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.

Beginners will love the light-hearted, down to earth way Jack writes – telling readers to chuck this in and call a friend while we wait for something else to cook. Lots of the recipes are naturally vegetarian or can be made so, such as the “sausagne” – a thrown together, budget version of the Italian classic. The microwave is often used to keep things simple and speed up recipes and because everything is designed with the cheapest version in mind, you’re not going to make any costly mistakes. Not all recipes have a photograph but most of the more complicated ones do.

Although better known for her showstopping bakes, in this title Nadiya shows us how to make inexpensive recipes, that will appeal to the whole family, in no time at all. We were astonished by how she turns humble ingredients – such as a can of baked beans – into the altogether more impressive harissa bean pizza. The book accompanies the BBC2 TV series of the same name, so if you found yourself watching that and thinking you’d quite like to give dishes a go, this is a must for your bookshelf. However, newbies should note that not all recipes come with a photo.

Cooking doesn’t really get more stripped back than this. Focusing on just one pan, Miguel provides tips and tricks to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. Inside you’ll find more than 90 recipes, all of which will only ever cost £1 a head (or thereabouts) which is particularly appealing if you’re just starting out and don’t want to invest in costly ingredients. Recipes are all for one person which makes scaling up super easy, with hassle-free, flavour-packed meals including couscous paella and fisherman's macaroni pie.

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.

This is the cookbook we return to more than any other, despite it being completely vegetarian and us not. It won’t necessarily teach you the basics if you’ve never picked up a knife before but it will introduce you to a whole new way of looking at your veggies. With stunning photography throughout, easy to follow recipes and manageable ingredients lists, chapters are helpfully divided into the time it takes to tackle. So to begin with, we’d focus on nailing the magic one-pot spaghetti before moving onto 40 minute-feasts as your confidence grows.

Fast becoming the nation’s favourite PE teacher, Wicks’s books are geared towards us eating more healthily, and they also happen to be ideal for the beginner too. Originally focusing on meals that could be rustled up in just 15 minutes, this title gives himself a little longer for each dish which we feel results in a more accomplished plate of food, albeit with recipes that are still very easy to follow. Heavy on the meat, chapters are divided by protein, with the likes of bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed chicken breasts just one of the recipes that will leave you feeling proud to serve.

If you describe yourself as a gourmand but draw blanks when it comes to creating your own culinary feasts, this cookbook could be a good option for you. The award-winning Diana Henry openly admits she loves cooking while also acknowledging that no one can conjure up complicated meals, seven days a week. It’s not the most pared-back cookbook we put to the test, but this title focuses on “bung-it-in-the-oven” cooking – so with just a little prep, you’ll come back to a fully complete meal guaranteed to impress. With beautiful photography, some recipes are fussier than others but as you become more confident you’ll want to tackle those too.

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.

A home cooking bible, Mary Berry shows us the ropes with this encyclopaedic guide. The thorough introduction will help beginners collate the right kit, while a glossary explains common terms. Newbies will be greatly reassured by the step-by-step photography included for each dish, with the “master recipe” being the backbone on which you’ll refine your skills as you become more confident.

Every chef worth their salt should know the best way to dice an onion, julienne a carrot and bone poultry. This book shows us all of the skills other books take for granted that we should know, with detailed step by step photos, before revealing the classic recipes our new found skills can be used in. It’s the next best thing to attending the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine in person (not to mention considerably cheaper!)