Private cooking lessons are available for every type of cuisine. A chef teaches an individual or group how to prepare a meal and also provides all of the ingredients, cooking tools and clean up after the event. Cooking lessons can be tailored to dietary restrictions and are often sought out for team-building events, special gifts, health reasons, private parties and personal enrichment. Common lesson requests include soups and sauces, knife skills, roasting and braising, basic cooking, bread-baking and dessert-making. Several factors contribute to the costs of cooking lessons.
Chefs often charge per person for cooking classes, with varying rates depending on the food to be served. A per person charge covers the cost of the ingredients to cook enough food for each participant. Typically the cost per head also includes all fees associated with the activity, but be sure to clarify with your instructor whether any additional fees apply, such as for travel.
The price of ingredients affects the cost of the cooking lessons. In addition to paying for the chefs time, the cost of the lessons covers purchasing the food. The fancier the food, the higher the cost of the cooking class. Here is a sampling of general prices for different types of cooking lessons from Culinary:
Brunch workshop: $70 per person
Steak with several sides: $80$85 per person
Sushi, including a variety of sushi-grade fresh fish: $100 per person
Weekends typically have higher demand for a cooking instructors services, which can mean increased costs for lessons on Saturdays and Sundays and lower costs for weekday lessons.
Some chefs and cooking instructors require a minimum charge for their time, while others may not have a limit. Culinary asks for the following minimums:
Weekday group cooking lessons: $600
Weekend group cooking lessons: $1,000