The Absolute Best Way To Access The Latest Cookbooks Is Also Completely Free

Buying cookbooks is a great way to support your favorite chef or local bookstore, but they aren't cheap and can quickly become an expensive habit if you're keen on collecting all of the newest cookbooks. Along with the monetary expenses, cookbooks are usually larger than traditional books and can take up a lot of valuable shelf real estate in your home, especially if you don't reach for and use them often. Thankfully, there's an entirely free and easy way to access all the latest cookbooks without any commitment by borrowing them from the library. 

Borrowing physical cookbooks or digital copies from your local library is a great way to take the latest cookbooks for a test drive, so to speak, to see if you actually enjoy the recipes within the book or if the recipes do indeed yield good results in your kitchen. The Libby app allows users to download cookbooks instantly, if available, or put new or popular cookbooks on hold to be downloaded when they're back in stock. Additionally, the Overdrive app also has access to cookbooks, as well as free digital current and past editions of popular food magazines. Many library websites will have a "Coming Soon" section where you can browse soon-to-be-added books by category, so you should be able to see any newly released cookbooks there. If you're wondering when a newly published cookbook will become available but can't find it online, never underestimate the value of speaking with a librarian at your local branch. 

Public libraries are full of knowledge waiting to be shared, and that even includes culinary techniques. Checking out a cookbook from the library is a fantastic, low-risk way to try out a new cuisine or type of cooking that you're unfamiliar with. While they house traditional cookbooks, many public libraries will also carry niche culinary content or recipe collections that are focused on the surrounding city or county, including vintage cookbooks and community publications from women's or church groups, as well as decades' worth of menus from restaurants around the city. Public libraries will usually carry cookbooks in many different languages as well, and budding mixologists can often find mixology and cocktail books. 

If you love the cookbook you've borrowed, then you'll know that it's a wise investment for your collection, and you can go out and purchase that book from your local bookseller. Conversely, if you borrow a cookbook from the library and aren't happy with some aspect of it, then you haven't wasted money or space on a book that you'll never use again. It's good to note that while the library usually carries a vast array of cookbooks, likely most of the 11 classic cookbooks every home chef should have, the specific one you're looking for may not be available immediately, so temper your expectations accordingly. Not only is the public library a great place to get cookbooks, but you can also borrow kitchen tools rather than buying new ones.