Washington: The smartphone is becoming the ultimate sous-chef for millennials who are turning to their devices at every phase of the cooking journey – deciding what to make and learning how to prepare it, a new study has found. Fifty-nine per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds (defined as millennials) cook with either their smartphones or tablets handy, according to data from Google Consumer Survey, January 2015, which included 550 online adults in the US.
In contrast, 33 per cent of those over 35 are more likely to print a recipe, according to results from Google Consumer Survey, May 2015, based on 502 US online adults. The research by Google, mcgarrybowen and Kraft Foods found that millennials prefer the culinary process as much as the finished dish: They want to dive into everything, experiment with new recipes, and learn new skills.
“We see through secondary research that millennials are cooking more. It isn’t a chore as much as an ability to create an experience,” said Anna Conroy, planning director for mcgarrybowen.
In the research, 31 per cent of millennials said that choosing what to cook was the least enjoyable part of the cooking process. They turn to their smartphones for help and the top 100 food search terms tend to be broad in nature (“dinner ideas,” “healthy recipes,” and “slow cooker recipes,” for example).
While nearly one-third of millennials said they don’t enjoy choosing what to cook, it certainly does not deter them from being creative. The research found that, for a quarter of online millennials, the most important part of cooking is adding a personal touch to make a recipe unique.
The study data suggests that the so-called “digital kitchen,” might be reviving millennials’ interest in cooking at home, ‘huffingtonpost.com’ reported. After millennials have decided what to cook they turn for help to Google Search or YouTube.
Millennials have subscribed en masse to food channels on YouTube, and 75 per cent of the growth in viewership is coming from mobile devices. While cooking, questions like “What temperature to bake chicken?” are increasingly asked from mobile devices, and 68 per cent of millennial moms said that they also watch videos while cooking.
If hands are occupied, voice search becomes indispensable: Twenty-three per cent of adults use it while cooking. Also, 39 per cent of consumers report having made a purchase of some kind from their kitchens.
Twenty-seven per cent millennials said they don’t cook alone and are likely to be sharing the experience with a spouse, friend, or child. This is helping millennials see cooking as an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends, not as a chore. Ninety-two per cent said they were satisfied with the finished product even if there were mistakes.
