Rating: 
Summary: A cottage industry run amok
Review: After falling in love with the series, I decided to give the cookbook a try. I wasn't disappointed-- the casual presentation translates well into text, and the book is entertaining enough to read on its own merits. As a would-be cook who lacked a wise mentor who could pass on simple but indispensable techniques, this was the answer to my prayers. Not only are the recipes simple and thorough, but the results have been phenomenal. As if that weren't enough, the reviews of different ingredients, utensils, and appliances have been a huge asset to me as I begin to fill in the gaps in my kitchen. The folks at Cook's Illustrated have done a fine job of presenting a show and a cookbook that are the perfect starting point for those who love to cook but don't have that certain something-- a painless way to go from apprehensive producer of so-so dishes into confident creator of attractive and tasty meals.
Rating: 
Summary: 'Consumer Reports' meets Julia Childs
Review: After falling in love with the series, I decided to give the cookbook a try. I wasn't disappointed-- the casual presentation translates well into text, and the book is entertaining enough to read on its own merits. As a would-be cook who lacked a wise mentor who could pass on simple but indispensable techniques, this was the answer to my prayers. Not only are the recipes simple and thorough, but the results have been phenomenal. As if that weren't enough, the reviews of different ingredients, utensils, and appliances have been a huge asset to me as I begin to fill in the gaps in my kitchen. The folks at Cook's Illustrated have done a fine job of presenting a show and a cookbook that are the perfect starting point for those who love to cook but don't have that certain something-- a painless way to go from apprehensive producer of so-so dishes into confident creator of attractive and tasty meals.
Rating:
Summary: A cottage industry run amok
Review: I fell in love with Cook's Illustrated magazine -- I've subscribed since the charter issue ten years ago. So I bought Chris Kimball's COOK'S BIBLE when it appeared. It included many of the same recipes lifted from the magazine, but that was okay, because it made searching for a particular dish easier. Shortly after that came his YELLOW FARMHOUSE COOKBOOK. More of the same. Meanwhile, the magazine is issuing individual-theme "booklets" for... It's up to a couple dozen by now, and all of them simply riffs on previously published material in the magazine. Then came Pam Anderson's (she was former exec ed and her absence is sorely missed) THE PERFECT RECIPE, which contained 30 of her COOK'S magazine articles. More repeats of the same information. A year later Cook's puts out THE BEST RECIPE, virtually identical to Pam's. More repeats of the same classic American fare. Now we have the BEST RECIPE SERIES, up to four at last count, the most recent being, AMERICAN CLASSICS, yet ANOTHER spin redux on mac-cheese and lemon meringue pie. What sets AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN apart is that at least it's based on something other than magazine articles -- in this case, the TV series, which in itself, however, is incestuously bound to many of the same tried-and-true recipes from the magazine (and all those previous books). All of this is perfectly legal of course. You can't be arrested for plaigirizing your own recipes. But is it ethical? How many more printed versions of the same roast chicken recipe do we need? You can find nearly the same one in all of the COOK's books. Furthermore, I've begun to notice that there are odd discrepancies creeping into their recommendations. A recent chocolate dessert recipe, for instance, advocated using one of two different brands of chocolate -- these two brands, in fact, being the only two "not recommended" of the dozen taste-tested in an issue the previous year. For me, this wholly undercuts the credibility of the magazine, making me doubt the judgment of Cook's staff, which is really the main thing going for it since their shtick is testing and then declaring the best, whether it's an ingredient or technique. It's no wonder that so many recipes are simply dragged and dropped from one book to another -- there's no way that the relatively small staff of the magazine could produce this amazing and tireless flood of COOK'S products. It's a shame because, for me, all this marketing and mercenary publishing have made me mistrust an old friend.
Rating: 
Summary: If you want to learn to cook well, there is no better guide
Review: I found this book a fascinating read. I can easily spend a couple of hours immersed in this book, learning new techniques and observing the art and science of cooking. It is a plainly written, unpretentious guide to doing things better in the kitchen, and I can't think of another book I own that comes close to the engaging tone of this one. I learn something new every time I pick it up!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I love the "America's Test Kitchen" TV program so I decided to purchase the book. Although the information given is the same as that which is shown on television, the format of the book lacks any kind of style which would make it interesting. It is dull, dull, dull. I returned the two copies which I purchased.
Rating:
Summary: Combination cookbook & textbook!
Review: I've always wondered why sometimes you use baking powder and sometimes you use baking soda, and sometimes both. Now I know! This book explains cooking theory in little side articles that are easy to find (and easy to ignore if you don't care about them). It has lots of recommendations, for things like cooking equipment (I bought a new grater & love it) as well as ingredients. And there are a couple of recipes that have become classics at my house. Try the chocolate cream pie; it's to DIE for! The ingredient that they investigated in that one was baking chocolates. You'll be surprised which one ended up being used! One of my favorite cookbooks; it stays on the counter rather than getting filed away.
Rating:
Summary: Combination cookbook & textbook!
Review: I've always wondered why sometimes you use baking powder and sometimes you use baking soda, and sometimes both. Now I know! This book explains cooking theory in little side articles that are easy to find (and easy to ignore if you don't care about them). It has lots of recommendations, for things like cooking equipment (I bought a new grater & love it) as well as ingredients. And there are a couple of recipes that have become classics at my house. Try the chocolate cream pie; it's to DIE for! The ingredient that they investigated in that one was baking chocolates. You'll be surprised which one ended up being used! One of my favorite cookbooks; it stays on the counter rather than getting filed away.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy the show, you'll love the book...
Review: I've enjoyed the cooking show, America's Test Kitchen, for several years. Their web site ... includes the current season's recipes -- but not the full list. If your local PBS station is running a show from an earlier series, then the recipes are not readily available. Well this book has all of the information. It has the recipes (plus usually one or two that weren't included in the show because of time constraints). It has the product reviews and it has the explanation behind food science involved (why you want to a russet potato for one kind of recipe and a boiling potato for another recipe). Many of the techniques are also discussed -- but the book leaves out Bridget's joy of whanging away at a recalcitrant piece of meat. Personally, I'm waiting for them to do a kitchen tool review on rubber hammers! I still enjoy the show -- but find that I regularly return to the cookbook. My definition of a good cookbook. Now I'm looking for the next season's cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy the show, you'll love the book...
Review: I've enjoyed the cooking show, America's Test Kitchen, for several years. Their web site ... includes the current season's recipes -- but not the full list. If your local PBS station is running a show from an earlier series, then the recipes are not readily available. Well this book has all of the information. It has the recipes (plus usually one or two that weren't included in the show because of time constraints). It has the product reviews and it has the explanation behind food science involved (why you want to a russet potato for one kind of recipe and a boiling potato for another recipe). Many of the techniques are also discussed -- but the book leaves out Bridget's joy of whanging away at a recalcitrant piece of meat. Personally, I'm waiting for them to do a kitchen tool review on rubber hammers! I still enjoy the show -- but find that I regularly return to the cookbook. My definition of a good cookbook. Now I'm looking for the next season's cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: More than just recipes
Review: If you are interested in the chemistry of cooking, you'll love this book. The recipes are good but the reasons behind why certain ingredients work better than others, which brands are better tasting than others, etc. is so interesting if you really want to cook well.
| 
