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Beginner cooking instructors near Poughkeepsie, NY

Top pros for your project

These pros consistently receive high praise in customer reviews.These popular pros are highly sought after for their quality and expertise.These pros recognize that your time is important, and are the fastest to respond to requests.These highly recommended pros are experts, ready to help with your project.

These pros consistently receive high praise in customer reviews.These popular pros are highly sought after for their quality and expertise.These pros recognize that your time is important, and are the fastest to respond to requests.These highly recommended pros are experts, ready to help with your project.

Avatar for Lydia Hodges
Avatar for Lydia Hodges
4.
Lydia Hodges
4.
Lydia Hodges

Exceptional 5.0

(70)

Exceptional 5.0

(70)

Great value
  • 60 hires on Thumbtack
  • Serves Poughkeepsie, NY
Maddie R. says, "I hired Chef Lydia for my wedding and I am so beyond grateful that I did. We had small wedding with ~25 people and we all stayed at a private estate for the weekend. I wanted to have an intimate dinner meal at “home” while still enjoying the benefits of professional-grade food and service. I spoke with a few other chefs in the area but was having trouble finding someone who I connected with and who grasped the vision. A friend of mine recommended looking at Thumbtack and I was a little hesitant as I’d never heard of it but after speaking with Chef Lydia I immediately knew I’d hit gold. She was a great listener and I felt she truly understood what I wanted and was excited to be a part of it. She made some great suggestions and was also open to accommodate any of my requests. We settled on appetizers for a cocktail hour and a 3-course meal for the sit-down dinner. After engaging with Chef Lydia she was extremely responsive to any follow up questions I had and also checked in with me at considerate intervals so I never felt like she’d forgotten about me. The food was delicious, fresh, and beautifully arranged without being pretentious. The service was also phenomenal – everything was executed efficiently and was timed perfectly. I would recommend Chef Lydia from the fantastic food and service alone, but what really exceeded my expectations were all the extra things they did to make our day special. To name a few: they organized the make-shift bar area we’d thrown together the previous night, they pre-poured glasses of champagne for our post-ceremony toast, they lit 30+ candles at the table before dinner and helped move them to the living room when the party migrated there post-dinner, we made our own desserts which they brought out and arranged for us to enjoy after dinner, they even brought some of their own flowers/decorations, the list goes on. And, of course, they tidied up the kitchen upon arrival and left it spotless when they left. All that said, what really made my experience with Chef Lydia exceptional was her and her team’s professionalism and positive energy. Chef Lydia and her team were prompt, low-maintenance, and so personable. Because we were all staying on site there were plenty of people coming in and out of the kitchen and chatting with them while they cooked and they were so friendly and warm. My husband and I walked actually through the kitchen on the way outside for our marriage ceremony and Chef Lydia and crew were there cheering us on and hyping us up! The service provided by Chef Lydia and her team was one of the highlights of the weekend – we were all blown away by the quality of the food, the service, and the personalities."See more
Maddie R. says, "I hired Chef Lydia for my wedding and I am so beyond grateful that I did. We had small wedding with ~25 people and we all stayed at a private estate for the weekend. I wanted to have an intimate dinner meal at “home” while still enjoying the benefits of professional-grade food and service. I spoke with a few other chefs in the area but was having trouble finding someone who I connected with and who grasped the vision. A friend of mine recommended looking at Thumbtack and I was a little hesitant as I’d never heard of it but after speaking with Chef Lydia I immediately knew I’d hit gold. She was a great listener and I felt she truly understood what I wanted and was excited to be a part of it. She made some great suggestions and was also open to accommodate any of my requests. We settled on appetizers for a cocktail hour and a 3-course meal for the sit-down dinner. After engaging with Chef Lydia she was extremely responsive to any follow up questions I had and also checked in with me at considerate intervals so I never felt like she’d forgotten about me. The food was delicious, fresh, and beautifully arranged without being pretentious. The service was also phenomenal – everything was executed efficiently and was timed perfectly. I would recommend Chef Lydia from the fantastic food and service alone, but what really exceeded my expectations were all the extra things they did to make our day special. To name a few: they organized the make-shift bar area we’d thrown together the previous night, they pre-poured glasses of champagne for our post-ceremony toast, they lit 30+ candles at the table before dinner and helped move them to the living room when the party migrated there post-dinner, we made our own desserts which they brought out and arranged for us to enjoy after dinner, they even brought some of their own flowers/decorations, the list goes on. And, of course, they tidied up the kitchen upon arrival and left it spotless when they left. All that said, what really made my experience with Chef Lydia exceptional was her and her team’s professionalism and positive energy. Chef Lydia and her team were prompt, low-maintenance, and so personable. Because we were all staying on site there were plenty of people coming in and out of the kitchen and chatting with them while they cooked and they were so friendly and warm. My husband and I walked actually through the kitchen on the way outside for our marriage ceremony and Chef Lydia and crew were there cheering us on and hyping us up! The service provided by Chef Lydia and her team was one of the highlights of the weekend – we were all blown away by the quality of the food, the service, and the personalities."
Avatar for Chef John
Avatar for Chef John
6.
Chef John
6.
Chef John

Exceptional 5.0

(10)

Exceptional 5.0

(10)

  • 22 hires on Thumbtack
  • Serves Poughkeepsie, NY
Carol W. says, "For my 75th birthday on Valentine’s Day I wanted something special, something memorable and above all, something delicious. I hired John and got all three, and then some. This was the first time I had used a private chef, and he was cooking for just three people—myself and two girlfriends—so it was uncharted waters for all. But we could not have been in better hands. He was responsive, accommodating (he created the menu with my friends because I wanted to be surprised), unflappable, unpretentious and a joy to work with. I told him upfront that I don’t cook and probably didn’t own many chef-worthy cooking supplies and utensils. “I have a whisk,” I confessed. I needn’t have fretted; he cheerfully said he would bring his own supplies. The dinner itself was a masterpiece from the crudités and whipped carrot soup to the Wagyu beef strip loin and chocolatey desserts. (He is not a pastry chef so he outsourced our sumptuous sweets to a French-style bakery he often works with.) If you open the dictionary and look up the word excellence, I’m sure John’s face will be there. I am in search of excuses to hire him again and would not hesitate to recommend him for any occasion."See more
Carol W. says, "For my 75th birthday on Valentine’s Day I wanted something special, something memorable and above all, something delicious. I hired John and got all three, and then some. This was the first time I had used a private chef, and he was cooking for just three people—myself and two girlfriends—so it was uncharted waters for all. But we could not have been in better hands. He was responsive, accommodating (he created the menu with my friends because I wanted to be surprised), unflappable, unpretentious and a joy to work with. I told him upfront that I don’t cook and probably didn’t own many chef-worthy cooking supplies and utensils. “I have a whisk,” I confessed. I needn’t have fretted; he cheerfully said he would bring his own supplies. The dinner itself was a masterpiece from the crudités and whipped carrot soup to the Wagyu beef strip loin and chocolatey desserts. (He is not a pastry chef so he outsourced our sumptuous sweets to a French-style bakery he often works with.) If you open the dictionary and look up the word excellence, I’m sure John’s face will be there. I am in search of excuses to hire him again and would not hesitate to recommend him for any occasion."

FAQs

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How much do private cooking lessons cost?

You can take private cooking classes to have fun, to learn a new skill, to improve your health, to bond with your partner, to enjoy a playful first date or to have a unique birthday party experience. Nationally the average cost of private cooking lessons ranges between $100 and $150. Prices can vary, depending on where you live, the type of cooking class you’re taking, the ingredients the chef provides, and the reputation of the chef. Cooking classes with Anthony Bourdain will clearly cost more than classes with a local restaurant owner. The number of people in the class will also affect the cost, with group lessons often priced per person to account for the cost of ingredients. For example, for group lessons, a brunch workshop may cost an average of $70 per person, a steak dinner with sides could cost an average of $80-$85 per person, and a sushi lesson could cost an average of $100 per person. Ingredients play a major role in cost, as the chef will pre-purchase the food you will be working with. Weekday classes will usually cost less than weekend classes.

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