Cooks Illustrated: Worth the money?

[chave982]

So my CIA-Grad father has always been telling me how great this magazine is, and I finally got a "trial" issue with a bill to send back in; whether with a payment of $26 for 6 issues, or the word CANCEL written across it. What would you recommend? This seems VERY expensive for a magazine that only comes out ever other month and is in black and white, but the advice and recipes seem pretty helpful.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Walt Bulander]

I got their "Best Recipe" cookbook for Christmas a couple of years ago, and use it frequently.
You could check out eBay for the current edition. It looks like they go for $10, or so.

 

[Jeekinz]

I bought the web subscription for a couple months then cancelled it. For some reason, they send me the magazine now for free. ?????

 

[Andy M.]

It's a good magazine. The whole thing is about food. No ads, no travel articles, no special advertising sections.

They explain the recipe development process in detail and give you the finished recipe. As much as I like this mag, keep in mind that not all of it's recipes are the 'best ever' as they often claim.

If I was going to subscribe to a food mag, it would be this one.

 

[chave982]

Does anyone know how Cooks Illustrated Magazine is affiliated with America's Test Kitchen?

 

[Andy M.]

Yes, it is. The TV how, ATK and the mag are all published by the same group.

 

[Katie H]

I've subscribed for years, chave. It's well worth the money for all the reasons Andy M. just stated. It's a fantastic magazine. I say...go for it!

 

[GotGarlic]

I agree with Katie and Andy - I've subscribed for at least 10 years and I think it's a great magazine. You learn a lot about the science of cooking from all the experiments they do, so the finished recipes can be just a starting point for your own variations. And lately, they offer variations on the Web site free for magazine subscribers. I also subscribed to the Web site membership because it's easier to search for recipes online than to try to remember which issue, or around what time, I saw a particular recipe.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I used to get mag but quit I have their cookbook which includes their cooking tests it does not include ratings on products like knives and food products but I dont want that anyway.I think its a much better deal in the long run

 

[chave982]

Yes, it is. The TV how, ATK and the mag are all published by the same group.

So what's the difference between getting a subscription to the ATK website and getting a subscription to the Cooks Illustrated website?

 

[Andy M.]

For that matter, just sign up for the ATK website and save your money.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Woo Hoo! Thanks for this thread. I just signed up at ATK website, which I didn't know about, and I get a free trial issue of Cook's Illustrated, which I've been wanting to try.

 

[Barbara]

I look forward to the magazine. Website is great too, I still like the "hard copy" of stuff - I pass them on to my daughter. Not crazy about the Country one - too big for starters.

 

[GotGarlic]

I agree with Barbara - I don't have a laptop, so I can't sit on my front porch with a glass of wine while I read the Web site

 

[Fisher's Mom]

That's true. There's a certain kind of pleasure in holding and reading hard copy. And even with a laptop, books and mags are still infinitely more portable, don't have broken links, and don't "shut down".

 

[vyapti]

The website also has the magazine issues archived. . . so you can get a pdf of each issue for the annual website subscription ($20 or $25 per year).

 

[Claire]

I don't subscribe to it because I watch the PBS show and it pretty much covers it. HOWEVER, that said, if I was a novice cook, I'd absolutely want to have the magazine. I've learned a lot from it.

 

[chave982]

Ok well after seeing that it costs around the same to subscribe to the website for a year as it does for a magazine subscription, I decided to go with the website. I can get recipes from past archives, and tons of product/brand reviews.

 

[GB]

I love the TV show and I love their cookbooks, but I do not like the magazine for some reason.

A very similar magazine (in color) in Cuisine At Home. It also does not have any ads or any non-food stuff. The recipes are excellent and each edition is packed with lots of them. Just like CI though, it is a bit on the pricey, but it is the only mag I now have a subscription to so I can splurge on it.