.

We also have a market nearby which operates for a few hours on a Saturday. I haven't been there for years but I think it's still a mixture of street food (i.e. expensive/exotic coffee and fast food) and farmers' market type stalls selling fruit, veg, bakery, olives, fruit juice and probably meat. Very expensive last time I was there. Totally out of reach of most people in our wider area.

HillyHoney · 08/01/2024 13:23

This is a bit of a strange thread. Cooking from scratch will usually be cheaper if you seek out cheaper ingredients (sometimes that means compromising on quality but not always) and batch-cook, so you can freeze and defrost things at a later date.

If you're casseroling short rib bourguignon from scratch and just making two portions, it's not going to be cheaper overall than an average M&S ready-meal..

If you make a lentil dhal in the slow cooker with brown rice and homemade yoghurt, it's definitely going to be cheaper than M&S.

And obviously there's a world of nuance I'm between the two that might be getting a bit overtaken on this thread 😃

GothConversionTherapy · 11/01/2024 08:53

SparklingPinkCat · 07/01/2024 03:37

Cooking from scratch is way cheaper and better for you. Ultra high processed ready-food you microwave to heat up is so bad for you!! And contains virtually no nutrients. If you care about your health, bone density and longevity, I'd suggest you sack processed foods of every kind.

I cook everything from scratch including all our bread. Twice a week I make a huge Sourdough loaf (easy) using my own nurtured starters -I have two starters, one I use for sourdough loaves, the other for sourdough pancakes, sourdough missions, sourdough crumpets and sourdough muffins - all of which I make every week. I also make honey & milk bread, farmhouse white, spelt & rye etc and rolls that are so rich and soft and big with butter, milk and eggs in.

Another thing about ready-meals is the size. Tiny. Snack size and no I'm not overweight, I'm slim size 10 and eat huge portions, it's not how much you eat but what you eat. Ready-meals are full of rapeseed oil, toxic to the body and so very bad for you. All seed oils are. You want good fats - coconut oil, avocado oil, goose fat, lard/tallow. And meat, organic is my choice and we have a monthly delivery. Yes organic is more expensive but if you check out organic meats from farms that supply direct, it's not a lot more than meat from say Tesco.

I have every spice known to man in my over-full cupboards and it does take time to build up, I nowadays buy catering sizes so I can use as much as I like of dried herbs such as thyme, basil, chives.

Home cooked food is food of the gods, literally. From basic to a little more fancy. Once you learn it's easy - the BBC Good Food app is all you need plus an internet connection. I place a high value on my health and that of my husband, cats and dogs. We only eat real food. Way up the cost of time & effort towards taste, texture, longevity and staying as disease free as you can. What price a healthy life? and as for time, it sometimes does take more time but if you cook in bulk - cook once, eat twice, you can build up a stock of ready meals in your freezer.

Make the change and your future self will thank you.

I agree, a ready meal and a home cooked meal is like comparing apples and oranges even if they are technically the same dish, the nutritional value is not the same at all.
There have been other threads comparing a processed lidl cookie at 15 for 59p or so, but a homemade cookie has real butter and no artificial ingredients so you can't compare.

Missimnot · 11/01/2024 09:18

SparklingPinkCat please could you tell me more about yr post that said all seed oils are bad for humans?
i use rapeseed oil n olive oil daily!
what oils would be better please( i dont use animal fat or eat meat so domt use goose fat for eg) thanks

HighQueenOfTheFarRealm · 11/01/2024 09:24

You do have some initial outlay if you're cooking from scratch like oil, herbs and spices and if you're feeding an average family then it can work out cheaper.

Cheap ready meals don't often have enough to keep people going for long, especially growing teens, so you'll need extras.

We all know that homemade meals are way more nutritious but they'll also keep people fuller for longer so there'll be less cravings and need for snacks, which will work out cheaper.

There's also a link between crap food, focus and poor mental health. There's a correlation between junk food and impaired brain function which can lead to a higher risk of mood disorders, depression and other issues.

This could have financial impacts too in terms of capacity to learn and work, career and progression.

Ragruggers · 11/01/2024 09:53

I make more or less every meal from scratch.I use the pressure cooker on the gas hob for soup.I make enough for 6 large portions very quickly.10 minutes chopping 10 minutes to cook once pressure reached.Really so easy Normally freeze some.I do like M&S fresh chowder soup it is lovely and I wouldn’t bother to make that.Also love Mutti tomatoes on offer in Waitrose this week.

prescribingmum · 11/01/2024 09:55

You need to compare like for like. If you were to use budget convenience food, you will end up spending less but it is cheap because the food is bulked up with water/bulking agents/thickeners that lower the production cost. If you compare the price of homemade to a high quality fresh item from supermarket/local producer, homemade will undoubtedly be cheaper even with energy costs factored in.

Others have mentioned the initial start up costs for ingredients and health benefits. As an example, I make pesto at home - this costs £1.10 if using 2 bunches of supermarket basil (less if grown at home), extra virgin olive oil (estimate 20p as I buy big bottles), hard cheese at £1, nuts 50p (I don't use pine due to cost), garlic, salt, pepper 10p so total cost is £2.90. This makes around 180g. I can buy a bottle one for £2 when on offer and this is bulked with cheaper ingredients, tastes awful (imo)....or a supermarket fresh one for £2.50-3 for 150g, caveat being they use some slightly cheaper ingredients such as rapeseed oil rather than all extra virgin. Pesto doesn't require heating so minimal energy costs but when time is factored in

One of the biggest downfalls with the introduction of convenience food is that we are no longer taught how to make best use of energy - this should be a fundamental part of home ec teaching in secondary but I would be surprised if there is home ec taught in all schools with cost cutting! I learnt from my parents and grandparents how to make sure the oven is entirely full when switching it on, pot in pot cooking to make best use of a pressure cooker etc.

2024Hackathon · 11/01/2024 14:08

As PPs indicate, it depends.

I cook a lot for relatives and we deliver it to them. They value that

  • the food is delivered as a ready to eat or heat meal
  • they don't have to buy or store the greater volume of raw ingredients
  • they largely don't need to use arthritic hands with sharp knives or kitchen gadgets
  • they worry less about storing fresh fish, poultry, or meat and they don't have to track down supermarkets that let them buy individual onions, 2 carrots etc.
  • they don't have condensation from cooking (the problems associated with this vary with your housing stock)
  • it's an easy clean up for them.

I cook for a lot of people and at some scale. It's not always cheaper from scratch and when it is, it reflects that I

  • have an unusually well-stocked kitchen
  • own a lot of equipment that other people might not
  • sous vide kits so that I can ferment tricky dairy with particular strains for people with gut issues
  • proofing cabinets to allow me to bake bread at predictable times instead of having odd baking schedules at this time of year
  • could take advantage of a special offer to buy in bulk for them all.
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