Start Cooking Archive

Start Cooking is a site that helps you learn how to cook the basics. The site is geared towards people who are new to cooking and offers videos, a blog and a large number of simple recipes (which many are really how-to’s). The site is run by Kathy Maister and is live since 2006 though it feels very current and up-to-date.

The videos are well presented and easy-to-understand. There is no directory or search so finding a video is a pain. Frankly I gave up after a few minutes of trying to see what else is available.

The Start Cooking blog has a good deal of information for newbies to cooking. As I noted above, the recipe index contains a good variety of how-to articles like this one on microwaving bacon.

It could become a competitor to 5min and their how-to video library. This is certainly a very crowded category — Kathy needs to stick with the personal touch to differentiate from the others in the market. I don’t see any monetization on the site. This type of site is screaming for an affiliate partnership with a company offering cooking items. In fact, even if they decide not to monetize the site, it would be great to find out what pots and pans Kathy recommends for a newbie (i.e. non-stick, stainless steel, crock pot, etc.).

Here is an example of their videos – this one shows you how to crack an egg: