ButcherBox™ Unveils Kitchen Confidence Report

Nearly half of Americans feel very confident in the kitchen; confidence is close to its peak as the summer progresses

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Jul 01, 2021, 08:30 ET

BOSTON, July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from ButcherBox, a leading brand of high-quality protein, found that nearly half of Americans (47 percent) are very confident in the kitchen. Less than a quarter of Americans (20 percent) have little to no confidence in the kitchen.

The Kitchen Confidence Report also found that Americans with children are 40 percent more confident in the kitchen. Practice, patience, and time are the key contributors of confidence for half of Americans (49 percent), while many noted that learning from and watching family members cook helped them gain confidence over time.

Three quarters of respondents (74 percent) believe their confidence is boosted in the kitchen because of how they source their food. When it comes to purchases, Americans feel the most confident with their produce selections, their pantry staples, and then their meat and seafood items.

While the stove may be the appliance that more than a third of Americans (37 percent) feel the most comfortable with, a quarter of respondents (26 percent) want to focus on improving their skills with newer appliances like air fryers, instant cookers, and smokers.

"Having spent more time at home over the last year, it comes as no surprise that folks are confident in their overall cooking and kitchen skills," said Mike Salguero, founder of ButcherBox. "Time always tends to be the barrier to preparing a meal or improving cooking skills, so the time people have gotten back in their day or week as a result of COVID is clearly impacting their kitchen confidence."

As Americans prepare to heat up their grills for the Fourth of July weekend, their confidence levels are rising too. According to the report, nearly two thirds of respondents (63 percent) felt very confident in their kitchen skills for summer holidays, like Fourth of July or Labor Day. And while men are three times more likely than women to rate grills as their most confident cooking appliance, it may be the women who are stepping up to flip the burgers this holiday weekend. The report found that close to one third of women (30 percent) are keen to improve their grill skills this summer.

"With summer in full swing, it's great to see confidence levels are high when it comes to grilling, but even more exciting to see that women are eager to step up their grill game," added Salguero. "Grilling is probably one of the easiest cooking techniques compared to other appliances or tools out there, but confidence is certainly the key when it comes to success on the grill. Summer cooking is all about feeling relaxed and at ease, so when you look at the types of food prepared during the summer, like burgers and hot dogs, it's not surprising that people are more confident during this time of the year."

Additional Insights

Holidays and other special occasions have an impact on kitchen confidence.

More than half of respondents (58 percent) noted that their confidence levels change at certain times of year. Nearly half of Americans (47 percent) who noted a change in confidence level based on time of year noted that winter holidays, like Christmas and Hanukkah, are where they feel little to no confidence in the kitchen.

Women want more inspiration, while men are looking for more basic skill development.

When it comes to continuing to increase confidence in the kitchen, nearly a third of women (30 percent) are simply looking for more inspiration for what to cook, whereas more than a third of men (35 percent) are looking for more guidance on basic kitchen skills, such as knife slicing and chopping.

The Northeast region of the U.S. has the most confident home chefs.

More than half of respondents (54 percent) who feel confident in the kitchen reside in the Northeast. When it comes to the least confident region, roughly one in ten Midwesterners lack confidence in the kitchen.

Men say they are more often adventurous in the kitchen.

A third of men (35 percent) say they are adventurous in the kitchen more than once a week, whereas 20 percent of women are adventurous in the kitchen more than once a week. Experimenting with new recipes was how nearly three quarters of respondents (69 percent) achieved adventure in the kitchen.

Survey Methodology

The findings are based on a Pollfish survey of 2,500 United States residents aged 25 and over, that prepare more than 2 meals per week in their home, using Random Device Engagement survey technology. Full report analysis is available upon request.

About ButcherBox

At ButcherBox, we believe in better. That's why we deliver 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, pork raised crate-free, and wild-caught seafood directly to our members' doors. All of our products are humanely raised or sustainably caught and never given antibiotics or added hormones, ever. ButcherBox became a certified B Corp in 2020. For more information, please visit www.butcherbox.com or follow the company on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

CONTACT: Kerin Norton, [email protected]

SOURCE ButcherBox