Cook books · our guide

Cook Books Worth Owning

The best cookery books for every kind of cook: classics, professional texts, baking, world cuisines, everyday cooking, wine and niche gems.

69 books
7 lists
25 award-winners

Our old book pages were Amazon storefronts from 2002. This is their replacement: about seventy cook books we would happily give a friend, grouped into seven lists, each with a short review. We chose them on evidence: award winners, record sellers and books that thousands of readers rate highly, plus a few niche gems and the best of our old recommendations.

Seven shelvesChoose a list

The most-lovedStart here

Eight books with the largest numbers of high ratings from Amazon readers when we checked. If you are building a cookery shelf from scratch, these are a safe start.

Book links go to Amazon (affiliate links). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Kitchen Confidential
Anthony Bourdain · 2000
Bourdain's funny, profane memoir of life in New York restaurant kitchens. There are no recipes, but no other book captures the heat and humour of professional cooking as well.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Kitchen Confidential In the US? amazon.com
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Samin Nosrat · 2017
James Beard Award, General Cooking, 2018

Teaches the four things that make food taste good, rather than a list of recipes, with Wendy MacNaughton's cheerful drawings doing much of the explaining. Read it once and your everyday cooking improves.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat In the US? amazon.com
Flour Water Salt Yeast
Ken Forkish · 2012
James Beard Award, Baking and Dessert, 2013

Portland baker Ken Forkish's system for crusty artisan loaves and pizza at home, with timings that fit around a working day. Precise and encouraging, with a big following among home bakers.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Flour Water Salt Yeast In the US? amazon.com
The Food Lab
J. Kenji López-Alt · 2015
James Beard Award, General Cooking, 2016

A huge, science-led book of American home cooking: why steaks rest, how eggs set, what really makes a crisp roast potato. The tests are explained clearly, so you learn the reasons and not just the method.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : The Food Lab In the US? amazon.com
Ottolenghi SIMPLE
Yotam Ottolenghi · 2018
Ottolenghi's cooking made practical: each recipe is labelled for being quick, make-ahead, pantry-based or low on ingredients. The big flavours of his restaurants, but for a Tuesday night.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Ottolenghi SIMPLE In the US? amazon.com
The Flavor Bible
Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg · 2008
James Beard Award, Reference and Scholarship, 2009

An A–Z of ingredients listing what top chefs pair them with, ranked by how often. Chefs use it to develop menus, and it is the American companion to The Flavour Thesaurus.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : The Flavor Bible In the US? amazon.com
Joy of Cooking
Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker & Megan Scott · 1931 · revised 2019
America's family kitchen reference for nearly a century, and the 2019 revision updates it well. If a US recipe says "cook it the classic way", this is usually what it means.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Joy of Cooking In the US? amazon.com
Dessert Person
Claire Saffitz · 2020
Cakes, tarts, pies and breads arranged by difficulty, with a chart to help you choose. Warm, clear writing that gives nervous bakers confidence.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Dessert Person In the US? amazon.com