America's Test Kitchen review

America's Test Kitchen suits the cook who already follows recipes and wants to understand them. Its App Store listing describes 14,000+ recipes from America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country, each with a Why This Recipe Works note, tested by test cooks and 70,000 volunteer home cooks. ATK Classes is the app-exclusive add-on that turns this into a cooking class: focused on-demand classes taught by test kitchen experts, a Cook Along mode that shows every step, and classes for all skill levels. The same membership includes 8,000+ product reviews and ad-free episodes from 42 seasons of the TV shows. On the US App Store the Essential + Classes bundle costs $89.99 a year, about $7.50 a month, or $19.99 month to month; ATK Essential alone is $49.99 a year. The catch is that the app requires an ATK Essential membership, and classes are recorded, so there is no live chef to ask in the moment.

Who it is for

recipe-driven cooks who want to know why a method works

Price

Essential + Classes annual plan $89.99 on the US App Store (about $7.50 a month); monthly bundle $19.99; free trial.

Essential + Classes - Annual $89.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• ATK Classes: on-demand classes taught by test kitchen experts for all skill levels
• Cook Along mode that shows every step
• 14,000+ recipes, each with a Why This Recipe Works note
• 8,000+ product reviews and ingredient ratings
• Full ad-free episodes from 42 seasons of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Classes come bundled with the full recipe and review archive
• Strength: The annual bundle costs $89.99 on the US App Store
• Strength: Recipes are tested by test cooks and 70,000 volunteer home cooks
• Weakness: The app requires an ATK Essential membership
• Weakness: Classes are on-demand, not live
• Weakness: The class add-on is described as app-exclusive

Key facts

• Essential + Classes, annual: $89.99
• Essential + Classes, monthly: $19.99
• Recipes: 14,000+
• Product reviews: 8,000+

Where it ranks

America's Test Kitchen is No. 1 in our Best Online Cooking Classes verdict.