The culinary experts at America’s Test Kitchen pressure-test every recipe and serve up cooking classes for all skill levels. You’ll also find full episodes of ATK and Cook’s Country, plus unexpected tips that will help you think like a chef.

What we love: The “Why This Recipe Works” section peels back the layers. A mushroom-and-leek galette with Gorgonzola started as a quest for a flavorful, tender crust, which is why the recipe calls for nutty whole wheat flour and butter instead of shortening. The carrot layer cake uses a half-sheet pan for a quicker bake and adds buttermilk powder to bolster the tangy cream cheese frosting. Explanations like these pepper each recipe, helping you understand the “why” before the “what.”

Quick tip: The comments are searchable. Before you start cooking, sift through them for keywords like “gluten” or “substitute” to see if members made any tweaks (and how they fared).

Meet the creator: Founded in 1992, America’s Test Kitchen grew out of the magazine Cook’s Illustrated. “My motivation behind this app is the idea of taking something that’s been trusted for 25-plus years in print and making it feel just as reliable on someone’s phone,” says software engineer Jenner Thomas.