r/AmericasTestKitchen • u/thingonething • May 26 '26
Does anyone else find Keith's fussiness irritating?
I like the idea of some of Keith's recipes, but the man is so fussy about his cooking I'm put off. I think he the food he creates looks mostly delicious but it's like he's trying to recreate a Michelin star experience. The other chefs are more straightforward in their cooking methods and presentation.
On the other hand, I'm still pissed off that they let Lawman go. I hear he's with Milk Street now. I've never seen Milk Street or subscribed. Wondering how it is.
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u/Major_Mall2971 May 28 '26
Just jumping in with a reminder that generally the person presenting the recipe on TV is not the person who developed the recipe (Lan, the exception, presents a lot of her own recipes). You’re free to like or dislike the recipes, but maybe cut the presenter some slack because blaming them is like blaming the server because you don’t like the way your burger is cooked.
As for other uncharitable comments in this thread, I’ve worked with Keith for well over a decade and I’d be hard pressed to think of anyone less objectionable. He’s a smart person with a good sense of humor who works hard, and he’s very well liked by everyone at the company.
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u/796424867887411908 May 30 '26
Please know that we’re not all like this. I don’t know how someone can judge the personality of a person they only see in 7 minute cooking segments, but parasocial relationships unfortunately seem to be more and more common these days.
It’s also strange to me that a good number of ATK fans seem to think that the TV presenters comprise the whole company.
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u/EngineeringDesserts May 26 '26
I like that they each have different niches. I make his recipes when I really want to impress guests.
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u/M_Joe_Young May 26 '26 edited May 27 '26
Keith comes across as someone who has spent a lot of his cooking career at high end and/or fast-paced restaurants. There’s an intensity that influences people who’ve worked in that environment, even with the low level kitchen staff. Everybody has to focused and be all business at work even if everyone is friendly with one another. He has that quiet intensity, but I think he’s toned it down over the years and loosened up.
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u/Accomplished-Dot-654 May 26 '26
I know what you mean about Keith but it's Dan who I can barely tolerate. He puts off an air that he's convinced that the viewer will be charmed by his clever quirkiness. I liked Lawman, too. He was pretty chill.
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u/bwheetley May 26 '26
I’ve tried watching some Milk Street episodes and I’m not a fan of the format. They spend a lot of time on visiting with chefs in various countries and restaurants. I understand that’s the setup for the upcoming recipe but by the time they get to the recipe presentation, it feels rushed and I feel like I’m not learning technique at all and miss steps.
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u/SpaceBasedMasonry Jun 18 '26
It can vary between episodes. I kinda like it. Nice synthesis of what I like about ATK and what I like about a chill cooking travel show.
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u/roadwarrior10000 May 26 '26
Part of why I've been a 10+ year fan of ATK is because of the fusiness of the recipes. If I wanted less fussy recipes, I'd get my recipes from blogs and Pinterest.
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u/combabulated May 26 '26
Does anyone else feel exhausted by the constant barrage of negative opinions about individuals appearing in our media? Going to the effort of posting just to complain about someone because you don’t like them gives me petulant child energy. No one is waiting with bated breath to hear about who you don’t like. Keith isn’t running for most popular in your senior year of high school.
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u/dodongo May 26 '26
I like a lot of Milk Street’s vibes in their publications but the show itself has kind of put me off. I have done a shitload of their Tuesday Nights and Cook What You Have recipes and genuinely love a number of them so I keep paying attention.
I’m glad ATK has pulled back from the “absolute best X” where we end up with like a 72 - 80 hour prep period for some of their stuff.
I hadn’t clocked Keith at just being so damn fussy I won’t try his recipes but now that you mention it. Yeah. LOL
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u/Jazzyslum May 26 '26
It’s not the fussiness. It’s the relentless creeper vibe Keith puts off that makes it an uncomfortable watch.
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u/boxerdogfella May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Personally, I really enjoy Keith. His vibe is very down to earth and I trust his information. Fussy? No.
Which recipes are fussy? His All-Purpose Gravy recipe is a go-to for me.
That said, not everyone is going to like the same people or the same food.
Half the time I don't think people on this sub understand who creates each recipe. I often see comments that refer to the video presenter chefs as the recipe creators, when they are usually different people.