Is there a certain age that everyone becomes a bad cook?

[Anonymous]

You being tired of their recipes?

Wow, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both of our sets of parents (in their mid-70s) have really deteriorated in their cooking skills. Is this just us being tired of their recipes, or do you think that cooking/baking also declines with age?

Like how?

Give examples.

[Anonymous]

My mom's got better after she retired and had more time and also more accessibility of recipes add well as less pressure to cook for a family three meals a day. Growing up, if it wasn't in the basic cookbook or two we had at home or a recipe from family or neighbors, we didn't try it. We had very little spices or even salt. Everything was very plain.

Spending time with America's test kitchen has improved her techniques.

[Anonymous]

I was a good cook in my 20s, when I had all the time in the world and only myself and my husband to please. In my late 40s now with teens and having kids has completely killed my desire to make anything particularly well, because someone will always complain about it. So now I make lots of stuff, but no one’s tasting the love, that’s for sure.

I also think high quality ingredients are getting harder and harder to come by, so everyone’s cooking tastes a little worse than it used to.

[Anonymous]

In my 60s, I’m cooking better than I ever have (thanks for letting me do it more, pandemic). But, geez, I hate, hate, hate washing the dishes and all the big, heavy pots and pans (that can’t go in the dishwasher).

[Anonymous]

No. That's called dementia. Get them into assisted living before they burn down their house.

[Anonymous]

My parents were both excellent cooks when I was growing up. Now at 75, my dad is still a great cook. My mother is 72 and is not so good.

I think it’s 2 things: 1) She pretty much stopped cooking about 30 years ago when we moved to a new city and my sister and I went off to college. My dad has been the daily cook since then, with my mom just jumping in to help with baking (he doesn’t enjoy that) or when they entertain. So she’s out of practice. And 2) When she does cook, she’s grown very impatient and will skip or shorten steps. She made a rather sad apple pie at Thanksgiving because she decided she didn’t feel like peeling the apples, didn’t cut up enough apples, and got tired of waiting for it to bake so took it out of the oven early.

[Anonymous]

My mother is an outstanding cook, always has been (74). My MIL is awful unfortunately. Apparently she used to be good. She lets all the food sit out so it’s cold or room temp by the time it’s dinner. She also forgets her recipes so she improvises unsuccessfully.

[Anonymous]

My grandmother was a good cook until around 97 and she had a stroke. When she moved into assisted living at 94, she helped the cook make better tasting meals. It was a small assisted living section of about 25 people. The cook they hired was about 19 and appreciated the help. It was one of those win-win situations.

[Anonymous]

Jacque Pepin seems to still be able to cook. He just turned 89.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just depends on how much energy they have and how much they like cooking. Most older people in my family hate cooking, because they cooked ever night for decades.

This and I’m there now.

[Anonymous]

My father has health anxiety and has become a super clean eater - no added salt or sugar, whole grains, lean meat, everything organic, etc. He's 74 and cooks really simple dishes. My mother is disabled and does not cook, so she eats what my father cooks.

It's great, actually. They have amazing cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

My kids and husband, who tend to eat a lot more junk food, salt and fat, aren't too happy when we eat at my parents' house, but I think it's valuable to remind them what healthy eating is really about. A touchstone, if you will. One day I hope my kids will remember how their Grandpa cooked and will emulate him. I try to do that for myself at home, but the kids eat what my husband cooks, which is generally loaded with fat and salt.

[Anonymous]

My mother is a good cook. 76 and still cooks as well as she did 40 years ago. What has changed is she isn't as organized and efficient, so it takes longer.

My father has never cooked a meal in his life.

My 46 year old sister's cooking skills have absolutely declined but she's still reasonably competent.

[Anonymous]

My dad is 80 and he's still an excellent cook. He still makes the best omelettes I've ever had.

[Anonymous]

A number of people here describing so-called bad cooks (and iffy food safety) are really describing the early stages of dementia. The people who forget steps or skip steps or forget how to peel apples etc. I mean yes, they’re cooking skills are declining — because their cognitive skills are declining.