The best Kitchen Appliance Cooking books: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

If you are looking for more Indian recipes in general, this is the instant pot cookbook we use the most.

It introduced my husband and me to dal, and they have become a staple at our house.

The Joy of Cooking. All you need to get into cooking and much more. A bible in my early years of experimenting and trying recipes.

Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully Revised and Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501169718/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UXD7DbXRSPTCJ

I may have packed that one a wee bit too full. ��

Just a store-bought crust, but fresh berries and Joy of Cooking ingredients.

The best thing I can recommend is to pick up a copy of the book "The Joy Of Cooking" This book has recipes for everything you could ever want.to cook, but more importantly it teaches you the why's of how cooking works. A lot pf recipes just tell you 'Knead the dough and let it rise', but Joy goes into detail. It is a foundational work and should be on ever6 cook's shelf at least as a reference.

The only one I've bought so far is this one from the butter chicken lady. If you like Indian food it's a good buy and some, if not all, of the recipes are on her website if you want to check them out first. I hadn't even attempted Indian food up until the butter chicken. Great recipe even if you skip on the book. At under $10 though, it was a quick purchase for me. Everything we've tried has been good and straightforward to cook.

After trying her butter chicken, her cookbook was pretty much an instant buy on Amazon for around $8. Some other great recipes in there also. They may be all on the website, but I haven't verified.

The only physical cookbook I've picked up so far is the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre. I've only made a couple of the recipes so far, including this Butter Chicken, which I think is the same one from the book, but they were both great. The Butter Chicken was super easy also and even the kids loved it. Plus at like $8, it's not an expensive book.

Cooked this in my #8 Griswold LBL smooth bottom skillet. The recipe was from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Ingredients

• Pillsbury pie crust
• 4 C fresh berries
• 1 C sugar
• 1/4 C flour
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp quick-cooking tapioca
• 2 Tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and tapioca
2. Rinse and drain the berries
3. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the berries
4. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries, stir gently until well blended, and let stand for 15 minutes
5. Preheat oven to 450° F
6. I used a #8 skillet and had to roll the crusts slightly larger to get enough to roll the edges
7. Place bottom crust in skillet, press bottom and sides to mold it to the pan, and poke the bottom with a fork until the crust is dotted with fork holes
8. Spoon the fruit filling into the pie shell
9. Dot the fruit with little bits of butter
10. Cover the pie with the top shell
11. Roll the top shell edges over the bottom shell edges
12. Press the rolled edges with the flat handle of a knife to seal the crust
13. Cut a smiley face into the top shell and poke some holes with the fork for venting
14. Bake the pie at 450° for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°, and bake for 35-40 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown
15. You may want to cover the outer crust half-way through the cooking to avoid overcooking it

We do different dals almost every week in my house. I would recommend this cookbook if that interests you.

The title reminds me of Roger Ebert's, "The Pot and how to use it" talking about rice cookers. https://www.amazon.com/Pot-How-Use-Mystery-Romance/dp/0740791427

So, if I want to get a nice carbon steel wok from Amazon today, which one do I get, with a propane stove?

I came here to recommend Two Sleevers also! I agree that the butter chicken is one of my favorite instant pot recipes. I was reading about the founder of the site and she has a cookbook of traditional Indian dishes written for the instant pot!

Indian Instant Pot® Cookbook: Traditional Indian Dishes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939754542/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_J01NPEK0WAWNT2C61RJE)

I was given this one year for Christmas.

I didn't try a lot of the recipes, but steak and mozzarella sticks turned out pretty good.

Same as you, the Joy of Cooking. https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Cooking-Fully-Revised-Updated/dp/1501169718. The classic that I ( and 18 million others) have used over the years. A solid book teaching you all the basics so you can grow your skills and palate.

Yo, you may want to check out Joy of Cooking, it really helped me get better at cooking.

I've also heard that restaurants just throw butter on everything, so you may want to just use a lot more butter for a meal or two if you want to change things up.

I recommend this book.

It has an accessible skills-based approach with fully illustrated step-by-step recipes for each new concept.

I found it by accident when I was trying to find that guy's old blog called Will It Waffle. Looks like the site is down but the book is up on Amazon in addition to the stuff on Serious Eats.

if you are looking for any new recipes, I suggest joy of cooking https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Cooking-Irma-S-Rombauer/dp/0743246268. of all the recipes I have made from this book, only one has failed me. there are different recipes, ranging from easy to difficult. a big part of the recipes are cost effective and there is even a section dedicated to lists of recipes for different occasions, for example, there is a list called to cook for a day and eat for a week, then there is also a list of easy 30min meals.

​

good job on your meal!

https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Instant-Pot%C2%AE-Cookbook-Traditional/dp/1939754542 and there's a good few recipe books that are specifically for the IP! Apparently their butter chicken is incredible.

Not tech related but the first anniversary is considered the “paper” anniversary (technically that’s for weddings but whatever). You could look for a nice print or, going with the cooking motifs, get a copy of The Joy of Cooking (https://www.amazon.com/Joy-of-Cooking/dp/0743246268) and write a nice personalized note in it. It’s a classic and would be a good addition to any cooks kitchen. Happy anniversary!

ATK is a great suggestion, as is Cook's Country! I think that a subscription to that or another cooking magazine like Bon Appetit would be a great gift.

Spices are cool. Perhaps choose a cool cuisine, get some spices from that cuisine along with a cookbook for it.

Cheese making kit is a killer idea.

The Betty Crocker Crocker Cookbook is a great idea. Similarly, even if her mom has it, her own copy of Joy of Cooking would make a nice start to her own personal cookbook collection.

If she is familiar with a wide variety of cooking techniques already from her mom, don't pander to her age with kids cookbooks.

Or, if you live close, you could get her a gift card to a cooking store and take her on a cooking themed date where she got to pick out her own cooking items. At that age I didn't need them, but I loved having my own knife, spatula, pan, weird gadget I've only used once, etc. She's just getting to that age where having her own stuff is going to feel really important as she starts to try and find her own identity, this gift could help support that.

As for cookbooks, my go-to is The JOY of Cooking. Not only does it have a ton of recipes, but it has a sizable appendix on cooking techniques, how to use ingredients and more, as it's designed for novices and experienced cooks alike.

Also, a bit long, but here's a previous comment I made regarding my basic staples and some food ideas on the cheap: https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/3istym/what_are_musthave_items_for_college_student/cujey25

HANDSDOWN America Test Kitchen Slow Cooker books are the best. I have them all and use them religioulsy. https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-Revolution-Kitchen-Cookers/dp/1933615699

Please let me know if you are looking for something specific, I can share their recipe. I LOVE their bolangese, refried beans, gravy. On and on.

The thing about these books is they have tried and tested their recipes. Unlike most slow cooker books you cannot trust. It is so sad to waste food. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen recipes that just destroy chicken with crappy directions. Did you know chicken/poutlry should not be cooked on the high setting? You can't leave it on for 8 hours on low either! Once you've learned some of principles you can apply them to cooking in general. Super helpful when you see posts on here. For instance, I know how to thicken sauces better, what to parcook, how use "hobo bags", double boilers on and on.

I have an ancient waffle maker that does just fine. Not sure of the brand, so I can't be helpful there.

But do pick up the fantastic book 'Will it Waffle': https://www.amazon.com/Will-Waffle-Irresistible-Unexpected-Recipes/dp/0761176462/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3AJPM7MD32LNX&keywords=will+it+waffle&qid=1661632511&sprefix=will+it+waffle%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-2

This book is so much fun! Wanna waffle eggs? You can do that. Wanna waffle potatoes? Chicken Parm? It's in there. The chickpea Fawaffle with hummus is one I've made a bunch of times.

Not OP but Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold is one of my absolute favorite books. He really pushes the boundaries in this one. Here is him making a Daquiri, and he explains the importance of water management in frozen cocktails.

Well if you do like Indian food, I have her Indian food Instant Pot cookbook and it's great.

https://smile.amazon.com/Indian-Instant-Pot%C2%AE-Cookbook-Traditional/dp/1939754542

As for a Keto one, I have this one:

https://smile.amazon.com/Keto-Instant-Pot-Cookbook-Ketogenic/dp/1641520434

All the recipes I've tried have been quite good. You really can't go wrong with any of them by her I would assume.

Some stuff cooks almost identically to rice. Quinoa is pretty simple if you're looking to fill out a salad.

Some rice cookers will also come with a steaming tray for fish/veg/dumplings/etc.

The late Roger Ebert (world-famous movie critic) also wrote a book on all the stuff you can use rice cookers for.

I made a LONG post below about my personal experiences, but wanted to add this... there are cookbooks out there for "sneaking" healthier ingredients into your kid's diet. One I always remember was written by actor Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica:

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food

https://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/

I like Beth's cookbook too. It's simple and easy to follow.

This book is another great resource for cheap meals - https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cheap-Eat-Well-Day/dp/0761184996/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=KP21RQ4OSI4V&keywords=good+and+cheap&qid=1647958653&sprefix=good+and+xheap%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-3

The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook - not cheap but it's worth the money.

Starving artist here… these are super helpful. Clearance racks at the back of grocery stores too… I know you can’t pick it up now, but this book changed my life in terms of what I could afford to make:

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Cheap-Eat-Well-Day/dp/0761184996/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=57680306338&gclid=CjwKCAiA4KaRBhBdEiwAZi1zzjjWC_nbU3eToRA8QnpAVTRY8C4uYAcmC3M1D-ZiiSS6njEu74HeXRoCSAQQAvD_BwE&hvadid=274843487497&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=...