Recipe Archive and Organization:  

Having one of the most popular and widely-viewed television channels, as well as a very successful periodical, Food Network brings the wealth of knowledge and credibility it has established with its other media to its foodnetwork.com website. With the help of an intuitive search engine and detailed, well-organized recipe categories, finding the recipe you want is no longer a matter of blind luck or patience.

Culinary Appeal:  

Like its affiliated television programs and magazine, foodnetwork.com offers a strong balance between gourmet and everyday, providing detailed instructions and resources for most of its recipes. However, foodnetwork.com seems to appeal mostly to casual cooks and food enthusiasts looking to improve their recipe rolodex and try out a few new recipes. Chefs, aficionados and others would be better served by other Online Recipe and Entertaining sites, such as Epicurious, Chow, and Food & Wine.

Community:  

Though foodnetwork.com stands in a class of its own with its recipe and entertaining resources, its community features are underdeveloped in the few areas it offers, and painfully absent in those it doesn’t.

Resources:  

Finding the right recipe can be hard, but making it look anything like it does in photos or videos can be impossible. Fortunately, foodnetwork.com provides countless how-to guides, topical articles, chef blogs, technique videos and detailed step-by-step cooking instructions to help you every step of the way. Though your personal kitchen might not reflect the professional kitchens seen in the television programs and technique videos, with foodnetwork.com everything is scaled down to size.

Help/Support:  

Whether you are having troubles streaming video, viewing photos or having other scrip errors, foodnetwork.com hosts an in-depth FAQ section to assist, with additional online chat and email options available if further assistance is needed.

When it comes to recipes and resources, foodnetwork.com is in a league of its own, bringing the wealth of information found on the Food Network television programs and periodicals to its website. However, with few community options and a mainstream culinary appeal, there is still much to be desired. Though few are likely to be too disappointed with foodnetwork.com, for those seeking the total package of recipe listing and organization, culinary appeal, community and resources, Epicurious, Chow or Food & Wine would better suit you.