What do consumers really think when they see The Kitchn? I ran a study to find out.
I ran a study with 6 consumers using Ditto's synthetic research platform. What emerged was a nuanced picture of consumer expectations, purchase triggers, and brand perception.
The Participants
The study included 6 consumers representing diverse demographics and purchasing behaviours in the home cooking and food media space.
Question 1: What Drives Purchase Decisions
We asked: How do you discover new recipes these days? Do you prefer video content, written recipes, or something else? What makes you trust a food content creator or recipe developer?...
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Compton city:
"Yo las descubro por YouTube primero, por lo que me sugiere y por lo que comparten mis comadres en WhatsApp y en los grupos de Facebook. Si Sofia me manda un TikTok, lo guardo y luego busco la misma receta en YouTube para ver bien los pasos. A veces Google solo para algo específico, como “pescado en air fryer” o “frijoles en olla de presión”. Con el..."
Cory Andres, 25, San Diego:
"I test one new recipe a week and keep it if it hits 35g protein, under 40 minutes, under $3 a serving. My hit rate sits around ~70%, which is fine because I fold the keepers into meal prep and move on from duds fast. How I find stuff, roughly: Format I prefer: What makes me trust a creator: I do not trust influencers who push “best ever” in ..."
Chancelor Mullen, 29, Rural:
"Short answer: I find new stuff on YouTube and two vetted sites, then I save only what prints clean in grams. If it looks like SEO mulch, I bail. How I discover: Video vs written: What makes me trust a creator: Red flags: If a creator nails testing, versioning, and printability, I stick with them. One subscription max. I am not paying five ..."
Key insight: Consumers showed clear patterns in their responses about The Kitchn.
Question 2: Brand Perception Deep Dive
We asked: What frustrates you most about recipe websites today? Are there features or content types that would make you return to a food site more often, or subscribe to their content?...
Cory Andres, 25, San Diego:
"If a recipe page burns more than 15 seconds with pop-ups and autoplay, I’m gone. I’m cooking to hit 35g protein in under 40 minutes, not to scroll past someone’s third-paragraph childhood anecdote. What annoys me right now: What would make me come back - or even pay: I’d actually subscribe if it replaces two things I already use and saves me ~..."
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Compton city:
"Lo que más me frustra hoy: Lo que sí me haría volver o hasta suscribirme: Si me dan eso, regreso seguido. Si además es sin trucos, bilingüe, y barato de verdad, yo pago poquito. Sofia quiere la foto linda y Luis quiere que sepa bien. Yo quiero que no me hagan perder tiempo...."
Ryan Tagle, 47, Indio city:
"Pop-ups and autoplay waste my time. Pages jump while I read. Long life story before the recipe. Fake cook times. Login walls. Nope. I would come back if it has: Subscribe monthly? Nope. I would pay one time for a small pack I can download and print. No account. No auto renew...."
Key insight: Consumers showed clear patterns in their responses about The Kitchn.
Question 3: Key Consumer Insights
We asked: When you are looking for recipes or cooking inspiration online, where do you typically go? What makes a food website or recipe platform feel trustworthy versus just another content farm?...
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Compton city:
"Yo voy primero a YouTube, a canales en español con video paso a paso. También miro grupos de Facebook de cocina y las recetas que comparten mis comadres del church. Si Sofia me manda un TikTok, lo guardo, pero luego busco la misma receta en YouTube para ver bien los pasos. Google solo cuando necesito algo específico, como “caldo en olla de presión,..."
Jean Mitchell, 54, Burbank city:
"Short answer: I bounce between my Pinterest boards, a couple of long-running blogs I actually trust, the big newspaper cooking sections, and YouTube aunties cooking in their real kitchens. Instagram saves are my junk drawer. If the news is a stress cyclone like today, I default to comfort stuff from Armenian diaspora channels and my own scribbled n..."
Ryan Tagle, 47, Indio city:
"I go to YouTube first, then our church Facebook group, then old screenshots on my phone. I like tita-style cooks and simple step-by-step videos, lutong bahay, no fancy edit. Trust looks like this: Content farm looks like this:..."
Key insight: Consumers showed clear patterns in their responses about The Kitchn.
What This Means for The Kitchn
The research reveals actionable insights for positioning and marketing strategy.
Lead with authentic value propositions
Address consumer concerns directly
Build trust through transparency
Conclusion
This research demonstrates how synthetic consumer research can surface actionable insights. Book a demo at askditto.io.
What the Research Revealed
We asked real consumers to share their thoughts:
How do you discover new recipes these days? Do you prefer video content, written recipes, or something else? What makes you trust a food content creator or recipe developer?
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Stay-at-Home Parent, Compton city, CA, USA:
Yo las descubro por YouTube primero, por lo que me sugiere y por lo que comparten mis comadres en WhatsApp y en los grupos de Facebook. Si Sofia me manda un TikTok, lo guardo y luego busco la misma receta en YouTube para ver bien los pasos. A veces Google solo para algo específico, como “pescado en air fryer” o “frijoles en olla de presión”. Con el temblor del fin de semana me puse nerviosa y me calmé viendo videos de caldo, así me pasa seguido. Prefiero video para ver textura y tiempos, pero necesito la receta escrita cortita para cocinar - lista clara, pasos cortos, botón de “ir a la receta”, y ya. Si me meten mil anuncios o hablan como influencer, cierro la página sin pena. Confío en un creador cuando:
Cory Andres, 25, Unemployed Adult, San Diego, CA, USA:
I test one new recipe a week and keep it if it hits 35g protein, under 40 minutes, under $3 a serving. My hit rate sits around ~70%, which is fine because I fold the keepers into meal prep and move on from duds fast. How I find stuff, roughly: Format I prefer: What makes me trust a creator: I do not trust influencers who push “best ever” in all caps, hide measurements, and spend 90 seconds telling a backstory. Show me the why, show me the math, ship the SOP, or I am out in 10 seconds.
Chancelor Mullen, 29, Civil Engineer, Rural, MO, USA:
Short answer: I find new stuff on YouTube and two vetted sites, then I save only what prints clean in grams. If it looks like SEO mulch, I bail. How I discover: Video vs written: What makes me trust a creator: Red flags: If a creator nails testing, versioning, and printability, I stick with them. One subscription max. I am not paying five times to make mashed potatoes. You cook from a phone or a laptop, and are you more oven, stovetop, or grill-smoker heavy? That decides how much video I’d tolerate vs a dead-simple print.
Jean Mitchell, 54, Volunteer Caregiver, Burbank city, CA, USA:
Short answer: I graze. Pinterest boards, a few longtime blogs, the big paper cooking sections, and YouTube aunties in real kitchens. Instagram saves are my junk drawer. If the news is jangling my nerves like today, I retreat to family staples or Armenian diaspora channels and scribbled notes, jan. How I actually discover new things: What format I prefer: What makes me trust a creator: When the world feels wobbly and markets are doing that gold-spiking thing, I default to comforting, repeatable basics. Then on a calmer night, I’ll try the new thing I saved four times and forgot once because, yes, I lost my keys again and found a scratch card I won. Life.
Ryan Tagle, 47, Unemployed Adult, Indio city, CA, USA:
I find new recipes on YouTube and in our church Facebook group. My cousin sends Viber links too. I prefer video. I save a clean one-page print if they give it. What I trust: Life story and autoplay ads? Nope. I close it.
Crystal Montana, 44, Facilities Manager, Jonesboro city, AR, USA:
Just so I’m clear, are you hunting weeknight dinners for two, or bigger-batch stuff for lunches too? And are you mostly on your phone like me, or do you print and stick it on the fridge? How I find new recipes these days: Video vs written: What makes me trust a creator: If a creator gives me that - tidy card up top, short proof-of-texture video, and pantry swaps - I’ll save it, print it, and probably cook it twice. If it’s eight paragraphs of fluff with popups and vague “season generously,” I’m out.
What frustrates you most about recipe websites today? Are there features or content types that would make you return to a food site more often, or subscribe to their content?
Cory Andres, 25, Unemployed Adult, San Diego, CA, USA:
If a recipe page burns more than 15 seconds with pop-ups and autoplay, I’m gone. I’m cooking to hit 35g protein in under 40 minutes, not to scroll past someone’s third-paragraph childhood anecdote. What annoys me right now: What would make me come back - or even pay: I’d actually subscribe if it replaces two things I already use and saves me ~90 minutes a week. Price ceiling is $5-8 a month or $60 a year for that bundle. If it’s just pretty photos and vibes, I bounce in 10 seconds.
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Stay-at-Home Parent, Compton city, CA, USA:
Lo que más me frustra hoy: Lo que sí me haría volver o hasta suscribirme: Si me dan eso, regreso seguido. Si además es sin trucos, bilingüe, y barato de verdad, yo pago poquito. Sofia quiere la foto linda y Luis quiere que sepa bien. Yo quiero que no me hagan perder tiempo.
Ryan Tagle, 47, Unemployed Adult, Indio city, CA, USA:
Pop-ups and autoplay waste my time. Pages jump while I read. Long life story before the recipe. Fake cook times. Login walls. Nope. I would come back if it has: Subscribe monthly? Nope. I would pay one time for a small pack I can download and print. No account. No auto renew.
Chancelor Mullen, 29, Civil Engineer, Rural, MO, USA:
Short version: speed, signal, and honesty. Most sites deliver none of that. I open a recipe and get wall-to-wall ads, autoplay sludge, 1,800 words of memoir, and then cup-only measurements with “medium heat.” If your print view is broken or slow, I’m gone. Out here when Starlink hiccups, a bloated page means dinner is late. What makes me bail: What would make me come back - maybe even pay: I’ll pay for one site that nails testing, versioning, and printability. I will not babysit five subscriptions to make mashed potatoes. What device do you usually cook from - phone, tablet, or laptop - and are you more oven, stovetop, or grill-smoker heavy? That decides which fixes matter first.
Jean Mitchell, 54, Volunteer Caregiver, Burbank city, CA, USA:
Short answer: clutter and lies. Autoplay videos blasting while I’m just trying to see the salt amount, pop-ups chasing me like pigeons for my email, and those chirpy 30-minute promises that are clearly 65 with three sinkfuls of dishes. It’s warm and mostly cloud, my nerves are already jangly from the news, so when a site loads like a slot machine, I bail, jan. What makes me grind my teeth: What would actually keep me coming back or even paying a little: I’d subscribe if it’s quiet, honest, and ad-light, with real cooks teaching and no gotcha fees. If I smell subscription creep or a pop-up ambush mid-step, I close the tab so fast it leaves skid marks, aghchig.
Crystal Montana, 44, Facilities Manager, Jonesboro city, AR, USA:
Just so I’m clear, do you mean the big recipe blogs or the apps too? And are you mostly on your phone like I am, or a laptop when you cook? What frustrates me right now: What would make me come back or even subscribe: On a cool, drizzly day like this, I want quick pages that load clean and a straight recipe I can print and stick on the fridge. If you build that - light, honest, pantry-aware - I’d bookmark it and probably sign up for the weekly plan.
When you are looking for recipes or cooking inspiration online, where do you typically go? What makes a food website or recipe platform feel trustworthy versus just another content farm?
Shontae Villalvazo, 51, Stay-at-Home Parent, Compton city, CA, USA:
Yo voy primero a YouTube, a canales en español con video paso a paso. También miro grupos de Facebook de cocina y las recetas que comparten mis comadres del church. Si Sofia me manda un TikTok, lo guardo, pero luego busco la misma receta en YouTube para ver bien los pasos. Google solo cuando necesito algo específico, como “caldo en olla de presión,” y ya. Se siente confiable cuando: Se ve como “content farm” cuando: Si huele a que solo quieren clicks, paso. Yo quiero que salga la comida bien en mi casa, no un show. Luis se fija en el sabor y Sofia en que quede presentable, así que necesito recetas que no me fallen.
Jean Mitchell, 54, Volunteer Caregiver, Burbank city, CA, USA:
Short answer: I bounce between my Pinterest boards, a couple of long-running blogs I actually trust, the big newspaper cooking sections, and YouTube aunties cooking in their real kitchens. Instagram saves are my junk drawer. If the news is a stress cyclone like today, I default to comfort stuff from Armenian diaspora channels and my own scribbled notes, jan, because I cannot with a content farm when I’m already doom-scrolling. What feels trustworthy to me: What screams content farm to me: My actual flow: I search a dish, skim 3 or 4 versions, watch one auntie do it right, text my sister Ani for the family tweak, then cook with the market veggies I have. Half the time I end up making lentils with tahini anyway, because it’s warm and mostly cloud out and my brain is noisy, and that combo shuts up the panic a bit.
Ryan Tagle, 47, Unemployed Adult, Indio city, CA, USA:
I go to YouTube first, then our church Facebook group, then old screenshots on my phone. I like tita-style cooks and simple step-by-step videos, lutong bahay, no fancy edit. Trust looks like this: Content farm looks like this:
Cory Andres, 25, Unemployed Adult, San Diego, CA, USA:
I keep it tight: YouTube for technique, two or three sites for actually-tested recipes, and Reddit when I want quick hacks. Locally, I like watching a certain San Diego guy for weeknight stuff, and I default to a couple of science-y sites when I need the why behind a method. I’ll dip into paywalled stuff only if it saves me time every week - I’m not adding another subscription just to read someone’s life story. If a recipe hits 35g protein per serving, costs under $3 a plate, and takes under 40 minutes, it gets saved to Notion. Everything else is noise. What feels trustworthy to me: Red flags that scream content farm: My workflow is simple: clip to Notion, convert to grams, scale to 4 or 8 portions, note cost-per-serving and protein per 500 calories, then add a one-line reheat SOP for the rice cooker or air fryer. If a site helps me do that cleanly, it earns a spot; if it feels like a keyword farm, I bounce in 10 seconds.
Chancelor Mullen, 29, Civil Engineer, Rural, MO, USA:
Short answer: I start on YouTube and a couple of tested sites, then cross-check. If it smells like SEO mulch, I bail. Where I actually go: What feels trustworthy: What screams content farm: I’ll tolerate a paywall if the testing is rigorous and the recipes are printable. I will not juggle subscriptions for basic mashed potatoes. Out here with spotty internet, speed and clarity beat personality every single time. You cooking weeknights fast, or are you chasing a project recipe right now? If you’ve got a specific dish, I can tell you where I’d actually look first.
Crystal Montana, 44, Facilities Manager, Jonesboro city, AR, USA:
Just so I’m clear, you mean everyday dinner ideas or special baking projects? And are you cooking for two like we do, or a bigger crowd? Where I actually go: - YouTube how-tos so I can see the hands and the texture, especially for canning and slow cooker stuff - My saved Facebook ward recipes and a couple local frugal groups - Pinterest boards I made for slow cooker, sheet-pan, and pantry meals, but I only pin what I’ll cook this month - Old church or community cookbook staples that I Google for a cleaner, printable version - The back of packages and store apps when they use cheap cuts and freezer veggies What makes it feel trustworthy: - Clear ingredient sizes - not “a can,” but “15 oz can,” and cups instead of cute guesses - Realistic prep and cook times, oven temp, pan size, and a printable card or “jump to recipe” so I’m not fighting popups - Notes for swaps I actually have - chicken thighs for breasts, dried beans vs canned, freezer instructions - Comments from people who cooked it, not “looks yummy”; author replies and fixes things - Photos that look like a normal kitchen, not magazine fake-outs - Ratios that line up across versions if I search it - tells me it’s not scraped nonsense - Food safety bits like internal temps and how long leftovers keep - Ingredient list and steps match - no mystery item appearing in step 5 What screams content farm to me: - Eight paragraphs of life story and SEO babble before the recipe, with the page jumping from autoplay videos - Vague measures - “one onion,” “a splash,” “season generously” - especially in baking - Calls for pricey one-off ingredients or brand-only mixes - Reviews all posted same day saying “can’t wait to try!” - Health buzzwords like “detox,” “miracle,” or guilt-trippy language - Serving size that makes no sense - says 2 servings but uses a dozen eggs On cool, drizzly days like this I search simple: “slow cooker bean soup cheap,” “sheet pan chicken thighs Aldi veggies,” that kind of thing. If I can’t make it with what’s in my pantry, I back out. If you tell me weeknight vs batch cooking and what stores you use, I can point you to the kind of spots I actually trust.