What are the best America’s Test Kitchen recipes? The best ATK recipes are often those that have undergone rigorous testing, ensuring they work every time, leading to reliable and delicious results in your home kitchen.
America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) and its sibling publication, Bon Appétit, have set high standards for home cooking. They don’t just share recipes; they teach you why things work. For home cooks looking for foolproof meals, diving into the archives of America’s Test Kitchen cooking is a great move. This guide will explore some of the most highly praised finds from both ATK and the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen.
The Appeal of Tested Recipes
Why do millions of home cooks trust ATK recipes? It comes down to process and testing. When you see a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen reviews, you know it has likely been made multiple times. They change small details until the result is perfect. This dedication saves home cooks time and prevents kitchen frustrations.
The Rigorous Testing Process
The BA Test Kitchen recipes and ATK recipes follow a similar path of intense scrutiny. They test ingredients, equipment, and temperatures repeatedly.
- Multiple Trials: A single recipe might be tested 10, 20, or even more times.
- Ingredient Swaps: They try different brands of flour, types of oil, and even regional variations.
- Equipment Checks: They ensure the recipe works in standard home ovens, not just professional ones.
This thoroughness is what makes searching for the ATK best recipes so rewarding. You get consistency.
Top Picks from America’s Test Kitchen
America’s Test Kitchen cookbook volumes are packed with staples. Many cooks seek out their foundational recipes—the ones that teach core skills.
Perfect Weeknight Dinners
Weeknights demand speed without sacrificing flavor. ATK shines here by optimizing time management.
Foolproof Roast Chicken
The ATK roast chicken is legendary. They often focus on techniques that guarantee crispy skin and juicy meat, sometimes involving spatchcocking or specific resting times. Many cooks note that following their specific temperature guides is key. This recipe is a benchmark for judging any kitchen.
The Ultimate Brownies
Who doesn’t want the perfect brownie? ATK recipes for brownies often involve specific ratios of cocoa powder to melted chocolate. They might argue over whether to use melted butter or oil for chewiness. The end result is usually rich, fudgy, and deeply satisfying.
Everyday Pasta Sauces
Their approach to simple tomato sauce is a great example of ATK cooking techniques. They often stress the importance of sautéing aromatics (like garlic and onions) until perfectly softened, not browned. They also advise on when to add pasta water to create a silky emulsion.
| Recipe Category | ATK Signature Technique | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Meatloaf | Baking on a rack over a sheet pan | Promotes even cooking and better crust. |
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | Chilling the dough for 24 hours | Allows flour to hydrate, reducing spread. |
| Scrambled Eggs | Cooking low and slow over gentle heat | Creates creamy, custardy curds. |
Mastering Baking Basics with ATK
Baking requires precision. The America’s Test Kitchen reviews for their baking sections are consistently positive because they demystify complicated steps.
Simple White Sandwich Bread
Their white bread recipe focuses on achieving a soft interior texture. They spend considerable time on kneading methods and proofing times. If you struggled with bread before, an ATK recipe might be the key you need.
Flaky Pie Crust
The secret to their pie crust often involves using ice-cold fat (butter or shortening) cut into specific sizes. They also emphasize keeping the dough cold throughout the rolling process. This prevents the fat from melting too soon, which is necessary for flakiness.
Diving into Bon Appétit’s World
While ATK is focused on reliability and testing everything, the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen often leans toward flavor innovation and contemporary trends. Bon Appétit recipes frequently feel slightly more modern or globally inspired.
The Bon Appétit Food Lab Influence
The Bon Appétit food lab section is where some of their most interesting discoveries happen. They test concepts that might seem unusual but yield amazing results.
Marinated Skirt Steak
Bon Appétit recipes for steak often involve slightly longer marinades or unusual acid components. They explore how ingredients like baking soda (for tenderizing) or large amounts of citrus affect the meat’s final texture and flavor profile.
Weeknight Bolognese
Many Bon Appétit recipes offer quicker versions of classics. Their Bolognese might suggest using milk or cream earlier in the process to tenderize the meat faster, a departure from traditional long-simmering methods. This shows their willingness to adapt classics for the modern, time-crunched cook.
Popular BA Staples
Some BA Test Kitchen recipes have gone viral for good reason. They strike a perfect balance between being interesting and accessible.
The “One-Pan” Wonders
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen chefs have perfected one-pan meals that minimize cleanup. These often rely on roasting vegetables and proteins together at high heat, using the pan juices to flavor everything.
Enhanced Vinaigrettes
BA emphasizes the role of salt and acid balance in dressings. Their recipes often call for adding a small amount of Dijon mustard or a pinch of sugar to truly make the flavors “pop.”
Decoding ATK Cooking Techniques
The real value in ATK isn’t just the recipe itself, but the ATK cooking techniques embedded within the instructions. Fathoming these methods elevates your general cooking skills.
Heat Management: The Unsung Hero
America’s Test Kitchen spends significant effort teaching cooks how to manage heat. They explain the difference between medium-low on a gas versus an electric stovetop.
- Searing Properly: They often advise heating the pan before adding the oil, and letting the oil shimmer before adding the protein. This prevents sticking and ensures a proper crust.
- Deglazing Wisdom: They explain that waiting until the fond (the browned bits) develops fully before adding liquid creates a deeper sauce base.
Measuring and Ingredient Preparation
America’s Test Kitchen cooking stresses accurate measurement, especially in baking.
Flour Measurement Debate
ATK strongly advocates for weighing flour using a kitchen scale. If scales aren’t used, they detail the “spoon and level” method precisely. This small detail prevents dense baked goods caused by overly packed flour.
Knife Skills Integration
Many ATK recipes specify exact dice sizes (e.g., 1/4 inch dice). This isn’t just for looks; uniform size ensures even cooking, which is vital for things like mirepoix or salsa.
Comparing ATK and BA Approaches
While both aim for delicious food, their starting points differ slightly, which is evident when comparing their respective recipe collections.
Reliability vs. Innovation
| Feature | America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) | Bon Appétit (BA) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | 100% reliability; perfect results every time. | Flavor forward; modern takes on classic food. |
| Testing Philosophy | Exhaustive, focusing on every variable. | Focused testing, emphasizing taste impact. |
| Tone | Instructive, technical, detailed. | Enthusiastic, conversational, trend-aware. |
| Ideal Cook | Beginner to intermediate cook needing guidance. | Intermediate cook looking for new inspiration. |
When looking at America’s Test Kitchen reviews, users often praise the accompanying science and rationale. With BA, users rave about the sheer deliciousness of the final product.
Must-Try Recipes That Stand the Test of Time
If you are looking for where to start, certain recipes consistently rise to the top in both communities. These are often the results of deep dives into one specific food item.
ATK: The Science of Simple Comfort Food
The ATK best recipes often involve taking a simple dish and perfecting its underlying chemistry.
The Best Macaroni and Cheese
ATK’s approach to mac and cheese usually involves creating a proper béchamel sauce, then incorporating sharp cheeses. They might even test different starches or suggest a specific method for melting the cheese to avoid graininess (often tempering the cheese mixture slowly).
Crispy Potatoes
Their method for crispy roasted potatoes often involves par-boiling them first, roughing up the edges, and then roasting them in very hot fat. This technique maximizes surface area, leading to the ultimate crunch.
BA: Flavor Bombs for the Adventurous Palate
The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen excels at dishes that pack a flavor punch with relatively few steps.
Creamy Tomato Soup (Elevated)
A simple BA tomato soup might incorporate roasting the tomatoes first or adding roasted red peppers. They are masters at using pantry items in unexpected ways to deepen umami flavors.
The Perfect Grilled Cheese
BA’s famous grilled cheese recipes often involve using mayonnaise on the outside of the bread instead of butter. This creates an incredibly even, golden-brown crust that holds up better to the melting cheese inside. This simple switch is a perfect example of Bon Appétit food lab innovation.
Finding the Best Value: Cookbooks vs. Subscriptions
Deciding where to invest your time and money depends on your cooking style. Do you prefer comprehensive manuals or rotating monthly content?
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook Collections
The physical America’s Test Kitchen cookbook series is structured around specific themes (e.g., Vegetables, Bread, Weeknight Meals).
- Pros: Extremely detailed explanations; excellent reference material.
- Cons: Content can become slightly dated as new techniques emerge.
If you are dedicated to mastering foundational ATK cooking techniques, owning a few of their comprehensive guides is invaluable.
Digital Subscriptions for BA and ATK
Both services offer online access, which is critical for seeing the latest developments.
- ATK Online: Offers video tutorials that visually explain their precise measurements and processes. This is key for grasping complex ATK cooking techniques.
- BA Online: Provides access to the continuous stream of new recipes and articles from the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, keeping your cooking fresh.
Deciphering ATK’s Ingredient Choices
A common theme in America’s Test Kitchen reviews is their relentless quest for the single best brand or ingredient type for a specific task. They often conduct “ingredient showdowns.”
Salt: More Than Just Sodium
ATK has famously tested different salts. They might conclude that for general seasoning, a fine grain kosher salt is best, but for finishing steaks, flaky sea salt provides superior texture. They don’t just say “salt”; they tell you which salt.
Oils and Fats
When testing frying, they compare oils based on smoke point and flavor. For salad dressings, they might find that a specific type of neutral oil combined with a robust extra virgin olive oil creates the ideal balance, avoiding either a flavorless or an overpowering dressing. This detail separates their work from standard online recipes.
Integrating BA and ATK Methods
The most skilled home cooks often blend the best of both worlds. They might use the rigorous testing methodology of ATK for baking reliability but adopt the bold flavor profiles championed by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen.
Example of Blended Cooking: Homemade Pizza Dough
- ATK Technique Focus: Use a digital scale for flour measurement, and follow precise hydration percentages for a consistent dough structure.
- BA Flavor Influence: Incorporate a small amount of olive brine or a touch of sugar in the dough, inspired by Bon Appétit recipes, to enhance browning and flavor complexity.
This integration means you benefit from the foundational accuracy of ATK while injecting the excitement that the BA Test Kitchen recipes often provide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are ATK recipes difficult to follow?
No, ATK recipes are designed for the home cook. While they may have many steps because they test every variable, each step is explained clearly. The goal of America’s Test Kitchen cooking is clarity and success, even for novice cooks.
Which publication is better for baking: ATK or Bon Appétit?
America’s Test Kitchen is generally considered more reliable for foundational, flawless baking because of their intense focus on precision and ingredient ratios. BA Test Kitchen recipes for baking are often more creative but might require a bit more experience to troubleshoot if a minor deviation occurs.
What does “Food Lab” mean at Bon Appétit?
The Bon Appétit food lab is where editors conduct deep-dive experiments on cooking science, ingredients, and techniques. It’s the research and development arm that leads to innovative and sometimes unconventional Bon Appétit recipes.
Should I buy an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook?
If you value comprehensive explanations, step-by-step photos, and techniques that work repeatedly, then yes, an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook is a worthwhile investment. They serve as excellent educational tools alongside being recipe sources.
Where can I find the best ingredient comparisons?
Look for “showdown” articles or videos from both sources. America’s Test Kitchen frequently publishes detailed America’s Test Kitchen reviews comparing brands of mayonnaise, chocolate chips, or canned tomatoes, helping you select the best component for your dish.