I love this cookbook. I have had it for several years and reach for it again and again. The Butterscotch Cream Pie recipe is worth the $ all by itself. It is one of my favorite books to give as a gift.

I purchased the "New" version to replace the original Best Recipe release that I no longer have. Unfortunately, I discovered that the recipes are not the same and in fact two of my favorites have been removed altogether. I have only opened the book up three times so I have yet to determine how many of my favorite recipes have been drastically altered or deleted altogether. The mac and cheese is now much more time-consuming to create and not as good, and the wonderful butterflied roast chicken with mustard tarragon pan sauce has been excluded. If you think that you can replace your old cookbook with the new one and expect it to be inclusive of your recipes--forget it. I called Cook's Illustrated and after having just bought the new cookbook, they were indifferent about telling me that I'd have to buy an online subscription ($30!!) in order to retrieve the deleted recipes. A more responsible company would have had the original recipes available for free for those who are disappointed that the new book doesn't have them. I'd also like to add, that the recipes seem much more overly complicated (i.e. time consuming) for nearly imperceptible better results than the recipes in the original version. Dig up the original, it is still the Best Recipe.

I have had this book for a few months and have made several recipes: black beans, bread pudding, meatloaf, a caramel sauce for a flan, chicken stock and oh, I can't even remember what else. Bottom line: this cookbook ROCKS!!! The details on HOW and WHY make for great bedtime reading (and yes, I DO have a life) and I am far more willing to try a recipe that has lots of ingredients and takes a while to make because I have a very high level of confidence that the results will be worth the effort.

The best thing about this cookbook is that the editors explain what they've tried and why it did or did not work, so you get not only great recipes but also insight into how to better your cooking. There are numerous tips on the best ingredients and tools as well.

I'm now a fan of the America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated Magazine, and it was this book that did it! I'm the type of person that likes to know *why* to do things a certain way, and not just read a set of instructions and this cookbook is just so full of great information on how and why to cook things they way they are instructing, along with various illustrated tidbits all the way through, like how to section a chicken or butterfly it, etc. But of course the real test is the recipes...and so far, my results with the ones in this book have been excellent. I can't say everything turned out perfectly (some burned potatoes in the pan when I did the high roast chicken come to mind) but none have been a total disaster or a recipe I wouldn't try again. Even better, I find that the ingredients used are usually not ones that are hard to find and in many cases, ones I already have on hand. I get frustrated with books that use all these crazy ingredients that I will use once for that meal and then have to throw out the rest eventually. That is not the case with Best Recipe.

This is not the book for everyone. If you are a really busy person and not interested in reading several pages of information that go along with the recipe, but just want something quick and fast, there are probably better books for you. Also keep in mind that Cook's Illustrated and ATK do tend to use the same recipes over and over a lot, so if you have any number of their other books, or the magazines, you may find many recipes in here that you've seen before. But for someone who really loves to understand the how and why of cooking, and was fairly new to the Cook's Illustrated family of products, this was one of my favorite cookbooks purchased.

It's a very thorough, well researched cookbook. Very good for a new cook because recipes have been tested and retested. Recipes are pretty much in the 'no fail even if you try' category.

I love to read this book. I just brought this book, so I've not a chance to try any recipes in this book yet. Eventhough this book doesn't have any beautiful finished food pictures shown inside, I enjoyed to read. I just realise that I love to read people tell story about the food, how the recipe come up, than just put only recipes in the cooking book with beautiful fake pictures, but in reality the recipes didn't work. I will try some recipes soon.

First I will start by saying that I have never followed Cooks Illustrated or understood the belabored recipe-testing involved for this book. I have passed it up many times because the recipes looked too basic, and not gourmet or innovative. Boy, was I wrong! I was lucky to find a copy of this little gem at a discount store at third off the cover price, and it was worth every cent! The detailed journey taken by the test kitchen beginning each recipe is so helpful, and I enjoy learning what didn't work, and why. This book is loaded with helpful hints that are easy to follow. The chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe was truly amazing, and I've made three batches already! I've never had blueberry muffins that were memorable, until I tried the ones in this book. Amazing. The double chocolate chunk cookies were equally superb. I can't wait to try some of the entres. If they are as tried and true as the baked goods, then this volume will become a standard reference in my home. I have also purchased The New Best International Recipe and Baking Illustrated. I have many cookbooks, and few are as reliable. This book saves you the time of making something that comes out mediocre and money for ingredients that inevitably get thrown away. As an avid cookbook collector, I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I've bought a book that makes me this enthusiastic about trying every recipe cover to cover. If the entres turn out as fantastic, then I will be posting many of my old cookbooks for you on Amazon!

This cookbook was loaned to me and as I was looking through it realized I had to have my own copy. I also got a copy for my nephew who is a good cook and getting married soon. I thought it would be a great gift for him and his bride. This book covers all the basics with easy recipes and great illustrations.

Every single recipe in this book is amazing, and extremely easy to follow.
Along with the recipes themselves is plenty of information and illustrations explaining the science behind certain ingredients, equipment and cooking methods.

The book reads like the television series, which is fantastic. Everything about this book blows me away.

I can't say enough...This book is, and I mean this, just as good as "The Joy of Cooking". Seriously.

I bounce between those two and ignore the 50 or so other cookbooks I now own.

Thanks to Cooks Illustrated for making me a GOOD chef!

I purchased this cookbook because it was recommended by a friend. I love it! It is fun to read and is so informative about what makes a recipe better and guess what?.....You cook better, too!! My husband loves the meals from it.
I gave it to my daughter-in-law for her birthday. She received 3 cookbooks and this one is her favorite....she just raves about it. Now, her nightime reading is the "New Best Recipe Cookbook".....

It has no great receipes,
it is only a very classic recipes done with small change.

Book is not that illustrative as mentioned by others reviews

I agree with one of the reviewers that he/she feels like a pro using the "The Best" series. I've cooked from this book and several of "The Best" Series and they ALL came up excellent according to the people and guests to whom I'd served them: from Asian to Italian to restaurant cooking, and many more. It takes away the guessing from what I've been doing. I agree with the editors that their books are simply the BEST. Unpretentious, simple, and straight-forward. Their equipment testing and food tasting are always reliable since they sample as many a brands as necessary with as many tasters too. So, how can that go wrong. They bring home cooking back with fun and enjoyment. I always learn something when I read their books as they are all informative, not intimidating, and fun to read.

I'm a guy in my early 20's just learning how to cook for myself... this book is amazing. precise, detailed instructions on how to do things that a novice like me wouldn't otherwise know how to do. it's become like my cooking bible, an indispensable fixture around my kitchen.

The New Best Recipe is a compendium of more than 1,000 recipes from America's Test Kitchen. The philosophy is to preserve as much flavour as possible using the best cost-effective and time-saving way of cooking, with scientifically proven replicable methodologies. The range of cooking is vast: from Chinese stir-fries to Parker's roll, from chowder to Burgundy stews, the most commonly eaten dishes in modern Western homes are all inside.

There are a few quibbles with this book though. There is no metric equivalent for measurements. In New Zealand we never see such thing as "half and half" - it is either full cream milk or fresh cream, and the authors don't explain possible replacements when you can't find it. Many of the buyer's tips are useless in this country because of different brands (for example, Hellmann's is unheard of here, but only Watties or ETA) and different electrical applicances (fully automated ice-cream makers aren't available for domestic markets in NZ). We also don't have meatloaf mixes sold in supermarkets. The tastes are also a little different: while New Zealand has a preference of sweeter seasoning than Australia, it is nowhere as sweet as the average American palates in dishes such as using sweet white wine in making the bolognese sauce, so many of the food require less sugar. The idea of saving time using substitutes also runs contrary to Kiwi philosophy of "good things take time" - if you make it, use the full recipes. All of these make the book largely limited in appeal to New Zealand audiences.

All in all, it is a good introduction to home dishes, perhaps for American audiences, but I would strongly advise against New Zealand readers to consult this as the primary cookbook. Use The Australian Woman's Weekly series cookbooks or read Julie Le Clerc instead.

The New Best Recipe is a compendium of more than 1,000 recipes from America's Test Kitchen. The philosophy is to preserve as much flavour as possible using the best cost-effective and time-saving way of cooking, with scientifically proven replicable methodologies. The range of cooking is cast: from Chinese stir-fries to Parker's roll, from grits to boscht, the most commonly eaten dishes in modern Western homes are all inside.

There are a few quibbles with this book though. There is no metric equivalents for measurements. In New Zealand we never see such thing as a "half and half", and the authors don't explain possible replacements. Much of the buyer's tips are useless in this country because of different brands of food (for example, Hellmann's is unheard of here, but only Watties or ETA) and different electrical applicances (fully automated ice-cream makers aren't available for domestic markets in NZ). We also don't have meatloaf mixes sold in supermarkets. The tastes are also a little different: while New Zealand has a preference of sweeter seasoning than Australia, it is nowhere as sweet than the average American palates, so many of the food requires less sugar. The idea of saving time using substitutes also run contrary to Kiwi philosophy of "good things take time". All of these make the book largely limited in appeal to New Zealand audiences.

All in all, it is a good introduction to home dishes but I would strongly advise against New Zealand readers to consult this as the primary cookbook. Use The Australian Woman's Weekly series of cookbooks instead.

Amazing resource! This is not just a collection of recipes strung together there are wonderful discussions of how they arrived at the recipes they present that I enjoy even more than the recipes themselves. There is considerable discussion not only of what worked but other ideas they tried that did not work. I find these are exactly the discussions I find most interesting and rewarding. Even though some of their approaches might have failed in one context, they might work in another one.

This is a thinking man's "Joy of Cooking". They give you all the caveats to avoid when you are making any dish. I am not one to follow recipes to the letter. I like how they give you the objectives of what you are trying to accomplish. Then you can work within your range of knowledge. It is a great book for an advanced cook.

The recipes are thorough to the point of an extreme and if followed EXACTLY you will have perfect results every time. Even when not followed to the tee they come out great! I have purchased a lot of new equipment for these recipes and the buying tips offered in the book were invaluable! so you may be asking why only 3 stars after all the praise? The problem with the book is it's sheer size. It is a monstrosity! 5 pounds does not sound like a lot of weight but combined with the thickness of the book it makes very hard to read. I have accidentally ripped a lot of the pages just by holding them while the book has slipped between my legs. A better format would have been to break this into smaller pieces each focusing on a certain category like baking, main dishes, equipment corner, ect and offered as a boxed set. All said and done it is a great read! 5 stars for content 1 star for format= 3 stars.

I'm not a chef so I don't want to experiment on my own. I want to cook something the right way the first time. This book allows me to do this as the authors have taken the time to try the various methods and only give you the one that works the best.

I am also a geek at heart and I love the fact that they often explain the science and reasoning behind their recommendations. Very good book and I highly recommend. If you are a chef or someone looking for highly unique or very ethnically diverse dishes, this is probably not for you.

I have had this cookbook for a couple of months and have yet to be disappointed with a single thing I have made. The recipes are explained in detail, and I believe this book has made me a better cook simply by providing the "science" behind what makes a recipe work (for example adding baking soda to add more browning to a baked good). This has become my cooking bible and I have since ordered two more books from the same publisher.

Recipes I've made from the book that were fantastic include:
Devils Food Cake with Coffee Buttercream Icing (YUM!)
Chicken Marsala
Guacamole (so easy, yet so delicious)
Hummus (again, easy - it's fun and cheaper to make your own!)
Ratatouille
Stir Fried Pork (tasted better than a Chinese restaurant)

I've made a ton of others, but these are recent ones that come to mind. There are also numerous "sidebar" articles throughout the book with various equipment and ingredient reviews. I've followed a number of these recommendations and have also been very pleased.

In summary, this book is well worth the price and you will be on your way to serving fantastic meals to your family with relative ease!

Provided it as a gift, and the receiver loved it. I am thinking of getting my own copy.

the cookbook is absolutely amazing. it literally is my reference for all things in the kitchen. i love the detail they provide with each recipe when they explain what works and what doesn't. that is helpful not only to know what they found was the best, but also if there is an ingredient that gave it a flavor they didn't care for, you still have the option of keeping it in there. it really does make you feel very scientific while cooking. it turns a recipe into puzzle that they have placed together for you perfectly. everything i make from this book is fabulous. for example, last night i made the perfect black bean and bacon chili, and a few weeks ago i made the perfect yellow cupcakes with rich vanilla buttercream frosting. now for me to get excited about a dessert that doesn't include chocolate is REALLY telling you something.

i can't wait to pick up a few more books from these guys. in particular i am interested in the best lite recipes. i've been a fan for a while, years back i had a subscription to their magazine and am thinking about renewing it.

If I'm going to go to the trouble of making a dish, I want to get it right the first time. This book almost guarantees you'll do just that. The only downside is that the recipes focus more on taste than nutritional content, and not enough are fit for storage/freezing (if I'm cooking I want more than one meal out of the experience). For better nutrition you can do the usual health food nut substitutions. For good freezer recipes try a book like "Frost Bite". Enjoy!

THis is a great cookbook! I've tried a dozen recipes so far and all have been very good. The recipes include on top of the ingredients the reasons for doing things in a specific order or for choosing a specific cut of meat, etc... This is very helpful in understanding why and how things go together. This cookbook makes a quite intricate recipe much more manageable....

Just another fellow who is getting hooked on cooking. Have all these exotic cookbooks - but - this is the only one that really guides me on some fundamental processes. Every process I have tried led to success the first time. The book has great articles on skills to support doing the receipes. Invaluable!

I had to have this book after eating a fabulous Boston Cream Pie my sister-in-law made, following a recipe from this book. I immediately bought it and made the pie myself. The instructions are very specific and detailed, which is a little frustrating, but I have to say it made for a fabulous Boston Cream Pie! There aren't a whole lot of pictures and there's a lot of writing, but it explains how and why some recipes don't work and others do-which I found interesting. Overall, I am very happy with the book and highly recommend it.

I started watching the "America's Test Kitchen" TV program (ATK) about a year ago. I joined the (parent) Cook's Illustrated (CI) website shortly after and began printing off various recipes that featured ingredients I happened to have on hand ... all met with rave reviews from my own "test kitchen."

The next step was to stock ingredients that frequently occurred in ATK recipes. And then came a trip to the library and home with a copy of this book.

At dinnertime (or before) I only need to mention that "this is an ATK recipe" to get lip-smacking anticipatory reactions ... and I've never been disappointed, nor has any of my diners. "Please make this again," is the customary refrain, along with, "Is there any more?!" And now the great majority (nearly 100%) of the dishes I prepare come from CI/ATK.

So I've returned to Amazon to buy a copy of my own. Sure, all the recipes are at my beck and call from the CI/ATK website(s), but I want to sit down in my comfy chair and find a delectable nugget of a recipe on my own.

If you only have one cookbook, this should be the one. Compared to "The Joy of Cooking" this is head and shoulders better. Compared to Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" this is better, but only because you know that each and every recipe has been beaten to death and tested exhaustively. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to prepare and serve any recipe in this book (untried) for family and guests on any occasion. It's just a non-fail, get-'r-done formula for success.

Buy your copy without hesitation, and enjoy the fabulous meals you're about to prepare.

After purchasing many cookbooks over the years, my girlfriend told me something interesting. She told me that she found it difficult to learn to cook from a book, since she learned to cook by watching her mother. At first, this remark seemed insignificant, but later, the truth of what she said began to sink in. Although I have watched many of the PBS and Food Network cooking show, and have bought some of the author's books, none were offered in a format where the books were sold with the matching DVDs from the show.

Though I always liked watching America's Test Kitchen, I had never purchased any of their books. As Christmas 2006 rolled closer, I went to the ATK website, and found they had a great deal offering a book and accompanying covering all of the shows they aired in 2006, and for only $29.95 plus S/H. I bought a set for her and one for me, and since then, have been completely hooked on the ATK approach to cooking.

Sure, the DVDs help. Although I am experienced at cooking from many cookbooks, after watching an episode on DVD then reading the recipe, I go into the kitchen with a much clearer sense of purpose. However, the beauty of the ATK books is that they also provide a valuable narrative of the recipes they tried and how they failed, before giving you their solution.

Since then, I have purchased the ATK 2007 season book and DVD, and this Best Recipe book as well. Although the Best Recipe book does not include a DVD, it offers the same, in depth description of how recipes were developed, along with valuable recommendations on the best cooking equipment, and taste ratings of supermarket ingredients.

The best thing that I can say about ATK is that, after many years of buying books and cooking, I have finally found a line of books that teach you how to cook! I honestly feel as though I am receiving a culinary education from ATK. Rather that asking you to follow recipes blindly, they guide you to why cooking techniques work and don't work. Ultimately building knowledge and repertoire, I am not only becoming a more confident cook, but a more creative one as well.

Though large, this is the best single volume cookbook I have ever come across. In contrast to some of the other reviews, I find no difficulty whatsoever with the indexing. The book is simply separated into sections such as Poultry, or Vegetables. Within Vegetables, recipes are listed alphabetically (ie Asparagus is near the front, and Zucchini is near the rear). I never have any trouble finding anything, though I don't start in the back, but simply turn to the right section and go from there.

Some of the best food I have EVER made has been from these ATK books. My Beef Carbonnade, Boston Baked Beans, and Butternut Squash soup were mouth watering show stoppers. Many other recipes, including Meatloaf, high-roast chicken, Chicken Francese, and Huevos Rancheros, were very, very good.

I purchased this book for Christmas for my sister as well, and she loves it.

I have the older version of this book. I use it almost exclusively. I purchased two copies of this updated version to give as gifts and after reviewing it I was tempted to keep one for myself. I would definitely recommend this cookbook and it's on my list of things to buy to give as a gift to anyone who appreciates and loves cooking.

This was a present for my wife who absolutely loved it and has spent days poring over it page by page. Obviously recommended.

Over the last handful of years that we've owned this cookbook, it has without a doubt been the most used cookbook as well as the most informative. The new best recipe refers not to the best recipe in the world, but the best recipe from America's Test Kitchen. It's "New" because there is another volume titled "The Best Recipe". This book is a great one for any cook of any caliber. It contains techniques and explanations as well as recipes and the thought process behind the recipes. I can't ask for more than that.

I got this book a few years ago and I love it. I primarily use this for baking, but there are plenty of other good recipes too. My standouts have been the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies and lemon cheesecake. I also recently made the pumpkin cheesecake with brown sugar bourbon cream. Fabulous. There are plenty of other recipes I could list also. It has become somewhat of a joke when I bring something into the office that gets rave reviews. They don't even need to ask anymore where the recipe comes from. :)

I almost ALWAYS get great results. I am not a beginner, but not a professional either. I just follow the directions as precisely as I can and it turns out beautifully most of the time. This cookbook is not for everyone. I actually like to read about how they came up with the recipes, I feel that it helps me to understand the recipe better. I have added to my Cooks Illustrated cookbook collection and also subscribe to the website and magazine. I love them all. Big thumbs up!

I have been very pleased with every dish I have prepared out of this book. The pre-receipe overview of the dishes tradition, various ways they tested the dish with a certain ingredient and without, to the testing of the cooking surfaces and every other mundane detail is great. It is the best cook book I have ever seen....

This book covers the basics very well. There isn't a recipe in this book that has been a disappointment. We have found that the recipes for the preparation of meats has been thoroughly accurate. The explanations of how the particular recipe was chosen are extremely interesting and the book teaches a lot about different foods in general for people who are beginner "foodies". Worth every penny!

All that I had hoped for! In addition to excellent recipes that work well and give the best results, I especially like the background on developing "the best recipe." They go over the recipe trials (successes and failures, pros and cons of the different possible ingredients and techniques of making the particular item) and discuss the kitchen science of the recipe. A large book with lots of reading and many recipes.

I have check this book out of the library 3 times. I then renewed it 2 times. Yesterday they would not let me renew it again because someone else was waiting for it. It was time for me to buy. I have made many recipes from this book and have gotten rave reviews every time. I not only like the recipes but I love to just read all the valuable information that is included with almost every recipe. It has made me a better and more knowledgable cook.

From among the 100+ cookbooks I own, this is the first one I reference when I want to try something new or even look up some old favorites. Fantastic cookbook.

I've got the original of this book, and it is terrific. I own 50 - 60 cook books, but this is the one I stuff all of those loose pages of recipes in, which means it is the one I refer to the most. It is very comprehensive as well. I also bought the Best Recipe Grilling book, and see a number of those recipes here as well. I like the way they do a bit on the science and trials they did before arriving at the best way to cook the item in question. Very informative!

If you like cooking, you'll love this cookbook. It is filled with delicious recipes. Everything I have tried out of here has been wonderful. From sugar cookies and homemade brownies to chili, and brandied cream sauces, etc. has been amazing. It has just enough tips to make you feel like a gourmet chef and the advice is great. Worth every penny!!

every experienced cook understands the need to taste their artwork as they work. For those of you who wrote that the recipes were "bland" or "uninteresting" it's your own fault for not figuring this fact out BEFORE you presented the meal to your families. Next time taste Taste TASTE.

Sure, I wouldn't recommend this book to the novice cook (unless you were trying to learn the methodology behind what you were doing).

I've worked at a food magazine before and needless to say the "tasting committee" sounds large, but really it can be misleading. Sometimes only 5 people partake in "blind tastings" just because other people are busy. Remember, you are eating the food. Shape the recipe to your tastes and work slowly and taste everything as you go. If something seems like to much, add half the amount, taste, and work up from there. I'm still giving this book a low review because I also agree with the poor index comments and the overuse of tasters shaping the outcome of the recipe.

This is the best recipe book I have ever seen. It tells you the whys of cooking as well as the best ways to achieve desired results.

After not cooking for several years because I was single, I found myself cooking for a husband who likes a well cooked meal in the evening. Enter The New Best Recipe. It is interesting to read. It contains information about how to cook and why each particular method works - or doesn't. The authors give a short history about how they arrived at the final best recipe for everything you could cook. The recipes have been dependably excellent.
This is a great book for a bridal shower, or birthday gift for anyone who likes to cook.

If you like Alton Brown on the Food Network or if you like Cook's Magazine, you will like this cookbook. It gives you the science behind the recipe; the whys about how certain ingredients are better than others and how they came to settle on a particular recipe. If you don't want to read the details, just do the recipe knowing that somebody else took the time to figure out the best methods. I love just flipping through the book to read it. I've learned a lot already.

I can't say enough about this cookbook. It gives the great background, tips, and recipes for almost everything. I think it would make a fantastic gift. Please read the other reviews for more details. This is the first review I have ever put in. I really love this book!!!!!!!

{Review written Jan 2005}

This is a SOLID book, and it's a great reference to have in one's culinary library to fall back on, in the event you encounter problems or need guidance on how to troubleshoot or otherwise improve upon something that's giving you grief.

Want to make a solid version of "Coq au Vin" (chicken stewed in red wine) ? It's in there. Want advice on how to make an all-American classic like "Yankee Pot Roast" ? You got it - along with tips on what cuts of beef work best, and why. Want a good recipe for Deli-style "Egg Salad" ? Fine. Also included is a detailed treatise on how to hardboil & peel eggs without having the yolks turn green and how to avoid having the shells split during cooking or stick to the whites when you peel them.

STRENGTHS:
* Good breadth (1,000 recipes, most of them are popular and frequently asked-for classics ... not just American but also some international favorites from around the world).
* Excellent depth - each recipe gives detailed instructions on not just HOW to make a given dish, but also what does/doesn't work, and WHY the author(s) arrived at the version of the dish that they recommend. Very informative and instructional.
* Reliable - all recipes have been well-tested, evaluated repeatedly and polished before inclusion.

NITS:
* I have a sligtly older edition of this book, in which pictures were few, and usually of the black & white hand-drawn variety. The newer edition (which is the one I've linked to this review) includes photos for some recipes (along with other additions), which are a welcome improvement.
* Just because Chris Kimball & Co (re: Cooks Illustrated / America's Test Kitchen) are reliable sources when it comes to things like basic food science and diligent recipe testing, it doesn't mean they're perfect by any stretch. Case in point is wine - I've found from experience that their advice/competence in that area is rather mediocre.

I love looking through recipe books, I do. And this one was sheer nirvana for me. What was this? Not only recipes...but explanations of how they experimented, and what ingredients had what affects? Yes please, keep it coming.

Thanks to this book, I now have the perfect recipe for various cookies, muffins, and several other meals that are loved in my house. Unlike many other recipes in other books, I've discovered that if you follow these recipes perfectly, you have a meal or a snack that will garner compliments every time!

My only complaint: What on earth is up with the Index?? I hope it isn't just me, but I can't find ANYTHING in the Index in less than 10 minutes. It's a convoluted mess of letters and page numbers. Fix that, please.

This is a wonderful book, and the fact that the illustrations are minimal helps a lot. A worthwhile investment for anyone who spends time in their kitchen.

This book has become a daily reference book for me. Grocery shopping has become an adventure, because I can find recipes on any ingredients I have at hand. The recipes are good, sometimes with shortcuts, and best of all, they come with explanation, which are a pleasure to read and learn! Highly recommend this book!

If you like Martha or newspaper recipes you will HATE this book. If you are in any way technically inclined you will LOVE this book.

Unlike any other cookbook I have ever seen. Lots of lengthy discussions about why one way is better than others. Very interesting how many ways they test out the best method for a great number of food items.

I love the book and my wife is bored with it.

I've enjoyed watching the America's Test Kitchen shows, so I had high expectations of this cookbook. But now that I've actually tried some of the recipes, I realize that the authors' approach has some problems. I think really good cooking has a lot to do with personality and taste -- like any art or craft -- and the "test kitchen" approach is designed to exclude these factors. They write of anonymous "tasters" and most recipes do seem like they're designed to appeal to some sort of lowest common denominator. They're just not terribly interesting.

Another problem with the test kitchen approach is that they seem compelled to reinvent the wheel for every recipe. Is this really necessary? Every recipe comes with this long narrative explaining how they tried every conceivable way of making, say, meatloaf or roast chicken. Usually, at the end of the day, they end up with pretty much the standard method of making the dish.

If you're new to cooking, this book will teach you a lot about how to make basic, familiar dishes. But if you've already developed a feeling for ingredients and techniques, and you're looking for something that will take you in new directions, go for a book written by a talented and experienced cook, not by a committee.