"need" and "want" are two very different concepts when it comes to cookbooks! You might only need half a dozen, or fewer; but I probably own about 100, and used to own more but had to reduce the herd during a move. Some are more used than others, but they are all fun to read. I also use Epicurious quite a bit; my go to cookbooks are probably Gourmet's big cookbook, a Mario Batali cookbook, a cookbook called Best of the Midwestern Table, and a few specialty cookbooks for cuisine like Thai food. I think the only time a recipe is truly essential is in baking...and I have probably twenty cookbooks just devoted to baking!