You might love the idea of cooking everything from scratch, but some kitchen projects just take way too much time for the final result. Shaping delicate dumplings or frying up a perfect batch of fluffy donuts at home can be incredibly exhausting. These 10 foods are simply not worth the massive amount of effort, so you are better off buying them instead.
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Sushi
Crafting sushi at home requires fresh fish, special tools, and lots of practice to get it right. Even then, rolling it neatly can be a challenge. Professional sushi chefs perfect this art over years, so it’s worth ordering instead of stressing over uneven rolls or questionable-quality fish.
Donuts
When I was little, I came out of my room early in the morning to find my mother in the kitchen frying donuts. For many, however, creating the batter to make more donuts than they can eat isn't worth the effort. Imagine whipping up two or three dozen donuts and having them sit there. However, donuts are extremely easy to give away.
Cheesecake
Cheesecake looks simple until cracks, sinking centers, and water baths enter the picture. One small mistake with temperature or timing can ruin the texture after hours of waiting. Bakeries have perfected the balance of creamy filling and firm crust. Buying cheesecake saves patience and guarantees smooth slices instead of stressing over ovens, cooling times, and crossed fingers.
Tamales
Making tamales at home can turn into a full-day project. The process starts with mixing masa, then filling, wrapping in husks, and steaming for hours. One or two might be manageable, but a proper batch takes real dedication. While homemade tamales can be wonderful, the time investment is huge, which is why so many people happily buy them instead.
Indian Food
Several posters agreed that Indian food can be tricky and expensive. They also lamented that Ghee clarified butter from cow or buffalo milk is too costly, and the spices are too obscure to make an effort worth the outcome. Having made peanut sauce for a chicken dish, I can attest to both.
Canned Tomatoes
Sure, fresh tomatoes are great, but peeling, seeding, and cooking them down into a sauce takes time and effort. Quality canned tomatoes are already prepped, giving you a rich, consistent base for soups, sauces, or stews. They’re a pantry staple that saves hours in the kitchen.
Pho Sure
A fragrant bowl of broth loaded with noodles and toppings might look simple, but pho sure takes serious commitment when made from scratch. The broth alone can simmer for an entire day to reach its signature depth, and sourcing all the right herbs isn’t always easy. It’s delicious, no doubt, but most home cooks don’t have that kind of time.
Croissants
All those flaky, buttery layers don’t happen by magic. To make croissants, you’ll spend hours rolling, folding, and chilling dough over and over again. Even after all that effort, home ovens rarely deliver the same golden perfection you get at a bakery. They taste amazing, but unless you love kitchen marathons, buying them fresh is almost always the smarter move.
Dumplings
Making dumplings sounds cozy until you’re hours deep into folding, filling, and sealing dozens of tiny wrappers. Getting the dough thin enough, the filling balanced, and the seals tight takes real practice. Store bought or restaurant dumplings are consistent, fast, and honestly better most of the time. This is one case where buying them saves effort without sacrificing flavor.
Ice Cream
One participant lamented that fresh ice cream, especially soft-serve, just isn't worth the effort, and another said that she got a little Kitchenaid ice cream machine from her son and, after tweaking the recipe, successfully made a quart. She was thankful it made just a quart or lamented she'd weigh 300 pounds.
Bagels
The urge to recreate freshly baked bagels can be strong when you've had them before. But for one interested party, trying to make a subpar bagel wasn't worth the effort. And when you can go to a local bakery and order however many you'd like, it's easier to buy than bake them.
Queso Birria
Traditionally made with goat meat, queso birria or 'red tacos' can be made with ground beef or turkey. The main idea is to cook the meat "birria-style" and fold it into the taco with melted cheese. To finish off the dish, you dip your lovely 'red tacos' in the broth from cooking your meat, and seriously, enjoy! The whole process takes about three hours, and the work is intense.
Bacon Shells
One home cook admitted that they hate anything that needs to be wrapped in bacon or stuffed in a shell. They advised that if you need anything with either criterion, you kindly take yourself elsewhere because they aren't doing it.
Source: Reddit.
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