Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Not so inspiring
I have been reading Bon Appetit off and on for the past five years or so, and I have been comparing them to Gourmet (subscribe) and Food & Wine. I have seen the quality of the content diminish over the past years. The Recipes Request section has frankly begun to offend me- swooping too low.However, I keep some of the old issues around- especially, some of the holiday recipes for the day when I actually will have to cook a turkey and I can't reach my parents. But my parent's stuffing recipes are better, anyhow. If you want something for everyday, no-hassle cooking, this is probably the best choice. Pretty straightforward. Unlike Gourmet, this mag lacks helpful "the how-to" to supplement their recipes. For example, in the back of Gourmet, if they have a merigue recipe, they include a Julia Child step by step instruction. I would also agree with a previous reviewer, who noted that sometimes it is hard to distinguish the articles from the ads. That speaks loudly.
Rating:  - Best cooking magazine
Bon Appetit is probably the best cooking magazine out there. While I frequently buy others at the store, Bon Appetit is the only one to which I subscribe. First, I love the recipes, and the magazine is always full of them. The recipes for each issue always correspond well to the time of the year, taking advantage of impending holidays as well as the produce that's freshest. The magazine has a variety of articles, including a series of regulars. For example, one column features reader requests for recipes from their favorite local restaurants. They also have a series of recipes that take 30 minutes or less. Of course, the majority of the recipes are upscale and not simple. I don't make many of the recipes on a day-to-day basis, but definitely pull them out when I have guests. I have had many successful dinner parties thanks to Bon Appetit! Best of all, the magazine has a corresponding website that chronicles past recipes and has a bunch of other extras.
Rating: - Extremely accessible--covers a wide range
I have been a fan of Bon Appetit for 12 years. This is the magazine that taught me to cook. I have grown with this magazine, starting out as a complete amateur. Which means that it's highly accessible to a wide range of cooking abilities. Bon Appetit has introduced me to a multitude of foods and cooking methods I knew nothing about and which are now fully integrated into my repertoire. It brings fine and quality cooking in an easily accessible manner to the uninitiated. It's loaded with a wide range of entertaining options, from simple to sophisticated. And thanks to Bon Appetit, I am able to play "gourmet cook" on a nightly basis. It's loaded with genuinely simple, accessible recipes that still allow you to practice cooking on busy weeknights and eat quality food in a sophisticated yet simple manner. I look forward to each new issue every month--it's a joy to read, and you certainly can't get to cooking every recipe. But it's fun to dream!As a vegetarian, I find many recipes that accommodate my food interests or are easily converted. I believe Bon Appetit recognizes the growing vegetarian market and makes a concerted effort to cater to it without alienating its carnivorous following. Even the annual grilling issue in the summer, which is generally the least accessible to me, still has vegetarian recipes. I highly recommend this magazine if you like to experiment and want to learn how to cook. The recipes are explicit, well illustrated, and cover a wide variety of tastes. They're interesting and fun!
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