system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: in terms of utility, reward, and cost, there is no better hobby than cooking.

It's all there in the topic. Learning to cook is useful every day, allows you to save money and improve your health through a good diet, and gives you a skill that is transferable to truly every walk of life. While there are many great hobbies out there, cooking is by far the most practical. Since you can use it every day, and in the process gain enjoyment both from the act and from the product, it's also likely the most enjoyable.

Note that for the sake of simplicity I'd consider stuff like pickling and related food preservation hobbies to be cooking most of the time.

About the only possible counterargument I can think of would be in time investment. However not only does that apply to all hobbies, but also a skilled home cook can often prepare home food using slow cookers and pressure cookers and things to take as much or less time than simpler meals.

Edit: gotta go chop some holes in my floor and then make dinner. Loving the conversation though, will be back in a bit.
gpt
Exercise is even better -higher utility as measured by longevity and well-being.  Similar cost.  And of course you can get all the benefits of a cooking hobby by living with a cook but nobody can exercise for you.