David Saunders
If you own an oven but treat its buttons like they’re wired to set off the neighbourhood alarm, you’re not alone. New research suggests Britain’s cooking skills are slipping fast — and the modern oven, with its symbols, settings and mysterious fan icon, is becoming less a tool and more a stainless-steel riddle.
Samsung’s findings paint a picture many households will recognise: people want to cook, they just don’t feel they can. Nearly half (47%) of 18-to-24-year-olds say they can cook only one or two meals from memory, while 22% of Brits admit they can manage two dishes or fewer without leaning on a recipe. More starkly, 6% say they cannot cook a single meal without step-by-step instructions.
The basics aren’t so basic anymore
Once upon a time, boiling an egg was the culinary equivalent of tying your shoelaces. Now it’s apparently an event. Only 61% feel confident boiling an egg, and 63% are confident baking a jacket potato — the kind of simple, forgiving staples older generations could do half-asleep.
And yet Britain hasn’t turned its back on home cooking. A clear majority (86%) still view cooking from scratch as an essential life skill. The desire is there; the confidence is not. The result is a daily tug-of-war between good intentions and the temptation to default to processed convenience.
“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.”
Stress, hassle — and the fear of cooking for other people
A sizeable chunk of the country isn’t avoiding cooking because they’re lazy; they’re avoiding it because it feels like effort with a high chance of failure. Almost two in five (39%) say preparing meals from raw ingredients is “too much hassle”, while 38% find cooking so stressful they actively avoid it.
The knock-on effect is social, too. Seventeen per cent admit they dodge cooking for others because they don’t feel capable. In other words: it’s not just dinner that’s at stake — it’s the confidence to host, share, and feed people without quietly panicking over a tray of undercooked chicken.
The oven problem: we own them, but we don’t use them properly
Here’s the part that will make a lot of readers nod grimly: only half (50%) of Brits say they feel confident using the full range of functions on their oven. That means millions are paying for features designed to make cooking easier — then sticking to the same one setting forever, like it’s a lifelong marriage contract.
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.”
Three practical ways to rebuild confidence (without turning your kitchen into a classroom)
Rebuilding cooking skills doesn’t require a personality transplant or a new set of copper pans. It requires fewer decisions, fewer disasters, and a bit more repetition.
1) Start small and repeat the wins
Pick a handful of meals you actually eat and practise them until they become automatic. The goal is dependable results, not a culinary reinvention of Tuscany on a Tuesday.
2) Stop chasing perfection
The meal doesn’t have to look like a restaurant plate to count as “from scratch”. Use timers, videos, apps, and any oven settings that reduce stress. The point is to cook more often, not to perform.
3) Let the appliance reduce the guesswork
Modern ovens increasingly offer guided modes, sensors and automatic programmes to help with timings and temperatures. Samsung points to features such as AI Pro Cooking, which can suggest settings and alert you if food is about to burn.
Note: “[1] Requires SmartThings App available on Android and iOS devices. An internet connection is required.”
The straight truth
Britain still values home cooking — but confidence has cracked, and too many ovens have become expensive cupboards with a clock. The encouraging part is that cooking skills come back the same way they disappeared: through use. Fewer grand plans, more small repeats, and a willingness to press a couple of different buttons without expecting disaster.
