Cooking Basics for Dummies vs On Cooking: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Cookery, Cooking
Cooking Basics for Dummies
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Are you looking to dig yourself out of microwave dinners and learn the ropes of home cooking? Cooking Basics For Dummies, 5th Edition takes the intimidation out of cooking and helps you start cultivating your culinary…
On Cooking
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For courses in cooking and food prep. Market-leading cooking text For over two decades, On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals has prepared students for successful careers in the culinary arts. Clear and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate On Cooking highest: On Cooking 4.4 · Cooking Basics for Dummies 3.9.
- Cooking Basics for Dummies is the quickest read — about 8 hours vs 21 for On Cooking.
- On Cooking has the widest readership — 731 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Cooking Basics for Dummies | On Cooking | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (160) | 4.4 (731) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (2) | — |
| Google Books | 4.0 (2) | — |
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Reception
| Cooking Basics for Dummies | On Cooking | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 160 | 731 |
| Editions | 19 | 74 |
| Want to read | — | 2024 |
| Reading it now | — | 112 |
| Written reviews | — | 40 |
| Pages | 464 | 1184 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Cooking Basics for Dummies or On Cooking?
On Cooking has the higher combined reader rating across sources (On Cooking 4.4/5, Cooking Basics for Dummies 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Cooking Basics for Dummies or On Cooking?
Cooking Basics for Dummies is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Cooking Basics for Dummies (464 pages, ≈ 8 h 36 m); On Cooking (1184 pages, ≈ 21 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: Cooking Basics for Dummies or On Cooking?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Cooking Basics for Dummies: Moderate; On Cooking: Challenging.