- Whether you're a newbie in the kitchen, looking to expand your repertoire of cooking techniques, or just desirous of more recipe options, a good cookbook that spells out the steps involved in preparing the dish is a must-have.
- There are a lot of books geared toward new cooks, but our favorite is "How to Cook Everything: The Basics" by Mark Bittman.
There are some cooks - my mother is one of them - who don't need a cookbook to come up with a delicious recipe because they have the talent and skill to create their own. And then there are cooks like me: easily able to follow a recipe in a cookbook and turn out tasty results, but not so good at thinking up new recipe ideas on my own.
As a result, I own a lot of cookbooks, and when it comes to those books, my preference is the simpler, the better. I don't want to spend too much time figuring out complicated techniques, hunting down exotic ingredients, or hovering over the stove. If you share that kitchen philosophy, we'll explain why you'll enjoy the following five cookbooks, all of which make it easy to turn out delicious results even if you don't possess the skills of a contestant on "Top Chef."
Here are the best cookbooks for beginners in 2019:
- Best cookbook for beginners overall: "How to Cook Everything: The Basics"
- Best cookbook for a Mediterranean diet: "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook"
- Best cookbook for quick meals: "Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast"
- Best for vegetarians: "The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook"
- Best one-pot cookbook: "One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals"
Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.