Cook's Illustrated Question

On Sat 07 May 2005 09:28:23p, Del Cecchi wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine
content?

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*

I guess I could afford both, but I choose to only subscribe to the
hardcopy. 24.95 per year for the website to see content I already paid
for in hardcopy seems excessive.

del cecchi.

That makes sense; however, conversely, if one subscribes to the website,
are the entire magazine contents available online? Presumably, there might
be other things on either the website or in the magazine that may not be
available on the other. One advantage of the website (for those who would
avail themselves) is that everything is searchable.

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would
you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the
magazine content?

I'd go with the website... No editorials by that twit. No recipes you
DON"T want. All the recipes, and no lost articles.

Mind you the hand drawn pictures on the cover are nice.

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic Since Aug 2004
1AC- 7.2, 7.3, 5.5, 5.6 mmol
Weight from 265 down to 219 lbs. and dropping.
Continuing to be Manitoban

"Monsur Fromage du Pollet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would
you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the
magazine content?

I'd go with the website... No editorials by that twit.

That's mean, but funny.

I try not to let the magazines pile up. I like Cooks Illustrated's yearly
"anthologies." They fit all 6 magazines into a very nice, slim volume. It
costs about 20 bucks I think.

cheers, rox

In article <[email hidden]>, Wayne Boatwright

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine content?

If you're only interested in the recipes, I'd go with the web site. If
you like to read how the cooks got there, take the mag. Frankly I get
a little tired of the prelims. But I don't particularly like to read
on the internet. And the arrival of a new mag is always a small
occasion. I know . . .get a life. Or a laptop for my easy chair.

Wayne Boatwright said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would

you...

Quoted message said:

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine

content?

I'm a big fan of CI. I haven't visited their website but still I'd
recommend subscribing to the hardcopy. The articles are always well
worth reading, esp the detail with which an author describes how s/he
developed a recipe, the trials and errors involved, what worked--what
didn't....almost as good as having a conversation with the test cook.

I also enjoy reading hardcopy *much* more than reading the screen, esp
for something lengthy. And it's nice to have the magazines readily
available to check again sometime.

Mac

"Stark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Wayne Boatwright

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine
content?

If you're only interested in the recipes, I'd go with the web site. If
you like to read how the cooks got there, take the mag. Frankly I get
a little tired of the prelims. But I don't particularly like to read
on the internet. And the arrival of a new mag is always a small
occasion. I know . . .get a life. Or a laptop for my easy chair.

Re: get a life --

Reading on the internet is a real joy to me -- for years I have had
magazines that come into my home in which the print contain so many
chemicals (not including the soy) that I went into a coughing fit every time
I opened one. If you like articles on the magazine subscription, cannot you
download them, or the whole article as a .pdf. for future reference? I was
one who didn't like .pdf's, but learned to love them once I learned to
download/copy page by page an article I liked into one file (a .pdf) instead
of opening up EACH PAGE (same with pictures onto a .pdf.)

Re the easy chair: One of the first things I did once I got a computer in
1997 was to buy for myself an ergomic (sp?) chair. It has never failed me
(luckily). It has all sorts of heights/adjustments easy chair, etc. Love
it! I've also got a TV beside it on the desk for Food shows, movies, etc.
when I'm doing tedious filing , and one might say my life is pathetic -- but
these things make me happy.

Not thinking of the yearly Cook's Illustrated hard-copy book, but I think
that this is a great suggestion. But it is hard to resist the magazine
issues. Does anyone watch "America's Test Kitchen." Is this not sponsored
or put on by Cook's Illustrated? It's a pretty good show.
Dee

Wayne Boatwright said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine content?

I dropped my subscription in favor of the online access and hate it.
They post the magazine content later than it is sent out, their pages
are not as well laid out as I thought they were from cursory digging
around. Oh, they look great, but their searching is tedious, they
suddenly were requiring some *additional* password to access some area
and when I wrote to them about it, though their response was quick, it
was useless technically.

It is quite simple to walk into the other room and leaf through the
back issues & take what I need to the kitchen work area. It is a true
pain in the butt to maneuver their site and THEN print out a recipe to
take to the kitchen. blech. I do not sit at the computer and read for
pleasure, the way I used to do with the magazine and so I think other
aspects are lost to me, too.

If someone here does find the web pages wonderful or seeming to offer
more than the magazine, I'd love to hear it, as I have a pricey online
subscription that is underutilized.

boron.

Following up to my original post...

Thanks to all of you for your insight and comments. I will be subscribing to
the magazine and, if later have the extra funds, will subscribe to the
website. One thing I didn't know that I learned from your comments was that
the commentary and different trials were not usually included with the
recipes online as they are in the magazine.

I figure if I really want one of their recipes on my computer, I can always
scan it. I like to print individual hard copies of recipes to take into the
kitchen.

Thanks again!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the magazine
content?

--

It's been a couple of years since I dropped both by my recollection is that
the magazine contents showed up on the web after a short delay. I'd do the
web - it has all back articles, product tests, etc. in searchable format.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Wandering along the edges of rec.food.cooking, I found the following bit
of electronic flotsam written by Monsur Fromage du Pollet
<[email hidden]> in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would
you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the
magazine content?

I'd go with the website... No editorials by that twit. No recipes you
DON"T want. All the recipes, and no lost articles.

Mind you the hand drawn pictures on the cover are nice.

For those of us who find they enjoy those editorials by Christopher
Kimball, I recommend his book "Dear Charlie", a collection of letters
he's written to his children.

If you like the editorials he writes in the front of Cook's Illustrated,
you'll *LOVE* the book!

On Mon 09 May 2005 12:58:41p, BookWight wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wandering along the edges of rec.food.cooking, I found the following bit
of electronic flotsam written by Monsur Fromage du Pollet
<[email hidden]> in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Assuming you could only afford to do one of the following, would
you...

a. Subscribe to the semi-monthly magazine

b. Become a website member

As a website member, do you have full online access to the
magazine content?

I'd go with the website... No editorials by that twit. No recipes you
DON"T want. All the recipes, and no lost articles.

Mind you the hand drawn pictures on the cover are nice.

For those of us who find they enjoy those editorials by Christopher
Kimball, I recommend his book "Dear Charlie", a collection of letters
he's written to his children.

If you like the editorials he writes in the front of Cook's Illustrated,
you'll *LOVE* the book!

I can't honestly say how much I would appreciate the editorials, but I do
want access to the details of how their final recipes are arrived at. I
understand that this is not included on the website.

Ideally, I'd like both subscriptions and perhaps I will eventually end up
with both, but I think the magazine is probably my best initial choice.

Thanks for the additional insight.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974