Took the Bread Baking class and it was a blast, learned how to make Ciabatta, Pane di Como and Pane Pugliese, the teacher was a great nutty and fun chef Michael Kalanty....... Big fun and look forward to taking more of the class offerings! Rock on you guys! read more

Going to Kitchen on Fire has been the highlight of my week over the course of the past three months! I'm about to finish the 12-week Basics Series and I have walked away every time with new skills and more confidence in the kitchen. KOF starts with the fundamentals, but the chefs are also more than happy to nerd out with the students about the all kinds of aspects of the cooking process. So, regardless if you have never boiled water or if you can roast a rack of lamb, you'll get something out of your experience. Plus, you're guaranteed to eat some of the best produce you've ever had--and never walk away hungry! It is a bit pricey (also be sure to budget for all of the new toys you'll want to buy after class), but it's been some of the best money I've spent since moving to the Bay Area. read more

I took the knife skills cooking class at Kitchen on Fire and thought it was great. All my objectives were met! Well worth the time! My objectives were to learn about knife selection, keeping a knife sharp and proper cutting techniques. After instruction on knifes, honing and techniques, we had two sessions of slicing various vegetables and herbs. The staff coached us on our technique as we worked. I left with beautifully diced veggies and skills I can use. Food prep is so much easier and faster when when you know the proper techniques. Thanks to the crew at Kitchen on Fire. I think the class was the proper mix of teaching, hands on practice and coaching. read more

Kitchen on Fire provides a fun and casual environment for people who want to learn either techniques or specific dishes. The menus for the classes are posted on their website, so you can pick classes based on how tantalizing the food is to you. I have taken the 12-week technique series, as well as stand-alone workshops. The 12-week series goes through specific cooking skills each week, culminating in an Iron Chef-style cook-off. The workshops usually focus on a specific cuisine theme (sushi, Indian/Chinese/Moroccan/Tapas/etc, sourdough, cupcakes, modern French, Italian desserts, the list goes on), though they have stand-alone technique classes as well. Their most in-demand and fundamental class is Mastering Knife Skills, where you will finally learn how to wield a knife without the risk of chopping off your finger. The classes are structured with a lecture and demonstration at the beginning, where the Chef will go through tips and techniques for cooking the items in the recipe packet that you are provided with. Then, everyone splits into groups of about 4-5 and you tackle whatever dish(es) you're interested in cooking. This is a team effort and the Chefs will encourage you to get creative (i.e. not follow the recipe exactly). While you are cooking, the Chefs will walk around to give you tips and be available for any questions. The owners, Olive and MikeC. are pure joy to work with. They are expanding their roster of Chefs, all of whom are awesome as well! I have always been an avid cook and just wanted to refine my skills, but I feel like the team at KoF taught me SO MUCH more about nutrition, food chemistry, and different ways of approaching techniques and dishes. I owe a lot of KoF and now I'm in their apprentice program, which means I get to take classes for "free," in exchange for prep work and clean-up. Kitchen on Fire is one of those Berkeley treasures that everyone should try at least once. The experience is so inviting, and every class feels like a cooking party! read more

It's really saying something that I am currently taking the 12 week series for the SECOND time (after a five year interval). And, yeah, it's not cheap -- but you do indeed get what you pay for. My cooking has gone from 'meh' to 'good' to 'NICE!' over the years. I now feel confident that I can cook with any ingredient that comes my way, as long as I can figure out what type of flavor it has and more or less how much water it contains. The chefs are great and give a lot of feedback and coaching. And, importantly, they funny as all get out (particularly Chef Olive), and will teach you about nutrition and tricks of the trade. Can't boil water? Kitchen on Fire will turn you into the master chef in your own kitchen! read more

I surprised my girlfriend with a cooking class one summer evening at Kitchen on Fire. The class was a couples class for preparing Mediterranean food. The school is located on the 2nd story of a building right on Shattuck. Its right across from the delicious Cheeseboard in case your unsuccessful in preparing a tasty dish. The instructors are great (We had the owners of the school as instructors which was great!) and facility is beautiful. Its a gourmet kitchen of course and there was plenty of room. If I remember correctly there was about 8 couples and we were put into groups to prepare different parts of the overall meal. Everyone was really nice and we met some fun local people. After the cooking is complete, everyone sits down and enjoys the fruits of their labor. Great instruction, beautiful kitchen, and nice people. read more

Kitchen on Fire is fantastic, staff is friendly and funny! Came here for an offsite meeting. They accommodated our team the entire day. Half of the day was dedicated to our team meeting, the remainder of the day was learning how to cook, then we all sat down as a team and enjoyed the yummy food. Great change of scenery for a team offsite The chefs are great!! Really enjoyed their sense of humor! While we were meeting they bought all the food and prepped it for us. Great staff! I can't wait to back with the hubby. read more

I have been to both locations of KoF a number of times -- sometimes w work and sometimes with my "+1". The staff is beyond nice. They are so thoughtful with planning and willing to accommodate any allergy (particularly kind b/w my husband and I there are many things we can't eat)! The experience is always delightful and the Chefs and administrative staff are just a pleasure to work with. Some people question the cost of the classes, but if you go you'll see they are worth every penny. Added bonus: sometimes when we struggle with a dish at home, we'll just shoot an email over to one of the Chefs and they will always respond! The environment is so cozy and supportive...not to mention delicious! I would recommend this to anyone who has ever thought about cooking :) read more

We just hosted a corporate event at Kitchen's on Fire for our Holiday Team Building event. We have a large group of 40 people so can be challenging to find an event that is thoroughly enjoyed by all and that drives great team building and engagement. Kitchen's on Fire more than delivered on all expectations. We did an Iron Chef Style event and since we are all in sales and super competitive, this added a new level of fun. Everyone seems to learn something new and many took the recipes home and cooked them for friends and family over the weekend. Ann, who I worked with to coordinate was very helpful and accommodating! And Chefs Mike C., Chef Olivier and their team were outstanding for the day of the event! Would I do this again? Absolutely! It has been our best team building event to date!!! read more

I had such a good time! I came in the evening with a large group, and really had a blast. The chefs taught us all the technique as the group stood and watched the entire show. Then we broke into smaller groups to work on specific parts of the meal - the soup, dessert, main courses, appetizers, and so forth. This is also where I discovered... the blood orange! Dunno how I managed to go without those fruits for so long. We were cutting them to garnish the 'molten lava cake' dessert... the liquid-y chocolate solidified from baking too long and it became plain chocolate cake instead :( but hey! at least I can now diagnose the problem and make bomb chocolate lava cake next time ;] read more

On behalf of Sprouts Cooking Club, I want to say a big thank you to Kitchen on Fire! Our young chefs had so much fun at Kitchen on Fire, practicing their knives skills and cooking a delicious meal ! The kitchen space is amazing - so spacious with very nice equipment ! Again, thank you for everything you've done for us! read more

Chef Olive & Chef Gaby: Thank you for making this "non-cooking" person have such a great time!!! Loved your teachings and your personalities!! Most awesome and enjoyable day!!! read more

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What a truly informational and fun experience. My sister suprised me with the intro to knifes class that we took together. The class size was approximately 20 students on a Saturday afternoon, two chefs and roughly 3 assitants that walk around to assist at each of the stations. The knife class taught basic safety practices and proper ways to use various knifes. I guess my sister watches me in the kitchen and thinks that I'll either set the kitchen literally on fire or chop all my fingers off. She's always saying that I'm an accident waiting to happen. The class is great for beginners and even those who may already be cooking in the kitchen. My sister picked up some quick tips and said it's a good place to start to build a foundation. The school also provided light flatbread pizza snacks and flavored water/teas for the class. I'm super excited to sign up for future couples classes with my husband. read more

I got tired of the bar scene, the clubbing nights, the random drive to a friend's house to figure out what to do, so I decided to just break away from that and dive into what I enjoy doing on a regular basis.. cook and EAT! So my Saturday nights have been spent at Kitchen on Fire learning anything and everything there is to learn about cooking. Their classes are really fun and hands-on, it's hard not to enjoy it. But what I like about it most: coming home and smelling like good food. HAH. read more

What an amazing team building event! Our small company is packed full of hard-driving venture capitalists and the Iron Chef competition really allowed everyone to relax and bond! Chefs Mike C. and Gilad bring personality to the event and really help everyone get comfortable with the recipes and ingredients they are about to prepare. They gave us space in the fridge for our wine and beer so we could begin with a drink paired with their delicious appetizers. They worked with us on making all of the dishes vegetarian so we could accommodate the two vegetarians we have...and even three days later I keep hearing from my co-workers about how amazing the gnocchi was! I am also taking the basics series and have found myself (an avid baker, but a shy cook) empowered by the knife skills and techniques I have been acquiring. Every class is something different and the social environment enables great conversation with new friends and experimentation with new ingredients. Simply some of the most memorable and educational experiences I have ever had! read more

Came here with Sprouts Cooking Club, a kids cooking summer camp, and had Chef Olive lead the campers in a lesson. The space is absolutely beautiful and Chef Olive was incredible with the kids! He was super thorough and helpful. We had such a good time read more

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Fun place to take cooking classes! Instructors are fun and approachable, provide thorough instruction that is easy to follow in class and replicate at home. I took a series and thought most - but not all - of the classes were very useful. They give you a snack at the start and then you eat what you cook - so bring your appetite! I really appreciate their efforts to encourage students to cook healthy, whole, organic, local, sustainable food! We can all use reminders and encouragement in that regard. A good place to hone your kitchen skills and have some fun at the same time! read more

Kitchen on Fire is AWESOME! I took my girlfriend here for her birthday for the couples "Breakfast in Bed" class. I've taken several less formal cooking classes in the past and this one definitely has a secure spot as one of my favorites. Chefs Olive and Matt are incredibly knowledgeable, but more importantly they are patient and excellent teachers. And above all they are FUN! Would HIGHLY recommend a class at Kitchen on Fire to any food lover. I will definitely be back. read more

The 'French Dessert' class was a lot of fun. Gabby, the extremely funny Chef instructor, was amazing. Gabby was seamless, engaging, and just a really great Chef. Perfect day of fun. We learned how to make 4 and many of them can easily be modified (thanks to Gabby's brilliance.) read more

My inner pyromaniac enjoyed this. I went here for their "cooking with fire" class. Mike C. the chef was animated, helpful, and made the class enjoyable. I'm an ok cook already but picked up plenty of tips on cooking shrimp, meat, and deserts all flambe style. Everyone had a chance to get in and get hands on with each dish. I might downgrade this if I start my kitchen on fire. It's a good time, I recommend it. read more

my dear BF gifted me with a cooking class at KoF for my birthday. He, of course, would be taking the class with me. i was thrilled, because we love cooking & enjoy learning more and more skillz. after missing the original class we chose, purely because we were retards & forgot about it, we were graciously allowed to take a sauce class; one that is part of thier big mammajamma series of classes. let me tell you this, i can make some sauces now. pesto? please. marinara? chimichurri? you want AIOLI? i got your aioli right here. read more

My sister and I signed my family up for the French Home Cooking course for my parents' birthday presents. They both agreed it was one of the best birthday presents yet! While not exactly the cheapest, we didn't hesitate due to the overabundance of great reviews - very worth the price! Chef Gaby was fantastic - very energetic, funny, and clearly very happy to be there to teach us some things about French cooking. He spent quite a while explaining techniques/telling stories before we started cooking, which I appreciated because it was useful information that would have been hard to convey during the hectic cooking part. Chef Roy, who was helping out that night, guided my sister and I while making the cauliflower soup and was very patient/supportive. Everything tasted so amazing. We appreciated that Chef Gaby even stayed late to show us how to make caramel sauce for the delicious dessert. This was a wonderful experience, can't wait to come back for more courses! Thanks!! read more

I just attended a cooking class here with my company and we had a tremendous time! The food is delicious, and the chefs were super knowledgeable and helpful. We all had a great time and we'll definitely be back. read more

Absolute quality. I've taken culinary classes before and this place goes beyond expectations. From the lessons to the food quality, it's time well invested. The chef's here are incredible at making you feel comfortable. Its the most fun I've had in any class. Great personality and endless knowledge, Chef Matt could be a celebrity chef. read more

We went on the Oakland Chinatown tour and Chinese cooking class today. This was an awesome, six hour activity that was very educational and very fun. This is one badass cooking school, this is no CIA or other white jacket and toque kind of place. These guys love food and want you to love it--the ingredients, preparation, eating. They take a "have no fear" approach to teaching and made us all feel like superstars. And MikeC is just crazy, like the real chef he is. For the class, we spent almost 3 hours walking around Chinatown, picking ingredients to cook, learning about both exotic and not so exotic items you can find there. We then went to the school, and broke into teams to cook four dishes. What I didn't realize until we were almost done was the wonderful hands off approach taken. MikeC certainly came around and offered support and advice, and demoed many of the more difficult steps, and clearly outlined our plan. But he let us do our own thing, taking the risks to learn our new ingredients--and it all worked well. We then feasted on the results. The space is gorgeous and well stocked, too, a very comfortable experience. I wish I lived closer so I could take more after work classes. read more

I took the Vegetarian Southeast class and loved it! Chef Chat is so witty and personable! I loved that he walked around and answered questions and show me some techniques. The class was at its max capacity and although I thought it was too large to get enough hands on experience, a smaller class would've required each individual to do more prep and we would've gone beyond the 3 hr class time (already a pretty long class IMO). As a class we prepared 6 dishes (plus sauces) and they were all delicious! I couldn't afford to attend the class on my own, so a major THANKS and I LOVE YOU! to my brother for his thoughtful Christmas gift. read more

The Basic Series was amazing and transformational. Chef O and the other chefs provide incredible group and 1:1 instruction. It provides so much hands-on learning experience. It is more than worth it. Bonus: you get to enjoy all the delicious food the class makes! read more

Unfortunately my second experience did not equal my first in 2013. We were very excited to go to the Oakland location because the parking situation is such a beat down at the Berkeley site. When the instructor has to leave to move his car that tells you something. We got a call the morning of the class that the class was moved to Berkeley because of an issue at Oakland. Nice have a back up but... We took the butchery class and the instructor was engaging and we learned a bit but the hands on portion was severely lacking. We each cut up one chicken (end the actual butchery experience). Then came the pork and oops, no one checked to make certain the cap was removed from the rack so hands on for the pork was not possible. Then came out the fish where again we got no hands on other than boning because apparently Berkeley Bowl had no whole fish. Went to Berkeley Bowl after class and found lots of whole fish (just sayin'). So of the three proteins we should have gained experience on we got one. If I compare this with going to the CIA in Napa, the CIA was a better more professional and prepared experience. read more

I've been here a few times for events hosted by my Financial Planner (FP). Yes, that's right, FP uses this venue as a way to build his stable of clients. That's a separate subject I won't go into in this review. Anyway, KOF has a nicely designed facility that makes this kind of event work really well. For the classes I've attended, you arrive to find a small but tasty selection of appetizers along with wine & sparkling water. As the class begins, you all gather around and receive an explanation about the menu you will be preparing and then an absurdly long 'lecture' on how to prepare each item. Yes, this is a class but my observation is that they err on the side of assuming no one knows anything about cooking. It's so elementary that it is downright boring for those of us who actually do know how to cook. Whenever I've asked questions that are more complex in nature, they shut me down without really answering. Once they're done with the explanations, the cooking begins and that is where KOF shines. The way their kitchen is organized, there are individual stations where each item is being prepared, so you can go from station to station and help. Meanwhile people are cooking and tasting and chatting away. It's a great way to meet people, eat good food and just have fun. When all the preparation is done, everyone sits around and eats. The quality of the ingredients used are excellent (and most are prepped ahead so you don't have to do that), the final results are usually really good, and the amount of food is plentiful so you get enough to eat and drink. All in all, a really special way to spend time with friends, co-workers, or new acquaintances. read more

I took the Knife Skills: Slicing and Dicing class with Chef Mike C. and it was superb. Not only did I learn all the essential skills to point me towards knife mastery in the kitchen, I picked up a few awesome tips about other cooking skills. There was plenty of space throughout the class to practice our newly learned skills and get hands on training and one-on-one instruction. Throughout the entire three hour class, Chef Mike C. and his assistants kept us well fed with fresh pizza out of the oven, all cooked with local ingredients. They also had some delicious shortbread and madelines. Not only were they teaching us how to make awesome food, they were feeding it to us too! Chef Mike C.'s knowledge of cooking and the kitchen is awe-inspiring and reminds me a lot of someone like Alton Brown, from the Food Network, who uses science, chemistry and general logic to demystify the process of preparing good food. I'll definitely be back soon to take another class and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get better at cooking or start learning! read more

I've taken 3 classes at KoF- the latest one was "French Sauces" last night with the incomparable Chef Olive (who, btw, has 5 or 6 nicknames... what's that about?). They offer really great hands-on instruction here - as much personal attention as you want, without hand-holding. The recipes are ambitious, but are not difficult to make at home. One thing I like is that they always make a point of explaining the science of food and cooking - if you can get the hang of that, it's much easier to innovate in the kitchen, because you can reliably predict how things will turn out. My only small complaint is that it can get crowded when there are more than 12 students and the staff. However, I've liked the people I've met there and I expect to take more class at KoF. Easy 5 stars. read more

From looking at the website, they have a ton of classes to offer. I took a southern cooking class here (fried chicken, okra, collard greens, corn bread with jalapeno and bacon, cheese sticks and peach pie).Chef Kevin did a great job and was very informative. If anything the class could have easily been an hour longer. read more

Kitchen on Fire - Cooking Schools Near Me - Berkeley, California

UPDATE: After my last review expressing my disappointment with the recent Pasta class, I received a message from Chef Olive stating that they had addressed the issue I raised with the teachers. I thanked her for making the effort to respond so proactively. read more

I've been to two cooking classes (Grilling and Farmer's Market Fresh) at Kitchen on Fire. For both, I learned a lot, cooked delicious food, and had fun doing it. To start, Chef MikeC gives the students a packet containing the key ideas for the class and recipes for dishes to cook. For grilling, this meant a primer explaining necessary utensils, different types of grills, etc. Then MikeC lectured on grilling. For the farmer's market class, we walked through a Berkeley farmer's market and MikeC showed us how to pick the best fruits and vegetables. After covering the basics, students go into the teaching kitchen to start on the recipe of their choice. The kitchen is big, with stations for prep and all the bowls, utensils, and gadgets you'll need. The ingredients are already organized so its pretty easy to get going on your recipe and focus on cooking. MikeC walked around to answer questions and demonstrate skills he'd previewed during his lecture. At the end, you can sit down and sample the dishes you and your classmates have created, and most everything I tried was delicious. I walked away with great recipes (a cold melon soup was my favorite), as well as some new skills I could apply in my own cooking. read more

My wife signed me up for the Basic Knife Skills course as a birthday gift, and I LOVED it. Chef Olive was great, the course was excellent, and I had a fantastic time. I cook quite a bit and have for years, and I found it really helpful to get some tips from a pro and hone my skills a bit. Whether you're a experienced home cook or a total dolt in the kitchen, it's hard to beat three hours of education and entertainment (and fresh pizza for dinner) for $75. read more

We just celebrated Valentines Day at Kitchen on Fire and had a wonderful time. This was our second visit and we will be back for more. Chef Olive and his kitchen are perfect for any couples, small group, or work event. read more

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Came for a knife skills course. It was entertaining and the chef's instruction was good overall, though much of it was about his own personal preferences and habits. Overall, too beginner level to be a good value for me given the cost, as the things they taught us I'd already seen on YouTube videos and I knew the basics. Having some personal instruction and correction on our technique was the most helpful aspect. read more

Awesome place to learn - Mike C. is an endless well spouting forth knowledge on technique and science of cooking. Who needs culinary school when you can pick up such knowledge and expertise through the Basics series? Great experience. I've cooked all my life, but never bothered to take any classes until now. Now I understand so much of why we do what we do when we cook, and why certain steps are done in a particular order. My cooking has stepped up quite a bit, and I'm not even done with the series! Wish they had an advanced series, cuz I'm gonna miss this place when it's over. read more

Kitchen on Fire - cookin at KOF - Cooking Schools Near Me - Berkeley, California

Fabulous knife skills class. Great fun and a great learning experience. Thanks for being there!! read more

Attended a birthday party here recently. 20+ in attendance. Cheeses and sliced baguettes for appetizers. 45 minute lecture on cooking the pre-selected dinner. Experienced chefs know a lot of this stuff. People like me don't. Could barely understand the French chef. Enjoyed the preparation and cooking at the various stations for each dinner course. The chefs were very friendly and helpful. When we finished the cooking, we sat down as the chefs assembled the meal. A very unique way to celebrate something. If you're not throwing or been invited to a party here, you can just sign up for a cooking class where the lecture portion is twice as long, but the cooking is just a fun. They have hundreds of dishes to cook, so you can select the ones you want for your party, or go on-line to figure out which cooking class you want to take. Impossible street parking in North Berkeley. read more