⚖️ The Kitchen Score
Cookbooks in our catalog carry a rating from 61 to 95. Here is exactly what goes into it.
What the number is made of
Our editorial review — each reviewed title gets a short editorial review on its page, with a rating from 1 to 5. The review looks at who the book is for, what it covers and where it falls short, based on the publisher's information and the edition's facts (pages, publication date, format). That rating is the core of the score.
Reader ratings — where a book has at least five published reader ratings (Open Library, Google Books), their average is blended in, each reader vote counting alongside the editorial verdict.
Updated as we learn more — when a new review is written or new reader ratings appear, the score is recalculated. We are adding reviews to more of the catalog every week.
Reading the scale
90–95 · Kitchen classic — the rare book we would put on any cook's shelf.
80–89 · Must-have — excellent for the cook it is written for; confidently recommended.
70–79 · Reliable pick — a good book of its kind that delivers what it promises.
61–69 · Good for its niche — useful to its particular audience; others may want something broader.
Our rules
- Publishers do not pay us for ratings or reviews.
- Even highly rated books have weaknesses — the review says what they are.
- Found an error? Tell us through the contact form and we will correct it.
