iCookbook – Superb Recipe app with thousands of Recipes
by Paul Wilks
Mar 6, 2012 8:43 AM –
iCookbook is a fantastic resource for recipes and cooking instructions. Including over 2,000 unique recipes in a rich and easy-to-follow user interface. It’s great whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen or just looking for something different to cook.
Price: $4.99 (only in the Amazon Appstore)
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Wide selection of recipes!
- Nice, easy to follow user interface!
- Plenty of branded products instead of obscure ingredients!
Cons
Features:
These days Android apps are finding their way into our lives in all kinds of different ways. In the kitchen is one such space where Android is having more and more purpose. There are a slew of pretty good cooking and recipe apps available and iCookbook is certainly one of the best. With hands covered in flour, hotplates and various eggs being broken, the kitchen is perhaps not the safest place for an expensive Android device, but if you can guarantee its safety, iCookbook is a great app for guiding you through a wide range of recipes, from complex starters to light and fluffy desserts. I wouldn’t even say this is just for beginners either, recipes come in a variety of difficulties so there might be something here for you even if you have a Michelin star or two.
The intuitive UI stands out as a brilliant feature as it presents recipes and instructions in an incredibly easy-to-follow manner. When you’ve selected something to cook, the app gives you a quick overview which lists the average cost per-serving in addition to difficulty rating. You also get a list of ingredients and a space to write your own notes, which are saved for the next time you open that recipe. When you click the ‘Prepare’ button you are taken to a richly displayed step-by-step guide to making the dish. It’s wonderfully simple and doesn’t require too much know-how.
The app deliberately uses various branded ingredients. While this occasionally feels a little intrusive, it rarely asks for ridiculously pompous ingredients that might take some tracking down even in a big supermarket. Recipes are simple and unpretentious; letting you make good food without overwhelming you with complex and hard-to-get items. In fact, you might often have a lot of the things they ask for already in your food cupboards.
There is over 2,000 recipes included in the app, and these are easy to search for. The search function is really useful. You can search by dish, ingredient, theme, cuisine, occasion or brand. The app saves your previously viewed recipes and places them under ‘Recents’ for easy access later. There is also a basic search window for even faster recipe locating if you have something specific to look for. This makes for a intuitive and fuss-free experience that is ideal for kitchen novices as well as those who own their own Dodin Bouffant. Maybe cooking is something you want to learn- perhaps to impress someone or maybe just a hobby you’ve always meant to take up. iCoobook is a brilliant and a useful app that can help you achieve these kind of goals.
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iCookbook – Splash page
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iCookbook – Main menu
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iCookbook – Search feature
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iCookbook – Recipe overview
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iCookbook – Step-by-step instructions
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iCookbook – Menu
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iCookbook – Filter by cuisine
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iCookbook – Filter by theme
Usefulness:
Brilliant if you’re interested in cooking or if it’s perhaps a hobby you want to get into. Whether you want to impress someone or love spending time coming up with new creations- this is a great starting point.
Ease of Use:
It’s incredibly easy to follow along with and the step-by-step instructions are first-rate. The ability to take notes regarding each recipe is pretty intuitive and useful too.
Frequently Used:
I don’t think it’s something you would use every day, unless you have loads of time on your hands, but perhaps bi-weekly you might dabble with a new recipe and see how you get one. There’s also a section for ‘Occasions’ so you might even only get it out when you need something special.
Interface:
The interface is beautiful and a real highlight. It would have been nice if the developers had included the option to increase font-size, it’s a little on the small side. This aside, it’s very smooth and fun to use.