Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous
Review: I have tried only two recipes so far, although I've actually read a good portion of the book, and the results were superb. This book explains in great detail the whys and hows to consistently produce gourmet standard results. The cooking direction are clear and easy ro follow. I have recommended this book to my friends and strongly recoomend it to anyone who wishes to produce consistently tasty results.
Rating:
Summary: Keep this one on the kitchen counter!
Review: I'm an avid reader of Cooks Illustrated and several other cooking magazines. The Best Recipe now sits on my kitchen counter as the main cookbook and resource for most of our home cooked meals. Much of the research has been featured in past issues of the magazine, and deliver all the answers to why so many other recipes fail - and why this one, the "best" one, will succeed. I've cooked a lot of these recipes in the last couple of weeks and many throughout the years as a subscriber to Cooks Illustrated Magazine. Some people say there's no such thing as a "sure thing" but if there is, I think you'll find it in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A best recipe book!
Review: This cook book tells you why the recipes work the way they do-- it really teaches you the science of cooking. Very well written and organized. Its in-depth instructions were simple to understand, instructive and entertaining. The results were mouth-watering.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Cookbook
Review: This cookbook is AWESOME! It has every recipe that you could possibly want or need. The cool part is that they explain everything, including how to cut an onion and not cry and why it works. And to top it off, they not only tested recipes over and over, but tested different kinds of cooking equipment over and over and then give reviews. I liked it sooo much that I'm back buying one for a friend for Christmas. Happy Holidays!
Rating:
Summary: A cookbook for the real world
Review: While Martha may exhort us to use the "best" (code for most expensive) chocolate, this book actually determines through extensive testing what the "best" chocolate to use in a given recipe is (and guess what--it's available in the average supermarket.) While Martha may provide us with a recipe for deep frying our Thanksgiving turkey outdoors in our custom-made deep fryer, (while entertaining our well-heeled friends at our Frank Lloyd Wright estate), this book tells us how to make the best Thanksgiving turkey at home in our humble oven.The Best Recipe is a pleasure to read, as each recipe is accompanied by a history of the testing behind it. I now understand why the little things (eggs at room temperature, for example) can make or break your dish. Each recipe I've made from it has turned out wonderfully. I love the book, and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: If I were stranded on a desert island . . .
Review: "The Best Recipe" is a terrific compilation of everybody's favorite dishes. If you love to know "why" about your food, this is the book for you. Each "Best Recipe" details how the chef experiments with the dish, and the consequences of the various additions or omissions. This has been helpful when my tastes have differed slightly from those of the editors (i.e. a chewier or cakier chocolate chip cookie). The pancake/waffle recipe is divine, the roasted garlic potatoes had my father-in-law raving, and the barbecue rub has become a camping tradition.
Rating:
Summary: The only cookbook you'll ever need.
Review: I've been a fan of Cook's Illustrated for some time. I have only just scratched the surface of "The Best Recipe" but I can tell already that this book is an absolute essential for any serious cook.
Rating: 
Summary: Fool-Proof
Review: I have this cookbook and have tried a number of recipes. Each time the recipe is a success. Instructions are straight-forward and easy to follow. I bought it as a gift and kept it for myself....have to buy another one for a December birthday.
Rating:
Summary: very informative
Review: If you're looking for a book that has the recipe for everything, this is it. The only quibble I can think of is that some of the recipes (i.e. for roast chicken) are extremely basic. No interesting spices are listed; salt, pepper, and oil make up the ingredient list. (which I suppose some people would find to be a plus, not a drawback). Overall, this is a good effort, with few oversights, as far as I can note.
Rating:
Summary: Every serious cook should have this book
Review: This is my favorite cooking reference book! The authors explore many different standard recipes, and provide a fascinating discussion of the best way to make those recipes. For example, if you find that your peanut butter cookies just don't come out like Grandma's did, turn to the "Cookies, Brownies, and Bars" chapter, and find a detailed discussion of what works and what doesn't when making peanut butter cookies--what kind of shortening, what kind of peanut butter, etc. And then, you are presented with the optimum recipe based on their experimentation. By going through this book, you absorb not just specific recipes, but an understanding of basic cooking principles. I curl up with it on the couch at night and just start reading! It's that interesting! I'm thinking that beginning cooks wouldn't find this book nearly as interesting as people who have been cooking for a while, because most of the fun of the book is you saying to yourself, "Yes! Exactly! I've seen that too! Is THAT why it came out that way?! NOW I know!" Even if you aren't that interested in the wheres and whyfors, however, this book contains hundreds (maybe thousands! It's HUGE) of great recipes from Apricot Muffins to Sauteed Zucchini.
When I wanted to know the best recipe for Buttermilk Waffles so I could get the best results out of my new waffle maker, this is the book I turned to. Every serious cook should have this book on her/his shelf.
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