The 3 Food Magazines Alton Brown Swears By

Alton Brown might be best known for his TV show "Good Eats," but the accomplished chef consumes as much food media as he produces. In an interview with Spoon University, Brown was asked what some of his favorite food magazines are. And the opinionated culinary celebrity has no trouble sharing hits thoughts either. From his favorite cookbook (out of 2,000 he owns) to his favorite restaurants across the United States, Brown knows what he likes. In this case, he immediately rattled off not one or two, but three publications he reads often.

"You know, I like Bon Appétit from the '80s because the truth is there aren't that many recipes, they all just get recycled," Brown said. "I really like the magazine Saveur because it also teaches you about cultures, which is a really great thing. And if you really want to understand cooking, Cook's Illustrated." While his overview provides a glimpse into what each offers, let's take a closer look at the magazines.

Bon Appétit might be best known these days for its wildly popular test kitchen videos. Though the magazine does offer a deep library of recipes just as Brown suggests, the test kitchen is a key part of testing and updating those recipes he says are recycled. Food personalities such as Claire Saffitz, Molly Baz, and Brad Leone were catapulted into their respective careers after the magazine shared playful videos of them working behind the scenes in the test kitchen.

Saveur magazine was brought back to life by its test kitchen. Kat Craddock, a former test kitchen cook, acquired the magazine and relaunched its print edition in 2024. Today, Saveur is carefully telling stories tied to the deep history and culture behind today's trends, beloved ingredients, and the places food reflects.

Cook's Illustrated, which is produced by America's Test Kitchen, focuses on rigorous testing of both tools and recipes to help home cooks master techniques and become better cooks. It's this highly scientific approach that helps people really "understand cooking" as Brown said. While there are plenty of excellent cookbooks out there (just take a look at Tasting Table's top 25 picks), there's clearly a complementary place for food magazines in Brown's heart.