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| Bon Appetit (1-year) | 
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| Publisher: Conde' Nast Publications
Category: Magazine
List Price: $47.88
Buy New: $15.00
You Save: $32.88 (69%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  67 reviews
Sales Rank: 46
Format: Magazine Subscription, Print
Type: Consumer magazine
Subscription Issues: 12
Subscription Length: 12 Months
Issues Per Year: 12
First Issue Lead Time: 6-10 Weeks
ASIN: B00005NIND
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 3 months
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| Customer Reviews:
Bon Appetit Magazine February 24, 2006
1 out of 9 found this review helpful
This was a very good price for a very good magazine. I saved $3 - $5 over
the normal subscription rate!
 Pretentious and useless February 9, 2006
17 out of 25 found this review helpful
A friend of mine got me a subscription to this magazine because I like Cooks Illustrated. This magazine is nothing but ads for snazzy expensive foods and restaurants. There are so few recipies in it I wouldn't call it a 'cooking' magazine. What few recipies they do have don't explain why they chose the ingredients used or give much detail at all.
If you consider yourself a 'foodie' who likes to go to fancy restaurants and likes to know what's hip on the latest gourmet food and wine, then this magazine might be for you. If, however, you like to cook and know what you are doing and why you are doing it, try Cooks Illustrated instead.
 Not bad... December 27, 2005
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
... but not so good I would subscribe to this.
This magazine is much like Gourmet. Same ads, though not as many, same layout. It's almost like another version of Gourmet.
However, I enjoyed the articles more as well as the recipes than Gourmet. There were a few that I am intrigued enough to try. The recipes themselves were more fancy than say, Everyday Food.
Then again, I like Everyday Food more because that's the type of food I eat.
If you're looking for something a little more elegant without so many ads this isn't a bad one. I do think that Fine Cooking might be more your cup of tea. With fewer ads and more recipes.
Fabulous November 10, 2005
120 out of 121 found this review helpful
I've recently been trying to de-clutter my house. As part of that project, I've been going through 20 years of Bon Apetit magazines, culling recipes that I remember fondly and recalling a few food disasters. I've also noticed how the magazine has changed over the years.
Photography is and always has been a strong point for this magazine. I rarely get a new copy without seeing a beautiful picture of something I just have to try making. I've cut out hundreds of dessert recipes - I find pictures of chocolate cakes much more evocative than pictures of steamed vegetables. A large number of the recipes in Bon Apetit come with photos, and I find that helpful in deciding whether I want to try them.
The recipes usually turn out very well. I've made some wonderful desserts, and my wife was stunned (favorably) by some black bean cakes I made for her birthday. The writing is clear and I'm not often left wondering what exactly is meant by the instructions. A few recipes haven't turned out well, and I'm an experienced enough cook to believe that it wasn't my fault, but over 20 years and out of hundreds of recipes, that isn't at all bad. There have been more than a few recipes that simply didn't sound good, but the magazine staff has generally avoided strange food combinations just for the sake of novelty.
My complaint is that the ratio of recipes to other stuff has fallen over the years. Bon Apetit has become more of a lifestyle magazine, and the lifestyle isn't mine. It seems aimed at young and fabulous singles, footloose young couples, and retired couples who don't have young children. After reading some of the party, travel, and buying features I come away with the vague sense that my own kitchen and lifestyle would be found wanting by the editorial staff. I find that very annoying. I sometimes wish that the editors showed more recognition of the fact that not all readers are organized and fabulous and possessed of vast amounts of unused storage space. Some of us are harried, insanely busy, and couldn't find the nutmeg grater if the childrens' lives depended on it. How about occasional restaurant, vacation, and purchasing tips for the unfabulous?
The magazine generally includes several recipes that are easy and fast. My wife and I usually like them a lot; the kids squinch up their faces and act like we're poisoning them. I guess we'll stick to the desserts. I still like this magazine, but I'm afraid I don't like it nearly as much as I used to. We've grown apart, I'm sad to say. I think I've been left behind for people with ovens that can cook wonderful intimate meals for their 50 closest friends and grills that crank out enough BTUs to melt the polar ice caps.
Inconsistant recipe quality, nice photos November 9, 2005
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
I've been a subscriber to Bon Appetit for several years now, and while I like the magazine I have found the quality of the recipes lack consistency. Some are good. Some quite poor. I'm always a little hesitant to rely on a recipe from this magazine for a dinner unless I've tested it first and seen that it worked well for me. Bon Appetit recipes can be quite complicated and its a disappointment to spend so much time cooking a meal and have it turn out bland.
Overall, while I will continue to subscribe to Bon Appetit, I suggest using caution on relying on their recipes too much. Also, I feel the adverts, interviews, and other "Filler" material is beginning to lean a bit towards the elitist side of the cooking market and is becoming less accessible to the average non-pro cook.
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