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In the Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen

This video podcast from America’s Test Kitchen takes you behind the scenes of a bustling test kitchen. Our test cook hosts dive deep into their favorite dishes, taste recipes, and talk about how culture, history, and science influence the foods we love to eat. Discover the messy, fun, and (mostly) delicious work that goes into creating America’s favorite recipes.

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23 episodes
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Avg 31 min
English

Episodes 23

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September 10 · 33 min
Episode 15: What makes the best red sauce?
Red sauce pastas can be built dozens of ways: rich and meaty, silky and tomato-forward, or deliberately burnt and charred. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey taste their way through three ATK recipes, ragù alla bolognese, pasta alla vodka, and spaghetti all’assassina, to hash out what actually makes a red sauce irresistible. Recipes Mentioned: Ragu alla Bolognese Pasta alla Vodka Spaghetti All'Assassina Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 27 · 27 min
Episode 14: What makes a dumpling comforting?
Dumplings are made across the world and come in different shapes, sizes, forms and flavors. Despite their differences, they somehow sooth and delight in equal measure. The juicy filling of a xiao long bao. The warm center of a pierogi. The chewy exterior of a gnudi. How do dumplings achieve that comfort? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey investigate. Recipes Mentioned: Shanghai Soup Dumplings Potato Cheddar Pierogi Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato-Butter Sauce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 13 · 25 min
Episode 13: What's your favorite cold treat on a hot summer day?
The cast combats the dog days of summer by diving into some of their favorite cold treats while reminiscing about their favorite summer memories. Plus, Nik shares his ideas for a high-end ice cream shop and the cast workshops potential flavors to serve. Recipes Mentioned: Ice cream sandwiches Mango Paletas Philadelphia-Style Cherry Water Ice Nik Sharma’s Black Forest Ice Cream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 30 · 26 min
Episode 12: How do you build the perfect hot dog?
Hotdogs are a reliable and convenient option at cookouts. But adding an extra ingredient or two can really level them up. So, how do you do it at home? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey break down the components that can elevate the beloved cookout go-to. Recipes Mentioned: Chicago-Style Hot Dog Sonoran Dog Homemade Corn Dogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 16 · 28 min
Episode 11: What makes a good taco a great taco?
Tacos take all kinds of shapes and forms; crispy shelled tacos, tacos dipped in consommé, there’s even taco ingredients eaten over rice. It’s not just the shapes they take; what kind of meat is used, what ingredients you add to the taco have endless variations. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey come together to discuss the qualities that make a good taco a great taco. Recipes Mentioned: Crispy Tacos (Tacos Dorados) Quesabirria Tacos Okinawan Taco Rice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 2 · 28 min
Episode 10: What makes the best steak?
Lots of cultures and countries love steak, but it has this almost iconic status in American culture. There are so many different cuts and so many different ways to cook them. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey dive into three recipes and discuss the cooking techniques that go into making them seamlessly at home. Recipes Mentioned: Pan Seared Strip Steak Shio Koji-Marinated Flank Steak Slow-Roasted Medium-Rare Short Ribs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 19 · 24 min
Episode 9: What makes rice the world’s staple?
Every couple of months at America’s Test Kitchen, an informal poll emerges among test cooks about which starch–bread, pasta, or rice–reigns supreme. It’s always a tight race, but it’s no surprise why rice is often a top contender: it’s a beloved staple across the world. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey eat their way through 3 rice dishes and ask: What makes rice the world’s most popular dish? Recipes Mentioned: Hoppin’ John Simple Fried Rice Arroz con Pollo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 4 · 26 min
Episode 8: What makes the perfect meatball?
Meatballs span cultures and come in all shapes, sizes, and sauces. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey try three recipes from around the world and ask: What makes the perfect meatball? Recipes eaten in episode: Meatballs and Marinara Lion’s Head Meatballs Albóndigas (Spanish-Style Meatballs in Almond Sauce) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 21 · 30 min
Episode 7: What Makes the Best Sandwich?
Most people say a sandwich is filling stuffed between two layers of bread. But what about hotdogs, or a loaded pocket of pita bread? Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey get into a heated debate about what exactly defines a sandwich on this week’s episode of In the Test Kitchen. Recipes Eaten in episode: Italian Sub Diner-Style Sheet-Pan Tuna Melts Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 7 · 25 min
Episode 6: What Makes a Salad Exciting?
Salads often get a bad wrap as the thing you have to eat before the rest of the meal. In today’s episode of In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey finally give salads their due, and reveal how to make them the star of the show. Recipes Mentioned: Ultimate Wedge Salad Horiatiki Salata Neorm Sach Moan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 23 · 30 min
Episode 5: What Makes the Best Muffins?
Making muffins used to be a rite of passage for test cooks and applicants who applied to work at America’s Test Kitchen. So we’ve eaten a lot of them; sweet, savory, and everything in between. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey take on the debate: What is a muffin, and what makes it great? Recipes and reviews mentioned: Best Blueberry Muffins Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Muffins Sausage-Herb Stuffing Muffin Achieving generously sized bakery-style muffins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 9 · 26 min
Episode 4: What Makes a Pizza Iconic?
Ask 10 people what their favorite kind of pizza is, and you’ll get 10 different answers. This week on In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey dive into the regional differences, Italian vs. American preferences, and the elements that go into making a great pie. Recipes Mentioned: Neapolitan pizza Thin-Crust Pizza Detroit-Style Pizza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 26 · 26 min
Episode 3: What are the Best Types of Fried Chicken?
Can you make a good fried chicken recipe at home? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey say yes as they deconstruct 3 different recipes that represent three different styles of fried chicken. Plus, the quad reveals some fun KFC history, and discuss the difference between crunchy and crispy fried chicken. Recipes Mentioned: One-Batch Fried Chicken, Super Crunchy Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chile Fried Chicken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 12 · 26 min
Episode 2: How to Make the Best Burgers
What is your ideal burger? In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey debate which burger type–smash, pub, or meatloaf burger–reins supreme. Plus, what are the best burger fixings? Is it better to use high-end meats? Find out on this week’s In the Test Kitchen. ATK Recipes Mentioned in today's episode: Smashed Burgers, Juicy Pub-Style Burgers with Crispy Shallots and Blue Cheese with Pub-Style Burger Sauce, Meatloaf Burgers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 26 · 25 min
Episode 1: What Makes the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?
In the Test Kitchen is back with new hosts and a new show! In this premiere episode, hosts Lan Lam, Bryan Roof, Nik Sharma, and Lidey Heuck, dive into all things chocolate chip cookies. They chat about texture, size, and cookie thickness and ask: What makes the best chocolate chip cookie? Along the way, the quad taste tests 3 separate chocolate chip cookie recipes while dissecting the history, science, and nerdy aspects of recipe development. ATK Recipes Mentioned in today's episode: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 23 · 42 sec
In the Test Kitchen Returns February 26!
In the Test Kitchen will be back on Thursday, February 26 with new hosts and a new concept! Follow Lan Lam, Bryan Roof, Nik Sharma, and Lidey Heuck, as they take you behind the scenes into the meaty, nerdy, and zeitgeist-y conversations that happen at America's Test Kitchen. Each episode revolves around a dish as the quad debate about ingredients, dig into the science, and learn about the history behind the dish. And of course, there are taste tests along the way as the cast dissect what went into the 3 recipes that appear throughout the show. The first episode of In the Test Kitchen will be on February 26 on Netflix and wherever you find podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 18 · 35 min
Introducing: The Side Dish
Some new podcasts from America’s Test Kitchen are on the horizon! Here's a special preview of The Side Dish, hosted by Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison. Off-duty and unfiltered, they swap kitchen hacks, play games, and answer listener questions. Today’s episode is all about romance, because love (and great food) is always in the air. Subscribe to The Side Dish on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Side Dish on Netflix. Please consider leaving a commend and rating -- it helps other people find the show! And stay tuned... there’s a big announcement coming next week on the feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 26, 2025 · 39 min
Grace Young on Championing Chinatowns
In this episode of In the Test Kitchen, host Dan Souza and co-host Lan Lam welcome cookbook author, culinary historian, and stir-fry guru Grace Young to discuss her work as a fierce advocate for Chinatowns across the country. Grace reflects on how, as a young girl, she was inspired by Julia Child—a spark that eventually led her to publish her first cookbook, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. She also shares the story of her now-iconic family wok, which she donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History contributing to the preservation of Chinese-American food history. If you want to learn more about Young's important work, you can visit her website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 12, 2025 · 42 min
Rick Martinez Hates the Word "Authentic"
In this episode of In the Test Kitchen, host Lan Lam and co-host Nik Sharma welcome chef and author Rick Martinez to talk about his vibrant new cookbook, Salsa Daddy. Rick opens up about the creative process behind the book and the challenges of bringing a deeply personal project to life. The conversation moves from his Texas roots and early food memories to reflections on family, legacy, and how recipes can carry the stories of those we’ve lost. This heartfelt and flavorful conversation explores how food connects us to our past, our loved ones, and the joy of cooking itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 10, 2025 · 44 min
Roy Choi’s Recipe for Redemption: From The Sporkful Podcast
Today's episode is from our friends atThe Sporkful podcast and features Chef Roy Choi, the man behind the legendary Kogi Korean taco truck and a pioneer of the gourmet food truck movement. Host Dan Pashman sits down with Chef Choi for a wide-ranging conversation about his unlikely path to success, the power of food to create community, and the TV moment that changed his life forever. Listen to our episode of In the Test Kitchen with Dan Pashman himself, and then listen to and learn more from The Sporkful on their ⁠website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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