Community

There Are Now 1 Million Members of Our Community!

June 24, 2016

From the very beginning, Food52 has been centered around creating a community, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that we’ve now grown to over 1 million strong!

Each of you—and your passion for food, cooking, and living well—have made this website what it is. You've shared tens of thousands of recipes (and some (Not)Recipes too), entered nearly 300 contests, and helped us create cookbooks along the way. You've written articles, shared photos, sent each other gifts, and impressed us every single day with your know-how.

Thank you for being here.

Shop the Story

We wish we could have a party and celebrate with all of you—we’re just not sure we can find a venue able to fit a long enough table, so we're setting for raising a glass in your honor and helping you get to know a little bit about your fellow Food52ers.

Over the years, Food52ers have gathered for many a potluck

Let's start with some of the basics.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“Congratulations, food52 and to all of us! The stats are so much fun to read! I joined six years ago (I am #17193), and I have loved being a part of this vibrant community. My life is so much richer because of Food52. I am undoubtedly a better cook, but I feel so lucky to have formed so many great friendships (both online and in person!) with so many Food52 members. I am also happy to share that I am now editing my second cookbook! I love all of you. xo :)”
— cookinginvictoria
Comment

Here are the top 10 cities you live in:

  1. New York
  2. Los Angeles
  3. Chicago
  4. London
  5. San Francisco
  6. Toronto
  7. Houston
  8. Washington
  9. Sydney
  10. Melbourne

The breakdown in ages:

  • 18 to 24—11%
  • 25 to 34—29% (Surely this category isn't the highest due to anyone remaining 29 for a few extra years, right?)
  • 35 to 44—18%
  • 45 to 54—15%
  • 55 to 64—16%
  • 65 and over—11%

And yes, as you might expect, most of you are women, but nearly one-third of our users are male—just don't call them "food dudes."

More potlucks!

As you probably know, when you create an account here, you create a username at the same time, and if it's not some version of your name, oftentimes it's about food. These are the words most likely to appear in a username, and how many users have it in their username:

  • cook—3219
  • chef—2103
  • food—1437
  • bake—1285

We can’t resist a little clever wordplay, and neither can you, here are 5 usernames that make us smile:

And we all have just as much fun coming up with names for collections, here are 10 of our favorites:

  • All Up in My Grill
  • No Chive Left Behind
  • A Big Dill
  • That’s So Radicchio
  • Pointy Things
  • It’s Easy Being Green
  • Broke Student Life
  • Dinner Parties When I Start Doing Them
  • The Happiest Hour of the Day
  • Eat Like a Hobbit

Have you signed up for an account yet? Once you do, you’ll be able to create your own collections (the best way to save your favorite recipes and articles in one spot), ​get help with cooking dilemmas (or help solve them!) on the Hotline, join conversations around the site, and receive our best tips for eating thoughtfully and living joyfully, right to your inbox.

Food52ers perusing the offerings at Amanda Hesser's cookbook stoop sale.

It's clear you all love to talk about food just as much as we do—some us maybe just a little bit more than others these are the all-time top 10 commenters:

  1. AntoniaJames
  2. sdebrango
  3. mrslarkin
  4. hardlikearmour
  5. boulangere
  6. Sagegreen
  7. drbabs
  8. Amanda Hesser (We're not surprised one of our fearless leaders made the list, just a little surprised she's not closer to the top.)
  9. fiveandspice
  10. aargersi

But you don't just talk about food, you create new dishes, too! These are the users who have posted the most recipes, and their current tally:

All visitors to the office must pose for pictures.

What exactly are you cooking? These are the 10 recipes you’ve saved the most:

If you have questions about what you're cooking, you can always turn to the Hotline for help from your fellow Food52ers. These are 10 of the most intriguing questions from the Hotline, the ones really got you all talking (and a couple of them had us scratching our heads):

We laugh together, and sometimes we cry together, too.

It’s possible we have a few famous people in our midst:

  • The late Nora Ephron used the nom de plume mrsp, and now we’ve seen another “Mrs P” around these parts, Mrs Beryl Patmore, who even converses like she’s right out of Downton Abbey. Anyone else ready to reveal their true identity? Tell us in the comments!

Since the Food52 Wedding Registry launched last summer, a number of you have created registries, but there's only one user who wanted to marry Food52 and have Amanda and Merrill walk him down the aisle (or the only one to ask anyway…):

Ready to make our community ice cream sundae packed with your recipes? Here they all are:

Never commented before? Introduce yourself in the comments! Frequent commenter? Tell us something about yourself we didn't know (or, if you're feeling shy, just tell us the best thing you've cooked recently).

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
    boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
  • jenniebgood
    jenniebgood
  • Sherry E
    Sherry E
  • cookinginvictoria
    cookinginvictoria
  • MrsWheelbarrow
    MrsWheelbarrow
I like esoteric facts about vegetables. Author of the IACP Award-nominated cookbook, Cooking with Scraps.

36 Comments

happy 1 million users! This site has helped us grow as cooks so much in the three and a half years that we've been members, and we are proud to have it in our five most visited websites (above our own blog even...whoops!). much love to the Food52 community now and for the years to come.
 
jenniebgood June 29, 2016
Awesome! Deepest thanks to Amanda & Merrill who had the vision for this; And hats-off/bow-down to the entire F52 team that helped build this wonderful community. Boston didn't make the top 10 city list but it doesn't mean some of your biggest fans aren't from here! : )
 
Sherry E. June 27, 2016
standing corrected, must have joined for a second time as I had acct originally several years prior to 2013...
 
cookinginvictoria June 27, 2016
Congratulations, food52 and to all of us! The stats are so much fun to read! I joined six years ago (I am #17193), and I have loved being a part of this vibrant community. My life is so much richer because of Food52. I am undoubtedly a better cook, but I feel so lucky to have formed so many great friendships (both online and in person!) with so many Food52 members. I am also happy to share that I am now editing my second cookbook! I love all of you. xo :)
 
Sherry E. June 27, 2016
I joined back in 2013. Susang hosted one of the original "food52 pot lucks". I am intrigued by age demographic and wondered if it would have been older group prior to big website changes and shopping additions to original sites. also was surprised susang was not listed as a prolific and fabulous contributor and reviewer of recipes.
 
MrsWheelbarrow June 27, 2016
Food52 changed my life. I've met so many wonderful fellow cooks all over the WORLD. (special shout out to Austin F52ers), eaten delicious foods from all of your kitchens, and somehow found the courage and encouragement to write a cookbook. I luv you guys. xoxo
 
gingerroot June 26, 2016
Since joining six years ago, my life has become more delicious, more creative, and more fun. From HNL - LĀ - PDX - Victoria, BC - NYC, I've met community members who have become friends. Cheers, Food52! You've made me much more than just a better cook. xo
 
mrslarkin June 26, 2016
I ? all of you guys. Thanks for being part of my world. Is that too dorky to say?
 
ChefJune June 26, 2016
No it's not. I thought about doing that, too.... :-D
 
Michele F. June 26, 2016
I believe I was among the first to join because I remember corresponding with Amanda Hesser after I wrote a congratulatory email. I knew of Ms. Hesser from the Times and then later in the movie Julie and Julia (or other way around.). Love the site -- recipes, of course, but equally the shopping! I fear I've been seduced again and again by some item or another and it now takes great discipline to resist buying something every single time I get an email alerting me to coupe champagne glasses and linen robes and gold dipped tiny dishes that may have no obvious use but are too beautiful not to buy. Also must praise staff in customer service. Whatever hiccup arose in a purchase was immediately dealt with with exceptional speed and graciousness.

Congratulations dear Amanda and Merrill

Michele Farley (my only identity...however unwitty?)
 
dymnyno June 25, 2016
My "Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart" had over 4000 saves...why wasn't one of your top 10?
 
LauriL June 26, 2016
You now have 4,096! Sounds delish!
 
Lindsay-Jean H. June 26, 2016
Hi dymnyno, if we had gone with the most favorited, it probably would have been! We just happened to go with the most saved recipes for that list.
 
ChefJune June 25, 2016
Happy to be a member of this community since August 2009! Congratulations to us!!!
 
drbabs June 25, 2016
Does anyone know what happened to sagegreen? She came onto the scene like gangbusters and we haven't seen her in a while (almost 4 years!).
 
LauriL June 26, 2016
Try facebook?
 
mrslarkin June 26, 2016
Sage green is lovely. I had the pleasure to meet her in person a few years back. I will try to reconnect.
 
susan G. June 28, 2016
Burnout, I think... Love her mango-whatever salad.
 
Sherry E. June 29, 2016
hmmm...
 
Ship W. June 25, 2016
I am making food for Ladies at our club on Independence day, do you have a hot choice and a dessert choice for your 4th July celebrations. Us Brits don't normally celecbrate this day, but the want me to make them a small taster, and I want to surprise them with an Independence day theme. I am writing for Wales in the UK. Ship Wreck Gan
 
mrslarkin June 26, 2016
Oh apple pie is a dessert MUST for Independence Day! Or brownies. Or chocolate chip cookies.

Typically, picnic-type foods and barbecue are popular for 4th of July - (fried or grilled) chicken, spare ribs, burgers. Have fun!
 
pierino June 25, 2016
Antonia James, who has visited my kitchen, can now say she's "1 in a million".
 
mcs3000 June 24, 2016
BIG congrats! F52 is my fave. Fascinating to read the user stats.
 
LauriL June 24, 2016
So happy to be one of your statistics! My life ( and knowledge) in the kitchen has been amplified 10 to the millionth power by Food52 and all the wonderful things you have shared. My friends and family (when Kenzi's not around) are grateful for this connection! Our dinner parties hold allegiance to FOOD52!
 
Peter June 24, 2016
Congratulations from Registered User #69. (I guess that makes me part of the 1%. The first 1% that is.)
 
dymnyno June 25, 2016
Where do we find out what our Registered User # is?
 
susan G. June 25, 2016
Put the cursor on your name, and look down. You are #5167.
 
ChefJune June 25, 2016
Itried that Peter, and it didn't work. Put the cursor on my name where on which page?
 
dymnyno June 25, 2016
Me too, I joined in 2009. Was that before you started counting?
 
hardlikearmour June 25, 2016
Click on your profile. There should be a number in the address bar. For instance: https://food52.com/users/17743-hardlikearmour My user number is 17743.
 
ChefJune June 26, 2016
Aha1 I'm 1185. :)
 
Lindsay-Jean H. June 26, 2016
(Not to rain on anyone's parade if you're attached to your number, but just FYI, the numbers in your user url are close to what user number you are, but they aren't necessarily an exact match.)
 
Michael H. June 24, 2016
Yay!!
 
bellw67 June 24, 2016
Love it!
 
Kaite June 24, 2016
Yay! I love the stats you posted. So much fun :) Keep up the good work!