What are the best books for learning how to cook?

Question

9

Options
Considered

8

User
Recs.

Aug 8, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

9 Options Considered

Best books for learning how to cook	Price	Last Updated
-- How to Cook Everything	$17.19	Aug 31, 2017
-- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat	$21.00	Feb 22, 2018
-- The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science	$24.25	May 13, 2017
-- The Improvisational Cook	$9.00	May 13, 2017
-- The Science of Good Cooking	$22.64	May 13, 2017

See Full List

Request recommendations from the community

I Recommend...

Help millions of people make better decisions.

Each month, over 1.7 million people use Slant to find the best products and share their knowledge. Pick the tags you’re passionate about to get a personalized feed and begin contributing your knowledge.

9 Options Considered

My Recommendation for How to Cook Everything

My Recommendation for How to Cook Everything

Well organized

Pragmatic recipes allow for learning by doing

Organized by Ingredient

Very widely read and used book

Includes over 2000 recipes

My Recommendation for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

My Recommendation for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Pleasant format

Helps with beginner mistakes

My Recommendation for The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

My Recommendation for The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

Great explanations

Desserts are not a strong area for the author

My Recommendation for The Improvisational Cook

My Recommendation for The Improvisational Cook

Not just a book of recipes.

My Recommendation for The Science of Good Cooking

My Recommendation for The Science of Good Cooking

"Why this recipe works" after every recipe

Not your book if you lack time

Perfection in recipes

My Recommendation for Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto

My Recommendation for Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto

Includes interesting trivia about cooking

Targeted at beginner cooks

My Recommendation for How to Read a French Fry

My Recommendation for How to Read a French Fry

Contains interesting facts about food

Gives useful cooking tips with explanations

Gripping read

My Recommendation for On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

My Recommendation for On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

Detailed information about where food comes from

Not a light read

My Recommendation for The Flavor Bible

My Recommendation for The Flavor Bible

Provides an index of products that go well together

Compiles the expertise of dozens of chefs

Don't see your favorite option? Add it.

One sec!