I have always been a big believer that love can be tasted in your food. Time and effort translates into flavor, and so does the mood you’re in. As cheesy as it sounds, cooking is just as much about the journey as it is the destination, so you might as well have some good music going while you work. Whether you’re slowly sipping wine and stirring risotto, or multi-tasking so chaotically that your kitchen looks like a scene out of The Bear, the perfect playlists for cooking can get you into your groove for meal preparation.
Sautéing and slow dancing, @fuegostine
This is my personal favorite by far. The vibe of this playlist is so perfect for sipping a merlot out of a stemmed wine glass while the smell of sauteed garlic fills up your kitchen. The songs are a mix of soft rock, like Ray LaMontagne, and folk-y blues, like Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. This is a slow, sultry playlist best for perfecting the sauce for a pasta dinner.
Cooking and dancing in the kitchen, Raquel Fumagalli
This is a more modern playlist that will have you tapping your foot, bopping your hips, and picking up the pace of your chopping. There’s some newer beats, like “Good as Hell” by Lizzo, some 2000’s jams, like “Everybody Talks” by the Neon Trees, and classic throwbacks, like “My Girl” by The Temptations. This uptempo playlist is best for a fast and easy meal, where you’re quickly grilling some salmon and boiling some rice for a sushi bowl. Think of it like a pregame playlist.
DINNER JAZZ Instrumental Jazz & Bossa Nova, Spot
This playlist is for cooking with company and impressing them. Whether it’s many people or just you and your partner, sometimes you just need some nice jazz to fill the background. Use this playlist when you’re entertaining, so that you can talk to your guests while you work and they can relax while picking on the charcuterie board you put out.
Music for Cooking, Brittany Voss
I use this playlist when I want to completely unplug while I cook. The smooth blues voices of Etta James, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennett have me humming along while stirring onions. When I cook to this playlist, I’m wearing an apron and reading a recipe from a book, not my phone. Put this playlist on when your cooking takes time, like a homemade lasagna or beef bourguignon. And while you’re at it, lock your phone in your bedroom.
Dinner date, @meghanmandi
This one is cooking adjacent, but still just as useful. This playlist puts me in all my romance feels, like a rom-com montage of a couple smudging cake batter on each other’s faces. The songs vary from slow ballads, like “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt, to faster confessions of love, like “Silver Lining” by Mt. Joy.