When I was growing up, one thing that was constant in my life was the Food Network. From weekend mornings with Giada and Rachel Ray to weekday nights watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives or Chopped and baking shows sprinkled in between, cooking instruction was the soundtrack of my home. These shows instilled a love for cooking in me from a young age and are still some of my favorite things to watch in my free time. But in true Zillennial fashion, I rarely watch cable in my own apartment, which means that I can no longer enjoy a rotating marathon of my Food Network favorites. Netflix and Hulu have some good options, but one fateful day, thanks to the YouTube recommendation algorithm, I found my new favorite way to get my cooking show fix: the Bon Appetit YouTube channel.
Due to my chronic singleness, the only date I had for Valentine’s Day was with some pad thai from Bento and the chefs of the B.A Test Kitchen. After I spent my night binging all of the different series that the Bon Appetit channel has to offer, I started to think about all of the reasons that I love watching their videos and reading their articles so much. The channel has 5.38 million subscribers so I know that I can’t be the only B.A super fan out there. Let me break down all of the reasons that you should be too.
- The Chefs
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B. A wouldn’t be what it is without the chefs that make up the regular cast of characters. Claire Saffitz of “Gourmet Makes” fame and Brad Leone star of “It’s Alive” may be the channel’s most recognizable stars, but I promise, there are 13 more chefs that are just as enjoyable and easy to fall in love with. Listening to Carla Lalli Music help a celebrity guest cook a meal through verbal instructions only on “Back-to-Back Chef” feels like your mom trying to teach you how to cook her signature recipe (if your mom was a professional chef). And on every episode of “One of Everything” with Alex Delaney, you suddenly feel like you’re sitting down for a meal with an old friend. In their own unique way, each chef in the Test Kitchen invites you in, making you feel as if you’ve known them forever and that you too can cook restaurant-quality meals at home.
- The Vibes
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Bon Appetit passes the vibe check — 100%, no questions asked. When your favorite YouTube channels become wrapped up in controversies and drama-filled feuds, you can always count on B.A to provide wholesome, positive content. Even if Chris Morocco is struggling to figure out what kind of cheese is on the burger that he’s blind-tasting for “Reverse Engineering,” or Claire is falling victim to the “Day Three Curse” on “Gourmet Makes,” the videos stay fun and lighthearted. The editors, who can make even the most seemingly boring videos interesting with their well-timed cuts and funny captions, and the signature style of each video will keep you coming back. Seriously, I watched an 18-minute video of Brad sharpening a knife before writing this and I was entertained every second.
- The Variety
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From quick skills tests and cooking advice with the pro chefs in “Test Kitchen Talks” to series with long episodes like “Making Perfect,” the Test Kitchen has it all. Through their videos, I’ve been to Italy with Carla and Molly to learn how the perfect mozzarella is made, I’ve traveled to every borough in New York to find the perfect N.Y. slice with Alex and I’ve worked on a crab boat with Brad in Alaska. No matter what you’re looking for, if you love cooking or just love eating good food, Bon Appetit has something for you.
- The Recipes
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I would be remiss if I did all this talking about how much I love B.A.’s YouTube channel without mentioning their roots. Bon Appetit is first and foremost a magazine for people who love food. Even though print magazines may be a dying art, if you follow @bonappetit on Twitter your feed will be blessed with articles and recipes from the writers and chefs. Their recipes have transformed the way I make my scrambled eggs every morning and have taught me how to make scones that will impress at any family function. The articles and recipes may be written by professional chefs, but the language never feels elitist or hard to follow. They can teach you everything from how to perfect basics to crafting a whole Thanksgiving feast.
Every time I see a new video from Bon Appetit on my YouTube homepage, I smile. Watching these videos fills me with nostalgia for Sunday morning breakfasts with my mom while Ina Garten prepared a dinner party feast on the T.V in the background. It feels like one of my favorite childhood traditions has grown up with me. Maybe one day, I’ll watch Bon Appetit videos with my kids the same way my parents watched Food Network with me. So please, watch a Bon Appetit video, or if you’re feeling really wild, make on of BA’s Best Recipes. In, conclusion…
— ?out of context Brad Leone? (@out_leone) February 27, 2020
P.S. I promise that this article is #notsponsored (even though I wish it were).