Home Cook Service for Everyday Family Meals
A home cook prepares your family's daily meals to your taste — regional cuisine, Jain or no-onion-no-garlic food, diabetic-friendly meals or children's tiffins.
- 6 Hours
- 8 Hours
- 9 Hours
- 10 Hours
- 24-Hour Live-In
Illustrative image. Not an actual Maidvy candidate.
What is a cook and what does it cost?
A home cook prepares your family's everyday meals, such as breakfast, tiffins, lunch and dinner, in your kitchen and to your taste, often including kitchen cleaning after cooking. Maidvy offers cooks on 6, 8, 9 or 10-hour daytime shifts (Daytime Plan, ₹17,700 incl. GST) or live-in (24×7 Live-In Plan, ₹29,500 incl. GST). The cook's salary is separate.
| Working hours | Daytime shifts of 6, 8, 9 or 10 hours, or a 24-hour live-in arrangement with agreed rest, meals, a private sleeping space and leave. |
|---|---|
| Agency service charge | Daytime Plan ₹17,700 or 24×7 Live-In Plan ₹29,500 (incl. 18% GST) |
| Worker salary | Separate, agreed between you and the worker based on duties, hours, location and experience |
| Replacements | Up to 2 (Daytime) or up to 3 (Live-In) during the active plan |
| Interviews | Audio or video call with shortlisted candidates |
| Best suited to | Working families who want home-cooked meals; Homes with specific diets (Jain, diabetic, vegetarian); Families with children's tiffin needs |
What a cook does for your home.
Good cooking is personal. We record your cuisine, number of meals, family size, dietary restrictions and kitchen routines so shortlisted cooks match how your family actually eats.
A cook can work a daytime shift that covers breakfast and lunch, or a longer shift that includes dinner, or live in for homes that want all meals handled. A taste trial can be discussed with the selected candidate.
Hiring a cook: what to know.
What a home cook does
A home cook prepares the household's everyday meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and children's tiffins, following your cuisine, dietary rules and taste. Kitchen cleaning after cooking and grocery planning can be included if agreed.
Matching cuisine and diet
Share the regional cuisines you eat, whether the home is vegetarian, non-vegetarian, eggetarian or Jain, any doctor-advised diet such as low oil or low salt, and allergies. This shapes which profiles are shared.
Hours and arrangement
Cooks work 6, 8, 9 or 10-hour daytime schedules or live in. If meals are spread from an early breakfast to a late dinner, a live-in cook with agreed hours may be more practical than a single daytime shift.
Fees and salary
Maidvy's Daytime Plan is ₹15,000 + 18% GST = ₹17,700, with up to 2 replacements during the active plan. Live-in cooks use the 24×7 Live-In Plan (₹25,000 + 18% GST = ₹29,500). The worker's monthly salary is separate from the agency fee. It is agreed directly between your family and the worker based on experience, duties, hours, city and mutual agreement, and is paid directly to the worker.
A typical cooking day, as an example
Breakfast and tiffins in the morning, lunch preparation, an afternoon break, evening snacks and dinner, with kitchen cleaning after each meal if agreed. A 6-hour shift often suits one or two main meals; three meals with tiffins usually need longer or live-in.
Setting up the kitchen
Label spice jars, show appliances, share favourite recipes or videos, and agree a weekly menu for the first two weeks. Specific feedback such as 'less chilli in the dal' helps a cook adjust quickly.
How hiring works
Share your requirement through Book Now, a callback or WhatsApp; confirm with the ₹5,900 booking advance (₹5,000 + GST), which is adjusted against your plan fee; review matched profiles verified as applicable; interview shortlisted candidates by audio or video; finalise and pay the balance as per the booking terms; then Maidvy coordinates joining, and a Relationship Manager supports you during the active plan. Deployment generally takes 2 to 15 working days and is not guaranteed.
Food safety basics
Agree handwashing, separate boards for vegetables and meat if relevant, how leftovers are stored and for how long, and use of filtered or boiled water.
Telling a cook what your family eats
Share the number of people, meals per day, cuisines (North Indian, South Indian, Bengali, Jain, continental and so on), vegetarian or non-vegetarian preferences, and any allergies or doctor-advised restrictions such as low salt or diabetic-friendly meals. The clearer the brief, the better the match.
Trial dishes and the first fortnight
Ask the cook to prepare two or three of your regular dishes in the first days, then give specific feedback. Most cooks adjust within the first two weeks once they know your family's preferences.
Cook or all-rounder?
If cooking takes most of the day, especially with tiffins and three meals, a dedicated cook is better. If cooking is simple and cleaning matters too, an all-rounder may suit you.
Questions to ask a cook in the interview
Ask which cuisines and dishes she cooks regularly, how she plans meals for a week, how she adjusts spice and oil, whether she has cooked for children, elders or special diets, and how she keeps the kitchen clean. If possible, schedule the start with a trial of two or three family favourites.
Planning the week's menus
A simple weekly menu on the fridge saves daily discussion. Rotate dishes, plan tiffins in advance and note which days you eat out or have guests. Many families review the menu every Sunday with the cook.
Total cost of a cook
Budget for the agency plan fee (₹17,700 for daytime or ₹29,500 for live-in, incl. GST), the cook's salary agreed with you, and your normal grocery costs. If guests or extra meals become regular, revisit the salary agreement openly.
Cook vs professional chef
| Aspect | Cook | Professional chef |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Everyday home meals | Elaborate, multi-cuisine menus |
| Typical use | Daily family cooking | Entertaining, special diets, plated meals |
| Arrangement | Daytime or live-in | Daytime or live-in |
More answers: Maidvy FAQs · Pricing · Replacement Policy · How it works
Typical duties and what is not included.
Final duties are agreed with you before shortlisting and confirmed with the selected candidate.
Typical duties
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner preparation
- Regional and diet-specific cooking
- Tiffin and lunch-box preparation
- Kitchen cleaning after cooking as agreed
- Vegetable preparation and storage
- Grocery list planning as agreed
Not included
- Commercial or bulk catering
- Large event cooking
- General house cleaning unless agreed
- Work at multiple homes
Is this the right service for you?
- Working families who want home-cooked meals
- Homes with specific diets (Jain, diabetic, vegetarian)
- Families with children's tiffin needs
- Seniors who need regular, simple meals
Choose the arrangement that fits.
Daytime shifts of 6, 8, 9 or 10 hours, or a 24-hour live-in arrangement with agreed rest, meals, a private sleeping space and leave.
- 6 Hours
- 8 Hours
- 9 Hours
- 10 Hours
- 24-Hour Live-In
Maidvy's agency service charge.
- 6, 8, 9 or 10 hours a day
- Up to 2 replacements
- 11-month plan
- ₹5,900 advance (incl. GST) confirms booking
- Helper stays at your home
- Up to 3 replacements
- As per final service proposal
- ₹5,900 advance (incl. GST) confirms booking
Worker salary is separate. The domestic worker's monthly salary is separate from Maidvy's agency service charge. It is finalised based on the candidate's experience, duties, working hours, location and mutual agreement. View full pricing
How hiring a cook works.
- 1
Requirement Submission
Share your city, service, working hours, duties and joining date through a callback request or the booking form.
- 2
Booking Confirmation
Confirm your booking with the ₹5,900 advance (including GST) so sourcing can begin.
- 3
Shortlisting
Our allocation team shortlists available candidates who match your stated requirements.
- 4
Google Meet Interview
Speak with shortlisted candidates online before you decide.
- 5
Candidate Selection
You choose the candidate who best suits your household.
- 6
Payment Completion
Pay the remaining agency service charge for your selected plan.
- 7
Deployment
Joining is coordinated with you and the selected candidate.
- 8
Post-Deployment Support
Ongoing customer assistance and replacement support under your plan.
Cook: common questions.
Yes. Cuisine and dietary preferences are captured at the requirement stage and matched during shortlisting.
A 6-hour daytime shift can cover breakfast and lunch. For dinner as well, choose a longer shift or a live-in cook.
Maidvy's agency service charge is ₹15,000 + 18% GST = ₹17,700 for the Daytime Plan, or ₹25,000 + 18% GST = ₹29,500 for the 24×7 Live-In Plan. The worker's monthly salary is separate and agreed based on experience, duties, working hours, location and mutual agreement.
A cook handles everyday family meals. A professional chef suits multi-cuisine menus, guest hosting and premium kitchens.
Yes. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed on Google Meet, and you make the final selection.
Yes. Share your dietary requirements when you book so matching profiles are shared.
Only if agreed and if the hours allow. For cooking plus cleaning, consider an all-rounder domestic helper.
Only if you agree. If the cook handles cash for groceries, keep a simple written record.
Yes, if the requirement is shared at booking so matching considers that experience.
Kitchen cleaning after cooking is often included if agreed. Washing all household utensils is a separate duty to list.
Yes, on the 24×7 Live-In Plan with a private space, meals and agreed rest.
Yes, if mentioned at booking. Some cooks prefer vegetarian-only kitchens, so state your requirement clearly.
Often one or two main meals plus breakfast for a small family. Three meals with tiffins for a larger family usually need longer hours.
Find the right cook for your home
Share your requirement and our team will call you back to confirm availability, plan and next steps.