We all love a home cooked meal, and for a lot of us we even enjoy making that meal. However, these days we always feel a bit pressed for either time, money or just energy. For these reasons, I find that recipe apps really come in handy. They give you so many options as to your ingredients, utensils, time management and much more. Not to mention not having the stress of grubby finger marks and flour flakes all over the pages of your recipe books.
Below are 3 of my favourite cooking apps for both my iPhone and my iPad:
First off would be the ever popular app brought to you by Jamie Oliver himself – Jamie’s 20 Minute Meal. Probably the first thing you will notice about this app when you go into the app store is it’s price of R56.99 (eek). But is it worth it? I say yes. The design alone is worth the money. It is easy to use, it helps simplify your life with just needing 20 minutes per meal, including very useful how-to videos and honestly, who doesn’t want to listen to that British accent? Yes, it is pricey, but once purchased you will most likely not need another cooking app as there are so many variable meals here to choose from as well as the app constantly being updated. It is available for iOS and Android and has a great tablet variable.
Next up on the list is one for any true blooded South African who loves nothing more on a weekend than a hearty braai. Weber’s on the Grill gives you instant access to over 300 recipes, ranging from starters to dessert (yes, all on the braai) including rubs and marinades. This app also comes at a cost of R39.99 but seriously, can you put a price on a good meal off the braai over a weekend? A nice finishing add on to the app which I find extremely useful is there is a built in timer, so you know exactly when to take the food off the grill. There is only one problem I find with this app, and that is that the recipes need to be refreshed more often, other than that this is a great Summer recipe must have! It is available on iOS for both iPhones and iPads.
Last but not least on my list of must have downloads is BigOven. Best thing about it? It is free! But really this app is great for many other reasons. You can upload all your own recipes, share them with friends, download your families recipes, discover new ones online – all in one place. To me, it is like Pinterest for cooking. The other great thing about this app is that it’s available on many devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, Nook, Windows Phone, Windows and the web – so you can access it anywhere.
Whether you are on the verge of being a professional chef or you think your smoke alarm is cheering your cooking skills on, there will be a level and an app out there for you. Let us know if you are using any cooking app yourself and how you are finding it. Bon appétit!