Episode 1: What Makes the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?

About this episode

The hosts explore the best chocolate chip cookie through discussion and taste testing of various recipes.

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

People in this episode

Hosts: Lan Lam, Bryan Roof, Nik Sharma, Lidey Heuck

Topics covered

• chocolate chip cookies
• baking
• recipe development
• taste testing

Keywords

• texture
• size
• cookie thickness
• history
• science

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Books & works: In the Test Kitchen

More episodes of In the Test Kitchen

• Episode 15: What makes the best red sauce? · September 10, 2026 · 33 min
• Episode 14: What makes a dumpling comforting? · August 27, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 13: What's your favorite cold treat on a hot summer day? · August 13, 2026 · 26 min
• Episode 12: How do you build the perfect hot dog? · July 30, 2026 · 27 min
• Episode 11: What makes a good taco a great taco? · July 16, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 10: What makes the best steak? · July 2, 2026 · 28 min