Hinge reply when she says she wants someone who cooks

When someone writes that they want a partner who cooks, they're describing a domestic habit they value. Often it's because they like sharing meals, or because they cook themselves and want company in it. Sometimes it's a filter, and sometimes it's just something that matters to her. You rarely know which from the prompt alone, so don't treat it as a test you have to pass. Treat it as information about what she enjoys.

Look at the rest of her profile before you reply. If her other prompts mention restaurants, markets, travel food, or a particular cuisine, she's probably talking about shared meals, not skill level. If the prompts are all about running or work, the cooking line may be a more specific ask, and you should answer with the realistic version of yourself.

The honest answer is usually more useful than a flattering one. Say what you actually make, how often, and what you're still bad at. A guy who makes the same pasta every Sunday and admits it has more to talk about than a guy who claims he's been fermenting his own miso. Specifics are what make a reply sound like a person and not a profile.

If you don't cook much, you can still answer well. Name the thing you do make, or the thing you've tried and failed at, or the place you'd take her if you couldn't cook for her. Each of those gives her something concrete to ask about, which is the real job of the reply.

Send the reply at the time of day you usually get messages, not at 2am when it reads as a bid for attention. If she answers within a few hours, match her pace and keep it light. If she doesn't reply for two or three days, one short follow-up that adds something new is reasonable, like a question about what she likes to make or a photo of something you cooked. Don't send three messages in a row to fill a gap she's left open.

If she goes quiet after that, let it stop. The cooking line was a signal about her preferences, not an invitation to keep pushing. A thread that ends after two or three exchanges still tells you something useful, because it shows what she wanted without you having to guess.