13 best cookbooks for beginners to build confidence in the kitchen

We originally learned how to cook with Jamie's Ministry of Food and although our copy looks a bit battered, it still delivers when it comes to the basics. Each recipe is accompanied by multiple action shots so you can be confident you’re getting it right at each stage, with a very fresh-faced Jamie providing bitesize instructions that are easy to follow. Chapters cover everyday favourites including quick pasta dishes, tasty stir-frys and easy curries. There are fail-proof mince recipes for lasagne, bolognese and chilli con carne and a section on side dishes to spruce up our veg. It may take longer than 24 hours to master all of the recipes in this book but as the subtitle suggests it certainly won’t take long to bring you up to speed. A confidence-boosting classic.

This is the fourth book from food stylist Rukmini Iyer and follows the same one-pan ethos as her previous titles but this time takes culinary influences from around the world. Although it’s aimed at busy people, we actually think these tray bake-style recipes are perfect for beginners as all the chopping and prepping is done upfront, leaving the oven to do the rest. With the ethos, “minimum effort, maximum flavour”, she’ll have you effortlessly making a quick dressing whilst your Korean-style aubergines with sesame rice is cooking. Some ingredients, such as gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or the north African spicy marinade chermoula may be unfamiliar if you’re just starting out but Iyer explains what everything is and how to get your hands on them.

If your idea of a six-minute meal is beans on toast (and let’s face it, even that sounds pretty speedy), you’ll find Sarah Rainey’s latest collection of recipes nothing short of remarkable. Following on from her debut book, Three Ingredient Baking, this time you’ll learn how to make the likes of butterscotch banoffee pie and Pimm’s cupcakes in just six minutes from start to finish. It’s not all sweet treats though – swift savoury showstoppers include halloumi fritters and flatbread pizzetta. Once you’ve got the basics down you’ll feel more confident in adding your own twist to recipes based on what you have to hand. It's published 4 May, and you can pre-order now.

An oldie but still a goodie. Although this was first released back in 2009 it’s still just as relevant to newbies now as it was then. Featuring 700 pages of basic cooking guides, with years of experience under her belt, Delia gives us the definitive recipe for every dish you could realistically want to make – from how to cook an egg through to the perfect risotto. Step by step photos will reassure even the most inexperienced cook, with techniques thoroughly explained so that you really understand why you’re following each instruction. You’ll need to clear some space for this tome of a book but it’s one you’ll refer back to time and time again.

We often find recipes that have too many hard to find ingredients immediately off-putting. Not so with this back to basics cookbook by Good Food where each dish contains just five ingredients or less. Recipes may be straightforward but when you’re learning to cook or trying to rustle something tasty up mid-week, that’s exactly what we look for. The blackened salmon fajitas take just 15 minutes to get on the table but will leave you feeling very satisfied. With lots of clear photography, full nutritional information and numbered instructions, you can’t go wrong.