FREE/BARGAIN — Cookbooks

[ApK]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

CR is definitely having a rough go of it now, financially. It's mainly because of the Internet and the plethora of websites that offer ratings and reviews on everything imaginable. Well, I can pretty well guarantee you that those sites don't have the testing equipment that CR does and don't put products through the paces like CR does. And CR doesn't accept advertising, which makes me have more confidence in their objectivity.

I don't know how they do these days on lawnmowers, washing machines and toaster ovens, but a few years back I absolutely gave up on them for any technology (printers, digital cameras, etc) because their reviews were absolutely useless, as if they were written by folks with no understanding of the tech, or any sense of what was valuable or not about the products.

I'm glad they are maintaining objectivity, but they seemed to have lost competence.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by ApK

I don't know how they do these days on lawnmowers, washing machines and toaster ovens, but a few years back I absolutely gave up on them for any technology (printers, digital cameras, etc) because their reviews were absolutely useless, as if they were written by folks with no understanding of the tech, or any sense of what was valuable or not about the products.

I'm glad they are maintaining objectivity, but they seemed to have lost competence.

I almost said something about that, but I already had written more (and gotten off topic) more than I had planned to.

I agree with you. I think that that is a weakness of CR, and has been ever since I can remember. Over the 20 years or so that I've been buying serious (vs Commodore-esce) computer stuff, I have glanced over CR's ratings, reviews, and recommendations, but rarely, if ever, have they had much of an impact on my ultimate decisions. In addition to what you mentioned, it seemed like the number of models that they tested was always very small--on every other kind of product that they tested, there were a lot of items tested. Why (or why not)? Maybe it has to do with the fact that dedicated computer magazines have, IMHO, always done a very good job testing computer-related items. They still do--that is, the computer magazines that still exist. From the way that they talk (and occasional photographs of their test benches), it seems that they have the high tech, specialized lab equipment to do the tests that need to be done; if not, they farm it out to companies who do (I think especially of testing anti-virus software). It just doesn't seem like CR has a place in this orb.

[GA Russell]

The Atria Holiday Cooking Collection - free
https://www.amazon.com/Atria-Holiday...dp/B008EKB278/

[koland]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I almost said something about that, but I already had written more (and gotten off topic) more than I had planned to.

I agree with you. I think that that is a weakness of CR, and has been ever since I can remember. Over the 20 years or so that I've been buying serious (vs Commodore-esce) computer stuff, I have glanced over CR's ratings, reviews, and recommendations, but rarely, if ever, have they had much of an impact on my ultimate decisions. In addition to what you mentioned, it seemed like the number of models that they tested was always very small--on every other kind of product that they tested, there were a lot of items tested. ...

I've also found that if you read the actual reviews, they'll rave over one brand, but then label an inferior one their "pick" simply on the basis of price alone. I ignore them completely and put them into the same category of Oprah Picks on books.

[Little.Egret]

BookSumo Press, free

The Simply Spicy Cookbook: Deliciously Spicy Recipes with a Kick!

Easy English Cookbook (English Cookbook, English Recipes, English Cooking, British Recipes, British Cooking, British Cookbook, British Cooking 1)

The Brazilian Cookbook: 50 Delicious Brazilian Recipes for Real Brazilian Cooking

Easy Cinnamon Cookbook: 50 Delicious Cinnamon Recipes

Finger Foods: Delicious Meals to Eat With Your Fingers!

Easy Cake Ball Cookbook (Cake Ball Cookbook, Cake Ball Recipes, Cake Balls Cookbook, Cake Balls Recipes, Cake Pop Cookbook, Cake Pop Recipes 1)


Potato Chef: A Potato Cookbook with Over 50 Delicious Potato Recipes; Simple Techniques for Cooking with Potatoes

Easy Puff Pastry Cookbook (Puff Pastry Cookbook, Puff Pastry Recipes, Puff Pastries, Puff Pastry Ideas, Easy Puff Pastry Cookbook 1)

Easy Dim Sum Cookbook (Dim Sum Cookbook, Dim Sum Recipes, Chinese Dim Sum, Chinese Dumplings 1)

Easy Chili Cookbook (Chili, Chili Cookbook, Chili Recipes 1)

Easy Meatball Cookbook (Meatball Recipes, Meatball Cookbook, Easy Meatball Recipes, Easy Meatball Cookbook, Meatball Guide 1)

The Popsicle Cookbook: Ice Pop and Popsicle Recipes for 50 Delicious Frozen Desserts

See all

https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...booksumo+press

UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...booksumo+press
Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...booksumo+press

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by koland

<snip>
I ignore them completely and put them into the same category of Oprah Picks on books.

Ack! That is low. I don't mean your comment, but your assessment of Oprah's picks.

For several years, I operated a couple of Internet-only book businesses. In a couple of categories, I knew the books that were in demand, would sell well, command a good price, etc., but I was just about totally in the dark about most others (almost all fiction, for example). When I saw "Oprah Book Club Pick," or whatever it said, on the cover, however, it was like the kiss of death to me. They were almost impossible to sell, and if I did, I basically had to give them away. I've got my theories as to why, but to go into them would get me way off topic.

Originally Posted by koland

I've also found that if you read the actual reviews, they'll rave over one brand, but then label an inferior one their "pick" simply on the basis of price alone.

I think that those are the ones that they label "best buys" or something to that effect. It is easy enough to ignore those and head straight for the top of the ratings, if that's what a person wants. But, usually those products were the most expensive, or close to being the most expensive, of the bunch. Neither my budget nor money-spending mentality allows me to go for those.

Interestingly, however, and perhaps you have noticed this, very often the more expensive items score lower than less expensive items. And, the opposite (or is it the converse? whatever) is true--less expensive items score better than the more expensive ones. Sometimes there is a huge disparity in prices, too. So, of course, it makes sense to buy the less expensive one (one exception that I can think of is if a person wants to impress other people, so they buy a model from a brand which is more highly regarded than a better, but less well regarded one--e.g., a Mercedes, instead of a better-rated Chevrolet). CR demonstrates that the adage, "you get what you pay for" is not always true, and helps people save a lot of money, IMHO.

So, I (still) appreciate CR because it can help me get better "bang for the buck"--things that I feel strike a good balance between price and performance/quality. IMHO, I haven't felt that that they label an inferior item their "pick" simply on the basis of price alone.

To make my comments above on topic, this is true of grocery items that you use to cook with, just like the bigger-ticket, non-consumable items. ha

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

BookSumo Press, free
<snip>

But, whatever you do, don't think about Sumo wrestlers when you purchase the books. And, don't think about Sumo wrestlers when you cook recipes from the books. ha

[GA Russell]

For the next fifteen hours, the six-quart Instant Pot is on sale for $68.95.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-I.../dp/B00FLYWNYQ

[tempest@de]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

For the next fifteen hours, the six-quart Instant Pot is on sale for $68.95.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-I.../dp/B00FLYWNYQ

the GAG reflex affected me, I first read about the instant pot in this thread, and thought it was pretty cool, but they where expensive and I couldn’t justify buying another kitchen gadget for that price, but when I saw that it was on sale I couldn’t resist

[GA Russell]

Let us know how you like it!

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by tempest@de

the GAG reflex affected me, I first read about the instant pot in this thread, and thought it was pretty cool, but they where expensive and I couldn’t justify buying another kitchen gadget for that price, but when I saw that it was on sale I couldn’t resist

If you buy two you will save twice as much.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

If you buy two you will save twice as much.

That British humor . . . . ha

If you buy the whole inventory, you'll save the most.

[GA Russell]

Cross-posting, because maybe I should have posted here in the first place...

The Wall St. Journal posted an article at 4:08 this afternoon which lists the Instant-Pot ("7-in-1 multifunctional cooker") first in its list of Amazon's best sellers today!

http://www.wsj.com/articles/online-b...day-1480104685

[GtrsRGr8]

That's 89% from the digital list price.

There is a paucity of reviews at Amazon, therefore you really can't put much stock in the average ratings, on this new, revised edition. However, the ratings for the 1969 edition are still up on GoodReads, where there are 337 ratings, with an average rating of 3.99.

Good, cheap cookbooks are always crowd-pleasers.

Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites: Comforting Slow-Cooker Recipes, Revised and Updated. By Phyllis Good. Rated 3.7 stars, but from only 3 reviews at Amazon (probably pertains to only this 2016, most recent, edition) at the present moment; however, 1969 edition is rated 3.99 from 337 ratings at GoodReads. Print list price $17.99; digital list price $17.99; Kindle price now $1.99. Good Books, publisher. 288 pages. https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-5-.../dp/B01GBUWI66.

Book Description
Who has time to make food these days? And what if you aren’t a cook, but your budget or your household is strongly suggesting that you should be? Everyone needs recipes that are guaranteed to be:

Quick to fix
Easy for anyone to make
Delicious and satisfying

The solution? The newly revised and updated Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites—the latest in the multi-million-copy Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook series.

Gather five or fewer readily available ingredients + your slow cooker + Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites, and you can have:

Apricot chicken
Convenient slow-cooker lasagna
Bacon feta-stuffed chicken
Alfredo bow-ties
Upside-down chocolate pudding cake

Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites, with its more than six hundred recipes, can be your new faithful companion.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

[Cinisajoy]

Grabbed it because I have several of her books and haven't come across a bad recipe yet.