America’s test Kitchen great show
This show is great for most anyone interested in cooking from the never cooked anything in my type person but is interested in learning how to people who are good cooks and want tried and true cooking ideas to improve a dish they like and also are looking replace something in their kitchen with new but are not sure what is going to hold up the best. But what I like best about this show is it explains the why’s and how’s something works or did not work. I am an excellent cook have always told so at any rate, but when asked by friends and even my kids why you do something a certain way in order to have it turn out right I simple did not know I just learned over time and trial and error that it had to be done that way or the texture would be wrong or it would be tuff or would not rise or what ever. But I could not explain the why’s as I never new. I love this show because it explains the why’s and how’s the chemistry behind the process and how it works. I love this as now I know they why’s and how’s I can also apply this to different cooking idea’s I get. Just saves on the time and effort making whats in my head make it to the kitchen table and less food in trash in the trash while I try again

Video
Yes this video is was very good

So Close to Great…
America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated and their associated enterprises have some of the best educational cooking content I’ve found. We have used more of their recipes and adopted more of their methods than from any other source. I make a point to watch the episodes and read the articles even when the particular food item doesn’t interest me because there will almost always be a piece of information or a useful technique that I can apply elsewhere.My only complaint is with their business model. I feel like I am nickle and dimed for every little piece of access that I get. I understand that they need to find a way to make money but when I pay a subscription fee to access their web site and then they put “exclusive content” that I have to pay more money for that really irritates me.I would like a single subscription that would allow access to all the episodes of ATK and give me access to the recipe database. That way I can watch the show for inspiration and then print the recipe so I can cook it.We have had many good meals because of these guys and we look forward to having many more.

Often better than Food Network
There is almost always interesting information to be gleaned from watching the shows.I have only two complaints. The first is the smugness of the host. For example, having received, what he claims to be, numerous angry emails from people who objected to his elitist attitude towards box cake mixes, he declared that he would rather have an apple than cake from a mix. Really? He would have been better off saying nothing, rather than something as condescending and far removed from reality as that comment. The second complaint concerns the difficulty level of many of the recipes. These are definitely not recipes for people coming home from a hard day’s work, trying to figure out what to make for a home cooked dinner.

I watch the shows every week so having the actual dvd means I can watch the shows whenever I want to. I wanted to have these dvd’s because my grandchildren can watch and learn how to cook too.