America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Great resource and how-to cookbook

I originally bought this for myself, and have become so enamored with it that I have given it as gifts, one to a niece who loves to cook (who sat down with it as if it were a novel!), and one as an engagement gift to a nephew.

I am a reader of Cook's magazine, and was already "tilted" towards a positive opinion of this cookbook. What I like most? It's a great replacement for the old standard cookbooks, such as Betty Crocker or Pillsbury...with healthy ideas on how to make better-for-you items. The reviews on purchased ingredients are very helpful, and I've learned new ways to make things--in a much healthier way.

I recommend this for both a novice cook and an experienced one. The directions are neither too basic to be insulting to an experienced cook nor too complex to be confusing for a novice cook. Illustrations of course help, and the book is loaded with them. The ingredients are not so exotic as to not be easily found either in one's pantry or a super market, but yet present new interesting tastes and combinations of flavors.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

great all purpose cookbook

I love this book. It replaced my old Betty Crocker red and white checkered cookbook. The recipes I've tried so far are good. It's well organized and some recipes have illustrations showing how to do some tasks.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Really thorough

Very comprehensive, and every recipe I've tried has worked as described (fairly unusual for the average cookbook). I wish it were a little slicker-looking -- although the binding makes it easy to handle, it looks a little "Betty Crocker"-ish on the bookshelf!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Never a bad recipe- failsafe photos prevent it!

Every recipe I have made from this book 'over 15 by now' has turned out well. It explains why certain ingredients work better. It gives you priceless photos of what your food looks like if you've whipped too hard, stirred too much or baked too little. It explains all cuts of meat and pork with photos 'and alternative names for each cut' and rates them by flavor and usage. Explanations for terms like 'cream' and 'saute' are accompanied by more photos of the process. Cakes and quick breads are NOT oily. Chicken and pork cutlets are NOT dry. I have yet to make any item what was anything less than delectable. The Ultimate Fudgy Brownie recipe is now the only brownie my family likes. Pre-assembled foods (boxed mixes, spice packets, ready-made anything) will no longer appeal to you once you've cooked from this book.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

very good cookbook

This is one of my favorite cookbooks, it's everyday type meals and very good recipes. My daughter liked it also, so I bought one for her for her birthday.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

cook book

My Mother & my niece loved it! They find it easy to use & understand and have made several dish's from the book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Most fantastic

This is the go-to cookbook for everybody, everytime. Fun to read, easy to find recipes that are the best of their kind. From beginners to pro, I swear by this book and rave about it. Also I love the binder style! Stays open!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Perfect for anyone!

I am a college student just learning to cook full meals on my own, and this is the most detailed and helpful cookbook on the market. I've been buying it for friends for graduation! Even an experienced cook would be amazed at the tips and slight recipe specifications that make all the difference in the world!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Belongs in every Kitchen

This is by far the best cookbook I have. We use it almost daily. Not only are the recipes excellent, but there is a wealth of information included, from taste tests to equipment ratings. They explain why they use the methods or ingredients they use in cooking. I'm giving my Mom (a wonderful cook) this book for Christmas. She's probably tired of me saying, 'Well, America's Test Kitchen says...' It would be a perfect Bridal shower gift. It's truly the first book I grab when I want to cook or bake anything. Try the baked macaroni and cheese, the oatmeal raisin cookies, beef stew, cornbread....well, there's not a bad one there. You will not be disappointed!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The America's Test Kitchen's Family Cookbook: A Must for Practical Cooks of All Levels

Finally, a detailed, informative, and practical cookbook. This book includes a large receipe collection of the standards and much more. The authors do not take for granted that everyone has a countertop full of those costly electric powered machines. Yes, some folks still mix by hand, etc. In addition, the tips on preparation, storage, and the best ingredients are ever so useful. However, if you are looking for a highly illustrated fluffy book, you may be disappointed. The illustrations in this book are instructional and quite valuable. For example, you are provided with an illustration of crumbly dough in the pie section. Indeed, this book is a solid and fantastic addition to any cook's library. America's Test Kitchen has an excellent television series as well as one of the best cookbooks on the market (why are there so many duds?).

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

If you only had one cookbook...

If you only had one cookbook, this would be the one to have. This sentiment is shared by all those to whom I have gifted this book, as well as myself. It has all the basics for the inexperienced cook and "best of" recipes for the experienced cook. Every recipe I've had from this book has been excellent. I also appreciate the information on products and food products that Test Kitchens found to be the best. Some recipes are rather detailed and complicated at first, but extensive research has gone into getting the best results. This is a great price too-cheaper than I have found anywhere else, and I continually search for it, to give for future gifts.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

A staple. The cookbook I always end up going to. The recipes in this book really ARE fool proof and are always a hit.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Simple Cooking

This cookbook is great for those of us who don't want complicated cooking. Nearly all of the recipes are made with items you have around the house or can run to local grocery store to get. And they all taste wonderful. This is a cookbook for the NORMAL household :)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best Cookbook I've Purchased

I love this cookbook. It contains many wonderful recipes, and my family is enjoying all the delicious food I've been cooking for them. It's nicely illustrated and has easy to follow instructions. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of my best purchases

I've bought this cookbook for those starting out on their own and those who love to cook. Everyone, including me has loved it. There are many tips and explanations of why the chefs chose the ingredients/methods they did. I would recommend it to anyone...it is jam packed with information.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love this cook book!

This is one of my FAVORITE cook books, and I have zillions. This is published by America's Test Kitchen of the PBS series. No promoting of products/sponsors, just outstanding recipes. Especially good are the Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker recipes, but they are all good because they are a test kitchen, and test many recipes to get the best one, I've never found a recipe I've tried that we didn't love! Don't miss this one!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

My new favorite cookbook!

Pages and pages of color photos, in-depth instructions, product reviews and more! Great for use every day! I haven't eaten Brussels sprouts since I was forced to as a child until ATK's recipe for skillet Brussels sprouts in this cookbook - amazing!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best Cookbook Ever!

This cookbook is truly amazing! Not only does it provide a wealth of information which novice and experienced cooks will appreciate, it also has wonderfully simple recipes. All of the dishes I have created have turned out deliciously. I highly recommend this cookbook!

Test Kitchen

More experienced home-chefs tend to accept that they can cover all contingencies for family meals. However, to add that extra 'oomph' to a run-of-mill dish this book is really the answer. There is nothing more satisfying than ribs with meat falling off the bone and dissolving in your mouth and, of course, whole wheat bread that tastes like mannah. A very useful purchase which will not gather dust on the recipe book shelf.

A great cookbook with which one may begin a bit fancier cooking.

I really like my new America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. One of my favorite things about this book is the layout; it is very well organized with several chapter label tabs, and is easy to search through when you are looking for a specific topic or recipe. There are also several great diagrams within the book to assist in ingredient substituting, correct measurements and their tables in order, and various other things.

The book is also organized in that it labels each recipe with a time estimate, the quickest to prepare being labeled as "fast (30 minutes)." I would have to say though, that even though this cookbook has many "fast" recipes, a lot of them are still rather time-consuming and even somewhat expensive to prepare. For example, I did not realize when I bought the book that all of the soup recipes would call for me to use a Dutch Oven, which not everyone has the spare money to go out and purchase if they do not already own one. More often than not it comes down to the issue of my not having the correct tools with which to cook, and the items called for are things that not everyone has in their kitchen (Dutch Oven, mini blow-torch, Iron Skillet, etc.).

I think if you are a big fan of cooking and eating (which I am, but I currently do not have the time and energy to constantly be preparing interesting or large meals), and you have the time and means to make more special meals and desserts, then this book is for you. It has a lot of very interesting, flavorful and more adventurous things to try (you read that a mini blow-torch is called for; this is for Creme Brulee), and is definitely for someone with a lot of time and patience in cooking.

All in all, I think this book would make a great gift, be it for one's self, a wedding-shower, friend-to-friend, or mother-to-daughter. It is a good way to help someone begin to cook more expertly and fancifully, and will most definitely make its reader ready to eat some very good food.