Top Ten Cooking Classes in San Francisco to Improve Cooking Skills

Location Website

As opposed to having classes in one place every time, Cozymeal puts a unique spin on their hands-on tutorial. Cozymeal chefs host classes at a variety of locations in and around San Francisco, including event spaces, test kitchens and the chef’s home. Cozymeal even makes house calls if you select the “My Place” option when booking your class. Desserts, international cuisines, aesthetically appealing appetizers (say that three times fast), and many other kinds of recipes are available to learn.

Participants make a diverse meal in a relaxed, but educational class that emphasizes having fun while cooking. Classes are taught by professional Bay Area chefs and caterers, many of whom are Michelin-star experienced and strictly vetted by Cozymeal. Professional catering for all types of events is also offered. All of Cozymeal’s experiences are insured and the Cozymeal Escrow System® provides payment protection to customers and chefs.

Consumers as well companies use the service regularly for all their culinary needs, from celebrations with family and friends to team building events to office catering. Some of Cozymeal’s regular customers include Google, Facebook, Apple and Twitter as well as smaller organizations such as local startups and non-profits.

Location Website

18 Reasons is a nonprofit community cooking school in the heart of the Mission District. Classes range from making Peruvian ceviche to cooking seafood Malaysian style. A broad variety of cultural cooking classes and basic skills tutorials are offered year round. 18 Reasons also offers free cooking and nutrition classes to 3,000 low-income Bay Area families every year.

18 Reasons includes a membership plan that includes exclusive privileges, discounts, and more. Even though this school offers a huge variety of different options to attend, most sell out days or even weeks before the event, so sign up early on their website.

Location Website

Having opened in 2013, this is one of the hottest new cooking schools in the Bay Area. In a short amount of time, it’s already garnered a lot of attention. The school is led by deans Daniel Patterson of Coi, Bill Corbett of Absinthe, and Craig Stoll of Delfina—all renowned chefs in the Bay Area.

Its one day classes include “Cook the Book”, a workshop dedicated to creating a meal using a famous cook book written by one of many gourmet chefs; “Best of the Bay”, classes taught by some of San Francisco’s best chefs who run restaurants such as Mourad and Delfina; “Flavors of India”; and a butchery class with Dave the Butcher. The San Francisco Cooking School is also host to celebrity chef demonstrations, guest chef dinners, and cook book signings.

Location Website

Berkeley’s Kitchen on Fire cooking class emphasizes using seasonal, locally grown produce. Recipes that are taught change to accommodate the meals of the season and cultural events. It was ranked as one of the 25 best cooking classes in the United States and is held in high esteem throughout local and national culinary communities.

Holding a wide range of classes, even the most experienced have a lot to learn from Kitchen on Fire’s highly talented master chefs. They are arranged by category, such as vegetarian or couples classes. Recipes include both ethnic and contemporary cuisine. In addition to hands on cooking classes, Kitchen on Fire also offers cooking demonstrations and guest lectures.

Location Website

As the title suggests, Parties that Cook was made for people who want to learn how to add delicious, gourmet recipes to their parties. It’s a completely mobile service that provides everything you need in order to have a fun, exciting private cooking party. They also host hands on classes at their iconic location at 271 Francisco Street, the site of an acclaimed cooking school for over 35 years where legendary chefs like Alice Waters, James Beard, and Julia Child instructed before Parties that Cook took over the space.

Recipes taught include smoked turkey, goat cheese, arugula and sundried tomato pesto sushi; flank steak and kale Caesar roulades with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and many, many more.

Location Website

Chef Jordan Schachter has been teaching cooking skills since 2008. He’s one of the most well-known and well-regarded cooking instructors in the Bay Area for using his bright personality to teach an impressive range of skills.

Recipes taught include ethnic and Italian dishes with a variety of contemporary recipes to build a five course meal from scratch. Weekly Date Night sessions offer couples a great opportunity to learn how to complement each other’s cooking skills by working side by side to create gourmet dishes with professional guidance. In addition to hands on cooking classes, Jordan’s Kitchen also offers private chef services and catering, hosts cooking parties, and does team building activities.

Location Website

Offering private cooking classes, corporate team building events, and a selection of classes designed to strengthen individual skills of home-cooks, Hands on Gourmet emphasizes the social element of the classes and encourages people to get to know each other and make friends while preparing, cooking, and enjoying their food together.

Founder Steven Gibbs says, “The most important thing you should know about our events is that you are not coming here to perform; you are coming here to have fun.” Classes are taught in smaller “cooking groups” where participants move from station to station to learn how each dish is made for the meal. Stations include ‘appetizer’, ‘first course’, ‘main course’, and ‘dessert’. This set up is used for a variety of engaging, collaborative classes that can be registered for directly on their website.

Location Website

The City Kitchen offers mobile, custom cooking classes for both private and public groups. Classes are held at one of five locations in the Bay Area. Classes are completely hands on and allow participants to make an entire meal from start to finish themselves with the oversight of a professional chef instructor.

Public classes are taught to groups of 14 to 20 strangers who have to work together to prepare a four or five course dinner. Wine can be included or you have the option to bring your own bottle. The City Kitchen also hosts team building activities and offers catering services for events of all sizes.

Location Website

As you may have been able to guess from the title, The Cheese School is dedicated to making and appreciating cheese. Participants can choose from classes that teach how to make a specific kinds of cheese. Although most classes are devoted to creating just cheese, there are also classes where students can learn to make wood fired pizza and other delicious dishes that incorporate cheese.

The Cheese School of San Francisco was founded in 2006 and features participation from local experts like Juliana Uruburu and Laura Werlin. Monthly classes include cheddar making, mozzarella, ricotta, and even a farm tour of Marin Cheesemakers facility. If you’re a devout cheese lover, you will love seeing and participating in the process of creating fresh, high quality cheese with your hands.

Location Website

First Class Cooking is run by young local chef Emily Dellas. Recipes incorporate fresh, seasonal produce with exquisite recipes made from scratch using high quality ingredients. Classes include wine pairing, nutritional cooking, or meals organized by regions such as Thai, Indian, or Australian.

Classes are primarily intended for people who want to get into cooking their own food but normally don’t, but advice, tips, and recipes can be useful to anyone who wants to know more about preparing their own meals. Groups typically consist of 8-12 young adults who are eager to make friends. The affordable classes are very hands on and allow participants to learn how to make ethnic or contemporary meals from start to finish in an easy going atmosphere.