British Cooking Crisis: Two in Five Brits Don’t Feel Confident Enough in the Kitchen to Boil an Egg

One in five Brits (22%) also revealed they can only cook two meals or less without looking at a recipe

Half (50%) of Brits don’t know how to use their oven properly

Britain is fast becoming a nation of oven-owners who don’t know how to use them, as new research by Samsung reveals a dramatic collapse in everyday cooking skills, especially among younger adults.

Nearly half (47%) of 18-to-24-year-olds say they can only cook one or two meals from memory, while one in five Brits (22%) admit they can manage just two dishes or fewer without relying on a recipe. Alarmingly, 6% say they cannot cook a single meal without step-by-step instructions.

The findings point to a wider erosion of basic cooking know-how across the UK. Just over six in 10 feel confident boiling an egg (61%) or baking a jacket potato (63%), suggesting that even simple skills that older generations can easily navigate, are no longer guaranteed.

Yet this is not a nation that has given up on cooking altogether. In fact, 86% of Brits still see cooking from scratch as an essential life skill highlighting a clear disconnect between aspiration and ability. This nods to the increasing importance of reducing processed foods within every day diets.

“It seems that a lack of confidence and practical guidance are hampering people’s abilities to achieve success in the kitchen,” says Sebastian Goff, Brand Marketing Lead for home appliances at Samsung UK. “For many younger Brits, the growing confidence gap around preparing meals from scratch is increasingly becoming a source of stress rather than enjoyment. A worrying shift for something so central to everyday life.”

Almost two in five (39%) say preparing meals from raw ingredients feels like “too much hassle”, while 38% find cooking so stressful that they actively avoid it. The knock-on effect extends beyond the kitchen, with 17% admitting they shy away from cooking for others because they don’t feel capable enough.

Sebastian adds: “The challenge isn’t limited to what people cook but how they use the kitchen in general. Only half (50%) of Brits say they feel confident using the full range of functions on their oven, so many are missing out on features specifically designed to make cooking easier.

“This is where technology has the potential to close the growing generational cooking skills gap. Smart appliances such as our Samsung ovens can guide users, reduce guesswork and even set the correct temperature according to the dish. It can help turn everyday cooking back into a positive experience so you can enjoy healthy, home cooked meals.”

Helping rebuild cooking confidence at home

To help close the cooking confidence gap, Samsung shares three simple ways technology can support people in the kitchen.

1. Start small:
   Kitchen confidence grows through repetition. Mastering a few everyday dishes using reliable settings dedicated to simple dishes helps turn cooking into a habit. Consistent results build confidence and make it easier to take on bigger cooking challenges over time.

2. Take the pressure out of perfection:
   Cooking doesn’t need to be flawless to be successful. There are plenty of recipe videos, apps and appliance settings that can offer support and help people feel more relaxed in the kitchen. If it doesn’t work first time that’s ok! This makes cooking less stressful and far more enjoyable.

3. Let your kitchen do the thinking:
   Some modern ovens, cooktops and fridges are designed to take the guesswork out of meal planning and cooking. Features like automatic programmes, temperature sensors, burn detection and guided cooking modes take the uncertainty out of timings and settings. For example, AI Pro Cooking^[1] features in some Samsung ovens uses AI to suggest optimal cooking settings and can even alert you on your phone if your food is about to burn.

[1] Requires SmartThings App available on Android and iOS devices. An internet connection is required.