Cook's Illustrated vs. Cook's Country (cookie, bread, meal, crab)

[Trkstp Tina]

I have been a subscriber to Cook's Illustrated for several years. The same folks also put out Cook's Country magazine. Is anyone familiar with BOTH publications? If so, which one do you like better and why?

[mommytotwo]

I'm waiting for an answer for this one.

I love Cook's Illustrated too, and have only seen one or two Cook's Country mags, that they sent free to try to get me to subscribe, which I haven't so far.

One thing I loved in the Cooks Country was that you could write in with a dish that so and so used to make and they would track down a recipe for it (or something like that---hope I didn't get it mixed up)

[Sizzly Friddle]

I have been subscribing to CI for years, and also belong to the website. It has made me a far better cook than I was before. I am not afraid to try anything now. I use the website a lot.
I use their recommendations for my cookware and the brands of food I buy.
I also have almost all of their cookbooks, and I use them all the time. More than half of the recipes I prepare are from CI or CC.

But, the mag has really gone downhill over the last couple of years. The recipes are often do-overs of their older recipes are not very creative, and are guaranteed to dirty every dish in your kitchen with the prep.

I have been getting CC since the first issue. I enjoy it and prepare recipes from it. The recipes are a little more humble than the CI recipes, and are supposed to appeal more to the masses, I think.

So, to answer the OP, I like them both for different reasons. They are similar in that the recipes are generally very good, and the differ mainly in the degree of difficulty. I probably like CI better because that is where I learned to be a fearless foodie. I think I still subscribe out of loyalty and affection for the ATK staff.

I have recently joined Fine Cooking's website and I have been enjoying it very much.

[Trkstp Tina]

Thanks, Sizzly Friddle, for the above info. I have heard good things about Fine Cooking. I often refer to Cook's Illustrated when I'm looking for a recipe for some well-known dish (cornbread, brownies, pork chops)--they are a good starting point. But I find that, like any cookbook, some of their dishes really work for me and some don't. (Although none of them turn out horribly.)

But I recommend the magazine to anyone who loves to cook, not just for the recipes. You learn so much about cooking just by reading the magazine. I use a lot of their cooking utensil and food recommendations. I love the sections with the cooking tips too, some supplied by readers. I have been thinking about joining CI online, but haven't jumped in yet. I can often find a CI recipe or recommendation online by doing a Google search, which, I'm sure drives the staff crazy. Still, I'm sure the CI web site could save me some time by cutting down on my online surfing.

[mistyriver]

I think CI went a bit downhill when they ousted Christoper Kimball.
Though I don’t like his new gig at all either.

One of the things I like best about CI are their equipment reviews and taste testing.
I subscribe to both CI and CC online but tend to like CI best.
What I’ve seen over the years is that CI is more foody and CC is more folksy if that makes any sense at all. I’ve gotten some great recipes from CC.

[EastCB]

I like CI more than CC. In CI I really enjoy the product reviews.

[Jkgourmet]

BTW I just found out that Kimball has a Milk Street program on PBS.

[Delahanty]

I like them both. And I also like these magazines for the reasons an above poster mentioned: the cooking tips, gadget/appliance reviews, and general cooking suggestions. I don't subscribe to either one, but buy them if that issue's subject matter interests me.

I watch both on PBS (we cut our cable cord in January), and enjoy them. I especially like ATK since the departure of resident krank Christopher Kimball. He wasn't jettisoned, but chose to leave, ostensibly over a contract dispute. In fact, he started another program, Milk Street, which follows the exact format as ATK (he's being sued by everyone, it seems).

I just wish Cook's Country on PBS would get rid of that annoying guitar riff between short segments.

[RDM66]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

I think CI went a bit downhill when they ousted Christoper Kimball.
Though I don’t like his new gig at all either.

I agree. Chris Kimball might be a persnickety old fuss, but he did keep the magazines and the TV shows on track. I miss him, and I'm not too enthused with Mike Street, either. Milk Street is too frou-frou for me. But Kimball pulled this same stunt decades ago. He bolted from Cook's Illustrated after selling it for a big pile of money. After the new owners ran the magazine into the ground, Kimball re-bought CI for pennies on the dollar and rebuilt it from the ground up.

I suspect the same thing is happening again. He's actually a shrewd businessman who knows how to cook.

[Delahanty]

Bridget and Julia actually [gasp!] cook on ATK, and have been very well-received by viewers.

Milk Street, on the other hand...not so much--despite his parting slam at ATK (and American classics) by way of crabbing (what's new?) that there's nothing left to add about how to make an oatmeal cookie.

Whether changing demographics translate into a profitable sales for MS, which features "global cuisine" and CK's fiction and non-fiction book reviews, remains to be seen.

But I doubt it.