Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- Figure 1: Share and approximate number* of Cooking Enthusiasts, 2013-16, August 2016
- The issues
- Cooking at home is not an activity enjoyed by most
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- Figure 2: At-home cooking influencers, by all cooks and Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Digital media inspires Millennials but may leave older adults out of the loop
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- Figure 3: Sources used by Cooking Enthusiasts to cook at home, by generation, August 2016
- Lower household incomes are disconnected from most cooking activities
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- Figure 4: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking-related activities, by household income, August 2016
- The opportunities
- Men and Millennials becoming increasingly present in the kitchen
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- Figure 5: Cooking frequency, by gender, 2015-16, August 2016
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- Figure 6: Cooking skills, by generation, 2015-16
- Millennials and meal kits: At their door and ready to go
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- Figure 7: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by generation, August 2016
- Employed adults find significant cost and time value in meal kits
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- Figure 8: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking attitudes, by employment status, August 2016
- What it means
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The Market – What You Need to Know
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- The share of Cooking Enthusiasts rose from 2015-16
- Share of Non-Cooks declines
- The kitchen is the heart of the home
- Lower cost of groceries likely boosting out of home food sales
The Cooking Enthusiasts Market
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- Overview of Cooking Enthusiasts
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- Figure 9: Estimated share and number* of American adults aged 18+ by cooking segment, August 2016
- Share of Cooking Enthusiasts increases from 2015-16
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- Figure 10: Share and approximate number* of Cooking Enthusiasts, 2013-16, August 2016
- Cooking enthusiasm and frequency growing, fewer cook infrequently
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- Figure 11: Share of cooking segments, 2015-16, August 2016
Cooking Segments
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- Figure 12: Cooking segments, August 2016
- Cooking Enthusiasts
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 13: Profile of Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Conflicted Cooks
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 14: Profile of Conflicted Cooks, August 2016
- Infrequent Cooks
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 15: Profile of Infrequent Cooks, August 2016
- Unenthusiastic Cooks
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 16: Profile of Unenthusiastic Cooks, August 2016
- Non-Cooks
- Demographics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 17: Profile of Non-Cooks, August 2016
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Market Perspective
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- Obesity is big and it keeps getting bigger
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- Figure 18: Share of overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity in the US, 1988-2014
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- Figure 19: Share of overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity in the US, by gender, 1988-2014
- The kitchen is increasingly the most important room in the home
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- Figure 20: The kitchen is the most important room – Any agree, May 2003-June 2016
- Daily time dedicated to cooking has remained flat for at least a decade
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- Figure 21: Time spent per day eating and drinking, food preparation and cleanup, 2003-15 annual averages
Market Factors
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- Both at-home and out-of-home spending on food continues to climb
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- Figure 22: Food sales at home and away from home, January 2003-June 2016
- Cost of groceries has been on the decline
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- Figure 23: Consumer Price Index, food at home, seasonally adjusted annual change, August 2015-16
- Millennials may struggle in the kitchen because they still live at home
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- Figure 24: Living situation of adults aged 18-34, by living arrangement, 2014
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Accessibility to food and recipes bolstering the at-home cooking sector
- Snacking, sugar, food waste, and food recalls, oh my!
- Innovating in the kitchen: Dessert kits, smart ovens, and repurposing food
What’s Working?
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- Bringing quality, affordable groceries closer to consumers
- Food videos inspire cooks of all levels
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- Figure 25: Stuffed Chicken Parmesan, video, August 2016
- Meal kits help make mealtime fast, easy, and cultural
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- Figure 26: A Better Way to Cook, video, April 2015
What’s Struggling?
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- Snacking over meals may cause a decline in home-cooked meals
- Americans waste half of their food every year
- Sugar and spice and everything . . . wrong with what we knew
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- Figure 27: FED UP – Official Trailer, video, April 2014
- Are food recalls the next form of industry transparency?
What’s Next?
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- Forget what’s for dinner. What’s for dessert?
- Hershey’s
- Foodstirs
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- Figure 28: The Foodstirs Company, video, October 2015
- The sharing economy hits the kitchen
- Smartphones and smart ovens helping distracted cooks
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- Figure 29: June Intelligent Oven, video, June 2015
- Rethinking the use of ugly food
- Imperfect Produce
- SpoonLed
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- Figure 30: Meet the hero changing the future of food waste, video, May 2016
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Nearly half of US adults can be categorized as Cooking Enthusiasts
- Health and cost-savings are the top two motivations for at-home cooking
- Efficiency in the kitchen is key to getting adults to cook more
- Cooking websites dominate as the most used source to find recipes
- Food-related activities are not simply reserved for the kitchen
- Millennials may need a little more support in the kitchen
All About Cooking – Frequency, Enjoyment, Skills, and Motivation
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- Cooking is more of a “want to” than a “have to” for most adults
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- Figure 31: Cooking frequency, attitudes, skill level, and motivations, August 2016
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- Figure 32: Cooking frequency, attitudes, skill level, and motivations, 2012-16
- One third of Americans consider cooking a fun leisure activity
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- Figure 33: Cooking for fun in the past 12 months, May 2005-June 2016
- Frequency
- Men are becoming increasingly present in the kitchen
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- Figure 34: Cooking frequency, by gender, September 2015-August 2016
- Millennials and Gen Xers are also increasing their at-home cooking
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- Figure 35: Cooking frequency, by generation, September 2015-August 2016
- Parents are finding the time to cook at home
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- Figure 36: Cooking frequency, by parental status, September 2015-August 2016
- Enjoyment
- Cooking is becoming a more beloved activity among men and women
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- Figure 37: Cooking enjoyment, by gender, September 2015-August 2016
- Who says they love to cook? Millennials do
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- Figure 38: Cooking enjoyment, by generation, September 2015-August 2016
- Making the cooking process easier may be helping parents enjoy it more
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- Figure 39: Cooking enjoyment, by parental status, September 2015-August 2016
- Skills
- Millennials are increasingly likely to be “experts” in the kitchen
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- Figure 40: Cooking skills, by generation, September 2015-August 2016
- Moms and dads are becoming more confident in their cooking skills
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- Figure 41: Cooking skills, by parental status, September 2015-August 2016
Influencing At-Home Cooking
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- Half of adults cook at home because they believe it’s healthier
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- Figure 42: At-home cooking influencers, by all cooks and Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Women influenced by saving money and healthier options
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- Figure 43: At-home cooking influencers of Cooking Enthusiasts, by gender, August 2016
- Millennials consider the kitchen an escape for stress relief and creativity
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- Figure 44: At-home cooking influencers of Cooking Enthusiasts, by generation, August 2016
Factors That Would Increase At-Home Cooking
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- Making the cooking process more efficient would likely increase cooking
- Time
- Prepared ingredients
- Grocery shopping
- Kitchen appliances
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- Figure 45: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Men need a little more direction and a little more guidance
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- Figure 46: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by gender, August 2016
- Millennials are looking to make the cooking process more time-efficient
- Millennials and meal kits: At their door and ready to go
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- Figure 47: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by generation, August 2016
- Renters may lack the tools they need to cook and the space to entertain
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- Figure 48: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by home ownership, August 2016
- Parents need simple, quick, and easy when it comes to cooking
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- Figure 49: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by parental status, August 2016
- For the love of cooking: Urban dwellers are most influenced to cook at home
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- Figure 50: Making at-home cooking easier for Cooking Enthusiasts, by area, August 2016
Sources Used to Find Recipes
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- Recipe inspiration can come from just about anywhere, but websites dominate
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- Figure 51: Sources used to cook at home, by all cooks and Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Millennials find inspiration everywhere, especially in digital media
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- Figure 52: Sources used by Cooking Enthusiasts to cook at home, by generation, August 2016
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- Figure 53: Number of sources used by Cooking Enthusiasts to cook at home, by generation, August 2016
- Urban dwellers are less intentional in their recipe research
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- Figure 54: Sources used by Cooking Enthusiasts to cook at home, by area, August 2016
- Hispanics follow general population patterns with the exception of TV
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- Figure 55: Sources used by Cooking Enthusiasts to cook at home, by Hispanic origin, August 2016
Cooking-Related Activities
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- Learning activities fall to hosting events and watching TV and videos
- Cooking and hosting
- Television food competitions are winning
- Food videos prominent among Cooking Enthusiasts
- Sharing content and taking classes are less common
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- Figure 56: Cooking-related activities, by all cooks and Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Millennials are actively engaging with food, beyond just eating it
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- Figure 57: “Cookies & Cream Puffs”, video, May 2016
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- Figure 58: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking-related activities, by Millennials vs non-Millennials, August 2016
- And are participating in more cooking-related activities
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- Figure 59: Number of Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking-related activities, by generation, August 2016
- Lower household incomes are less connected with cooking activities
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- Figure 60: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking-related activities, by household income, August 2016
- Hispanics are proud of the recipes they have made but are still curious
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- Figure 61: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking-related activities, by Hispanic origin, August 2016
Attitudes toward At-Home Cooking
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- For Cooking Enthusiasts, it is a hobby that is done alone
- Enthusiasts are less stringent with recipe requirements
- Regardless of skill and passion for at-home cooking, health is a concern for most
- Room and interest to grow cooking skills exist among Enthusiasts
- Meal kits are intriguing to adults, despite enjoyment of cooking
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- Figure 62: Cooking attitudes – Any agree, by all cooks and Cooking Enthusiasts, August 2016
- Millennials struggle with cooking skills and value meal kits
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- Figure 63: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking attitudes – Any agree, by generation, August 2016
- Employed adults find significant cost and time value in meal kits
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- Figure 64: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking attitudes – Any agree, by employment status, August 2016
- Hispanics closely monitor their food and prefer simple recipes
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- Figure 65: Cooking Enthusiasts’ cooking attitudes – Any agree, by Hispanic origin, August 2016
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer data
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 66: Attitudes/opinions (food), May 2003-June 2016
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 67: Cooking for fun in the past 12 months, May 2005-June 2016
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