We’re back to homemade food, which inspired people to ditch restaurants to create something from scratch. We’re looking at you, Nara Smith! While many foods are indeed better when made at home, some items exist in commercial form for very good reasons. Whether it’s the specialized equipment required, the time investment, or the surprising complexity of seemingly simple foods, these 10 foods will likely leave you wishing you’d just bought them at the store.
10. Tortillas
This is one of those foods that’s better off bought than made. Traditional corn tortillas require nixtamalized corn (hominy), which involves cooking dried corn with lime water. The process takes at least overnight soaking and a food-grade lime. Also, it requires proper hydration and pressing to achieve the perfect wrap.
9. Beef Jerky
When it comes to beef jerky, commercial dehydration and proper air circulation are needed for safe jerky making. Home oven methods often result in uneven drying, and improper technique can create food safety risks with preserved meats. Also, quality meat for jerky is expensive, and shrinkage means you’re paying premium prices for small quantities of finished product. ‘
8. Duck Confit
Just in case you’re planning on some duck for dinner. Traditional duck confit requires large quantities of duck fat, precise temperature control over many hours, and proper preservation techniques. The process is time-intensive and requires maintaining temperatures that are difficult to achieve without specialized equipment.
7. Sourdough
While sourdough is something that an experienced baker does, it’s not the case for everyone. Making one involves a long time and temperature monitoring of temperatures. Many beginners struggle with flavors and inconsistencies. Remember, failed loaves mean wasted ingredients and time, making store-bought artisan sourdough a reasonable alternative during the learning process.
6. Sushi
While you can buy sushi-grade fish, the proper preparation, cutting techniques, and food safety knowledge required for raw fish dishes make this risky for home cooks. Sushi chefs train for years to master knife skills and understand fish quality and handling. Beyond technique, the specialized knives required cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and improper handling of raw fish can lead to serious foodborne illness.
5. Ice Cream
Creating your own ice cream without proper equipment leads to disappointment. Why? . The “bag method” and other DIY techniques rarely produce the smooth, creamy texture that defines good ice cream. Even with an ice cream maker, achieving professional-quality texture requires an understanding of fat content, sugar ratios, and churning science that most home cooks lack. Remember to manage your expectations with the homemade one.
4. Croissant
Croissants represent the pinnacle of pastry-making difficulty, requiring the same lamination technique as puff pastry but with the added complexity of yeast. The process takes three days, demands perfect temperature control, and requires techniques that professional bakers spend years perfecting. Trust us, buying from a bakery will save you more time.
3. Puff Pastry
Believe it or not, making puff pastry from scratch is a day’s worth of commitment. The process involves creating hundreds of butter layers through repeated folding and chilling. Now imagine doing those repeatedly at home. Even experienced bakers themselves admitted that they’re a bit challenging to make. Yes, stick with those cream puffs from Beard Papa’s instead.
2. Macarons
French macarons are notoriously finicky. Why? The recipe alone requires almond flour that is often sifted multiple times. Imagine a precise meringue technique in perfect oven conditions. Otherwise, your macarons will burn, and you wouldn’t like that. Now, the macaronage technique involves folding the batter to just the right consistency, which really takes time and practice to master.
1. Tempura
This might come as a surprise to you, but the perfect tempura requires ice-cold water, specific flour ratios, minimal mixing, and precise oil temperature control. Home fryers rarely maintain consistent temperatures, and the oil disposal after tempura cooking creates additional cost and environmental concerns. Restaurant tempura benefits from specialized equipment and volume cooking that’s difficult to replicate at home.