I was perusing the internet for an EZ-PZ shredded beef recipe for the Instant Pot. This got me to thinking, why buy a cookbook?
There are so many recipes, pictures, videos, and related information only a few clicks away.
Cookbooks do not need power, and they are portable.
Pit Barrel Cooker
Weber Master-Touch
Blackstone Omnivore 4 Burner Griddle
Thermoworks: Signals, Billows, Thermopens, Thermopops, Nodes, bunch of silicone stuff, and more!
OnlyFire Rotisserie w/ Basket attachment for the Weber
Vortex for the Weber
Both of Meathead's books!
Way too many BBQ related accessories, tools, and doo-dads!
Even us kids who graduated HS in the mid-80's were pretty analog, outside of video games and maybe video rentals. I prefer a book or a written recipe on piece of paper/recipe card. Just easier to lay it flat on the counter next to my prep area.
If I'm sitting on the couch, relaxing, I prefer to have a book to read.
That being said, I spend an inordinate amount of time on the site here, and do use my phone an awful lot for recipes these days.
My intention (eventually) will be to plug our favorite paper and digital recipes into Paprika, thus making sure we don't have to pull out the paper. Mostly, so we can keep the paper clean and pass it down to our kids, but also so I can reference recipes quicker, find things faster, and have more variants on my usual cooks.
I'm a mix of both when it comes to recipes. The Paprika app has moved more toward digital in that regard, but I still use paper recipes as well.
I'm strictly old school when it comes to reading. I want an actual book as opposed to an ebook... now, get off my lawn
I reference online but enjoy a printed book more. I dislike many of the online postings as you have to get through all the unrelated nonsense that the author posted first. I really don't care about your family and travels, I want the recipe. Also I have no idea what your skill levels are, anybody can post.
Smoker:
Landmann Smoke Master Series Heavy Duty Barrel Smoker (COS) - With mods including 2 level rack system with pull-out grates
Masterbuilt ThermoTemp XL 40" Vertical Propane Smoker
Weber Smokey Joe with mini-WSM Tamale Pot modification
The Good One Marshall
Gas Grill:
BBQPro (cheap big box store model) Stainless steel 4 burnerswith aftermarket rotisserie.
Brook King Regal S490 Pro
Charcoal Grill:
Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill 14"
Thermometer:
2 x Fireboard 2 with Drive cable and 20 CFM fan and Competition Probe Package
ThermoWorks Mini Instant Read
Lavaworks Thermowand Instant Read
ThermoWorks IR-GUN-S Industrial Infrared Thermometer
ThermoWorks ThermaPen Mk4 x 2
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
Govee Bluetooth Thermometer with 6 probes
Miscellaneous:
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator - 1st generation
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator - wifi/bluetooth connected
Favorite Beer:
Anything to the dark side and malty rather than hoppy. Currently liking Yuengling Porter and Newcastle Brown Ale. In a bar or pub I will often default to Guiness
Favorite Spirit:
Bourbon - Eagle Rare for "every day"; Angel's Envy for special occasions, Basil Hayden's, Larceny
Favorite Wine:
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Super Tuscan Sangiovese (Including Chianti Classico Riserva) Brunello di Montalcino
Favorite Meat(s):
Pork - especially the darker meat. I love spare ribs and anything made from shoulder/butt meat
Chicken - Mainly the dark meat and wings
Beef Ribeye steak
Favorite Cuisine to Cook:
Can't list just one: Indian, Chinese, Thai, West Indian/Carribean, Hispanic/Latin American, Ethiopian, Italian, BBQ
Favorite Cuisine to Eat:
Indian, followed closely by BBQ.
I rarely pick up the many cookbooks in our family anymore but I do have a very large hanging file with my own recipes that I mainly get from All Recipes, Chef Billi Parisi and our own Amazing Ribs here. I then print them off. I guess it is a cookbook however it only contains the recipes that I use or want to use.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
a few big reasons for me .... First, I still like the feel of a book in my hand and the photographs. These just aren't the same from a visual and tactile perspective with a webpage on an LCD screen. Second, there are some cookbook authors I genuinely find valuable where you can't easily get their recipes from freely available websites. And I want to make sure they are compensated so that they continue to produce great recipes. Third, many of the freely available recipes I've found just aren't that great. And finally, I like a coherent story behind the food and that is difficult to find on recipe websites, in my general experience.
I have several apps with the recipes that I can print out, and make my own cookbook of what I need.
I use a hole punch and a 3 ring binder. I have them categorized by type of meat, side dish, veggies...
If I use several of their online recipes, I’ll buy the book. More to support them than anything else.
ChatGPT is writing my new cookbook and gemini is proofreading it. Now I just need an attorney to write the waiver for the shrink wrap to protect myself from anyone that actually uses it.By opening this book you agree…
Just like Finster I enjoy both medium.
I have a bunch of recipes digitally booked marked, which we use all the time. But I enjoy my cook books!
Attached is our library. The center section, third shelf is the the cookbook shelf.
There’s a lot of garbage on the internet. Too many opinions that crowd out good info. My daughter finally realized after making a couple viral ticktock recipes that it’s mostly hype and not that good. If there’s a chef I like, I’ll work my way through their entire catalog. For example, I have both Suzanne Goin’s books and EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, I’ve made from her is excellent. And almost none of her recipes are online. The internet is a great resource for sure but it’ll never replace my favorite cookbooks.
I don’t have room anywhere for a cookbook, every inch of kitchen space is filled with something I use a lot. The books I do have in my kitchen are more The Food Lab, Salt Fat Acid Heat, kind of books more for the techniques and ingredient understanding,
And for some reason I only use YouTube for music, ( I am experimenting loading bread shaping etc onto YouTube for friends to watch as they learn) I wish I used Paprika, I am so un tech savvy though, it is not an easy tool for me for some reason. Of course this site including the free side to learn from everyone and especially Meathead on meat science, and so much more. So much wisdom and talent with every function of cooking - kitchen craft here!
If I had space, I would definitely have a cookbook addiction.
Last edited by Richard Chrz; February 13, 2026, 10:36 AM.
I can read recipes and watch certain videos, depending on who it is and have found a few I want to try. I like cookbooks even though I rarely find more than a few recipes in any one book that I will make.
I find it difficult to read stories/books on a digital reader or even an iPad, but if I am composing, I do a lot better on a keyboard.
I like the recipes I use to be the traditional list of ingredients followed by clear, verbal directions in sentences. It can be in a book, on the iPad, on a 3x5 card, or even a scrap of paper (thanks grandma). I don’t want instructions via pictures. I don’t want to have to figure out what the picture means or spend time looking for the key to the graphics. Just gimme words.
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