Cook’s Illustrated is an advertisement-free cooking magazine that is published every two months both for serious chefs and those looking for new recipes to start with. The magazine offers extensive recipe testing and cooking instructions as well as evaluations of kitchen equipment and branded foods and ingredients.

Cook’s Illustrated Magazine does not just provide recipes, but provides readers with extensive test results as to how the dishes come out and what readers can do to alter the recipe according to their particular tastes. Recipes and taste test results are published for all types of dishes, ranging from main courses like Greek Shrimp with Feta to soups and stews, breakfast dishes, and desserts.

The magazine is read not just by expert cooks but by beginners as well for its detailed and manageable cooking instructions. Not only do the writers give step by step instructions for recipes, they also teach readers about the actual cooking processes and ingredients used in creating the dishes. For example, one recent article asks the question of “How does ‘natural’ beef differ from regular beef? Does it taste better?”

Cook’s Illustrated magazine is well-known for its extensive evaluations of kitchen equipment. Reviews are provided for all types of equipment, ranging from appliances like juice mixers and coffee machines to hand tools like the kitchen shear. One recent evaluation is so detailed that the writer cooks several types of foods on several different indoor grills just to determine if there is a better one than the infamous George Forman Grill.