Have 15-Minute Meals Killed The Art of Quality Cooking?
- JY
- Dec 22, 2025
- 3 min read
In a world obsessed with 15-minute meals and "cooking hacks", our Food and Travel writer, JY dives into whether the art of slow-cooking, like double-boiling a pot of soup, is being lost along the way.
Is there truly a need to enjoy the process of cooking and follow generational recipes anymore? Is it time we moved along with the rice cooker or air fryer? Or is there more to cooking than just keeping yourself fed?
In this new, faster generation, cooking seems to be less about being innovative or creative and more about being convenient. Grandpa and grandma’s recipes take hours too long to cook – so why even bother with a pot and stove when there’s appliances that can do it for you on the market? As people’s lives begin to accelerate into a rush, meal kits and convenience foods (e.g. onigiri, microwave dinners) grow in popularity. While they may keep people fed and functioning, they often take away the satisfaction and contentment that comes from cooking a warm and fulfilling meal.
In the past, cooking was a way to preserve culture, spread joy and create lasting memories by bringing friends and family together. Imagine recalling that one precious hour spent cooking with your late grandmother every time you bite into the same dish. These precious memories would thus come to you every time you recreate the same dish. Family recipes, such as grandma’s soup, matter less for their taste but more for their ability to invoke fond memories of simpler times and shared connection.
Unlike instant noodles or delivery food, which require little to no preparation, traditional cooking involves attention and patience. Slowly, people begin to miss out on the small details and skills of cooking, be it taste-testing the dry saltiness of a thick gravy or the gradually evolving smell of a blossoming stew left to cook for hours. While these details may seem insignificant, they too, are part of what makes cooking a truly magical experience.
As technology advances, there’s been a rise in a new type of kitchen appliance: multicookers. Unlike single-function appliances such as rice cookers and air fryers, multicookers are able to complete several tasks by themselves, from steaming and stewing to even deep frying. They undoubtedly make home cooking more accessible for those with busier schedules, but this convenience has also encouraged us to become ‘lazier’ when it comes to cooking. There’s a loss of essence and wonder of cooking, somewhere along the way.
There is a quiet magic in creating something delicious entirely on your own. The same cannot be said for all those 5-minute tutorials and “quick and easy” recipes found online. When cooking begins to feel like a chore, or akin to a burden and dull work, interest fades and apathy follows. Technology, then, should be used in moderation, or innovated to rekindle the spirit of cooking. For instance, using new appliances to invent original recipes or the Internet to share family recipes within a community are a ways to keep the spirit of cooking alive.
Overall, a balance must be found between slow and fast paced cooking if we wish to preserve the culture and creativity behind it. Cooking is like pouring pieces of your soul into a masterpiece; the instinctive rhythm of stirring a soup or tossing an egg carries far more intention than simply pressing a button on a cold metal machine. While quick meals have their place on busy workdays, slower and more inventive cooking can be saved for moments of freedom, when there’s time to experiment and be more creative. After all, cooking isn’t about how long it takes: it’s about the care, dedication and creativity put into each home-cooked meal. Food, of course, tastes best when you make it yourself.
Though the art of cooking has evolved with technology, it doesn’t have to disappear. Faster methods and new appliances should enhance, not dull, the experience. Cooking, after all, is meant to engage our senses, from the roasty scent of grilled salmon to the smooth rich tang of mango sticky rice. So, perhaps next time you’re up for a challenge, it’s time for you to pick up that wok and start cooking.
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