America's Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen is a half-hour long cooking show broadcast by PBS and Create. The program currently is co-hosted by Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster.[1]

America's Test Kitchen
Also known as	America's Test Kitchen from Cooks Illustrated
Genre	Cooking
Presented by	Christopher Kimball (2001–2016) Julia Collin Davison (cast member, 2001–present; host, 2017–present) Bridget Lancaster (cast member, 2001–present; host, 2017–present)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	20
No. of episodes	489 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Jack Bishop Kaitlin Keleher Julia Collin Davison Bridget Lancaster
Production locations	Brookline, Massachusetts (seasons 1-18) Boston, Massachusetts (seasons 19- )
Running time	27 minutes
Production companies	WETA America's Test Kitchen Productions
Distributor	American Public Television
Release
Original network	PBS/Create
Original release	August 4, 2001 – present
External links
Website

On the show, a handful of test cooks are filmed in a real, working test kitchen. Hosts Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster and chefs Keith Dresser, Becky Hays, Lan Lam, Erin McMurrer, Elle Simone Scott, and Dan Souza prepare recipes as they discuss what works, what doesn't, and why, highlighting the rigorous recipe testing process at the core of the test kitchen's mission. Equipment expert Adam Ried, gadget critic Lisa McManus, and tasting expert Jack Bishop help viewers understand what to look for when buying gear and ingredients.[2]

The show is affiliated with America's Test Kitchen, publishers of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and beginning in Season 19, the show is recorded at ATK's test kitchen facility at the Innovation and Design Building in Boston, Massachusetts .[3]

The America's Test Kitchen brand also produces cookbooks, podcasts, and websites associated with each show and magazine, offering recipes, equipment and ingredient reviews, and tips. While the television shows have underwriters to cover their costs, the magazines and websites are subscriber-supported and do not carry advertising. Beginning in September 2018, ATK launched America's Test Kitchen Kids.[4]

Episode format

A typical episode of the show consists primarily of two or three recipes that are consistent with the theme of the episode. Each recipe is tested 40-60 times before appearing on the show or in the books, at an average cost of US$10,000; they also have a network of 35,000 people who have volunteered to test them.[5] For broadcast, each recipe is presented by a test cook to one of the hosts, Julia Collin Davison or Bridget Lancaster, who walk through recipe steps, explain common problems that can occur when cooking it, and share discoveries made during the testing and the science behind the recipe using instructional graphics. Periodically throughout the episode, other segments are inserted, usually consisting of two or more of the following:[6]

• An Equipment-Testing segment, where Adam Ried reviews kitchen equipment and explains the best product to buy.
• A Tasting Lab segment, where an ingredient or several representative supermarket brands of a prepared food product is run through expert and audience tasting panels and taste-tested by one of the hosts
• A Science Desk segment, discussing the science behind a pertinent technique used in the recipe
• A Quick Tips segment, demonstrating tips and tricks from Cook's Illustrated magazine and viewers' emails and letters
• A Gadget Expert segment, which reviews and ranks small kitchen gadgets

Through season 6 the show was taped in standard definition, 4:3 video; season 7 saw the show switch to widescreen 16:9 video. The high definition version of the show is broadcast as part of PBS HD's master digital schedule, and by some PBS affiliates as part of their normal schedules.

During recording, 26 episodes are videotaped during a three-week period. Six recipes are recorded per day, and there are two recipes demonstrated per episode.[7]

Cast

America's Test Kitchen features several recurring cast members, although not every cast member appears in each episode.[8]

Julia Collin Davison (identified on-screen before season 7 as "Julia Collin"), Bridget Lancaster, Kay Rentschler, Rebecca "Becky" Hays, Sandra Wu, Yvonne Ruperti, J. Kenji Alt (now J. Kenji Lopez-Alt), Erika Bruce, Bryan Roof and Dan Souza are the chefs who explain and prepare the recipes in each episode as Kimball watches and comments.[9]

Yvonne Ruperti and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt departed the company in 2011 and 2009 respectively; Christopher Kimball, ATK co-founder, editor and publisher, who appeared from the show's inception through 2016, parted ways with the company and the show in the fall of that year over a contract dispute.[10]

Usually only one or two of the chefs will appear in an episode. Collin Davison, Lancaster and Rentschler appeared as regular cast members on season 1. Since, Rentschler moved to the positions of Culinary Producer and Executive Chef by season 2 and appeared in only one episode that season, before leaving the show by Season 3. Hays joined the permanent cast in season 5, Bruce, Wu, and Ruperti each appear for a single season (seasons 5, 6, and 8, respectively), and Alt appears in seasons 7 and 8. All are prominent recipe testers or editors in Cook's Illustrated.

Beginning in season 5, Cook's Illustrated staff chefs Hays, Bruce, Jeremy Sauer, and Matthew Card appeared in segments answering common viewer mail questions. Hays, Bruce, and Sauer joined the on-camera cast for season 6; Hays moved into credited cast member status beginning in season 7. Roof and Souza were added to the regular cast starting season 15.

• Christopher Kimball, the show's host for seasons 1-16, was the co-founder, editor and publisher of American's Test Kitchen and its associated magazine, book, television and radio programs from their inception through 2016. Kimball and ATK parted company in the fall of 2016 over a contract dispute.[10]
• Julia Collin Davison, executive food editor for the cookbook division, took over as co-host of “America’s Test Kitchen” alongside Bridget Lancaster with the start of season 17 in January 2017 and took over Kimball's role in introducing the recipes featured in each episode. Collin Davison appeared in most episodes of “America’s Test Kitchen” seasons 1-16, but will appear in all upcoming episodes (January 2017). Collin Davison will continue cooking selected recipes on each episode with the help of current and new cast.
• Bridget Lancaster, executive food editor for television, radio and new media, appeared as a regular cast member in seasons 1-16 and joins Julia Collin Davison as host in all episodes beginning in season 17. Lancaster will also continue to cook through select recipes on upcoming episodes alongside other cast members.
• Jack Bishop, Chief Creative Officer for America's Test Kitchen, appears in most episodes hosting the Tasting Lab segment. In the Tasting Lab, he describes a tasting panel's opinions on different brands of the food or ingredient in question, as Kimball, Lancaster or Davison tastes several of the items blind. After Kimball, Lancaster or Collin Davison provides his or her thoughts on the different varieties, Bishop reveals the brands that Kimball, Lancaster or Collin Davison tasted and compares his or her thoughts to those of the tasting panel. Bishop and Kimball frequently refer to a running joke that Kimball's tastes are often vastly different from the tasting panel's; as an example, in a segment tasting bottled waters, Kimball picked Boston tap water over all the brands of bottled water. Bishop also hosts the Cook's Illustrated podcast.[11]
• Dan Souza is editor-in-chief of Cook's Illustrated magazine.[12]
• Adam Ried appears in most episodes as the host of the Equipment Corner segment. In his segment, he shows several brands of a piece of kitchen equipment and often asks Kimball, Lancaster or Collin Davison to use several of the items or eat food prepared with different brands. In the end, he identifies the test kitchen's preferred brand and demonstrates its key features. For particularly expensive items, he often identifies a best buy: an item that was ranked highly but is significantly less expensive than the top brand. Throughout the show's run, items previously tested in other seasons have been retested as technology changes warrant; for instance, in season 8, garlic presses were retested due to the failure of the non-stick coating on the previous winning brand after heavy usage, and a new favorite brand was chosen. Occasionally the Equipment Corner segment does not focus on a single piece of equipment; instead, a "buy it/don't buy it" format is used to pick the best items among newer, trendier kitchen gadgets. One of Ried's favorite "buy it" gadgets was a timer that came with its own lanyard so cooks could wear it around their necks and not have to be in visual range of the oven timer; Ried revealed, however, that the timer was normally used to stay one step ahead of local traffic law enforcers by signaling that it was time to feed the meter or move the car.
• Lisa McManus first appeared as the show's gadget expert in season 10, reviewing smaller kitchen gadgets in short segments. She is executive testing and tasting editor at America's Test Kitchen.
• John "Doc" Willoughby hosted the Science Desk segment in the show's first two seasons but was gradually phased out during season 3. After he became executive editor of Gourmet magazine, there was no Science Desk segment for two seasons. John "Doc" Willoughby returned to America's Test Kitchen in 2010.[13]
• Odd Todd (Todd Rosenberg) designs animations for the Science Desk segment, illustrating such concepts as flambé, brining, marinating vs. dry spice rubs, and whether plastic or wooden cutting boards are better for overall kitchen hygiene. His segments made their debut in season 5 but were replaced by non-animated segments with Jeremy Sauer in season 6. The animations returned for season 7, interspersed with non-animated science segments done by Kimball and Sauer.
• Guy Crosby is the science adviser for America's Test Kitchen. He began working for Cook's Illustrated as a consulting editor in early 2005.[14]
• Rebecca "Becky" Hays, Dan Souza, Keith Dresser, Elle Simone,[15] Erin McMurrer and Lan Lam are the chefs who explain and prepare the recipes in each episode as the host watches and comments. Usually only one or two of the chefs will appear in an episode. Collin Davison, Lancaster and Rentschler appeared as regular cast members on season 1. Since, Rentschler moved to the positions of Culinary Producer and Executive Chef by season 2 and appeared in only one episode that season, before leaving the show by Season 3.[16] Hays joined the permanent cast in season 5, Bruce, Wu, and Ruperti each appear for a single season (seasons 5, 6, and 8, respectively), and Alt appears in seasons 7 and 8. All are prominent recipe testers or editors in Cook's Illustrated. Beginning in season 5, Cook's Illustrated staff chefs Hays, Bruce, Jeremy Sauer, and Matthew Card appeared in segments answering common viewer mail questions. Hays, Bruce, and Sauer joined the on-camera cast for season 6; Hays moved into credited cast member status beginning in season 7. Souza and Bryan Roof were added to the regular cast starting season 15. Chin, Dresser and Simone were added to the regular cast starting season 17. Also during Season 17, McMurrer and Roof traded places, with McMurrer moving from the cast of sister show Cook's Country to America's Test Kitchen and Roof moving from the America's Test Kitchen cast to Cook's Country. Lan Lam has been added to the cast in season 19 while Tim Chin left the rotation.

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	13		August 4, 2001	October 27, 2001
2	26		January 5, 2002	June 29, 2002
3	26		January 4, 2003	June 28, 2003
4	26		January 3, 2004	June 26, 2004
5	26		January 1, 2005	June 25, 2005
6	26		January 7, 2006	July 1, 2006
7	26		January 6, 2007	June 30, 2007
8	26		January 5, 2008	June 28, 2008
9	26		January 3, 2009	June 27, 2009
10	26		January 2, 2010	June 26, 2010
11	26		January 8, 2011	June 25, 2011
12	26		January 7, 2012	June 30, 2012
13	26		January 5, 2013	June 29, 2013
14	26		January 4, 2014	June 28, 2014
15	26		January 3, 2015	July 18, 2015
16	26		January 2, 2016	July 30, 2016
17	26		January 7, 2017	July 1, 2017
18	26		January 6, 2018	June 30, 2018
19	26		January 5, 2019	August 3, 2019
20	26		January 4, 2020	June 27, 2020
21	26		January 2, 2021	June 26, 2021

Other media

Books

Date Published	Title	Description	New York Times Best Seller
February 15, 2011	Slow Cooker Revolution	One Test Kitchen. 30 Slow Cookers. 200 Amazing Recipes.
March 15, 2013	Pressure Cooker Perfection	100 Foolproof Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
September 10, 2013	Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2	The Easy-Prep Edition
October 15, 2013	The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook	Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook.
March 4, 2014	The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook	Revolutionary Techniques. Groundbreaking Recipes.
October 13, 2014	100 Recipes	The Absolute Best Ways To Make The True Essentials
October 20, 2014	The Cook's Illustrated Meat Book	The Game-Changing Guide That Teaches You How to Cook Meat and Poultry with 425 Bulletproof Recipes
October 27, 2014	The New Family Cookbook	All-New Edition of the Best-Selling Classic with 1,100 New Recipes
January 1, 2015	Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution	One Test Kitchen. 40 Slow Cookers. 200 Fresh Recipes.
March 1, 2015	The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook	A Fresh Guide to Eating Well with 700 Foolproof Recipes
April 15, 2015	The Best Mexican Recipes	Kitchen-Tested Recipes Put the Real Flavors of Mexico Within Reach
August 11, 2015	Cook's Country Eats Local	150 Regional Recipes You Should Be Making No Matter Where You Live
October 13, 2015	The How Can It Be Gluten-Free Cookbook Volume 2	New Whole-Grain Flour Blend. 75+ Dairy-Free Recipes.
October 27, 2015	The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2016	Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show with Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes
February 23, 2016	Cook It in Cast Iron	Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All
April 26, 2016	Master of the Grill	Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science
April 26, 2016	Foolproof Preserving	A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments, and More
August 23, 2016	Naturally Sweet	Bake All Your Favorites with 30% to 50% Less Sugar
September 6, 2016	Bread Illustrated	A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving Bakery-Quality Results At Home
October 4, 2016	Cook's Science	How to Unlock Flavor in 50 of our Favorite Ingredients
October 4, 2016	The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2017	The Year's Best Recipes, Equipment Reviews, and Tastings
October 25, 2016	What Good Cooks Know	20 Years of Test Kitchen Expertise in One Essential Handbook
December 27, 2016	The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook	500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day
April 4, 2017	Vegan for Everybody	Foolproof Plant-Based Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and In-Between
July 11, 2017	The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook	From Appetizers to Desserts 500 Recipes You Can Make in Advance
November 28, 2017	The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook	650 Recipes for Everything You'll Ever Want to Make
February 6, 2018	How to Roast Everything	A Game-Changing Guide to Building Flavor in Meat, Vegetables, and More
February 27, 2018	Just Add Sauce	A Revolutionary Guide to Boosting the Flavor of Everything You Cook
March 27, 2018	The Perfect Cake	Your Ultimate Guide to Classic, Modern, and Whimsical Cakes
April 17, 2018	Multicooker Perfection	Cook it Fast or Cook it Slow - You Decide
April 17, 2018	Dinner Illustrated	175 Meals Ready in 1 Hour or Less
August 28, 2018	The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Season 11 Edition	Every Recipe, Every Ingredient Tasting, Every Equipment Rating From All 11 Seasons
September 4, 2018	All Time Best Brunch	Standout recipes and time-tested tips
September 4, 2018	All Time Best Dinners for Two	Leave it to America's Test Kitchen to help you get a perfectly scaled dinner for two on the table - no guesswork required
September 25, 2018	The New Essentials Cookbook	A Modern Guide to Better Cooking
September 25, 2018	Sous Vide For Everybody	The Easy, Foolproof Cooking Technique That's Sweeping the World
October 2, 2018	The Best of America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2019	Every Recipe From The Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes.
October 16, 2018	The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs	100 kid-tested, kid approved recipes for every kid chef
October 16, 2018	123 the Farm and Me	Readers will have fun counting along as they go from the farm, to the store, to their kitchen, to their table to share a dinner
October 16, 2018	A is for Artichoke	Words and definitions that are sure to delight babies and foodies alike
October 23, 2018	Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes	Groundbreaking techniques. Compelling voices. One-of-a-kind Recipes.
November 6, 2018	The Complete Diabetes Cookbook	The Healthy Way to Eat the Foods You Love
December 4, 2018	Cook it in Your Dutch Oven	150 Foolproof Recipes Tailor-Made for Your Kitchen's Most Versatile Pot
January 29, 2019	Air Fryer Perfection	From Crispy Fries and Juicy Steaks to Perfect Vegetables, What to cook & How to Get the Best Results
February 12, 2019	How to Braise Everything	Classic, Modern, and Global Dishes Using a Time-Honored Technique
March 5, 2019	Vegetable Illustrated	An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes
April 2, 2019	The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook	The Very Best Purees, Finger Foods, and Toddler Meals for Happy Families
April 30, 2019	The Ultimate Burger	Plus DIY Condiments, Sides, and Boozy Milkshakes
May 14, 2019	Spiced	Unlock the Power of Spices to Transform Your Cooking
June 11, 2019	Instant Pot Ace Blender Cook Book	Foolproof Recipes for the Blender That Also Cooks
August 27, 2019	The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Season 12 Edition	Every Recipe, Every Ingredient Testing, Every Equipment Rating From All 11 Seasons
September 3, 2019	Stir Crack Whisk Bake	A Little Book about Little Cakes
September 3, 2019	Cookies for Santa	The Story of How Santa's Favorite Cookie Saved Christmas
September 10, 2019	The Perfect Pie	Your Ultimate Guide to Classic and Modern Pies, Tarts, Galettes, and More
October 1, 2019	The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs	100+ Sweet & Savory Recipes That You'll Love To Bake, Share & Eat!
October 8, 2019	How to Cocktail	Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks
November 5, 2019	Side Dish Bible	1001 Perfect Recipes for Every Vegetable, Rice, Grain, and Bean Dish You Will Ever Need
December 17, 2019	Bowls	Vibrant Recipes with Endless Possibilities
December 31, 2019	Mediterranean Instant Pot	Easy, Inspired Meals for Eating Well
January 28, 2020	Big Flavors from Italian America	Family-Style Favorites from Coast to Coast
January 28, 2020	Everything Chocolate	A Decadent Collection of Morning Pastries, Nostalgic Sweets, and Showstopping Desserts
March 3, 2020	My First Cookbook	Fun recipes to cook together
March 31, 2020	Easy Everyday Keto	Healthy Kitchen-Perfected Recipes
April 7, 2020	100 Techniques	Master a Lifetime of Cooking Skills, from Basic to Bucket List
April 21, 2020	The Complete Summer Cookbook	Beat the Heat with 400 Recipes that Make the Most of Summer's Bounty
May 5, 2020	Foolproof Fish	Modern Recipes for Everyone, Everywhere
September 1, 2020	Cooking for One	Scaled Recipes, No-Waste Solutions, and Time-Saving Tips for Cooking for Yourself
October 27, 2020	Meat Illustrated	A Foolproof Guide to Understanding and Cooking with Cuts of All Kinds
October 27, 2020	The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2021	Every Recipe
November 3, 2020	Complete One Pot Cookbook	400 Complete Meals
November 17, 2020	How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook Collection	350+ Groundbreaking Recipes for All Your Favorites
December 1, 2020	Complete Plant-Based Cookbook	500 Inspired, Flexible Recipes for Eating Well without Meat

Radio shows

Awards

Year	Title	Award
2016	America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Culinary Program[17]
2016	Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Culinary Program[17]
2012	America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Winner: Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program[18]
2012	Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program[18]
2011	America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host[19]
2011	America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Culinary Program[19]
2010	America's Test Kitchen	Daytime Emmy Award Nomination: Outstanding Culinary Program[20]

References

1. Maloney, Ann (3 March 2016). "2 new hosts for 'America's Test Kitchen' to succeed Christopher Kimball". Nola. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
2. "Behind the scenes at America's Test Kitchen". CBS News. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
3. Baskin, Kara (23 October 2019). "America's Test Kitchen goes from homey brownstone to bells and whistles in the Seaport". Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
4. Neary, Lynn (21 October 2018). "What's Cookin', Kiddo? America's Test Kitchen Unveils Book For Young Chefs". NPR. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
5. Ryssdal, Kai (November 20, 2019). "David Nussbaum of America's Test Kitchen on working with cooking superstars". Marketplace. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
6. "Watch Sunday Morning: Inside America's Test Kitchen - Full show on CBS All Access". www.cbs.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
7. Christopher Kimball interview (2015-01-10). Central Texas Gardener (Television production). Austin, Texas, United States: KLRU-TV, Austin PBS.
8. "Meet the Cast". Boston Common Press. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
9. "ATK illustrated: Go inside the new home of America's Test Kitchen". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
10. "Christopher Kimball to Leave American's Test Kitchen". Cook's Illustrated. November 16, 2015.
11. "Cook's Illustrated podcast". Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. Dan Souza Named Editor-In-Chief of Cook's Illustrated
13. John "Doc" Willoughby has returned to America's Test Kitchen
14. http://www.americastestkitchen.com/tour/
15. First, Devra (3 December 2018). "Meet the America's Test Kitchen star who dreams of being the culinary Oprah". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
16. America's Test Kitchen: The Full Season 1 (DVD). Boston, Massachusetts: Cook's Illustrated. 2006-10-10.
17. Bricker, Tierney (24 March 2016). "2016 Daytime Emmy Nominations: Check Out the Full List of Nominees". E! News. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
18. OnTheRedCarpet.com Staff. "OTRC: DAYTIME EMMYS 2012: FULL LIST OF WINNERS". abc7. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
19. Brion, Raphael (11 May 2011). "2011 Daytime Emmy Award Nominations Announced". Eater. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
20. Rorke, Robert (13 May 2010). "Daytime Emmy Nominees Revealed". New York Post. Retrieved 10 February 2017.

External links

• Official website
• America's Test Kitchen at IMDb
• America's Test Kitchen's channel on YouTube
• America's Test Kitchen Online Cooking School
• Cook's Illustrated
• Cook's Country
• Cook's Science