Fed up with food magazines

[maisonbistro]

So I pick up July's Gourmet, and I think to myself, hmmm, where's the REST of my magazine.... it's the thinnest issue ever I think. So, right after the holidays, advertising revenue is scarce so magazines are thinner but what's the excuse now??? I just galls me that I have to pay the same price for this flimsy excuse of an issue. What gives??? If I could, I would stick with Saveur and not buy anything else. I have been nothing but disappointed over and over again with both Bon Appetit and now Gourmet.

[emilief]

Funny, I just got an issue of Food and Wine in the mail (to which I do not subscribe but receive for some reason) and it was so thick I didn't have the patience to read it. it is still sitting in a pile somewhere unread.I get CI and really like it. practical, useful, and no ads!

[jjbourgeois]

I let all my subscriptions lapse. Even with the discount rate there was too much advertising and to many life style articles. Besides with the internet you can find any recipe you would ever want.

[condiment]

July is always a thin month for magazines - and yes, because of advertising. (There's more content in a July issue than you think, but fewer ads and way less advertorial.) Rest assured, you will see the fat behemoths again in fall.

[Cheflambo]

I concur -- July Gourmet arrived last week and seemed quite anemic. Summer is notoriously light on advertising, ergo a thinner mag. They'll get beefier as we approach the holidays. I subscribe to just about all the mainstream food 'zines, but Im growing fonder of Saveur with every issue. The writing is as tasty as the pictures.

[Leper]

The cost of printing paper has risen over 25% in less than 12 months. (The printing equivelent to $5.00 a gallon gasoline.) You'll see almost all publications--including newspapers--reformat and become smaller in size and page count.

[Firegoat]

I've always enjoyed Cook's Illustrated. Not the cheapest, but then it doesn't rely on advertising revenue. No full color food porn either.... but many of their illustrations on the back of the magazine covers are quite cute when framed for the kitchen.

[jjbourgeois]

Firegoat i'm glad i'm not the only one framing the back of CI. And my family thought I was crazy.

[KevinB]

I stopped reading Gourmet shortly after Ruth Reichl became the editor; I hated the design makeover, and it just didn't have the same "feel".

These days, the only cooking magazine I really enjoy is "Fine Cooking" - they really care about technique and ingredients, and I find it an interesting read with lots of ideas that I want to try.

[puppymomma]

I stopped subscribing to Gourmet some time ago. But I have noticed that it's really inexpensive when you subscribe. I would refuse to pay full price at the checkout line. Especially when it's just $1.00 an issue with a subscription.

At $1.00 per issue, I wouldn't expect much from it. They probably aren't getting much in the way of advertisers and subscribers.

Meryl
http://inspiredbites.blogspot.com

[Cachetes]

After buying a $5 subscription for a year of Bon Appetit, I learned that at even 42 cents/issue, I was getting hosed. I stopped opening it after about three months.

[kkak97]

I'm right there with you on Bon Appetit. I quit subscribing because I couldn't handle the endless amount of advertisements. It became impossible to find the articles.

I'm on the verge of cancelling my Cooks Illustrated after they used the term EVOO last month. I was horrified, and wrote a nasty letter. Shockingly, I have not heard back. :-)

[Condiment Queen]

I receive "Fine Cooking" magazine as well and LOVE it!
Gourmet has taken a different path since Ruth came aboard...imo..very staid.

www.finecooking.com

[Miss Needle]

Totally agree with you about Gourmet. It has changed, and I'm not crazy about it. I never renewed my subscription about a year ago.

I still love Saveur -- has a lot of "ethnic" articles and recipes that I appreciate a lot. And I subscribe to Art Culinaire only for the food porn. I've only made one of the recipes, but a lot of the stuff there is not the most appropachable for the home cook.