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How Many CookBooks do you Own vs Use?

post #1 of 54
10/1/10 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 
So, I love to cook and have many cookbooks, but i rarely cook from them. Most days I follow my intuition, putting ingredients together as the appeal and using what is in my pantry.
On occasion I do follow a recipe but then are my cookbooks just wasting space?

How many do you have vs how many you use?

I use my bread bible weekly, but some of the others, only at holidays. Should I just copy my most used recipes and put them in file?

Help! I can't decide what to do.

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post #2 of 54
10/1/10 at 3:52pm
I only have 4 cookbooks and use them just a few times a year each. Mostly I just go online to look up recipes or just throw it together.

ETA: How about just assigning a small space for cookbooks, then cutting down to the number that will fit in there. Put your favprites/most used there, copy most used recipes out of the remaining books and donate or sell them.
post #3 of 54
10/1/10 at 4:00pm
I have quite a few cookbooks, but I rarely follow recipes. I mostly look at my books for ideas, so I do keep them because I never know when I'll need to get a recipe idea for some random ingredient.
post #4 of 54
10/1/10 at 4:21pm
I have a TON of cookbooks.

I rarely even open them.
post #5 of 54
10/1/10 at 4:28pm
I had about 20. I never used them. I got rid of all but 3 (those were gifts and kept more so MIL would see that I still have them when she visits ) when we moved over the summer. I do pretty much all my recipe research online---mostly with some great apps on my phone.
post #6 of 54
10/1/10 at 8:51pm
Oh gosh it would take me some while to count them all! I guess that says it all.

However as my DD is planning to be a chef, and I rather enjoy leafing through recipe books, I am not planning on cutting them down right now.
post #7 of 54
10/1/10 at 10:29pm
Just counted and I have 138 cookbooks give or take (I didn't check to see what was upstairs). I seldom follow a recipe from start to finish but I buy cookbooks to inspire me and give me new ideas/tricks. Might be hard to believe but I'd say I use 75% on a regular basis. We have a large extended family that visits often and we like to entertain. I also meal plan every week and like to change up what we eat so I consult them quite a bit.

The ones that get used the least tend to be the dessert specific ones, bread specific ones and some of my more completed raw vegan ones (too much prep time required!)
post #8 of 54
10/1/10 at 10:38pm
I have about 10. I use most of them pretty regularly. I think there are maybe 2 I haven't used in the past month. I do find myself searching online more often than using a book but, I like having the books to look through too.
post #9 of 54
10/2/10 at 1:13am
Ah, cookbooks a particular indulgence of mine! I have decluttered them before, they have been refined, but are still numerous. Maybe three shelves worth? I cook out of them sometimes, but I often flick through them. Sometimes I read them with my kids instead of their kids books. I could definitely use them more though. I'd like to keep them, I think, but I try not to let them bust out past their three shelves (of a bookshelf) worth!
post #10 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:02am
I have 3 which are all used semi regularly. I don't tend to refer to them for day to day things but they have the recipes for things like Christmas cakes and stuff like that. I also have a place in the filling cabinet for things I've got from magazines or websites.

I love browsing through cookbooks for new ideas but our library has loads.

If I'm looking for a recipe for something specific I tent to turn to Google.
post #11 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:05am
I have 10 or under. Not sure
post #12 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:07am
It's kind of sad (to not use a book) but I love finding stuff online. But then, what do you do with all of the loose papers? mine are a mess.
post #13 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:07am
I also like checking them out of the library
post #14 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:08am
I don't know. I've been wondering what other people do. You can use a binder and use those clear sheets for the pages.
post #15 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:25am
I have 10 or so. I use all but one several times a month. One is more complex (read expensive to make) recipes I use for special occasions and holidays.
post #16 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:27am
I counted them this afternoon and it turns out I have close to 200!!!

I have weeded out a grand total of 8 to get rid of...
post #17 of 54
10/2/10 at 4:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by clutterwarrior View Post
I counted them this afternoon and it turns out I have close to 200!!!

I have weeded out a grand total of 8 to get rid of...
Holy crap! where do you keep them all?
post #18 of 54
10/2/10 at 5:42am
I have a bookshelf dedicated to just cookery books!

The total figure does include a set of about 70 mini cookbooks..which don't take up a lot of room.
post #19 of 54
10/2/10 at 10:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Essie View Post
It's kind of sad (to not use a book) but I love finding stuff online. But then, what do you do with all of the loose papers? mine are a mess.
I don't print them out. I bookmark them and bring my laptop with me into the kitchen.
post #20 of 54
10/3/10 at 7:40am
As far as the printouts from online go: it sounds redundant, but I keep a binder with clean copies, and then give my DH a binder with a second copy. That way, I have the recipe permanently (in case it gets taken down online), and I don't have to worry about him getting the recipe dirty.

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