Almost half of the glossy new cookbooks bought as Christmas presents will go unread, according to a survey that shows home cooks are being put off by expensive ingredients and complicated recipes.

Researchers discovered the typical British adult owns 10 cookbooks, but on average four of them will never have been used.

They also discovered cooks are going online more and more to find the right recipes, rather than wade through their cookbooks.

The survey of 2000 adults found two-thirds, or 67%, said they find recipes intimidating, with Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay getting a special mention for complicated cooking.

Jamie Oliver and Delia Smith, on the other hand, were praised for their simplicity.

The survey, which was commissioned by Italian food company Sacla, found 35% of respondents said they were put off by the cost of ingredients, while 29% said the cookbook recipes were too complicated.

More than one-quarter, or 27%, said hard-to-find ingredients stopped them using the books and more than half – 53% – said they now find recipes online based on what they have already got on their shelves at home.

Clare Blampied, managing director of Sacla, said: "The Italians have taught us that simple recipes featuring four or five main ingredients are the key to successful everyday cooking.

"Perhaps it's time to learn from them and de-clutter our kitchens of complicated books we don't use and embrace the Italian way of cooking fresh, seasonal recipes using simple methods and relatively cheap ingredients."