The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker

The Joy of Cooking is one of the United States' most-published cookbooks, having been in print continuously since 1936 and with more than 18 million copies sold. It was privately published in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, a homemaker in St. Louis, Missouri, who was struggling emotionally and financially after her husband's suicide the previous year. Rombauer had 3,000 copies printed by A.C. Clayton, a company which had printed labels for fancy St. Louis shoe companies and for Listerine, but never a book. In 1936, the book was picked up by a commercial printing house, the Bobbs-Merrill Company. Joy is the backbone of many home cooks' libraries and is commonly found in commercial kitchens as well.

The 138th greatest nonfiction book of all time


This book is on the following lists:

  1. - 41st on The 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century (National Review)
  2. - The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)

Buy This Book

Name Binding Sales Rank Lowest New Lowest Used Published
Joy of Cooking: All about Grilling Hardcover 2784636 $6.51 $1.99
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews Hardcover 12404092 $140.17 $1.16 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch Hardcover 1442382 $21.91 $1.79 2001
All About Chicken (Joy of Cooking) Hardcover 7444607 $0.83 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles Hardcover 3013732 $23.59 $1.89 2000
Joy of Cooking 2014 Day-to-Day Calendar Calendar 634604 $6.88 $69.18 2013
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken Hardcover 2430134 $4.29 $0.01 2000
The Joy of Cooking, Revised and Expanded Edition Paperback 243917 $21.93 $0.01 1997
Joy of Cooking Hardcover 359940 $47.36 $2.49
The All New All Purpose: Joy of Cooking Hardcover 278012 $18.26 $0.25 1997
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews Hardcover 5634987 $22.17 $1.61 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies (Joy of Cooking All about Series) Hardcover 7304122 $6.13 $1.75 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Cookies Hardcover 748925 $15.95 $2.11 2002
Joy of Cooking: Joy of Cooking Hardcover 18655 $17.25 $2.65 2006
Joy of Cooking Hardcover 151915 $43.84 $2.55 1975
The Joy of Cooking Paperback 9312260 $7.53
All About Vegetarian Cooking (Joy of Cooking) Hardcover 6047147 $0.79 2001
Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer (1973-11-01) Paperback 2483962 $624.06
The 1997 Joy of Cooking by Irma Starkhoff Rombauer (1997-11-24) Hardcover 1236715 $26.96 $4.07
All About Pasta and Noodles (Joy of Cooking) Hardcover 10747007 $1.53 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Chicken Hardcover 2626005 $7.71 $3.00 2000
Joy of Cooking - 1997 publication Hardcover 421128 $38.25 $5.14
Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Hardcover 796322 $7.61 $1.59 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Party Foods & Drinks Hardcover 1574899 $10.50 $1.65 2002
Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully Revised and Updated Hardcover 126 $19.58 $22.99 2019
Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully Revised and Updated Kindle Edition 41 $1.99 2019
The 1997 Joy of Cooking Hardcover 965396 $19.99 $3.49 1997
Joy of Cooking: All About Canning & Preserving (Joy of Cooking All About Series) Hardcover 1939400 $24.75 $2.10 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking Hardcover 1578115 $15.99 $1.49 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Breakfast and Brunch Hardcover 934175 $13.79 $1.35 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Pasta & Noodles Hardcover 2404309 $11.99 $1.00 2000
Joy of Cooking: All About Soups and Stews Hardcover 1311168 $5.99 $2.03 2000
Joy of Cooking, Miniature Edition Hardcover 1900685 $11.00 $3.90 2000
Joy of Cooking Christmas Cookies Hardcover 1219662 $7.97 $1.30 1996
Joy of Cooking: All About Grilling Hardcover 2511942 $4.44 $1.49 2001
Joy of Cooking: All About Pies and Tarts (Joy of Cooking All About Series) Hardcover 1438130 $14.59 $4.00 2002
Joy of Cooking: All About Salads & Dressings Hardcover 2174661 $12.50 $1.50 2001