why are there so many internet recipes that just don't work?
One could argue that they haven't been tested out, but why would anyone post a recipe particularly on a blog or a website that they've never tried? Just curious?
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14 Comments:
The same reason they post comments on a topic that they have no knowledge of, just to see their words in print. Especially these days when so many cookbook recipes are untested by the publisher, they figure it's no big deal.
lemons at 11:22AM on 09/06/09
Sometimes it seems as though a home cook tries to repost a family recipe, and doesn't quite know how to write recipes. They may unintentionally leave out a step, because in their mind it makes sense.
When a family member of mine gives me a recipe verbally, its "mix everything together and bake it", or something like that... but they leave out -it what order? add the dry ingredients last. or start at a high temp and then lower it.... things that they automatically do, so they don't feel the need to explainfully.
Theyll also tell me to "add a handful of this" - when writing out the recipe they may confuse a handful for a full cup since they've never actually measured it.
I think it's mostly just about people not knowing how to write a recipe for someone who's never made the dish before.
nalega at 11:23AM on 09/06/09
@lemons I agree and I would add that most home cooks are satisfied with a whole lot less than what we SEers will find acceptable. Because they made it they think it's wonderful when any of us might find it well below par. I once attended a pot luck birthday celebration where one guest brought his "special" red beans and rice. I love red beans and rice and looked forward to trying his version. Much to my dismay it was nothing more than a batch of Zatarain's. He hadn't even added anything! Just be aware that people will post anything and know that until you have made a successful version it is just an experiment.
tapioca at 11:55AM on 09/06/09
I understand that people post recipes that I wouldn't like or ever make (including a rib recipe I saw that called for ribs and a bottle of KC masterpiece), but in particular, I have been disheartened by baking recipes that have no sense of proper proportion. I found one donut recipe which turned out atrocious. So, I cut out 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and add another tbsp of butter, and voila, amazing donuts.
The thought had crossed my mind, that this person found a recipe, and in order to not be accused of plagirizing, just changed ingredient amounts at random...just a thought...
fischersentropy at 12:41PM on 09/06/09
It could also be a similar reason that there are so many typos online--the cooks might have made something many times, haphazardly in real life, and then just bang out their 'masterpiece' on the computer without realizing that the cup of flour they use is always heaping, not level, or that they use baking soda rather than baking powder.
HeartofGlass at 12:57PM on 09/06/09
I very rarely try a recipe off of the web that hasn't been rated (i.e. epicurious or FNTV) or commented on by either SEers or Chowhounders.
If you're a pretty seasoned cook you can usually look at a recipe and just know that something is wrong.
bessfour at 3:39PM on 09/06/09
bessfour- agreed
CJ McD at 4:27PM on 09/06/09
I find sometimes people give me recipes and I follow them to the T the first time and it doesn't turn out. I think this is because the person who gives me the recipe uses their own personal judgment when making the recipe because they make it so often they know exactly how it should look/feel/taste at each stage.
I've heard this is the same cases with recipes by cooks like Nigella Lawson or Rachael Ray.
ag3208 at 5:08PM on 09/06/09
Unless I'm baking something complicated I rarely follow a recipe anyway. I look at most recipes as a "suggestion" since there are often so many variables involved in cooking.
kathyvegas at 5:44PM on 09/06/09
@bessfour is right about the ratings. I have had good luck on allrecipes.com with things like "Clone of a Cinnabon" and a garlicky baked cauliflower. It does pay to read the comments to see if the finished product will be to your taste.
LearP at 9:55PM on 09/06/09
for the same reason why wikipedia should never be used as a source in scholarly research - there's no accountability for the authors. No one is standing up saying 'I endorse this' and making sure it's right because their name is on it. Also because some people find yummy that which I find to be not. But as said by bessfour - I stick with the recipe sites that have reviews, usually the reviewers comments clue me in to whether it's a usable recipe. Allrecipes, epicurious, Food Network (although rarely on that last one)
AliceBlue at 12:39PM on 09/07/09
That is why when I am looking for a particular recipe I look at serveral variations of the same recipe and compare them to each other, as far is measuring, temp, whats in it, ect. This to me is important for pastries, baking cakes, ect. Savory I do the same but just to get the basics down and go from there.
pjracz10 at 4:30PM on 09/07/09
One of my absolute favorite bread recipes is one I was "forced" to create because I tried making a multi-grain WW bread using an UNTESTED recipe from a user-contributed recipe website. I made a rookie mistake and jumped right into the recipe (it was a yeast-risen bread and I wanted to get it together so it could rise). I had so many expensive seeds and nuts and stuff in the bread, I had no choice but to try and salvage it.
The only websites whose recipes I use are tested ones like Martha Stewart, Epicurious, etc., unless I know the source (the recipe author) and know the recipe will work.
Using recipes off a forum is Russian roulette unless you have a keen enough eye to read something over and "visualize" whether or not it will work.
therealchiffonade at 5:02PM on 09/07/09
i think most recipes have been tried and work. Something usually goes wrong in implementation.
lactovegan at 9:07PM on 09/08/09