A Third Of Millennials Can't Identify A Butter Knife, Study Claims

The trend of blaming everything on millennials continues with a new report claiming that people aged 22 to 37 have little to no basic kitchen knowledge. The research was conducted by the home improvement company Porch, which surveyed 750 participants of all ages to get a better understanding on whether anyone has a grasp on simple cooking skills.

While this is just a single nonscientific survey with a sample size of fewer than 1,000, we couldn't resist pointing out one finding: 83 percent of baby boomers can identify a butter knife, but only 64 percent of millennials can do the same.

Thankfully, an informal survey of The Daily Meal staff found that 100 percent of our millennial editors know exactly what a butter knife is — then again, we're especially savvy about dining. For the record, it's a non-serrated table knife with a dull edge designed to, well... to spread butter. (Now you know, 36 percent of millennials!)

Another disappointing statistic from Porch's survey is that millennials struggle to make home-cooked classics including omelettes, cheeseburgers, and salmon — and they even have trouble making salad or baking birthday cake from a store-bought mix. The only shot this age group has is with grilled cheese or chocolate chip cookies baked from ready-made dough (a balanced meal).

And don't even think about apple pie, shrimp scampi, poached eggs, or homemade bread — apparently only one-third of millennials can cook that stuff.

This one might be easier to swallow: Millennials cook less than any other generation (which has been previously pointed out by the Food Institute) — they prepare their own meals only 13.5 times per week, with 18 percent coming from frozen or prepackaged foods. News flash! Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh produce.

Porch's data also showed that '80s and '90s babies are ordering takeout three nights a week on average. This information isn't shocking, considering delivery companies including GrubHub, Seamless, and Postmates make dinner readily available at the click of a button. Who wants to break out the slow-cooker at the end of a tireless workday?

Add meal kit delivery to the list of young people's quirks, too, because 17.3 percent of millennials claim to have subscribed to one, compared to 8.3 percent for baby boomers. Alas, young people are killing the cookbook — only 50 percent of millennials say they use them. Most get their recipes from the internet instead.

Cooking shows seem to be the one thing everyone has in common — in that relatively few people watch them. Roughly one-third of people in each generation still watch cooking shows. Sorry, Martha.

This study kind of gives millennials a bad name, so here are some relieving statistics about the youngs: They talk to nutritionists, eat more plants, shop organic, smoke less, and spend more on health products than older generations. Find all this and more in the 10 ways millennials are healthier than their parents.