Anyone seen ChefSteps?

geemcwee

Is it me or does it feel like CS has lost its mojo/way? It's been a pretty baron summer, energy/content wise from the gang. It's clearly been a big few years for the team and they are reaping the benefits now....but am I alone in the community by feeling a little under inspired by the gang?

aaron.c.schroeder

One of us is going to get a prize (a new Joule probably) for being the 1000th OG Chefstepper to make this complaint. Chefsteps has changed almost immeasurably in the last 18-months, going from being without question the best recipe and cooking site on the internet to a really polished immersion circulator startup. I'm very happy with my Joule, no question, I'm happy for the success of the people who made us feel personally 'invested' in the old version, and the customer service is as good as it comes. But would I trade it for an Anova *and* a more expensive version of the old site? No doubt.

Also cue up the "there's content on Facebook/Instagram" responses. That stuff amounts to either a QVC commercial (What *can't* the Joule cook? But wait: buy now and get this coveted clamp!) or half-baked home cookery that compares to old-Chefsteps like a snuff film compares to Babette's Feast. Everything has its place, and that content is no substitute for the old recipes and tutorials.

I suspect that one part of the problem is their selling all of the Premium content for a lump sum. It locks them into a model where any additional Premium-quality content has already been paid for. A company has to make money, so where's the incentive for producing new content for buyers who won't have to pay for it? It's sort of easy to see that move as a kind of warehouse sale: a fantastic deal for anyone who hadn't purchased any of the old courses with the nominal promise of additional content. The deal was so good (because the old content was excellent and voluminous) that no one had financial grounds to complain about a dearth of future output. But that shouldn't stop anyone who's spent hours watching the old videos, and learning so much from them, from feeling disappointed.