Cook's Illustrated Magazine has stood the test of time and distinguished itself among the pack by having a singular focus--developing recipes that work the first time and every time; it's as simple as that. For the first time since the magazine's inception, more than 2,000 of Cook's Illustrated's landmark recipes have been carefully compiled into a wide-ranging compendium that shows you how to make your favorite dishes better. A must-have collection for fans of Cook's Illustrated (and any discerning cook), The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook will keep you cooking for a lifetime--and guarantees impeccable results.
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America's Test Kitchen is a 2,500 square foot kitchen located outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines and is the workday destination for over 3 dozen test cooks, editors and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to our public television show, America's Test Kitchen.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
658 of 665 people found the following review helpful
By Rob T
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I've been a big fan of Cook's Illustrated for a while and I own a bunch of their cookbooks. Here's the scoop on this one.
It offers more recipes than any other book they've got.
Many of the recipes appear in other books.
This one offers a short "Why it works" intro to each recipe, but unlike Cook's Illustrated "Best Recipe" book, it doesn't give a detailed explanation of all the things they tried on the way to the final recipe.
Should you buy this? Here's a little decision tree:
Do you already own Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe cookbook?
-- If yes, then don't buy this -- too much duplication.
-- If no, then are you interested in the the recipe development process?
---- If so, then buy Cook's Illustrated's Best Recipe cookbook.
---- If not, then buy this book (The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook) -- it's more complete.
It offers more recipes than any other book they've got.
Many of the recipes appear in other books.
This one offers a short "Why it works" intro to each recipe, but unlike Cook's Illustrated "Best Recipe" book, it doesn't give a detailed explanation of all the things they tried on the way to the final recipe.
Should you buy this? Here's a little decision tree:
Do you already own Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe cookbook?
-- If yes, then don't buy this -- too much duplication.
-- If no, then are you interested in the the recipe development process?
---- If so, then buy Cook's Illustrated's Best Recipe cookbook.
---- If not, then buy this book (The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook) -- it's more complete.
85 of 87 people found the following review helpful
By Heidi
Format:Hardcover
I love Cooks Illustrated and have given America's Test Kitchens (ATK) Family Cookbook The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook [AMER TEST KITCHEN FAMILY CKBK] at every wedding shower I have attended since it was printed, probably 20 copies. Now, for all those couples (and sometimes singles) who told me they learned to cook with the Family Cookbook, I have a Christmas gift! Every one of my favorite Cook's Illustrated magazine recipes is here, in one place, without needing an internet connection. From Roasted Broccoli to Chewy Brownies to Vodka Penne to French Onion Soup to Brown Sugar Cookies to Chicken Marsala to Pan Seared Scallops and on and on ..... every one of them "to die for...."), I don't think I have ever produced a real failure caused by one of these recipes. I have to say that thanks to Cook's Illustrated and ATK I have the reputation for being the best cook in the family, hands down. I am the go-to-one for all the family events with "important" cooking (Christmas "Perfect Prime Rib", Thanksgiving "Creamy Corn Pudding" and mid-July's family re-union fresh sour cherry pie with Foolproof Pie crusts. All those great recipes and many, many more came from Cook's Illustrated magazines, and now from this one single (albeit BIG) reference.
255 of 281 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Summary - A Great cookbook for someone who wants to cook, not look at pictures of someone else's cooking.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cook's Illustrated, it is this great magazine dedicated to making it easier to cook great food. This cookbook keeps up that tradition by compiling and modernizing recipes from the magazine without loosing the informative method of presenting not only the recipe but the background about why something works, what to use to get the best result, and what tools work the best. This is not a cookbook full of glossy pictures of professionally photographed prepared dishes, it is the cook's cookbook, with the necessary illustrations (done as line drawings) to get the job done. Those of you familiar with the magazine will feel right at home, since the cookbook is done in the exact same style. Typical sidebars include:
Illustrated guides to complete a task (i.e. - Trimming a chuck-eye roast, Folding Bread Dough, Slicing a Soft Cake so it looks perfect, etc.)
Test Kitchen Tips (i.e. - Key Tips to perfect Pasta, Buying Scallops, etc.)
Why A Recipe Works (i.e. - Why the recipe is structured a certain way to get the best result)
Index - The book is adequately indexed, but indexes never quite think the way you do, so a little logic is still required to find what you are looking for (i.e. - Coffee Cakes is under Cakes and nor cross-referenced under Coffee and Cakes themselves are sub-grouped in the index (Cakes, Cakes - Chocolate, Cakes - Savory).
Negatives - The book's pages could be of a heavier weight for my liking. I understand that this is a big book already with so many recipes, but the paper feels fragile in my hand. Also, the binding seems thin and only time will tell if this binding will hold up to the heavy use I plan on putting it through. Lastly, I really it when cookbooks include bookmarking ribbons to allow me to quickly flip through multiple recipes quickly when I am preparing a couple of recipes simultaneously. For these reasons, I subtracted a star.
Value - This is a great value even with my few negatives.
Ideas for Making it Better - In the way of improvement, I wonder why a book like this is not offered digitally. I have a Pad Computer and a Kitchen Computer, both of which I use while cooking, so having a cookbook that offers me the ability to thumb through for recipes digitally would be nice. I would like to see companies offer both, similar to what they do now with textbooks, so you can have the paper and the digital at one lower combined price.
Contents - The compilers waste no time with long introductions or discussions on what cooking is about. They dive right into recipes, a lot of recipes, and spread the information throughout the book teaching you why something is the way it is when you need to know it. The style of this cookbook is to get you to dive right in and start cooking, not admiring the professionally prepared dishes or reading endless text on how to separate an egg. Organized logically, it includes:
- Appetizers
*Nuts, cheese, and eggs
*Shrimp and Salmon
*Dips, Spreads, and Salsas
*Nachos and Quesadillas
*Bruschetta and Tarts
*Spring Rolls and Dumplings
-Salads
*Vinaigrette and Dressings
*Green Salads
*Vegetable Salads
*Deli Salads
*Chicken Salads, Tuna Salads and More
-Soups
*Stocks
*Chicken and Beef Soups
*Vegetable and Bean Soups
*Chowders and More
*Croutons and Other Garnishes
-Chilis, Stews, and Braises
-Curries, Stir-Fries, and Asian Noodles
*Curries
*Vegetable Stir Fries
*Chicken, Meat and Shrimp Stir Fries
*Fried Rice and Noodles
-Pasta
*Pasta Sauces
*Pasta with Olive Oil or Cream Sauces
*Pasta with Tomato Sauces
*Pasta with Meat Sauces
*Pasta with Chicken or Seafood
*Pasta with Vegetables
*Whole Meat Pasta Dishes
*Fresh Pasta and Filled Pasta
*Manicotti, Lasagna, and other Baked Pasta Dishes
-Rice, Grains, and Beans
-Vegetables
*Potatoes
*Stuffed Vegetables and Vegetable Mains
-Poultry
*Chicken Cutlets and Breasts
*Bone-in Chicken Parts
*Fried and Stuffed Chicken
*Whole Roast Chicken
*Chicken & Rice Dishes, Pot Pies, and Enchiladas
*Turkey
*Cornish Game Hens and Duck
-Meat
*Beef
*Pork
*Lamb
-Fish and Shellfish
-Grilling
*Poultry
*Pork and Lamb
*Fish and Shellfish
*Vegetables
*Barbeque Sauces
-Eggs and Breakfast
*Eggs and Egg Dishes
*French Toast, Pancakes, and waffles
*Oatmeal and Granola
*Bacon and Potatoes
-Quick Breads and Coffee Cakes
*Biscuits, Scones, and Muffins
*Popovers, Doughnuts, and Buns
*Coffee Cakes
*Quick Breads
-Yeast Breads and rolls
-Pizza, Calzones, and Flatbreads
-Cookies, Brownies, and Bars
*Cookie Jar Classics
*Shortbread and Other Butter Cookies
*Madeline, Biscotti, and More
*Brownies, Bar Cookies, and Candy
-Cakes
*Classic Layer, Sheet, and Snack Cakes
Chocolate Cakes and Occasional Cakes
*Cakes with Fruit
Pound Cakes And Bundt Cakes
Angel Food and Chiffon Cakes
*Cupcakes
*Pudding Cakes
-Pies and Tart Crusts
*Fruit Pies
*Custard and Cream Pies
*Tarts
-Fruit Deserts
*Shortbread, Cobblers, Crisps, and More
*Simple Fruit Desserts
-Pastry
-Puddings, Custards, and Frozen Desserts
*Puddings and Custards
*Souffles
*Ices, Soberts, and Sherberts
*Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
*Desert Sauces and Whipped Cream
-Beverages
Recommendation - I would recommend this Cookbook and plan on giving it as a gift to several of my friends.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cook's Illustrated, it is this great magazine dedicated to making it easier to cook great food. This cookbook keeps up that tradition by compiling and modernizing recipes from the magazine without loosing the informative method of presenting not only the recipe but the background about why something works, what to use to get the best result, and what tools work the best. This is not a cookbook full of glossy pictures of professionally photographed prepared dishes, it is the cook's cookbook, with the necessary illustrations (done as line drawings) to get the job done. Those of you familiar with the magazine will feel right at home, since the cookbook is done in the exact same style. Typical sidebars include:
Illustrated guides to complete a task (i.e. - Trimming a chuck-eye roast, Folding Bread Dough, Slicing a Soft Cake so it looks perfect, etc.)
Test Kitchen Tips (i.e. - Key Tips to perfect Pasta, Buying Scallops, etc.)
Why A Recipe Works (i.e. - Why the recipe is structured a certain way to get the best result)
Index - The book is adequately indexed, but indexes never quite think the way you do, so a little logic is still required to find what you are looking for (i.e. - Coffee Cakes is under Cakes and nor cross-referenced under Coffee and Cakes themselves are sub-grouped in the index (Cakes, Cakes - Chocolate, Cakes - Savory).
Negatives - The book's pages could be of a heavier weight for my liking. I understand that this is a big book already with so many recipes, but the paper feels fragile in my hand. Also, the binding seems thin and only time will tell if this binding will hold up to the heavy use I plan on putting it through. Lastly, I really it when cookbooks include bookmarking ribbons to allow me to quickly flip through multiple recipes quickly when I am preparing a couple of recipes simultaneously. For these reasons, I subtracted a star.
Value - This is a great value even with my few negatives.
Ideas for Making it Better - In the way of improvement, I wonder why a book like this is not offered digitally. I have a Pad Computer and a Kitchen Computer, both of which I use while cooking, so having a cookbook that offers me the ability to thumb through for recipes digitally would be nice. I would like to see companies offer both, similar to what they do now with textbooks, so you can have the paper and the digital at one lower combined price.
Contents - The compilers waste no time with long introductions or discussions on what cooking is about. They dive right into recipes, a lot of recipes, and spread the information throughout the book teaching you why something is the way it is when you need to know it. The style of this cookbook is to get you to dive right in and start cooking, not admiring the professionally prepared dishes or reading endless text on how to separate an egg. Organized logically, it includes:
- Appetizers
*Nuts, cheese, and eggs
*Shrimp and Salmon
*Dips, Spreads, and Salsas
*Nachos and Quesadillas
*Bruschetta and Tarts
*Spring Rolls and Dumplings
-Salads
*Vinaigrette and Dressings
*Green Salads
*Vegetable Salads
*Deli Salads
*Chicken Salads, Tuna Salads and More
-Soups
*Stocks
*Chicken and Beef Soups
*Vegetable and Bean Soups
*Chowders and More
*Croutons and Other Garnishes
-Chilis, Stews, and Braises
-Curries, Stir-Fries, and Asian Noodles
*Curries
*Vegetable Stir Fries
*Chicken, Meat and Shrimp Stir Fries
*Fried Rice and Noodles
-Pasta
*Pasta Sauces
*Pasta with Olive Oil or Cream Sauces
*Pasta with Tomato Sauces
*Pasta with Meat Sauces
*Pasta with Chicken or Seafood
*Pasta with Vegetables
*Whole Meat Pasta Dishes
*Fresh Pasta and Filled Pasta
*Manicotti, Lasagna, and other Baked Pasta Dishes
-Rice, Grains, and Beans
-Vegetables
*Potatoes
*Stuffed Vegetables and Vegetable Mains
-Poultry
*Chicken Cutlets and Breasts
*Bone-in Chicken Parts
*Fried and Stuffed Chicken
*Whole Roast Chicken
*Chicken & Rice Dishes, Pot Pies, and Enchiladas
*Turkey
*Cornish Game Hens and Duck
-Meat
*Beef
*Pork
*Lamb
-Fish and Shellfish
-Grilling
*Poultry
*Pork and Lamb
*Fish and Shellfish
*Vegetables
*Barbeque Sauces
-Eggs and Breakfast
*Eggs and Egg Dishes
*French Toast, Pancakes, and waffles
*Oatmeal and Granola
*Bacon and Potatoes
-Quick Breads and Coffee Cakes
*Biscuits, Scones, and Muffins
*Popovers, Doughnuts, and Buns
*Coffee Cakes
*Quick Breads
-Yeast Breads and rolls
-Pizza, Calzones, and Flatbreads
-Cookies, Brownies, and Bars
*Cookie Jar Classics
*Shortbread and Other Butter Cookies
*Madeline, Biscotti, and More
*Brownies, Bar Cookies, and Candy
-Cakes
*Classic Layer, Sheet, and Snack Cakes
Chocolate Cakes and Occasional Cakes
*Cakes with Fruit
Pound Cakes And Bundt Cakes
Angel Food and Chiffon Cakes
*Cupcakes
*Pudding Cakes
-Pies and Tart Crusts
*Fruit Pies
*Custard and Cream Pies
*Tarts
-Fruit Deserts
*Shortbread, Cobblers, Crisps, and More
*Simple Fruit Desserts
-Pastry
-Puddings, Custards, and Frozen Desserts
*Puddings and Custards
*Souffles
*Ices, Soberts, and Sherberts
*Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
*Desert Sauces and Whipped Cream
-Beverages
Recommendation - I would recommend this Cookbook and plan on giving it as a gift to several of my friends.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The how and why of "Yum"
I've been following this crowd for years via "Cook's Illustrated" magazine and their PBS TV shows "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country. Read more
Published 18 hours ago by Judith E. Cole
5.0 out of 5 stars
Idiosyncratic? Yes. Fussy? Often. Essential? Absolutely.
Do you want perfect results every time you cook something? This book is for you. Do you like to follow recipes exactly, without improvisation to get the best results? Read more
Published 12 days ago by John C. Wood
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's a fine cookbook, but I prefer something with more images
It's a cookbook, with Cook's helpful suggestions everywhere. And that's fine. My biggest gripe with this cookbook is that it's rather boring. Read more
Published 20 days ago by HalfGeek
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book
Cook's Illustrated is a fantastic cookbook. This collection is very comprehensive and continues Cook's Illustrated's brand of providing terrific detail and insight to their... Read more
Published 25 days ago by mcb
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great cookbooks
Love these books by Cooks Illustrated. The recipes are very clear and easy to follow with explenations of what is happening and why.
Published 26 days ago by TCIP
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book
Book filled a need, we found it very informative. These book are well written. Miss the color pictures that are in most cookbooks.
Published 26 days ago by JESSE O CHAMBLESS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Has it all!
You can trust these people because their recipes have been tested with endless configurations until "perfection" is achieved. Ingredients, cookware, etc. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Django
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book
This is probably the only cook book you need. I really enjoy the TV show produced by these same folks. Book is heavy, however.
Published 27 days ago by Frank Blauvelt
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook
American Test Kitchen does it time and time again...They never ceases to amaze me with how insightful their books are.
Published 29 days ago by DeAdrienne Nagy
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is my "go to" cookbook from now on.
The recipes come out terrific every time. The directions are easy to follow and the ingredients can be found locally. Love it!
Published 1 month ago by Renee@Phila
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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