Sur La Table Cooking Classes Online

Now's the Time to Sign Up for Online Cooking Classes. Here Are 7 We Love

Put your social distancing time indoors to good use with free tutorials from cooking professionals.

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Julia Child said, "Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." As a kid, I watched Child entertain by making French dishes such as beef bourguignon and French onion soup. And her passion for cooking rubbed off on me. Cooking has been one of the best ways to bring me a sense of calm among all the unknowns in the world right now. All 10 seasons of The French Chef with Julia Child are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, so you can see for yourself how the culinary legend kicked-off live cooking on TV. If you've been watching cooking channels or virtual celebrity concerts and want something new to try, cooking can be your next adventure. To try your hand at cooking like the pros, there are several online cooking classes (many free!) to boost your kitchen skills right at home. Here are some of my all-time favorites.

African American woman cooking in her kitchen using her laptop

Credit: humanmade/Getty Images

For the First-Time Cook: Allrecipes Cooking School

Perhaps you opt for delivery more than actually cooking yourself. That's fine, but if you're stuck at home, maybe now's the time to learn a new skill. Allrecipes Cooking School courses are made to meet every home cook's comfort level. For beginners, you'll find tutorials such as basic knife skills, how to fry an egg, and what it means to blanch vegetables. If you've got your basics down, move a step up and learn how to bake a pie or grill chicken.

Cost: 30-day free trial, then $7.50 per month.

For the Plant-Based Eater: Veecoco

With fast-food chains offering meatless burgers and grocery stores expanding plant-based selections, the trend of going vegan or flexitarian is here to stay. Veecoco's expansive course offerings will teach you to prepare foods sans meat. Make classic Italian dishes, non-dairy cheese, and sushi all 100% meat- and dairy-free.

Cost: Free 7-day trial. Courses start at $25.

Gluten-Free White Bread

For the Bread Lover: Udemy

Udemy's bread-baking courses are among the site's most popular. (The sourdough bread course has 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 2,000 reviews.) Learn to make artisan breads from an expert baker or try your hand at mixing up white bread from scratch for your sandwiches. Gluten-free? There are currently 22 courses on how to bake gluten-free bread, cakes, and more.

Cost: Courses start at $12 and come with a 30-day risk-free guarantee.

For the Wannabe Cake Designer: Bluprint

Ever wish you could pipe realistic icing flowers or a cake that resembles a hamburger like the ones on the Great British Baking Show? Now's your chance. Head to Bluprint's cake decorating category to find classes on basic piping techniques, sculpting cakes, and creating toppers from fondant.

Cost: 14-day free trial, then individual classes start at $20.

For the Science Nerd: MIT

Cooking is very scientific, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) chemistry professor Patricia Christie's seminar explains how recipes are one of the oldest forms of chemical research. While not really a hands-on visual approach to cooking, information such as the breakdown of a chocolate chip cookie (all the way to the cocoa bean in the chocolate chips) will give you a totally new perspective on the food you're making at home.

Cost: Free

For the Global Enthusiast: Skill Share

Make your favorite ethnic foods at home with Skill Share's 3,000+ cooking video tutorials from experts and fellow home cooks around the world. Expand your global palate and try making Nabe, a traditional Japanese brothy soup with meat, vegetables, and spices popular in the winter. Or try Indian dishes and make a vegetarian curry for dinner.

Cost: Free 2-month premium membership trial, then $8.95 per month.

For the Sweet Tooth: America's Test Kitchen

Break out the flour! America's Test Kitchen features online cooking classes in every recipe category, but the dessert lineup (88 courses and counting!) is a sweet place to start. Create a fruit cobbler, make homemade ice cream, or bake up new holiday cookie ideas.

Cost: Free 14-day trial, then $19.95 per month.