Learning how to cook plant-based food couldn’t be easier nowadays; if you have access to the internet and a space in which to practice, then you’re almost set! Now it’s time to choose where to learn...

Rouxbe offers one of the most comprehensive plant-based cooking courses available but how does it compare to Veecoco?

In this article, we’ll be reviewing Rouxbe’s Plant-based Professional Certification 6-month Course (since their membership access is very meat-centric) and comparing it with our own vegan cooking academy. We’ll take a look at pricing, course content, learning support, and how much time you’ll need to commit.

Before we write up the comparison, here’s a quick overview of each cooking school:

About Rouxbe

Founded in 2005 by professional chefs Joe Girard and Dawn Thomas, Rouxbe is an online culinary school offering courses aimed towards professionals, cooking enthusiasts, educational institutions, and anyone working in hospitality. Rouxbe is not a vegan organization and their membership lessons mainly focus on traditional culinary school subjects such as how to cook steak, sear meat, use eggs, braise meat, cook chicken and poultry, etc. However, they have developed an accredited plant-based professional certification 6-month course in collaboration with Chef Chad Sarno.

About Veecoco

We’re a much younger organization, having been founded by the Veecoco Twins in 2018, but we are by no means less experienced; our courses are taught by some of the top expert chefs in the vegan food industry from around the world! We’re a 100% vegan culinary school with 17+ courses, 600+ lessons, and plenty of downloadable resources/materials. Our online community of plant-based kitchen heroes is fast growing and we release new courses regularly. Instead of offering a standalone course, the Veecoco membership gives users full access to all learning content (including any new courses that are uploaded).

Veecoco & Rouxbe Comparison

We know how important it is to choose a cooking school that is right for you so we’ve demonstrated how Veecoco differs from Rouxbe by writing this review. We believe that both culinary institutions offer something unique so hopefully, this direct comparison will help you to get a better idea of the pros and cons of each.

Pricing

Rouxbe’s Plant-based Professional Certification 6-month Course is usually priced at $1299.99, which is $300 more expensive than their corresponding non-vegan certification course, even though they offer the same amount of educational hours. However, they often run sales and discounted prices. For example, they are currently offering it at $1039.99, which can be split into monthly payments. This price covers 18 units and 85+ lessons.

If you can’t complete the Rouxbe course within 6 months and still wish to complete the certificate, you will have to buy a course extension at $129.99 for 30 days. Those who don’t complete the course will still have lifetime access but will not receive any grading or certification. There are also costs for ingredients and kitchen equipment, which are required if you wish to earn a certificate.

Veecoco’s full 12-month membership is available for $297 or 12 x monthly installments of $35. For this price, you will have access to all 17+ of our online courses, which includes 600+ lessons. Alternatively, you can purchase an individual course for $127 with lifetime access.

The only additional costs for Veecoco would be if you wish to renew your membership (don’t worry, there’s no automatic renewal) and for any ingredients or essential kitchen equipment you may wish to purchase; this will be at your discretion since you can choose the courses you are most interested in and receive certification for these without having to complete every course on the platform.

Both Rouxbe and Veecoco offer free trials and money-back guarantees.

Try Veecoco’s 7-day trial! 

Course content

We’ll start by telling you what Rouxbe and Veecoco have in common: chef/cooking pathways. In other words, both online cooking schools offer roadmaps that provide step-by-step learning and guided success. Rouxbe follows a process from the very basics to more advanced cooking that all students must follow, regardless of skill level. In contrast, Veecoco offers its users a placement quiz that helps to guide them to the appropriate level or course of interest (although you can still start wherever you wish to). Veecoco Plant-Based Academy and Rouxbe Cooking School give feedback and ongoing support to students.

While both Rouxbe and Veecoco provide a mix of video lessons, Q&As, downloadable resources, and information on plant-based nutrition, Rouxbe is perhaps the most theoretical and academic in terms of its course content. We would compare it to going to college to learn how to cook; you’ll have quizzes and assignments to complete, including lessons on food safety and technique. You will be graded and the passing grade is 75%. Rouxbe’s learning process is more intensive, so best suited for those who have more time and are wishing to fast-track their way into the food industry.

Veecoco, on the other hand, is much more practical and can be completed at your own pace. We still provide plenty of educational resources teaching you theory, nutrition, and technique but with no pressure to get top grades. Each course also features lessons that teach you more about different types of food and the culture behind the cuisine. In fact, Veecoco has quite a big focus on culture and our courses are taught by native chefs with generations of experience to share with you. Therefore, it’s perhaps best suited to those who want to learn more about international cuisine. Nevertheless, each Veecoco course provides certificates upon completion and many of our students go on to become professional chefs.

How does Veecoco differ from The Happy Pear?

Time

Another big difference between the two cooking schools is the time limit. For Rouxbe, there is a 6-month deadline to complete the course in order to receive certification. Otherwise, you can buy an extension as mentioned earlier. Whereas, Veecoco has no time limit for certification and you are not required to complete every course in order to receive a certificate for a specific course.

Let’s digest…Veecoco Vs. Rouxbe

In short, Veecoco and Rouxbe both offer comprehensive plant-based courses. Veecoco is a 100% plant-based cooking school, whereas Rouxbe is not. Both provide guided learning pathways, support, feedback, educational resources, and video lessons taught by professional chefs. Veecoco offers more diversity in terms of cuisines and the number of lessons but Rouxbe teaches techniques and theory in more depth.

In our opinion, Rouxbe would be better suited for those looking to fast-track their food careers. Veecoco is suitable for anyone wishing to master vegan cooking and cuisines from around the world, whether that’s for personal or professional development.

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