Despite contrary predictions, these types of books continue to do well in the market place and here’s why.
“One of the reasons is quality. Readers, it seems, want physical cookbooks. If they don’t actually use them in their kitchens, they use them as reference tools and simply for reading enjoyment” states Micheline Maynard, a Senior Food and Drink Contributor at Forbes.
In this digital age, why do cookbooks remain in demand? Despite contrary predictions, these types of books continue to do well in the market place. One of the reasons is quality. Readers, it seems, want physical cookbooks. If they don’t actually use them in their kitchens, they use them as reference tools and simply for reading enjoyment states Micheline Maynard, a Senior Food and Drink Contributor at Forbes.
Most of us don’t like to work off a crumpled up, fat smudged piece of copy paper. Simply put, people feel more confident when a cookbook is at their side. There is also the fact that the majority of cooks aren’t professionally competent. Juggling an i-phone, laptop or e-reader amidst t#he sprawling mess of recipe prep is less than ideal. For those of us who like to cook, the cookbook is the ultimate tome. It lends it’s experience through text and photography, while stylistically appealing to cuisiners at every level.
Another reason cookbooks reign supreme is reliability. One can easily find dozens of recipes online for Beef Wellington or Dairy-Free Macaroni and Cheese, but is a five star rating system more reliable than a traditionally published cookbook? More often than not, no. People tend to stick to what they know, like a cookbook from a well-established brand or personality, and the sales prove it. According to Martha C. White at NBC News cookbook sales for the first six months of 2018 were 21 percent higher than for the first half of 2017. Roughly 17.8 million cookbooks were sold in the United States last year, and this year’s total is likely to eclipse that, according to NPD’s books industry analyst Allison Risbridger.
Cookbooks will most likely continue to inspire us, and that includes industry professionals; chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas has an extensive collection of vintage cookbooks, the late great Anthony Bourdain’s favorites include Mastering The Art of French Cooking and The Whole Beast: Nose To Tail Eating 
and chef Dan Barber prefers among others On Food and Cooking.
