Ever since I got my very first iPhone last December, I have become obsessed with collecting apps, especially food apps. Suddenly, I’m able to separate myself from the cookbook and create food in a whole new way. Food apps are not just for cooking either. Did you know the latest new craze is to take photos of your food and post about them online? I rolled my eyes when I first heard about it, but after a quick jaunt through the world of mealtime photography, I was able to pick restaurants more successfully while traveling. Picking places to dine is a trick in itself without a known history of the local offered cuisine.
A few of my favorite food apps are:
Martha Stewart Everyday Food Recipes
As a religious subscriber to the magazine, I find this app a great reference point for finding a recipe in one of my past issues. (It’s way quicker to type in a search than to leaf through my 5 years + of magazines!) It’s a great photography packed app with colorful graphics and easy to find ingredients. You can search by ingredient or recipe name, which is helpful if you are looking for a quick inspiration for dinner tonight. You can even watch small movies for basic instruction and guidance on a wide variety of subjects.
Cost: $2.99
Epicurious
My favorite feature about this app is the great menu of buttons that you can choose from with a variety of seasonal recipe collections such as “Summer Desserts”, “Picnic Ideas”, “Family Reunions”, or “Lunches Kids Love”. They even have a collection marked “I Can Barely Cook” for beginners. Each recipe is measured with a voting system based user reviews. It’s great to be able to mark your favorite recipes as well for future quick reference.
Cost: FREE (Upgrade starts at $1.99)
Big Oven
My hands down favorite feature about the Big Oven app is the built in program that offers ideas to use up leftovers. After tapping the “Ideas To Use Up Leftovers” button, you type in up to three food items you have in your fridge or pantry and it will come back with recipes that contain those ingredients. You can also see what other app users are currently cooking and loving with the “Recent Raves” button. Or, take your chances and play a little food roulette and press the “Random Recipe” button.
Cost: FREE
Food Network, In the Kitchen
I’ve been a Food Network fan from day one, so this app was a must have. After you delve a bit deeper into the app and see that it contains the typical recipe search, featured recipes, and shopping lists, you find the crowning jewel- the ability to find and import your saved recipes from FoodNetwork.com for access on your iPhone or iPad.
Cost: $1.99
Foodspotting
This is a great interactive app that helps you find nearby places to eat, no matter the location. App users can find restaurants, cafes, and eateries based on food choice, location, or name of restaurant. A special guide section offers a collection things like “The Great American Sandwich Guide: LA”, “Top 10 Chef Picks @ Chicago”, and “Grub Street: New York’s Top 20 Pizzas”.
Cost: FREE
Urban Spoon
This app works a lot like Foodspotting as far as food photography and input from other app users, but it also offers a kind of restaurant slot machine with a shakeable feature that will pick a eatery for you based on 3 categories, location, cuisine, and cost. These categories can also be manually manipulated, but it’s fun to take your chances once in a while.
Cost: FREE
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Twitter: sandsapps
says:
I love the Food Network and the Martha Stewart Everyday Food Recipe apps, I use them both on my iPad but they are good for on the go with my iPod touch as well. I recently did a review on the Whole Living Smoothie app from the creators of Martha Stewarts Cookies and Cocktail apps. You can check it out here onhttp://iphonemom.blogspot.com/2011/07/whole-living-smoothies-app-for-iphone.html
I love my iPad an iPod touch! Thanks for the food app suggestions.
Twitter: LCCindee
says:
Thank you I just got IPhone and need help always.I will be check n those out
Cindee recently posted..summer daze
No fair. I’m reading this at my desk at work and it’s making me hungryyy.
lindsey recently posted..cook’s question
Twitter: wendiwinn
says:
i love urban spoon! well. i really just like to shake the phone.
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wendiwinn recently posted..gogo squeez is apple sauce. not physical exertion. want to win a book? i change subjects quickly when i sense an onset of uncomfortable silence.
Twitter: alenesnodgrass
says:
Great info. Downloading me some apps now!!!! It’s making me hungry…
Alene recently posted..Choose Your Path…
Twitter: BoonieSooze
says:
All I can do is sit here and salivate for an iPhone. I am hoping that my dear husband is going to succumb soon to their absolute necessity. And hopefully, he’ll succumb BEFORE Bloggy Boot Camp in October, when I could use it for soooooo many reasons!!!
Susan in the Boonies recently posted..While You’re Waiting for that Recipe…
I have a terrible habbit of taking photos of my food, especially when out at a restaurant – I think it’s a blogger thing – that’s what I tell people anyway!
Added some of these apps now too to further my food obsession!
Jade @ No Longer 25 recently posted..Happiness Is… {Happy}
Twitter: imaftmummy
says:
Cool list! Am downloading Epicurious to my iPad now
Apart from Big Oven, I also have Whole Foods Recipe app on my iPad. Great app too!
Jenny @ I’m a full-time mummy recently posted..Say Cheesecake!
Twitter: Simplywebly
says:
Wow ! Anything to turn us into chefs at home. I would love to see an app that does all the work for me by just inputting the ingredients.
Can’t wait to see what the free ones you posted offer.
I have most of those apps on my ipad
They’re great! I didn’t know about the foodspotter and urban spoon, though – I’ll have to check those out!
Michelle recently posted..Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
I am definitely downloading the Big Oven!
JDaniel4′s Mom recently posted..Guest Posting at Bees with Honey!
Twitter: ziggy1962
says:
I don’t have an iPhone
Maybe when I’m up for an upgrade, I’ll get one, but maybe not.
Laura recently posted..WARNING: Don’t Let Your Daughter Become A Victim!
Twitter: Turner_SR
says:
wonder if any of these have blackberry versions?
Sara recently posted..Venice
I got my Blackberry in May and I am still learning the ins and outs….I can’t wait to download (or ask my teen to do it) some of these apps.
Bibi recently posted..How To Host Successful Direct Sales Home Party
Twitter: andi_fisher
says:
You had me at “food” !!
Andi recently posted..Happy National Ice Cream Day
I already have epicurious, Urbanspoon and Foodspotting, but I also want Big Oven! The leftover help sounds awesome.
Elisa recently posted..Sunday Trippin’ with Melanie of You Are My Fave
I have most of those – Urbanspoon and Foodspotting don’t have a lot of participation in my neck of the woods (darn it!).
I also like Nigella Lawson & Jamie Oliver’s apps.
Red Door Kitchen recently posted..Pollo Alla Cacciatora – Nigella Lawson
soon, soon I will also have an iPhone! I have an android but my son has an iPhone and I secretly lust after it!
Kristy Wilce recently posted..Monday Morning Motivation
Twitter: bestoffates
says:
Ooh – I want to spot food! I mean, not myself. I have dreadful taste in food. But I want to see what food has been spotted by other people.
Megan (Best of Fates) recently posted..And The Mustaches Just Keep On Coming
If you are visiting/traveling in India, the only app you need to feed your hunger is Zomato ( http://www.zomato.com/ios ) , Brilliant App. It has intelligent recommendations, bloody every restaurant is in their index, with “menus”, every small detail about restaurant and awesome filters to get exactly what one wants. A must have app in India
I am a huge fan of Urbanspoon! Love their site and love the app…shaking to see random restaurants is so fun! Another one to check out for restaurants is Open Table…if they have much available in your area, it’s a great way to make reservations!
Mrs. Diner recently posted..Kids Eat Free at Ikea Aug. 1-21