10 Must-Have Cookbooks That Are Actually Worth Buying
By Brittany Zerr
Have you ever stood in a bookstore flipping through cookbooks thinking, “Do I need this, or do I just like the idea of being someone who owns this?” Same. I own a lot of cookbooks. Some, I keep coming back to over and over again. Others I regret buying and are now just pretty decor for my kitchen counter.
There are a lot of cookbooks out there. Like, an unreasonable amount. Some cookbooks will absolutely change the way you cook. Others, well, are disappointing. Riddled with errors. Poor formatting. Missing steps or ingredients. Or worse: basic.
This list is the good stuff — the cookbooks that are actually worth buying. The ones you’ll cook from more than once. They’ll teach you something, make your food noticeably better, or give you a solid understanding of a cuisine you don’t regularly cook.
Whether you want to level up your skills or try different cuisines, these are the cookbooks that will earn their spot on your shelf.
If you’re looking for the best cookbooks to actually use (and won’t just collect dust), this list is for you.
Tl;dr: the top cookbooks I recommend are:
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The Food Lab - J. Kenji López-Alt
The Food Lab is the cookbook equivalent of asking “but why?” and actually getting an answer instead of being told to just trust the process. If you want to understand why recipes tell you to do certain things, this cookbook is for you.
Kenji breaks down cooking with science, experiments, and a level of detail that will either excite you or make you question your life choices (in a good way).
Warning: This cookbook is almost 1,000 pages and is not for the faint of heart!
Best for:
People who want to understand the why behind cooking
Control freaks (respectfully) who want repeatable results
You enjoy reading textbooks for fun
Nerds. Food nerds. Science nerds. All of the nerds.
You want a cookbook that can also act as a weapon (it’s heavy AF)
My copy is a little beat up. It’s been through a lot.
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Eggs, Dairy, and the Science of Breakfast
Soups, Stews, and the Science of Stock
Steaks, Chops, Chicken, Fish, and the Science of Fast-Cooking Food
Blanching, Searing, Braising, Glazing, Roasting, and the Science of Vegetables
Balls, Loaves, Links, Burgers, and the Science of Ground Meat
Chickens, Turkeys, Prime Rib, and the Science of Roasts
Tomato Sauce, Macaroni, and the Science of Pasta
Greens, Emulsions, and the Science of Salads
Batters, Breadings, and the Science of Frying
Recipes I love:
Compound butter for steak
Stovetop macaroni and cheese
Pan roasted mushrooms with thyme and shallots
The best short-rib chili with beans
Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking - Maangchi
Maangchi walks you through everything with the energy of a very encouraging aunt who fully believes you can make kimchi from scratch — you just need to commit. Her cookbook is comprehensive without being intimidating, and somehow makes even the more involved recipes feel doable (or at least worth attempting once).
Best for:
Anyone who has been to Korea and has fallen in love with Korean cuisine
Beginners who want a real introduction to Korean cooking
Cooks who want both everyday meals and deeper traditional dishes
You love side dishes (banchan)
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Grains and One-Bowl Meals: Rice and Hearty Bowls
Soupy: Bubbling Soups and Stews
Kimchi: More is Better
Sauces and Garnishes: For Seasoning, Dipping, and Embellishing
Meaty: Chicken, Duck, Beef , and Pork
Good Stuff from the Ocean: Essential Korean Seafood Dishes
Vegetables: For Every Time of Year
Banchan and Mitbanchan: Side Dishes to Always Have on Hand
Dosirak Made With Love: Portable Korean Lunchbox Meals
Drinks and Party Food: Embrace Your Guests
Korean Buddhist Temple Cuisine: Vegan Simplicity
Sweeties: For Pleasure and Good Health
Street Food and Modern Korean Dishes: New Classics
Recipes I love:
Glazed meatballs (wanja-jorim)
Garlicky cooked bean sprouts (kongnamul muchim)
Bulgogi with noodles (bulgogi-wa dangmyeon)
Korean pork barbecue (dwaeji-gogi-gui)
These pink sticky notes leave a pink residue when I peel them off. 0/10 do not recommend.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Samin Nosrat
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat isn’t your typical cookbook. This book teaches you how to cook without clutching a recipe like a security blanket. As the title suggests, it simplifies cooking into four elements — salt, fat, acid, and heat. The first part of this book is like a textbook (but not boring like your old university textbooks) which covers the four elements of good cooking, and the second part is recipes where you can put everything you learned into practice.
Reading this book will make you a better cook, guaranteed.
Bonus: the illustrations are adorable, which is not a requirement for a cookbook but should be. However, if you prefer your cookbooks to have photos of each dish, this cookbook is not for you.
P.S. - It’s also a show on Netflix!
“Anyone can cook and make it delicious.”
Best for:
Beginners who want confidence, not just recipes
People tired of bland food
Anyone tired of “winging it” when cooking and it ending in disaster
Visual learners who appreciate cute diagrams
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Part One: The Four Elements of Good Cooking
Salt
Fat
Acid
Heat
Part Two: Recipes & Recommendations
Kitchen Basics
Recipes
Salads
Dressings
Vegetables
Stock and Soups
Beans, Grains, and Pasta
Eggs
Fish
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Chicken
MEat
Sauces
Butter-and-Flour Doughs
Sweets
Cooking Lessons
Suggested Menus
Tips for Further Reading
Recipes I love:
Vietnamese cucumber salad (sans the cilantro, it tastes like soap)
Pasta with broccoli and bread crumbs
Chicken pot pie
Fresh ginger and molasses cake
Lots of simple yet effective illustrations in this cookbook!
Third Culture Cooking - Zaynab Issa
Third Culture Cooking is a love letter to growing up between cultures, told through food that doesn’t feel the need to pick just one lane. It’s modern, flexible, and full of flavors that feel both comforting and new. The kind of cookbook that makes you want to host a dinner party… or at least romanticize your Tuesday night dinner.
What I love most about this cookbook is the “instead of…” section where Zaynab lists substitutes for ingredients for each recipe. It makes it easier to look at your pantry and say “I can make that tonight!”
Best for:
People who like globally inspired, not strictly traditional recipes
Home cooks who want something fresh but still approachable
Anyone building a more diverse weeknight rotation
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Start Small
Fill Up
Make It Better
Something Sweet
Sips
Recipes I love:
Grape and fennel salad
Shawarma-spiced carrots
French onion ramen
Baklava granola
Also this section of the cookbook? Genius!
Antoni in the Kitchen - Antoni Porowski
Antoni is the Food & Wine expert on the reboot of Queer Eye — basically, if Ken from Barbie had one job and it was “food,” that’s Antoni. His recipes are actually simple (with most fitting on one page) and very doable. This cookbook will gently encourage you to cook something nice for yourself, and won’t have you spiraling/panicking that you took something too complex on.
Best for:
Fans of the Queer Eye reboot (obviously)
People who want low-effort meals that still feel elevated
Anyone trying to romanticize their life via food
Beginner cooks who want to feel a little fancy
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Apps and Snacks
Greens, Veg, and Other Sides
Soups and Stews
Pasta and Rice
Weeknight Healthyish
Animal
Bakes
Recipes I love:
Frenchified latkes with chive sour cream
Grilled peach and tomato salad with crunchy almonds
Smoky chicken skillet fajitas
Salty lemon squares
Dessert Person - Claire Saffitz
Dessert Person is for anyone who prefers sweet over salty. Claire has recipes that are both approachable and ambitious, so you can choose your own level of chaos. FWIW, I’ve never come across a recipe of hers that has led me astray or NOT worked. Baking is a science, and Claire has it down.
You can also find some recipes on her YouTube channel which is helpful for those more complicated recipes where it’s helpful to watch someone do a technique you’re unfamiliar with.
My favorite part of this cookbook is the recipe matrix Claire created. It puts all of her recipes together in a graph that shows their difficulty level (on a scale of 1-5) and the total time it takes to make the recipe. It’s seriously so helpful.
“There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven’t yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”
Best for:
Bakers who want both easy wins and weekend projects
People who miss Bon Appétit Test Kitchen era of YouTube
Anyone who owns a stand mixer and wants to justify it
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Loaf Cakes and Single-Layer Cakes
Pies and Tarts
Bars and Cookies
Layer Cakes and Fancy Desserts
Breakfast and Brunch
Breads and Savory Baking
Foundation Recipes
Recipes I love:
Malted “forever” brownies
Chocolate chip cookies (seriously, so good)
Feta-za’tar flatbread with charred eggplant dip
Pineapple and pecan upside down cake
This cookbook also has A++ step-by-step photography.
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook - Sohla El-Waylly
Sohla absolutely cooked with this cookbook. More than just a compilation of recipes, Sohla teaches you the how and why behind cooking techniques and skills. This cookbook also gives both savory and pastry recipes equal attention, desserts aren’t just a single chapter. Why? By learning how to cook everything (sweet, savory, and everything in between) you can become adept and creative in the kitchen.
The beginning chapters of this cookbook (before we get into recipes) cover everything from tips for cooking through a recipe, how to make a game plan, essentials you need in your kitchen, pantry essentials, and other important things to know (everything from how to measure for savory cooking vs baking and pastry, how to hold a knife, and more). It truly is a wealth of knowledge, without being overwhelming!
There is even a small section at the end of the cookbook that has menus and meal plans using recipes from the book. She really thought of everything!
“You’re gonna mess up, but it’s gonna be okay.”
Best for:
People who don’t have space for a lot of cookbooks (this one cookbook has it all)
Beginners who want to actually learn how to cook, not just follow recipes
Home cooks trying to break free from strict recipe dependency
Anyone who wants to learn to cook without the culinary school price tag
If you’re a beginner cook and can only afford one cookbook, get this one.
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Taste
Temperature Management 101
Just Add Water
Break It Down & Get Saucy
Steam & Poach
Go to Brown Town
All About Butter
Whip (& Fold) It Good
Smooth Operator
Caramelize
Getting to Know Dough
After Party!
Recipes I love:
Fancy weekend scramble with pepper bacon & one big pancake
Taco party black beans
Add-anything drop cookies
Fruit & nut spelt breakfast muffins
100 Cookies - Sarah Kieffer
100 Cookies is exactly what it sounds like, and exactly what you want. If you love cookies, you need this book. Full disclosure: there aren't actually 100 cookie recipes in this book, as it also covers bars and brownies as well (but it’s mostly cookies). Also, if you want to try your hand at pan-banging cookies, this is where that magic lives.
Sidenote: my only beef with this cookbook is that it has two recipes for sugar cookies (page 38 and page 246). Why two!? They are practically the same. Pick the best version and include it. This cookbook still deserves a spot on this list because, well, cookies. 🤤
Best for:
People who love cookies as much as Cookie Monster
Beginner bakers who want high reward, low risk
Anyone baking for crowds, holidays, or “just because”
Crumbl fans who are ready to break free (and save money)
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
The Classics
Brownies and Blondies
Fruitextravaganza
The Next Level
Time to Play
Pan-Banging Cookies
Mix + Match
Extras
Recipes I love:
Toasted sesame cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies
Ginger cookies
White chocolate brownies with toasted sesame caramel (my friend’s favorite!)
Indian-ish - Priya Krishna
This is Indian food for people who are slightly intimidated by Indian food but want to explore more and go beyond butter chicken. It’s a delicious collection of recipes that reflect how many Indian immigrants in the USA eat today. What it’s not: a cookbook that explores regional Indian food. If you want accessible recipes, this cookbook is for you.
Best for:
Beginners who want to get into Indian cooking without fear
You’re vegetarian or vegan
Weeknight cooks who still want bold flavor
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Essentials
Mother Sauces
Vegetable Mains
Vegetable Sides
Breads
Beans and Lentils
Grains and Noodles
One Chicken and Three Fish Recipes
Desserts
Drinks
Recipes I love:
Shikanji (Indian Gatorade)
Garlic ginger chicken
Mushroom stuffed mushrooms
Roasted aloo gobhi
Mi Cocina - Rick Martínez
Mi Cocina is a journey across Mexico. Rick takes you on a delicious road trip through regions, stories, and flavors. The recipes ask you to put in some real effort, but the payoff is “I made THIS??” levels of satisfaction. (Plus the colours in this cookbook just POP and it features Rick’s adorable dog.) If you love learning about regional culinary differences, this cookbook is for you!
Best for:
People who want to go deeper into Mexican cooking (not just White People Taco Night)
Home cooks who enjoy storytelling as much as recipes
Weekend/project cooks ready to commit
Anyone trying to expand beyond Tex-Mex into regional Mexican cuisine
So pretty! Or maybe I just really like the colour pink?
What’s inside (chapter breakdown):
Basicos
El Bajio and Central Mexico
Oaxaca and the South Pacific Coast
Yucatan Peninsula
El Golfo Central
El Norte The Northern States
Pacifico Central
Baja California Peninsula
Recipes I love:
Morisqueta michoacana
Frijoles de olla
Arroz blanco con mantequilla
Tlayuda con tasajo
Want more? We wrote about the recipes we tried in Mi Cocina!
Yea, I love pink.
Honorable mention: your Mom’s or Grandma’s cookbook
Food isn’t just recipes, it’s memory. It’s preserved through multiple generations cooking the same dish over and over again, tweaking the family recipe over time. Your parents or grandparents likely have handwritten recipe cards or notebooks that are stained with use. Or maybe it’s in their head — ask them to write it down, or get them to teach you and write down the recipe as they show you how.
The best cookbook you’ll ever own might not be published, it’s the one that gets passed down.
Do you love a cookbook that didn’t make my list? Tell me all about it and I’ll probably impulse buy it — leave a comment below!