Cooking

Overview

Cooking is one of the core daily activities in inZOI. Zois prepare meals at home using a recipe-based system tied to the Cooking skill. Every recipe has a Meow cost, a skill level requirement, specific furniture needs, and sometimes particular ingredients. The system covers everything from quick snacks to multi-serving group dishes, with real consequences for neglecting food safety.

The Cooking skill governs a Zoi's ability to prepare meals at a stove or kitchen counter. It is one of the most fundamental skills in inZOI, directly tied to satisfying the Hunger Need efficiently for the entire household. As the skill rises, more complex and nutritious recipes unlock, food quality improves, and the risk of accidentally starting a fire while cooking decreases.

The Cooking skill is available from the Teenager life stage onward, though Child Zois and Teenagers can also attempt basic cooking. The skill can be leveled up to 10, but recipes currently only unlock through level 5. This means levels 6 through 10 continue to improve food quality and reduce fire risk without adding new recipes.

How to Cook

Interact with a refrigerator or oven and select "Make Food" to open the recipe panel. Each recipe card shows the Meow cost, the required Cooking skill level, which kitchen furniture the recipe needs (countertops, ovens, induction cooktops, or BBQ grills), and any specific ingredients. Select a recipe and the Zoi walks to the appropriate station and begins preparing the dish.

The cooking process happens in real time. The Zoi gathers ingredients from the refrigerator, prepares them at the countertop, and cooks on the stove, induction cooktop, or BBQ grill. Once finished, the meal appears as a plated dish that household members can eat at a dining table. As of the March 2026 update, Zois can also eat at floor tables and floor cushions, and certain food items can be eaten while walking.

How to Level Up Cooking

There are several ways to gain Cooking skill experience. The most direct method is simply cooking meals at home by interacting with the refrigerator. Watching cooking shows on the TV under the Entertainment section also provides passive skill gains without spending Meow on ingredients.

Higher quality kitchen equipment does not directly speed up skill gains, but it reduces the chance of failures (burnt food, fires) that waste time and ingredients. Cooking when the Zoi is already hungry is a good habit because it satisfies the Hunger need at the same time.

Required Kitchen Equipment

Every recipe requires at least a countertop for preparation and a refrigerator as the interaction point. Most recipes also require a heat source such as a range, induction cooktop, or oven. Equipment is purchased through Build Mode and placed in the kitchen.

Better quality appliances have higher durability and lower fire risk. Ensure adequate kitchen space so the Zoi can navigate between appliances without pathing issues.

All Recipes by Skill Level

Recipes unlock as the Cooking skill increases. Locked recipes appear greyed out in the cooking menu. The following tables list every confirmed recipe with its Meow cost, required equipment, and special ingredients. For a standalone reference, see the Cooking Recipes article.

Level 0 (Starter Recipes)

Available immediately without any Cooking skill. These are the four recipes every Zoi starts with.

Level 1

Unlocked after reaching Cooking skill level 1.

Level 3

Unlocked after reaching Cooking skill level 3. This tier introduces the first group meals (Pizza) and recipes that require specific ingredients.

Level 5

Unlocked after reaching Cooking skill level 5. This tier adds two more group meals (Steak and Fried Chicken) and several high-end individual dishes.

Seasonal Recipes

Some recipes are only available during specific seasonal events. Holiday-themed dishes appear in the recipe panel during their respective festivals and disappear when the event ends. These recipes typically use standard kitchen equipment but may require event-exclusive ingredients purchased from special vendors.

Group Meals

Most recipes produce a single serving by default. Three confirmed recipes produce group meals with four servings each:

To cook a group meal, click on the dining table and select the group meal option. Each portion is plated separately so multiple household members can eat at the same time. Group meals cost more Meow than individual dishes but are significantly more efficient when feeding a full household.

One thing to watch for: when the first Zoi finishes eating, they may attempt to clean up the entire table and discard the remaining portions. A patch has reduced this behavior, but it can still happen occasionally. A workaround is to have each Zoi grab a portion from the table before any of them start eating.

Leftovers from group meals can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated later, though the storage behavior is not always consistent in the current Early Access build.

Ingredients

Most basic recipes require only Meow to prepare, with the cost representing the Zoi buying generic ingredients. Certain higher-level or specialty recipes need specific ingredients sourced through other gameplay systems.

The Pocket Market app on the smartphone is the most convenient way to buy cooking ingredients. Open the app, select the Cooking Ingredients icon, choose the ingredient, and press Buy. The item is delivered to your home.

Flatfish Sushi is currently the only recipe whose required ingredient (Fish Fillet) cannot be purchased from the Pocket Market. You must catch a fish at a fishing spot, then fillet it from your inventory. This makes Flatfish Sushi the most involved recipe to prepare despite its low Meow cost of 8.

Food Quality and Hunger Satisfaction

The quality of a finished meal depends primarily on the Zoi's Cooking skill level. Cooking never fails outright, but the quality of the finished meal varies. There are three quality tiers:

Food prepared by a high-skill Zoi fills the Hunger need more effectively, meaning the household spends less time and Meow on food overall. A level 5 chef's steak provides significantly more hunger satisfaction than a level 0 Zoi's pancakes.

A Zoi's current mood also affects quality. Tired, hungry, or uncomfortable Zois produce lower quality meals even with high Cooking skill. For the best results, make sure the cook is well-rested and in a positive emotional state before starting a complex recipe.

Quick Food Options

For Zois in a rush, there are faster alternatives to full cooking:

• Microwave meals can be heated with no skill requirement at a microwave (if one is placed in the kitchen).

• Grabbing leftovers from the fridge reheats previously cooked meals quickly.

• Ramen machine: a dedicated ramen machine can be purchased in Build Mode under kitchen appliances (near the microwaves). It produces instant ramen with no Cooking skill required. Ramen machines can also be found at public parks and convenience stores.

• Ordering delivery through the Pocket Market app on the smartphone brings food to the door without cooking.

• Eating at restaurants satisfies hunger while away from home. See Restaurants and Dining.

• Convenience store food: Zois can purchase ready-to-eat meals from convenience stores around the city.

Food Spoilage and Food Poisoning

Cooked food left on counters or tables will eventually spoil. Spoiled food emits a negative moodlet in the room and lowers the Cleanliness of the area. Always store leftovers in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.

In the current Early Access build, spoiled food can no longer be eaten directly. Instead, the Zoi is limited to two options: smelling the spoiled food or throwing it away. Smelling spoiled food can still cause food poisoning, which reduces mood and energy for several hours. In severe cases, food poisoning can lead to death. The risk increases if the City Sanitation slider is set to a low level in the game settings.

Zois that die from food poisoning may appear as ghosts that make nearby Zois feel sick.

Kitchen Fires

Low-skill Zois have a chance to start a fire while cooking, especially when using advanced recipes beyond their skill level. The fire risk decreases as the Cooking skill improves, but it never fully disappears. Fires can damage furniture, injure the Zoi, and potentially cause death if not extinguished.

Recommended safety measures:

• Install a fire alarm in the kitchen. It alerts the household when a fire starts.

• Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen so Zois can put out small fires quickly.

• Use an induction cooktop instead of a gas range to reduce fire risk slightly.

• Low-skill cooks should stick to Level 0 recipes until they gain a few levels through TV shows or reading.

• If a fire starts, Zois will autonomously panic and may attempt to extinguish it. You can also call the fire department.

Cooking and Business

The Cooking skill connects directly to the business system. Zois can open restaurants and cafes where they prepare food for paying customers. Higher Cooking skill produces better quality dishes, which increases customer satisfaction and business ratings.

Combined with Baking and Coffee Craft, Cooking enables Zois to run fully stocked food establishments. Running a food business also provides passive Cooking XP per shift, making it a good way to earn Meow while leveling the skill.

The March 2026 update introduced a tip jar system for food businesses. Customers leave tips based on their satisfaction with the meal, and the business owner can choose to divide the tips among employees or keep them. Distributing tips affects employee morale.

Connection to Baking

Cooking and Baking are separate skills that level independently. Cooking uses the refrigerator and stovetop to produce meals like pancakes, curry rice, and steak. Baking focuses on oven-based desserts like cakes, cookies, and pastries.

Despite being separate skills, the two share some equipment. The oven is used by both Cooking recipes (such as Egg Bread, French Toast, Pizza, Cake, Birthday Cake, and Fried Chicken) and Baking recipes. As of the March 2026 update, Zois can initiate baking by interacting with the refrigerator, which is the same interaction point used for cooking.

A Zoi aiming to run a full food business should level both skills. The March 2026 update also added Baking Master, Coffee Master, and Drink Mixing Master ambitions alongside the existing Master Chef ambition, giving dedicated food-skill Zois multiple long-term goals to pursue.

March 2026 Update Changes

The v0.7.0 anniversary update (March 26, 2026) introduced several changes to cooking and dining:

• Floor table dining: New floor tables and floor cushions were added. Zois can eat, drink, and socialize while seated on the floor, reflecting a wider range of cultural dining styles.

• Eating while walking: Zois can now eat certain food items while moving through the world. Conversations can also happen while holding food.

• Teatime: A new teatime feature was introduced, allowing Zois to enjoy tea together as a social activity.

• Baking from the fridge: Zois can now start baking by interacting with the refrigerator, streamlining the baking workflow.

• Improved eating animations: New animations were added for eating baked items, and awkward cup orientation during coffee drinking was fixed.

• Cooking interruption fix: The frequency of cooking being cancelled due to a newborn's crying was reduced.

• Ingredient fix: Fixed an issue where required ingredients were not set for some foods that use cooking ingredients.

• Table-only food: Certain food items can now only be eaten when placed on a table, and empty plates from finished meals are placed on tables automatically.

Ambitions Related to Cooking

Several ambitions are tied to food preparation skills. Completing these requires reaching high skill levels and fulfilling specific cooking-related goals.

Tips

• Cook group meals (Pizza, Steak, Fried Chicken) whenever possible to save Meow per serving.

• Store leftovers in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.

• Upgrade to better kitchen equipment to reduce fire risk and increase appliance durability.

• Grow your own ingredients through crop farming and fishing to cut recipe costs.

• Watch TV cooking shows for passive skill XP while your Zoi does other things. Cancel their schedule first so they do not walk away from the television.

• Use the Pocket Market app to order ingredients you cannot grow, such as Tomatoes.

• Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen until your Cooking skill is at least level 3.

• Cook when your Zoi is hungry to satisfy the Hunger need and gain Cooking XP at the same time.

• Place a ramen machine at home for quick meals that require no skill or Meow cost beyond the initial purchase.

• If you have four or more household members, group meals are by far the cheapest way to feed everyone.

• Have each Zoi grab a portion from a group meal before anyone starts eating to prevent premature cleanup.

• Flatfish Sushi is cheap at 8 Meow but requires catching and filleting a fish first. Keep a stock of Fish Fillets if you plan to cook it regularly.

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