Best Vegan Cooking Classes Online
Learning to cook is a great skill that not many can master. When incorporating vegan cooking, it can become a lot more complicated. On the other hand, vegan cooking can be as easy or complex as you want it to be. Vegan cuisine has many levels, from making milk alternatives to meat substitutes. The level of complexity involved in cooking shouldn't stop you.
Why You Should Learn Vegan Cooking Online
Cooking is a necessity for most. Unless you have a personal chef or an unlimited budget for eating out, you probably cook at least once a week. Since it is a necessity, why not be good at it? Learning to cook can help take your meals from mediocre to extraordinary, making you feel more accomplished when you have to cook dinner on a Wednesday night. Another reason you should learn how to cook vegan meals aside from costs is that it's healthier. When you cook meals at home, you can control the ingredients. You can determine how much salt you add to a dish or select healthy alternatives. Some vegan meals can be heavy on processed ingredients. When you learn to cook at home, you can opt for more nutritious, whole food options. Finally, learning to cook can be a fun hobby for some. Yes, it would be best if you ate to live, but learning how to cook can be a relaxing and productive use of your free time. Whether saving money, eating healthier, or learning a new hobby, learning to cook vegan meals is a good idea.
Virtual Vegan Cooking Classes
Taking an online cooking class could be what you need if you are looking to attend a class from anywhere. Online courses allow you to take a class from the office on your lunch break or while on vacation. Online vegan cooking classes also give you more class options. In addition, online courses can provide access to schools outside your area. You may live in California, but your favorite New York chef is teaching an online course; thanks to technology, you can log in to the appropriate virtual platform and not miss a beat. Finally, taking a virtual class saves you time and money because there is no commute. When taking courses from the comfort of your space, there is no need to rush to the other side of town, find parking, or consider your drive time when picking a particular class. You can select any class if you have enough to change locations. Also, not sitting in traffic or using gas to get across town saves you money.
When electing to take an online class, there are some things to consider before signing up, even if the benefits sound appealing. Taking an online cooking class means you sometimes need to supply your materials. Depending on the type of cooking class, purchasing your materials can become costly, leading to other considerations. You might have limited options when selecting online courses because of the additional cost of materials. For example, a student could feel more open to trying a new course by taking an in-person class. If the course is offered virtually, but you have to purchase the materials, students might not feel as driven to try something new for fear that they have purchased all new cooking equipment they might not ever use again. While this could be limiting, for others, this could make a student dedicate themselves to the craft because they have invested in the materials.
Once you decide that online vegan cooking classes are best for you, the next hard part is figuring out which class you want to take. Cooking with What You Have is a great place to start. This 45-minute course teaches students how to shop less, cook more, and reduce waste while creating a great meal. The course is self-paced, and you can walk away confidently to cook without recipes, stop throwing away food, successfully substitute ingredients, and save time and money. The course hosts four live questions and answer sessions on Zoom, instructional videos, and you have lifetime access to course content, all for only $129.
The Tuesday Workshop Series offered by EZCompliments Indian Cooking Classes is another virtual class that interests you. The course has four workshops and contains a complete meal. While there is a set menu each month, every dish can be personalized for vegetarian, gluten-free, and other dietary requirements. In the course, students cook a meal with enough leftovers for the week. There is a live instructor to help guide you and answer questions too. Finally, Thursday Workshop Services offers the same setup on a different day if you need more options.
The League of Kitchens offers an Indian Cooking Online w/ Yamini online course. The course is $60 for 2.5 hours. The class provides you with a shopping list so you can make the proper dietary substitutes you might need. The course is designed to be a unique and meaningful opportunity to share cooking, culture, and connection from the comfort of your home. Students can expect an interactive experience as they are guided through Yamini’s family recipes.
A Russian Cooking Online with Larisa course is offered at The League of Kitchens. This online international cooking class teaches students how to make vegetarian borscht, a sweet, sour, and savory beet and vegetable soup. Again, students are given the shopping list in advance, which means that ingredients can be tailored to a vegan diet. The course is a 2.5-hour interactive experience with meaningful opportunities to share cooking, culture, and connection with your instructor, Larisa, and other students.
Private Online Group Vegan Cooking Classes
Cooking is not just to feed your appetite but also a great way to connect with others. This is why CourseHorse offers live online group classes as a fun team-building event. If this interests you, you can plan a private online vegan cooking class for your business.
For example, there is a Virtual Sushi Making Workshop with the materials included so your team can learn how to make sushi from home. This course is interactive, with a professional chef and instructor walking your team through the basics of making sushi, all from the comfort of your home. Students are shipped a kit of materials that includes a bamboo rolling mat, reusable chopsticks, sushi rice, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, nori, soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and a gift card for participants to buy preferred fillings that they can tailor to their dietary needs to help it become a vegan cooking class. The private class costs $1,100 for up to 10 people and an additional $100 per person afterward.
If sushi is not what your team wants to cook or if there is another class you want to plan but do not see on CourseHorse’s website, one can be customized for you. All you have to do is reach out to CourseHorse by completing the contact us form on their website with the group size, preferred dates, and any other details that would be helpful. After completing the form, you can expect to hear back from their event planner within two business hours. The benefit of letting CourseHorse plan the event for you is that there are no booking fees, and you can change your group size even after booking the event.
Online vs. In-Person Vegan Cooking Classes
Online versus in-person classes, which one is best for you? It all depends on what is essential when learning to cook. Online courses allow you to take lessons anywhere and take them on your own time. Also, you have access to more class options. On the other hand, online classes make it hard to get adequate feedback from your instructor. For example, if you want to know if a dish tastes right or missing an ingredient, it’s not as simple as having your instructor try and see. Finally, if you take an online class, you likely have to provide your supplies and ingredients. For some, purchasing your ingredients can be beneficial because you can make dietary substitutions, but the cooking equipment can become costly.
In-person classes have more apparent benefits. You get more hands-on learning and immediate feedback in an in-person cooking class. Additionally, you get to connect with your instructor and classmates, which could make the course more entertaining and engaging. Conversely, taking an in-person class means more time. You have to account for travel time to and from class and the cooking course. Also, you might need more course options for in-person classes. When traveling to class, you have to keep distance in mind, which means you likely have fewer class options within your driving radius. Finally, in-person courses can cost more. The higher cost could be related to the fact that you are not required to provide your materials or to account for the space to hold the class; either way, there could be an additional cost.
Whatever you decide, whether in-person or online, make a choice based on your needs and wants. For example, if you want to learn how to make a specific dish and the course is offered online, take it. On the other hand, if connecting with a network of other chefs or aspiring chefs is your ultimate goal, an in-person cooking course is the way to go. There is something for everyone regarding cooking classes, so you can choose what’s best for you as a learner.
Can I Learn Vegan Cooking for Free Online?
You can learn vegan cooking online for free. You can find online tutorials, videos, and even old cooking shows on YouTube. You might even find a cookbook online with step-by-step instructions for making a new dish. While you can learn how to cook for free, receiving formal cooking classes is the best way to learn faster and become a better cook. Learning from a professional allows you to ask questions and get immediate feedback to see improvement in your cooking.