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4.3

Excellent rating - 4.3/5 (10900+ reviews)

Do you need help with meal preparation?

  • Home cooking
  • Cooking Lessons
  • Vegetarian meal preparation
  • Vegan meal preparation
  • Meal planning
  • … or anything else
It only takes 2 minutes. And it's free.
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Best rated cooks near me

Recent Cooking reviews

Such a lovely person to deal with. I'm so happy with the service the received from Nariya. She was great in communication and delivery of her food! Thank you!

I need home cooking, preferably South Asian based

$30

Geoff is amazing, so friendly and organised. He came to the party on time and he was doing a lot. Cooking, taking the empty dishes , refilling the food . We loved his work, so professional! For sure we’ll be using him for all our future events , thank you very much for amazing job you’ve done in our party , much appreciated 👌🙏

I need dinner party chef

$150

mouth watering, healthy and delicious and freshly cooked meals and the sweets are a different level of goodness - was a little haven in a plate ! Rini was a delight to deal with and i will definitely be returning for more :) oh bless :))

Vegetarian tiffin service - melbourne cbd

$100

Matt’s partner Paula made a delicious themed cake at short notice for my son’s 14th birthday. Matt was super friendly and easy to deal with. Would definitely recommend.

Cylinder Speaker Design Birthday Cake by Wednesday

$80

Julie did an amazing work at our LO's 1st birthday. Baby shark themed decoration was exactly what we had asked for and envisioned. Highly recommended. Thanks Julie.

1st birthday party decoration

$100

Huge thanks for your amazing meals and prompt in meeting me !! Thanks again !

28 Home cooked meals prepared....

$550

What's the average cost of a cook

$80 - $210

low

$80

median

$140

high

$210

Low, median and high bar chart distribuiton

Average reviews for Cooking Services

based on 500 reviews

4.91

474
16
5
3
2

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649+

Tasks successfully completed

1

Average amount of offers per task

3

 hrs

Average time to receive offers

Statistics from the most recent tasks on Airtasker since 17th Jan 2021.

Hire trusted Cooks with Airtasker

Cooking is one of those skills that takes a moment to learn but a lifetime to master. Those who choose to master it over a lifetime are generally highly sought after, and for good reason.

Whether you’re a catering company who needs a chef to help serve up food at a gala event, a restaurant who requires the short term assistance of a chef while they search for a long term staffer, or perhaps even a hopeless romantic who wants to engage the services of a private chef to make an anniversary particularly special, you can now gain access to a huge amount of talent, and all at the click of a button.

Simply tell us about the job that you’d like the chef to do and suggest what you’d be willing to pay, and you’ll soon begin to receive offers from available chefs. Each chef comes with ratings and detailed reviews of their previous work, so you can be confident that your chosen hire will be able to produce the sort of quality food that you require.

So what are you waiting for? Get a free, no obligation quote today!

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Local, skilled pros

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Top Cooking related questions

Professional cooks usually have previous kitchen experience or qualifications. They’re paid to prepare food, either in a commercial environment, in people’s homes as a personal cook, or they may work from their own kitchen at home.

Yes. Most cooks specialise in a particular type of cooking, like baking, seafood, gluten-free, vegan, steaming, frying, or even a particular cuisine.

A professional cook doesn’t necessarily need any set qualifications, but it’s common for professional chefs to hold a certificate or have some work experience in a professional kitchen.

Professional cooks can give you a restaurant quality meal but in the comfort (and convenience) of your own home. If you’re hosting a dinner party, it means you can spend more time with your guests and minimise the clean up afterwards.

This will depend on whether your cook is assembling the meal at your place or at theirs. Generally, private catering chefs will bring all the ingredients, along with any specific appliances they need. However, they may use your basic utensils and servingware.

The price for a professional or personal cook is usually between $70-$200 when you hire through Airtasker. It could be more or less than this, depending on how many people they need to cater for, the cost of ingredients, and the time it’ll take them to prepare the meal.


Suggested reads about Cooking

What do cooking services include?

You can hire a cook to provide food for a range of meals and occasions, from home cooking and meal prep to specialty cooking and even dinner party catering. You can arrange cooking services to happen in your own kitchen or your cook can bring the food ready-prepared. Your chef will take care of everything from buying ingredients to cleaning up. Here’s what you can expect depending on your cooking service:

Home cooking
Want fresh meals in your home? Your home chef can either offer regular home cooking services where they cook multiple nights per week, or provide a one-off meal if you just need occasional help. Your private chef will ask if you have any food preferences or intolerances, how many people they need to cook for, and what appliances and equipment they can use. They’ll usually plan the meals ahead of time, purchase the ingredients, and freshly cook the meals in your kitchen, and then clean up before they go.

Baking
Want to impress your best friend with an amazing cake for her birthday party? Or perhaps it’s your turn to bring some baking to work for morning tea? Hire a pastry chef or professional baker to create a cake, biscuits, muffins, or something else tasty. They’ll ask you how many people you’re baking for, any flavour preferences, and any special decorations you’d like. Your baker will bake at their place and deliver the finished product to your home or office once it’s ready.

Dinner party chef
If you’re planning a dinner party with friends, why not hire a dinner party chef to help take all the stress out of hosting? Your professional cook will contact you to confirm the number of guests, what courses/canapes you’d like, and whether the event is formal or informal. They’ll usually prepare most of the food where the event is being held (whether at your home or at a venue) and clean up the kitchen after they’re done.

Specialty cooking
Cooking paleo, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free can be a challenge, whether it’s for yourself, a family member, or for an event you’re catering. Fortunately, many cooks are experienced with a range of different food requirements, including food intolerances, special diets, and allergies. When you hire a cook, they’ll choose recipes and ingredients that are suitable, confirming any dietary requirements before they get started. They’ll be careful to avoid cross-contamination if they’re preparing alternative meals for certain members of your family or party.

Meal preparation & planning
If you struggle to come up with meal ideas and always find yourself short of time throughout the week, why not hire a cook to prep your meals for the week? Your personal cook will confirm how many meals you’d like, the number of people, and if you have any preferences. They’ll choose meals that keep well and are easy to store, and taste great fresh or reheated. They’ll either prepare the food in your kitchen (cleaning up afterwards) or drop your freshly prepared meals off when they’re done, packaged and ready for the fridge or freezer.

Recent Cooking tasks

Weekly meal prep - Low carb, high protein, halal meals

$150

Nirimba Fields NSW, Australia

19th Jan 2025

Cooking & boxing up meals for the week - low carb, high protein. This is for weight loss & health - so need someone who understands how to cook healthy, minimal oil & knows a good variety of healthy meals To last for 5 workdays Cut & marinated veggies for air frying 2 low fat curries and/or marinated meat for air frying

Home cooking

$15

Wantirna South VIC, Australia

19th Jan 2025

We need someone who can come home and cook gujarati Indian food daily

21st Birthday cake for a man

$80

Palm Beach QLD, Australia

19th Jan 2025

I would like a birthday cake for my sons 21st .

Looking for a meal prep chef

$40

Gold Coast QLD, Australia

18th Jan 2025

We’re looking for a chef to meal prep twice a week for two people. Were not particularly picky, just looking for someone who cooks quite clean and is versatile. Cleanliness and being dependent will be paramount. Indicative $40/hr and happy to discuss based on number of factors. Please give a brief overview of your experience. Ideally start immediately with a short trial.

Create a backdrop for the baby shower.

$350

Mount Colah NSW, Australia

17th Jan 2025

Looking for someone to create baby shower backdrop.

Home cooking

$30

Kew VIC 3101, Australia

17th Jan 2025

North Indian home cook required on a regular basis 3-4 times a week for daily meal preparation. Menu will be provided beforehand to allow food preparation for 2-3 days at a time. Can be dropped off or made in home.

Meal prep 2 meals

$100

Wheelers Hill VIC, Australia

17th Jan 2025

needing 2 meals made for 6 days so 12 meals in total. i have the recipe for you.

Cake Made & Delivered

$89

Parkside SA, Australia

17th Jan 2025

Need a cake made for my partner. Delivered to Parkside on Friday 7th Feb or day before of easier. She loves Star Wars and favourite ones are Qui Gon and Mace Windu. I would like it to have Colombian national flag on it. Her favourite cake is 3 milks cake. I don’t know what that is. Let me know if you’re up for it and thanks. Name is Kelly. Josh want cake to say “Happy Birthday Kelly”

Meal preparation and planning (Dairy & Peanut Free, Low FODMAP)

$500

Officer VIC 3809, Australia

10th Jan 2025

I am looking for someone to assist me in meal planning and preparation that caters to my dietary requirements. I am allergic to all dairy products and peanuts (tree nuts are ok) and try to be low FODMAP as possible for gut health. If I could sign up to something like Lite n Easy, I would but I can't. I need to get back to a healthier weight and lifestyle and someone to take the above in consideration, plan the meals and ideally prep them so it is really clear to me what I eat and when, this would be life saving. I know I have put down Officer but I am also available in Caulfield as well. Price is negotiable

Tabatha was a cut above the rest who responded to my Airtasker request. She was great at communicating what was included in the offer and kept me in the loop at every stage and was able to cater to my specific dietary requirements. I have yet to try the meals but they look delicious!

A tower cake with coco melon theme for 2-year-old boy's birthday.

$100

Williams Landing VIC, Australia

9th Dec 2024

I'm looking for a talented baker to create a stunning Cocomelon-themed tower cake for my son's 2nd birthday! The cake should be big enough to feed around 14 people. I’m aiming for a fun, colorful design inspired by the popular kids’ show, Cocomelon. The cake should be tiered (tower-style). Cocomelon-themed decorations such as the Cocomelon logo, characters (like JJ and his friends), and colorful accents (rainbows, balloons, etc.). Flavors: Please suggest options that would appeal to both children and adults (e.g., vanilla, chocolate, or something kid-friendly). The cake should be sturdy enough to transport and set up at the venue. Delivery to Williams Landing on 26th Jan before 1PM (or willing to discuss pickup details). Please share photos of similar cakes you've done, along with an offer. Looking forward to working with a creative baker to make this birthday extra special! Example cake images shared.

Was on time, the cake was above average (good)

Cooking lesson (Turkish, Persian, Egyptian or other)

$90

Sydney Olympic Park NSW, Australia

1st Dec 2024

I'm interested in having someone teach me how to cook a dish from their own culture. Currently interested in Middle Eastern, North African, or West African. Ideally on a weekend, or weekday evening (Mon/Wed/Fri). Not sure what's easiest but let me know what works for you in terms of location. Happy to come to you, or here in Sydney Olympic Park. For example: Persian (e.g. Khoresht-e Fesenjan) Turkish Algerian Egyptian Syrian Senegalese (e.g. Chere or Thieboudienne) Maqluba, Mansaaf, etc.

Nina was the perfect Tasker! I absolutely loved my Egyptian cooking lesson with her. She was organised, kind, friendly, everything was planned so well. I would highly recommend booking Nina!

Art classes for 7 year old son, loves sketching and any form of art.

$40

Eltham North VIC, Australia

1st Dec 2024

My son is 7 years old and loves to sketch. Looking to develop his skills in all mediums of art.

Bianca is great and a very nice person to deal with. Recommended

Meal preparation

$100

Perth WA, Australia

1st Dec 2024

I need someone to meal prep for me according to macros/calories that my coach has recommended. This will involve cooking and weighing my carbs, protein and fat for each meal and allocating them in separate containers for the week.

Thank you Priscilla!

Romantic balloon decoration to celebrate our wedding anniversary

$5

Chinatown District VIC 3000, Australia

18th Nov 2024

I want a romantic decoration for our first wedding anniversary. Some balloons and a board would be fine near the setup I have posted. This would be in CBD on 22nd Dec afternoon. I have attached sample photos.

I'd highly recommend Ruchi and her team. She did an exceptional job. Goes above and beyond your request to make the event worthwhile. She is very flexible and keeps your needs ahead at all times.

Rush Cupcake Order

$100

Coburg VIC, Australia

16th Nov 2024

I am seeking about 24 cupcakes to be made, fudgey chocolate ones with green icing on top with the code A9. It’s for high school class and a farewell treat. Just seeking quotes. Pick up in the northern suburbs at night for Tuesday morning.

Haven’t tasted them yet but they look wonderful!

Chef for dinner party at home

$650

Balwyn North VIC, Australia

15th Nov 2024

Looking for a chef for a Vietnamese theme dinner party at our home for 14 adults . We have an ample kitchen for the chef to prepare at our place .

We had a sit down dinner party for 13 at our place . Mel helped with Menu planning , came over to our place a day before to do initial preps and then on the party she cooked a wonderful meal of entree , mains and dessert. She was very happy to accommodate special dietary requests . The food was delicious and especially the negri yakitori and fish were very well appreciated by our friends !

Batch curried sausages as per own recipe

$100

Dingley Village VIC, Australia

6th Nov 2024

Needing batch curried sausages cooked from own recipe for child with egg, nut, soy and dairy allergies and intolerances.

Breanna was easy to communicate with, accommodated all my requests and was quick - she made it as easy as it could be.

5 day weekly meal prep (shop, cook and deliver)

$100

Ascot Vale VIC, Australia

30th Oct 2024

Looking for someone to shop, cook and deliver weekly meals to cover 5 days. Brekky, lunch, dinner and snacks (I have a list I can send) but very open to healthy recommendations. I will cover all grocery costs of course. My goal is to do this weekly but may differ slightly due to my work roster (domestic and international flight attendant.)

Great communication 👍🏽 impressed will my meals have yet to try them but very excited Thank you for making my life that little bit easier 😃

Meal preparation

$200

Wollongong NSW, Australia

20th Oct 2024

I'm in need of someone to cook meals for me. Looking for approximately 30 meals to be cooked weekly ongoing (2-3 different recipes). I will pay for groceries on top of this price

Great job! Very happy

Baby rabbit pick up from greenvale

$50

Greenvale VIC, Australia

16th Oct 2024

Baby rabbit picked up from greenvale delivered to Keilor east in the next hr

Thankyou so much was fast and reliable and took extra care