If you’ve resolved to be healthier, get more organised or try new things in 2020, what better place to begin than the kitchen?
We’ve narrowed down the list of best cooking apps to help you cook better in 2020.
Whether you’re looking for recipes inspiration, an easy way to manage your weekly meal preparation or learning to cook, there’s an app for you.
#1. Yummly
Best for: Paleo
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, in app purchases
Introducing Yummly.
Founded in 2009, this handy app is by no means little. With over 2 million recipes and counting, you’ll never run out of ideas for your next meal. The team behind Yummly pull together recipes from all over the internet. Their sources include two others on this list - Allrecipes and Epicurious.
With Yummly, you can search and filter recipes by tons of different categories. Filter by diet, ingredient, allergy info, nutrition info, price, cuisine, taste, course and the time it takes to prepare.
You can add recipes you like to your personal list of favourites to refer back to. And you can transfer the recipe’s ingredients directly into your in-app shopping list.
Recipes come with step by step instructions and many include video tutorials. You can personalise recipes to your style and taste. While the app itself learns your food habits, recommending relevant recipes it thinks you might like. When you sign up with Yummly, it will start by asking you about your taste preferences and required nutrition level. So, it can personalise the types of recipes it shows you.
You can also set timers for your recipes and even shop for kitchen tools via the app.
Yummly is great for those on specific diets, such as paleo, keto or plant based. Why not join millions of other users and give it a go?
#2. BigOven
Best for: Families
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, in app purchases
The next app on our list has over 13 million downloads, with over 500,000 recipes for home cooks to choose from. BigOven was founded in 2003 and comes with a clean and simple design interface that’s a pleasure to use.
Get step by step recipe instructions, or look through the collection of helpful guides on a range of cooking topics. With BigOven’s recipe clipper tool, you can save recipes from anywhere on the web direct to the app. Create your own recipes and upload them onto the app. The app will even type up written recipes for you! Simply snap a picture of your grandma’s shepherd’s pie recipe and upload it to the app.
BigOven doubles up as a social platform for foodies. Find and share recipes, see what your friends are cooking, or follow your favourite food bloggers. The app contains a social feed, so you can be regularly inspired by new recipes from those you follow. It will also publish seasonal recipe collections - great if you’re looking to eat more seasonal cuisine.
One of the app’s best features is its built in meal planner. Add your favourite recipes to the weekly meal planner and organise your family’s mealtimes more efficiently. You can turn any recipe into a shopping list with the tap of a button and share it with members of your household.
Forget food waste. With BigOven, you can type in any leftover ingredients you have lingering in your fridge and the app will suggest meals based on those ingredients. Mealtimes have never been easier.
#3. Cookpad
Best for: Everyday cooking
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, in app purchases
With over 5.5 million recipes, Cookpad is perfect for those looking to shake up their dinner routine. Find unique, home cooking recipes using the app’s search function. Search by recipe name, ingredients, food type and more. Or simply see which recipes are trending.
You can upload your own recipes and share them or, if you want to, make them private so only you can see them. Save recipes to your cookplan list. You can comment on other people’s recipes and they can leave comments on yours.
Cookpad has an easy to user interface - perfect for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy.
#4. Kitchen Stories
Best for: Beginners
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, no in app purchases
Advance your cooking skills with Kitchen Stories. This app has a 4.8 star rating on both iOS and Android. With new recipes added daily, you’re sure to find some new ones to try.
Recipes are accompanied by photos and clear instructions. Many also come with easy to follow video guides in HD. Learn how to cook your favourite dishes, with handy tips and tricks to perfect your technique.
Filter by nutrition information, such as low carb, gluten-free or vegan recipes. The app also comes with a shopping list, which you can generate automatically from the recipes you select. Thanks to its helpful measurement converter, you can adjust serving size and it’ll tell you how much you’ll need to buy of each ingredient.
Bookmark your favourite recipes, or upload your own. You can comment on recipes shared via the app. The design is simple and the menus are easy to navigate, making getting to grips with the app quick and hassle free.
One thing this app has that makes it so special is the ability to filter by country, with a convenient little reminder feature. So, you can set reminders to prepare special dishes for different holidays or occasions.
#5. SideChef
Best for: Meal planning
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, in app purchases
Get recipes personalised to your taste and dietary requirements thanks to SideChef. Be inspired by weekly meal suggestions selected by cooking experts. There’s over 16,000 recipes, with photos and step by step clear instructions. Many of the recipes also come with videos and voice commands, to cook alongside you.
The app has a built-in shopping list, for quick and easy meal planning. You can also adjust the serving size on the recipes and it will automatically convert the ingredients for you. Take photos of your finished meals and share them with the community.
#6. Allrecipes
Best for: Busy people
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, no in app purchases
Best known for its comprehensive online recipe database. Allrecipes, founded in 1997, produced the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app which boasts over 30 million users.
Browse recipes by category, or use the app’s powerful search feature. Search by keyword, ingredients or dietary needs. For people who don’t have much time, you can search by the time required. Find delicious recipes you can whip up when you’re in a hurry.
If you need recipe ideas for a certain occasion, Allrecipes will suggest some for you. You can create a shopping list in the app based on your chosen recipes. The app will then automatically organise your list by which supermarket aisle the ingredients are likely to be found. Saving you time when shopping. And, if you need to adjust the serving size of any of the recipes, the app will do it for you and include the correct amount in your shopping list.
Over 1,000 recipes now come with step by step videos, making them even easier to follow. And each recipe comes with nutrition info.
The greatest thing about the app is its active community of members. Members share recipes, photos, leave reviews and offer suggestions. You can also share recipes via email and social media.
Allrecipes is personalised to you. With every recipe you search or member you follow, the app will get smarter, providing a more tailored experience.
#7. Tasty
Best for: Vegetarians
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free, no in app purchases
Tasty, from the creators at BuzzFeed is a fun way to find new recipes you and your friends will love. Featuring video clips and written instructions with ingredients, learning to cook different meals is easy. Tasty has over 3,000 recipes, with step by step guides. Look through different categories such as breakfast, comfort food, romantic dinners and more. Take your time with swipe by swipe video instructions.
With Tasty, you can choose to hide all recipes that include meat. Handy for vegetarians and vegans. Save recipes and export lists of ingredients for your shopping list.
Get recommendations for your next meal based on the time of day, day of the week or special occasions. Or search for inspiration with the Discover feature.
#8. Oh She Glows
Best for: Vegans
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: £2.09 Android, £1.99 iOS
Oh She Glows offers over 150 vegan friendly recipes that are simply delicious. Based on the award-winning book by New York Times Bestseller Angela Liddon, OSG also includes plant based and gluten free recipes, all hand picked by Angela herself.
Each recipe comes with full screen, high resolution photos. With in depth instructions and clever tips. The app’s visual design is simply beautiful to behold.
Filter recipes by dietary or allergy info, dish type, season and more. Add notes to the recipes and mark your favourites for offline access.
#9. Epicurious
Best for: Gourmet cooking
Available on: iOS
Cost: Free
Access over 35,000 tried and tested recipes, added by publishers such as BonAppetit and Gourmet. Epicurious is constantly updated with new recipes. Users can subscribe to daily content, with recipe videos that are easy to follow.
Find your favourite recipes and add them to your recipe box or share them on social media. You can create a shopping list from your saved recipes and view recipe reviews and ratings from other users.
Epicurious comes with a Smart Kitchen Timer. This handy feature will tell you exactly how many more minutes everything takes to cook. Helping you keep better track of your cooking.
#10. Forks Over Knives
Best for: Plant based diet
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: £3.99 Android, £4.99 iOS
Named after the healthy eating movement, Forks Over Knives features over 200 plant based recipes. So, if you’re looking to start eating more plant based and whole food meals, this is the app for you.
#11. Youmiam
Best for: Experimenters
Available on: Android & iOS
Cost: Free
Similar to Pinterest, Youmiam is a social platform for food lovers. Curate your own feed of different recipes from other chefs. With personalised daily recipe inspiration, perfect for experimenting with new meal ideas. The app has over 15,000 recipes to choose from, with step by step instructions.
#12: Deliciously Ella
Best for: Healthy eating
Available on: iOS
Cost: Free, in app purchases
This app from popular food blogger Deliciously Ella is chock full of healthy recipes, including options for gluten-free, plant based and other diets. Recipes are easy to follow and come with beautifully styled photos. The app is updated with new recipes each week. Plus, take advantage of the shopping list and meal planner features for more organised cooking.
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