The experienced English housekeeper vs The Forme of Cury: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: English Cooking, Early works to 1800, Cooking
The experienced English housekeeper
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The Experienced English Housekeeper is a cookery book by the English businesswoman Elizabeth Raffald (1733–1781). It was first published in 1769, and went through 13 authorised editions and at least 23 pirated ones.
The Forme of Cury
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The Forme of Cury (Forms of Cooking, cury being from French cuire) is an extensive recipe collection of the 14th century. Its authors are given as "the chief Master Cooks of King Richard II". The modern name was given…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Forme of Cury is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 7 for The experienced English housekeeper.
- The Forme of Cury has the widest readership — 138 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The experienced English housekeeper | The Forme of Cury | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.4 (19) | 4.0 (138) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.0 (1) |
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Reception
| The experienced English housekeeper | The Forme of Cury | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 19 | 138 |
| Editions | 32 | 42 |
| Citations | — | 1 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 83 | 188 |
| Reading it now | — | 54 |
| Written reviews | — | 15 |
| Wikipedia attention | 417 | 3244 |
| Pages | 384 | 161 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The experienced English housekeeper or The Forme of Cury?
The experienced English housekeeper has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The experienced English housekeeper 4.0/5, The Forme of Cury 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: The experienced English housekeeper or The Forme of Cury?
The Forme of Cury is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Forme of Cury (161 pages, ≈ 2 h 59 m); The experienced English housekeeper (384 pages, ≈ 7 h 07 m).
Which is harder to read: The experienced English housekeeper or The Forme of Cury?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The experienced English housekeeper: Demanding; The Forme of Cury: Demanding.