YesChef

YesChef is a streaming platform for cooking classes. Its FAQ describes it as "the streaming platform for cooking that lets anyone watch video lessons taught by internationally renowned chefs." Each class is a filmed course from one well-known chef, built around that chef's cuisine, story and signature dishes, and a single membership opens every class. It is made for home cooks, from beginners to people who already cook a lot and want better technique and a wider repertoire, and there is a business version that companies give to their staff.

The chefs and classes

The class list names eight chefs: Jamie Oliver (Home Cooking), Nancy Silverton (California Cuisine), Francis Mallmann (Argentine Cuisine), Edward Lee (Southern Cuisine), Asma Khan (Indian Cuisine), Kwame Onwuachi (Jamaican Cuisine), Dario Cecchini (Tuscan Grilling) and Erez Komarovsky. The FAQ sums up the range as Italian, American, Argentinian, Israeli, Indian, Jamaican and more, and says new classes are released regularly.

The production is the selling point. Rather than film in a studio, the FAQ says, the team travels "to the home and city of every chef," and it takes about 6 months to produce each class. A typical class has around 12 video lessons that average 22 minutes (the range is 7 to 40 minutes), plus an hour-long cinematic documentary about the life, food and culture of the chef and place. The membership pages describe the video as a "4K cinematic experience."

Jamie Oliver's class shows what one looks like in practice: 24 lessons, 54 recipes and 7.5 hours. The page calls it his "first-ever online class," covering "the food, stories and principles that shaped the world-renowned chef," and promises "over 50 exclusive recipes." The lesson previews start with Jamie's Story, a documentary filmed in London, move to a class intro on method and instinct, then into dishes such as Fresh Pasta Dough and Pasta Bianco. Each chef page carries a trailer and a preview of lessons, and the FAQ invites visitors to watch a few trailers, so a learner can judge a class before paying.

How the lessons teach

Each class pairs the story with the cooking. A member quoted on the site writes: "The layout of the classes, with story first and then recipes, is really engaging and fun." Lessons are step-by-step and guided, every class comes with a PDF cookbook and detailed recipes, and the player lets a learner jump back to specific moments in a video, which helps when following along at the stove. The FAQ says "every lesson covers the fundamentals and techniques that allow you to master the art of home cooking," and that every class is designed "to be accessible for students just starting out and experienced home cooks alike."

Members watch on a smartphone, computer, tablet or TV, at their own pace. The homepage opens with a short question about what the learner wants (make everyday meals, improve technique and repertoire, become a confident home chef, or become a pro), and the Jamie Oliver page offers a personalized cooking plan through what it calls an "AI-powered quiz."

Plans and prices

Every membership includes unlimited access to all classes and new ones as they come out, viewing on all devices, step-by-step guided lessons and PDF recipe books. The plans page lists three options:

• Yearly Plan, marked most popular: CHF 16 a month, billed annually.
• 3-Month Plan: CHF 26 a month, billed every 3 months.
• YesChef Forever, a lifetime plan: CHF 449, billed once.

Prices on the site move with promotions. The FAQ page quotes the Annual All-Access membership at CHF 14 a month, billed annually (CHF 165), and a banner there advertises plans starting at CHF 11.45 a month alongside seasonal sales and two-for-one gift offers.

All plans carry a 30-day guarantee. The FAQ explains that a member who is not happy can get "a full refund within the first 30 days of the initial purchase of your subscription." After that, a member can cancel the renewal at any time from the user profile, and the FAQ notes there are no refunds for partially unused membership periods. Sign-up works with an email address, Facebook or Google.

Gifts and business

YesChef sells itself as a gift. A buyer signs up with their own email, ticks "This is a gift" at checkout, and receives a gift card by email to forward when ready.

The business page turns that into a team benefit: "Give each of your employees an Annual All-Access subscription to an ever-growing library of inspirational and practical video cooking classes they can stream from any device, anytime." It lists a $180 annual membership, 50-55% off for a group purchase, and 55-75% off for business members, and pitches the service as "The Perfect Gift for your Team!" Employee comments on the page include Kim R., who says "Great filming and editing make the instructions easy to follow and understand," and Jannette R., who never imagined classes "from such accomplished world-renowned chefs for a small amount of money."

What members say

The member comments focus on clarity and confidence. Jonathan M. says "The walk throughs by each chef and the step by step instructions are super heful" (the site's spelling), Sebastian O. likes "the little tips each one of them share during their classes," and Rima S. calls it "An invaluable confidence booster." Robin W., on the business page, praises Chef Lee's "start to finish hands-on approach."

Help comes through a Help Center and live chat, and the site runs an affiliate program.

Who it suits

YesChef suits a home cook who enjoys learning from a person as much as from a recipe: someone who wants to understand how Francis Mallmann cooks over fire, how Asma Khan approaches Indian food, or how Jamie Oliver makes pasta, and is happy to watch a documentary on the way. Because one membership covers every class, it works well for a cook who wants to move between cuisines over a year. The lifetime plan suits a committed user, and the gift and business options make it an easy present for a family member or a team.

It suits less well a cook who wants one specific cuisine and nothing else, since the price covers the whole library, or someone who wants short recipe clips; these are long-form classes. The classes are filmed lessons streamed on demand, so a learner who wants personal feedback on their own cooking will need to look for that elsewhere.