cdkitchen > feeddaily blog
Recipe Difficulty Ratings
by Guest Writer, Valerie WhitmoreSeveral years ago we implemented a rating scale on the recipes that would indicate the difficulty level for that particular recipe. The rating is from 1 to 5, one being the easiest and five being the most difficult. We take into account the number of steps involved to complete the recipe, the number of ingredients, the ease of obtaining the ingredients (do they require a specialty store?), the cooking or preparation methods involved, and other factors. Every now and then we get questions about why a recipe was rated at a certain difficulty level so I thought I would explain how we decide what rating each recipe should have.
Level 1: The easiest of the levels. This level does not contain alcohol or require the use of a heat source (stove, grill, etc) making it safe for children to prepare with limited assistance. Contains only a limited number of ingredients and steps to complete the recipe.
Level 2: Very easy but may require the use of a heat source and may contain alcohol. Easy to find ingredients and simple steps involved in making the recipe. Older children may be able to make (non-alcoholic!) recipes that fall into this category. Recipes can usually be made by people with little to no cooking experience.
Level 3: Average. The majority of the recipes on CDKitchen fall into this category. Most recipes will require basic cooking skills (chopping, dicing, measuring, use of small appliances, etc) and contain ingredients that most home cooks have access to in regular grocery stores. This by no means indicates these recipes don't fall under the category of "gourmet", it just usually means the work involved isn't as hard as it sounds.
Level 4: Above-average. These recipes either contain harder to find ingredients (that require a specialty store), more advanced cooking skills, or unusual tools needed to prepare the recipe. Many of the recipes can be made by an "average" cook but finding some of the ingredients may take some extra shopping. Some of the recipes contain basic ingredients but require extra cooking skills or special tools. Recipes that may contain significantly more preparation and assembly steps may also fall into this category.
Level 5: Difficult. For those looking for a challenge! These recipes usually contain unusual ingredients and require advanced cooking skills or elaborate preparations. Not all recipes in this category are impossible but rather require more dedication from the cook!
Did you know? When using our recipe search, you can narrow the search results by selecting the difficulty level from the left-hand side of the search page.
Level 1: The easiest of the levels. This level does not contain alcohol or require the use of a heat source (stove, grill, etc) making it safe for children to prepare with limited assistance. Contains only a limited number of ingredients and steps to complete the recipe.
Level 2: Very easy but may require the use of a heat source and may contain alcohol. Easy to find ingredients and simple steps involved in making the recipe. Older children may be able to make (non-alcoholic!) recipes that fall into this category. Recipes can usually be made by people with little to no cooking experience.
Level 3: Average. The majority of the recipes on CDKitchen fall into this category. Most recipes will require basic cooking skills (chopping, dicing, measuring, use of small appliances, etc) and contain ingredients that most home cooks have access to in regular grocery stores. This by no means indicates these recipes don't fall under the category of "gourmet", it just usually means the work involved isn't as hard as it sounds.
Level 4: Above-average. These recipes either contain harder to find ingredients (that require a specialty store), more advanced cooking skills, or unusual tools needed to prepare the recipe. Many of the recipes can be made by an "average" cook but finding some of the ingredients may take some extra shopping. Some of the recipes contain basic ingredients but require extra cooking skills or special tools. Recipes that may contain significantly more preparation and assembly steps may also fall into this category.
Level 5: Difficult. For those looking for a challenge! These recipes usually contain unusual ingredients and require advanced cooking skills or elaborate preparations. Not all recipes in this category are impossible but rather require more dedication from the cook!
Did you know? When using our recipe search, you can narrow the search results by selecting the difficulty level from the left-hand side of the search page.