Best 50 Magazines

Via MediaBistro, the Chicago Tribune has an article on the Best 50 Magazines. At the top is Cook’s Illustrated:

1) Cook’s Illustrated. The measure of a magazine is how well it covers its chosen field, and in that regard, Cook’s is a gem, notable both for the quality of its recipes, for its testing of kitchen gadgets and for the obsessiveness of its recipe testing (“Now I had solved the problem of the soggy crust, but there was still work to do. The egg wash had proven only deflective, not impermeable…”). Even if you’re not a foodie, this magazine’s tart, skeptical prose is well worth reading, and its product reviews are as trustworthy as can be, given its exhaustive testing and the fact that it doesn’t take any ads. […]

Cook’s Illustrated really is good, and I had a trial subscription for a while (I let it lapse only because I didn’t have enough time to read it). The Tribune’s description makes the magazine seem almost esoteric, but it’s very down to earth. Most useful are their tests of common kitchen tools and everyday food items (one issue had a comparison of a few dozen supermarket cheddars, for instance). Hmm, maybe I should give it another try.