America's Test Kitchen Launches Cook's Science

America's Test Kitchen announced a new brand—Cook's Science. Publishing both deeply reported stories and innovative recipes, Cook's Science demonstrates how a little science can go a long way in the kitchen. Cook's Science does not require a paid subscription to access its articles, recipes and videos.

Cook's Science is led by co-executive editors, Dan Souza and Molly Birnbaum. Souza, who graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America, is a cast member of the America's Test Kitchen television show. Birnbaum is an award-winning food journalist. 

"Cook's Science is doing something very new in the world of food media," said Birnbaum. "We're pairing deeply reported narrative journalism about the world of food and science with foolproof recipes for the home cook." 

The first Cook's Science feature follows the trip Birnbaum and Souza took to the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course, a week-long intensive class on the science of commercial ice cream. In its 124th year, the course is legendary in its field and Birnbaum and Souza came back to the test kitchen with a deep understanding of the ice cream sold in the supermarket and how to use that information to make ice cream at home. 

The launch of the Cook's Science website is followed by the publication in October of “Cook's Science: How to Unlock Flavor in 50 of Our Favorite Ingredients,” as well as a series of live events across the country this fall, which will feature Birnbaum and Souza telling the story of their pursuit of the perfect burger.

"The way in which people engage and interact with food is ever-evolving and America's Test Kitchen is continually poking and prodding, tasting and testing to stay ahead of the curve," says CEO David Nussbaum. "That is at the heart of what we do and is at the core of Cook's Science, which is a key part of our brand-wide digital revamp."

In addition to the launch Cook's Science the company's flagship website, AmericasTestKitchen.com, has been redesigned, with easier navigation, intuitive search, and faster video load times. New social media tools make it easier for readers to share favorite recipes, reviews, or videos with friends and followers. A new tabbed navigation makes the content-rich site much easier to use on mobile devices so fans can easily find the best brands of kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients while they shop. 

Content-rich guides on paleo and gluten-free cooking have been added to the site. The company has also launched a new online shop with books as well as curated equipment kits that feature top-rated kitchen items vetted by the company's legendary testing team.