Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Great Cooking Magazine
Bon Appetit is such an underrated magazine for people who like to cook.I am a longtime subscriber, and I have kept all of the past issues. The magazine is always full of both easy and sophisticated recipes. You will really love the November and December issues, with Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hannukah recipes. The photography, the recipes, the product descriptions, the cookbook reviews, this magazine has it all. In comparison to its closest rivals, which I perceive to be Gourmet, Cook's Illustrated, and Cooking Light, Bon Appetit is the clear winner. Gourmet is too high end, with a sparse design style. Cook's Illustrated lack the photography that is essential to a cooking magazine. In my view, Cooking Light is both too niche and too low end. Bon Appetit sets the perfect tone. Don't let the title scare you away.
Rating: - Not the flashiest food magazine, but consistently delivers.
Of the three primary cooking magazines (Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food and Wine), Bon Appetit is the one about how people cook on a daily basis. There is some travel and restaurant coverage, but it is not the focus of the magazine like it is in Gourmet. There are articles on wine and contemporary recipes combining exotic ingredients, but not to the same extent you find in Food and Wine. Here, the food is the star, and it lives up to its top billing. For people who cook more often than on special occassions, this is the magazine for you. The photography displays the food to advantage and the recipes are consistently well-written and produce delicious results. While you will find complex and elaborate recipes that are fun to make when you have the time, there are also plenty of recipes and menus that you can incorporate into your daily cooking. Bon Appetit may not be as flashy as its peers, but if you're looking for a magazine to cook with, this is the one.
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.
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