A Surprising Number Of Home Cooks Think They Can Outcook The Professionals

What's your favorite cooking competition show? Is it Food Network's "Chopped," on which chefs hustle to turn baskets of mystery ingredients into a comprehensive three-course meal? How about Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," which sees two teams of chefs compete for the job of head chef at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant? Or maybe it's Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay," where local chefs go head-to-head with celebrity chef Flay to try to out-cook him?

If you've ever sat down to watch an episode of the latter — or one of the many series that feature celebrity chefs competing against home cooks or against each other — and thought, "Hey, I could do that," then you have something in common with 63% of fellow home cooks. According to a new poll shared by Martha Stewart, a majority of home cooks surveyed believe they could go head-to-head in a cooking competition with professional chefs.

If you've ever watched a cooking competition show and felt you could compete if given the chance, then you'd fit in with the majority of home cooks surveyed in a recent poll. According to Study Finds, the poll (conducted by polling service OnePoll and commissioned by the luxury kitchen appliance brand Signature Kitchen Suite) found that the 2,000 adults surveyed are pretty darn confident in their kitchen skills. Not only do 63% feel they could hold their own competing against a celebrity chef, but a whopping 62% feel they could have their own cooking show on TV. Additionally, 63% feel they could improve upon some of the recipes they've enjoyed dining out at their favorite restaurants.

Lots of us love to cook at home, but what's up with the high levels of faith reflected in this survey? According to Nick Ritchie, an executive chef at Signature Kitchen Suite, the increase in cooking at home we've seen over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic — especially towards the beginning, with the stricter stay-at-home orders — is a definite factor in Americans having honed their cooking skills, and, thus, their confidence in their abilities.

"One positive outcome of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic is that it has bolstered Americans' confidence in the kitchen, with many rediscovering their joy of cooking like never before," Nick Ritchie, an executive chef at Signature Kitchen Suite, said in a statement (via Study Finds). "Whether it's taking on a more complex recipe or learning an entirely new skillset or cooking technique like sous vide, the pandemic has caused even the most timid at-home cooks to tap into their 'inner chef.' It's not surprising that so many believe their culinary talents are on par with those of a professional chef."

Other findings of the poll commissioned by the luxury kitchen appliance brand include 77% of respondents reporting that cooking is one of their favorite things to do, and that ⅔ believe they have the skills to open their own restaurant or catering business. Let it be known: home cooks these days seem to be more confident than ever.