Saveur Subscription? Advice

[laurelm]

Amazon is having a sale on their magazine subscriptions, I receive Gourmet and Bon Appetit but would like to add another Food one. Saveur is what I am leaning towards, is it a good foodie mag? The reviews on Amazon are stellar.

I had Food & Wine, but there was not enough focus on food & recipes for my taste.

Thank you in advance for your opinions

[heidih]

I enjoy Saveur. I do not look to it for recipes, but for well done articles about interesting food subjects.

[Anna N]

I would not personally purchase a subscription to Saveur but will buy it off the newstand if the lead article is something that really interests me. It does not have many recipes but as heidih notes it does some things in depth and can be very informative. Have you considered Fine Cooking which is definitely food and recipe oriented.

[laurelm]

I looked at Fine Cooking but thought it was rather pricey for only 6 issues. I have never seen it myself, so hesitated ordering it due to price. I should probably do a Border's visit before deciding I suppose

[rgruby]

I like Saveur.

I was a subscriber for many years.

There was some kind of hiccup with my subscription though. I contacted their customer service to try and sort it out. (The subscription was a gift - so I'm not really sure what happened - the gifter isn't sure either). Didn't hear back from them, and I guess I'm no longer a subscriber.

This isn't a comment on the content of the magazine - which I like. But they didn't think enough of my several years of continuous patronage of their magazine to even bother getting back to me.

Maybe just one of those things. I'm not going to get too worked up about it - it just means I'll probably pick up the occasional one instead of every one.

Despite my little issue, I think it's still the best foodie periodical out there = medium length articles and a reasonable number of recipes.

Cheers,

Geoff

[prasantrin]

Despite the high price (even higher for me, as I don't live in the US), Fine Cooking is the only magazine to which I subscribe. I used to subscribe to more (Cook's Illustrated, Bon Appetit, F&W, etc.), but found that FC was the only one which had recipes I wanted to make in every edition. It also has a much higher recipe ratio than other magazines since there aren't any travel or lifestyle articles. And baking recipes generally include weight as well as volume measurements.

That being said, it's starting to repeat topics--I can't count how many times I've seen roast chicken in the magazine. Sure there are hundreds of ways to make a roast chicken, but still. . .

[PopsicleToze]

If you want fascinating articles and a magazine to read and be entertained, then Saveur is hard to beat. But if you want great recipes to cook, then Fine Cooking is hard to beat.

Rhonda

[achevres]

I am a long-time subscriber of Saveur (since the 2nd issue) and highly recommend it, especially for foodies. I read it more than cooking from it, but I do that with other food magazines. If you enjoy reading about food and the places, history, culture and people etc associated with food then you will love it. It has a mix of American and international culinary topics. I do not subscribe to Fine Cooking, although it looks very good; it appears to be concentrated on recipes and technique. Go on to both websites and check out the current issues.

[fooey]

I am a long-time subscriber of Saveur (since the 2nd issue) and highly recommend it, especially for foodies.

I don't know the state of the magazine today, so I'm no help.

I know I loved issues from years gone by (and still regret having to give them away because of a move).

Does anyone know if Saveur is going to republish the original issues, like Cook's Illustrated does in their yearly volumes? I wish they'd republish. I'd love to get my hands on the whole from the beginning. The word "stellar" is an understatement.

The old editions were special, even if sourcing the ingredients was often expensive and time-consuming.

I remember reading the feature on a Louisiana boucherie, for example, and saying, "Now that's the way it's really done, that's authentic."

Could you post some information of the Amazon deal, a link maybe? I might be interested in getting a subscription just to see where the magazine has gone.

Edited September 25, 2009 by fooey (log)

[laurelm]

fooey, it is not a direct link per say, they are having $5 off magazine subscriptions if you order by September 30th, so Saveur is only $15, Bon Appetit, $10, etc.. It is automatically taken off when you order, no discount code needed.

Also, do you have Freecycle in your area? I got years of Bon Appetit via Freecycle and since being a member, I have seen people giving away years of various magazines etc...It is worth getting on the mailing list for the opportunity.

Another option are library sales- got years of Gourmet that way

Edited September 25, 2009 by laurelm (log)

[David Ross]

I subscribe to Bon Appetit, Saveur and Food and Wine. I also buy BBC Food at a local bookstore. I cut my subscription to Gourmet, although I will buy it at the newstand if the feature piece interests me. On occasion I'll get a complimentary copy of another food magazine looking for my business. I suppose somewhere along the way I've put down "food and cooking" as one of my hobbies on an internet form so the food magazines come knocking on my door.

Saveur is, for my tastes, far and away the best magazine for people seriously interested in food, the traditions and history of food, where our foods come from and how they are cooked. The current issue has a fabulous feature piece on lamb. Issues in the past have featured pieces as far ranging as the noted Food Writer Clementine Paddleford and the cuisine of Trader Vic's.

I happen to be a student of the history of cuisine and eating in America, so I suppose that's why I prefer Saveur because it focuses more on my interests in food. And I love the decidely non-trendy photos of the food in Saveur. The Editors have wisely chosen to showcase dishes in their natural state--if the juices from a Blackberry Cobbler ooze and seep over the sides of the dish during baking, that's what you see in the final photo--they don't wipe off all the spills drips, drops and crumbs.

I remember a piece in Saveur about old-fashioned butchers. The knives the butchers used were obviously not new, nor did they look to be very sharp. But those natural, unadulterated photos of old butcher's knives is the image that tied the written word to one's memories of why we miss old-style butcher shops. The other magazines just don't portray food and cooking in such a personal way.

[OliverB]

I won't renew my F&W sub when it runs out, it just doesn't click with me. Too old fashioned in some way, too snobby in an other, and really not that much about food.

As Gourmet just folded, you have room for two magazines, I'd get Fine Cooking for sure, my favorite, and Sauveur, which is probably my 2nd favorite.

I most likely won't renew Cooks Illustrated anymore, I kept it for it's goofy old fasioned look, but I never cook from it and it's just a bit too dusty. And I actually like ads :-)

Cuisine at home is an other one I like, I've made quite a lot of their recipes and they always worked.

As far as I know you can cancel Fine Cooking as well as Sauveur and get the money for not yet sent issues back too.

In general, if I find myself buying a magazine two or three times a year I just sub to it, as that's often ridiculously cheap and you can always find something of interest, even if the cover story does not speak to you.

LOL, if it were for covers, I'd never buy any food magazines from Sept to Jan I think ;-)

[laurelm]

Thank you so much for all the advice. I did choose Saveur, and now am crushed that I will only receive a couple more Gourmets....So, i may be adding another one to my mix!

[Meanderer]

I'm concerned that Saveur may be lowering its standards a bit recently. When I saw the words "WHY LAMB RULES" on the cover of the most recent issue, my first reflex was to call and cancel the subscription. I'm not a teenager nor, I suspect, are most of Saveur's readers. I am also annoyed by the overemphasis of Tuscany whenever food magazines, including Saveur, decide to print articles about Italy. This issue has a feature about Tuscany and a blurb about a Tuscan wine. I know Italy has food and wine outside of Tuscany but too many magazine editors seem to think readers wouldn't be interested.

However, I think we are paid up through about the end this century, so I'll give them another chance.

[laurelm]

I am on my second month of Saveur, and so far I love it!! Thank you!

[Bill Miller]

I am on my second month of Saveur, and so far I love it!! Thank you!

I have all but issue #1--love the articles--well done and interesting--when you get a recipe they are blockbusters!! Maybe 3-4/yr, but a whole year of good reading.

[Lindacakes]

Random thoughts: Bravo to the food editors who focus on Tuscany. This concentrates the tourist population in Tuscany and the rest of us can go about our Italian joy without being bothered by them.

I read Saveur cover to cover every month and I've read plenty of back issues. I went to my local (I know I'm lucky to have this) second hand cookbook store and bought every back issue that interested me. My partner has them and every once in a while I ask: "I wonder if the mailman has anything for me?" This is a cue that I'd like a magazine "delivered". You can get back issue magazines from eBay and Amazon.

I also like Gastronomica, but you will not find that on sale at Amazon.

I am very interested in the folks who replied that they enjoy cooking from the magazines -- I rarely do this, for obvious reasons if you know the magazines I'm interested in. But I think I will try Fine Cooking, thanks for the tip.

[Lindacakes]

Also, yes, I noticed that Saveur is slipping while lamb is ruling.

I try to be generous and consider that if Saveur did not maintain a certain circulation I wouldn't be able to read it, either, so we need to make a little room for others.

I've noticed this with The Splendid Table -- LRK's level has dropped, but I try to feel for her and marvel that her show still exists rather than get testy.

[plum tart]

I have collected Food and Wine, Gourmet, Saveur and Fine Cooking for years. The issues of all of them except Saveur are all stacked up in a downstairs office. My daughter says I have to get rid of them but I can't bring myself to do it. Saveur gets special treatment because it is by far my favourite. I store it in my cookbook room. I have cooked from many of Saveur's recipes over the years and I love their food articles. I like the fact that their recipes represent many different cuisines and I find them more focused on authentic cuisine rather than quick dinners and entertaining and that focus most closely dovetails with mine. Over the years, I have learned more about world cuisines and ingredients from Saveur than I have from any other food magazine. I have sourced ingredients from Saveur as well as cookware (eg.copper couscousiers)and have never been disappointed. I must say that I preferred Saveur when Coleman Andrews was at the helm but I continue to like it best of all.

[nolnacs]

I had a subscription for Saveur for a while and let it lapse. About 6 months ago, I saw a promotion for a very cheap description and decided to give it a second chance, but the results are not any better.

I have a hard time explaining why I dislike Saveur so much perhaps because I really don't understand either. It seems like the sort of magazine that I should be interested in (by the way the other two food magazines I subscribe to are The Art of Eating and Cooks Illustrated). I think I find the tone of the articles... the voice of the magazine to just be offputting. I wouldn't say that it is pretension although I think that does contribute.

Am I crazy? Does anyone else have this problem with Saveur?

[nakji]

Actually, Saveur is the only food magazine I still get delivered (at an expense - around $12 CDN) in China. I like the sort of food they talk about, because it's usually the kind of food and ingredients I like to eat. For example, November's issue had a nice feature on nori I found instructive.

I like that there are a lot of articles on food, but relatively few recipes for the size of the magazine. I don't get option paralysis.