- Recipes
- Breakfast Brunch
- Appetizers Snacks
- Lunch /Dinner
- Side Dishes
- Desserts
- Drinks
- Sauces & Stuff
- Collections
Learn & WatchOur content is meticulously curated through independent research, testing, reviews, and AI-driven recommendations, all designed to present you with the finest product choices. When you make a purchase through our links, it could result in us earning a commission.The Best Cookbooks of 2024
Last updated: 9 May 2024Do you want to become a master chef? Ready to start dipping your toes in new cuisines with easy-to-follow instructions? Although TV shows can help you learn a lot about various dishes, they cannot make you a pro if all you do is watch them from home. This is why you should buy one of the best cookbooks of 2024. They include many recipes for cooking different cuisines, from Italian to American, ensuring you can pamper your taste buds daily with delicious dishes. Below, we have curated a list of cookbooks worth purchasing, namely our top pick, the An Unapologetic Cookbook.
Our Top Picks For Cookbooks
- Best Overall: An Unapologetic Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Crepes: The Crepe Recipe Book for Beginners Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best Pasta Companion: Homemade Pasta Made Simple Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Easy to Follow: Diane Devereaux Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Most Affordable: From Crook To Cook Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Most Recipes: The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Hub of Classics: Magnolia Table Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Comfort Recipes: Modern Comfort Book Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Meats: The Complete Book of Salt Block Cooking Cookbook Shop Now ➔
View all ContentsThe Best Cookbooks
Best Overall
This cookbook is ranked as a New York Times Bestseller by Joshua Weissman. It includes over 100 recipes for helping beginners improve their culinary skills using basic ingredients. It allows you to do intuitive cooking instead of following a step-by-step recipe.
With a decade of cooking experience, the author added some solid cooking instructions and twists to make it interesting for professional chefs as well. With Joshua’s humor and irresistible culinary guides, this cookbook has outshined its competitors and emerged as the best cookbook on the market.
Pros
- Has over 100 recipes
- You can make anything without following rules
- Teach all the cooking fundamentals
Cons
- Some people find the recipes basic
Best for Crepes
Are you a pancake lover? Here’s the one and only cookbook you’ll ever need to get into the world of crepes! It’s written by Ann Costlow, who is the owner of Sofi’ Crepes. She learned the craft of preparing this delicious dish by going to the most popular creperies in Paris and Brittany, and now has several of her own franchise locations throughout Maryland.
Her book condenses all her teachings into one place, including information to help you master every step of the crepe-making process! From mixing your batter up to folding, flipping, and dishing out crepes, this cookbook is all you need.
Pros
- Suggests what pans and tools to use
- All recipes have very simple ingredients
- Highly detailed and easy-to-follow instructions
Cons
- Some ingredient lists may have misprinting issues
Best Pasta Companion
Are you a pasta lover? If so, you’d probably give anything to have an “al magnifico” plate of homemade pasta, right? Fortunately, it’s simpler than you think — and you can do it yourself with the help of this cookbook by Chef Manuela Zangara. She’s not only passionate about cooking but also about imparting her skill to other new and aspiring chefs.
In this cookbook, she has condensed a comprehensive beginner’s guide that takes from a day-1 noodle novice to an overnight pasta professional. All you need to do is pay attention, follow the recipes and instructions, and believe in yourself!
Pros
- 65 scrumptious pasta recipes to try out
- Includes recipes for 30 delicious homemade sauces
- Has three foolproof dough recipes
- A complete tool selection guide
- Teaches you essential dough preparation techniques
Cons
- Recipes need to be accompanied by photos
Easy to Follow
The Diane Devereaux Cooking Book is based on the old technique of canning, where people preserved and stored food without a fridge. It contains all the things you need to know about canning, helping you become a master of the craft. This book features plenty of recipes, providing all the written material in one place.
It also includes illustrations to give you a clearer vision of what the product should look like. The book boasts a diverse range of recipes, from savory to sweet items. It is created by someone with vast experience in canning, guaranteeing mouthwatering and delicious results.
Pros
- Covers a wide range of recipes
- Comes with illustrations and detailed written material
- Crafted by people with vast experience in canning
Cons
- Pressure canning section isn’t much detailed
Most Affordable
This super-affordable cookbook written by Snoop Dogg features 50 platinum recipes to help you enjoy the wonderful dishes. From Classic Mac N’ Cheese to the elite Billionaire’s Bacon, each recipe comes with a detailed breakdown of the required ingredients. You can easily enhance your cooking skills with basic ingredients, like peanut butter, chocolate chips, and assortments of vegetables. This visually-appealing book also has images of what is in Snoop’s refrigerator and pantry, which makes it interesting and relatable.
Pros
- Recipe steps are described in detail
- Recipes don’t need special ingredients
- Ideal for beginners
Cons
- A limited number of recipes
Most Recipes
With over 500 kitchen-tested recipes, this cookbook helps you make the most delicious Mediterranean dishes for your family or guests. From Lebanese to Italian, you will come across multiple cuisines with which your cooking routines won’t be boring anymore.
The ingredients required to make the recipes are readily available on the market. The book features separate pages with detailed explanations of large categories of ingredients like grains, fish, and salad greens. You will also find nutritional information for recipes to ensure you don’t end up consuming more calories than needed.
Pros
- Has detailed ingredient information
- Nutritional information helps in calorie management
- All recipes are Mediterranean
Cons
- Pages can come loose
Hub of Classics
If you love American cuisine and want to play with the flavors, this cookbook is made for you. With 125 classic recipes, it will help you to prepare various dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some of these recipes are American classics, while others are family favorites of Joanna Gaines, the author of the book. The ingredient lists and recipe instructions are well-explained, ensuring even a novice cook can easily understand them.
Since the author loves gardens, you will come across multiple recipes based on seasonal and homegrown produces. From chicken pot pie to peach Caprese and overnight French toast, Joanna Gaines has included some of the most delectable dishes you can easily make.
Pros
- Homemade recipes for a family
- Recipes with seasonal produce
- A mix of personal favorites and classics
Cons
- Available only in the English language
Comfort Recipes
From delicious banana rum trifles to roasted sausages, this cookbook by Ina Garten includes 85 recipes inspired by our childhood favorites. Ina has shared many cooking instructions and sidenotes, ensuring you can learn to make perfect dishes without taking any additional cooking classes. You can find different dessert and cocktail recipes with which you can easily complete the entire dinner menu for a family weekend or a party. The author has focused on food items that offer exceptional comfort to everyone, ensuring you can savor the dishes to your heart’s content.
Pros
- Has easy-to-follow instructions
- Covers everything from entrées to desserts
- Introduces multiple cocktail recipes
Cons
- Recipes don’t have nutritional information
Best for Meats
Cook your meats with a Himalayan salt block the right way with “The Complete Book of Salt Block Cooking” cookbook. One of the best ways to prep and serve your steaks are on a block of Himalayan salt. This cookbook will explain everything you can do with a salt block, including essential tips and techniques to get the best out of cooking this method. There are over 100 delicious, easy-to-make recipes, from appetizers to mains and desserts.
There are invaluable tips for grilling, curing, baking, roasting, and freezing meat with a salt block. You can learn how to clean it after each use and make it last a lifetime. Try quick burgers for a small backyard BBQ or impress your friends with teriyaki glazed salmon. Whatever you try, this cookbook is here to help you out.
Pros
- Over 100 recipes
- Breakfast, main courses, and desserts included
- Lots of pictures
Cons
- Didn’t flesh out benefits of salt block cooking
Buying Guide: The Best Cookbooks
Cookbooks have a great deal of information about preparing different cuisines. Though they can help you upgrade your cooking skills, finding the right one is not a walk in the park. Keeping this in mind, we have curated a complete buying guide to help you invest in an ideal cookbook that matches your preferences and cooking skills.
Benefits of a Cookbook
A cookbook will allow you to learn how to prepare different dishes in the comfort of your home.
- You can make restaurant-quality dishes using basic ingredients.
- You can easily know the ingredients used and the quantity you need to make a dish.
- Cookbooks help bring perfection to your cooking skills without joining any class.
- Some guides also have interesting cooking twists, allowing professional chefs to level up their cooking experience.
- If you haven’t tried any unique food ingredient composition, use the cookbook to have ideas.
Tips To Choose the Best Cookbook
Author
If you follow any chef or famous food personality, you are more likely to get a cookbook written by them. While browsing through different guides, check the author’s name and do a little study on them. Since most of them share their own experiences, different authors have slight variations in the cooking process of the same recipe. So, you can go for a cookbook written by your favorite author or one having easy-to-follow steps. You can read customers’ reviews to find this information.
Experience level
If you are a beginner, make sure to go for a cookbook containing basic recipes with clearly written step-by-step instructions. They should also have high-quality images, side notes, and ratios to give you an in-depth understanding of the cuisine. But if you have already mastered the art of cooking, you should look for a guide with exciting twists and complex recipes to hone your skills and make cooking more fun.
Ingredients
Ensure the ingredients required for making recipes are basic and readily available in grocery stores. In case you are not able to find a specific ingredient, the cookbook should offer an alternative to that. Nutritional information and prep time are some additional information you should look for in a cookbook.
Recipes
The cookbooks come with a myriad of cuisines to help you master your skills. So, you must check the recipes you want to explore and then choose a cookbook accordingly. If you like American classics, go for a cookbook with various classic cuisines. You can also find a few guides having basic or Mediterranean recipes. Most cookbooks ideally have 50-150 recipes, but you can also find some containing around 500 recipes.
Quality
Top-notch cookbooks feature vibrant, informative pictures that reflect how a recipe will look after preparation. It will enhance your desire to make more recipes. You should also make sure the book has thick pages and high-quality binding so that you don’t end up pouring your money down the drain.
Best Practices to Use a Cookbook
- Always stick to one cookbook at a time. Combining multiple cookbooks can cause confusion, and you might end up with a disastrous dish.
- When you use a cookbook, start with the simplest recipe that you either know or have a taste for.
- Understand your flavor profile, and then mark the dishes you can make without additional effort.
- To become a professional chef using a cookbook, start with reading the ingredients and gathering them in mentioned quantities.
- Do not include your variation at the beginning, especially when you are an amateur cook.
People Also Asked
Is the Kindle version of cookbooks better?
Although the Kindle version of a cookbook can help you access recipes at any time, it can be hard to see the full recipe all at once. That's why it's better to purchase the paperback or hardcover version of a cookbook.
Can a cookbook focus on multiple cuisines?
Yes! You can find cookbooks containing recipes for dishes of all kinds of cuisines, like Thai, Burmese, Indian, American, French, Lebanese, and Mediterranean.
Do all cookbooks have recipes for luxury dishes?
No. Not all cookbooks have recipes for luxury dishes.
How can I keep my cooking in pristine condition?
Try not to touch your cookbook if your hands are dirty. Also, keep it a decent distance from your cooking area. That way, you'll avoid splashing your cookbook with any ingredients that you're using while you cook.
Article Contributors
Read More About Cuisine Review Team HereThe Cuisine Review Team’s in-depth guides and product reviews are designed to help you pick the best products for a beautiful and professional-grade kitchen and dining room.
Cuisine at Home is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Artificial Intelligence (large language models) may have been used in the research and creation of the content.
Please contact aimperiapt@gmail.com for all inquiries regarding articles or product testing.