In the Test Kitchen

Latest Episodes:

Episode 6: What Makes a Salad Exciting? May 07, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode 5: What Makes the Best Muffins? Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode 4: What Makes a Pizza Iconic? Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode 3: What are the Best Types of Fried Chicken? Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode 2: How to Make the Best Burgers Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

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

Episode 1: What Makes the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies? Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

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

In the Test Kitchen Returns February 26! Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

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

Introducing: The Side Dish Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

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

Grace Young on Championing Chinatowns Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

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

Rick Martinez Hates the Word "Authentic" Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected