Cover 5 apps that will change the way you think about just cooking food (Photo: Getty Images)
5 apps that will change the way you think about just cooking food (Photo: Getty Images)
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Modern apps help you plan, cook and plate meals so they look good both in real life and on your social media feeds.
Technology has become more than just a tool—it’s now an essential part of how we live, eat, and create. For the modern home cook, the kitchen is no longer just about following recipes. It’s about designing experiences, making thoughtful choices, and cooking with purpose.
Sometimes, you don’t know what you want to cook or it’s hard to find that one recipe that you want to cook. That’s where these apps jump in. They are tools that do far more than store recipes. These platforms help you plan weekly meals, generate smart shopping lists, reduce food waste, and even turn photos into recipes. Whether you're a seasoned home chef, a nutrition-conscious foodie, or someone who just wants to whip up dinner without a supermarket run, these five apps are here to make cooking not just easier, but more enjoyable.
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Cookpad
Above The “Cookplan” feature of the Cookpad app helps us plan our meals systematically.
The “Cookplan” feature of the Cookpad app helps us plan our meals systematically.
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Above The Cookpad app features an activity feed and messages, allowing us to chat with food lovers around the world.
The Cookpad app features an activity feed and messages, allowing us to chat with food lovers around the world.
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Cookpad isn’t just a recipe app—it’s a thriving community of home cooks from around the world. Designed as a space for sharing everyday meals and the platform allows users to post homemade recipes, photos, and cooking tips.
Its standout feature, Cookplan, helps you plan meals in a structured way while storing favourites in personal folders. You can search recipes based on ingredients you have, follow other users, and even track your own cooking history through the “Cooked” log, which doubles as a digital food diary.
There’s also an active feed for inspiration, widgets to put on your homescreen for quick access, and direct messaging—making Cookpad perfect for anyone who values the social and cultural exchange behind food.
ReciMe
Above ReciMe app is suitable for social media users who like to save cooking recipes.
Above ReciMe app also has a nutrition calculator feature (beta version) that helps us to take a better care of our health.
ReciMe app is suitable for social media users who like to save cooking recipes.
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If your camera roll is full of screenshots from Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and cooking blogs, ReciMe is the solution you didn’t know you needed. Built for modern recipe collectors, this app allows you to save content from almost anywhere—even scanned pages from old cookbooks.
It automatically generates weekly meal plans and smart grocery lists, neatly sorted by supermarket aisle. A beta nutrition calculator makes it easy to keep an eye on your health goals too.
Available as both an app and a web platform (with a Chrome extension for desktop use), ReciMe offers cross-device access that’s especially handy for multitaskers or anyone who meal-preps from their laptop.
Tasty
Above The Tasty app offers recipe recommendations based on time of day, holidays, or dietary restrictions, such as vegetarian or vegan.
The Tasty app offers recipe recommendations based on time of day, holidays, or dietary restrictions, such as vegetarian or vegan.
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Best known for its slick, step-by-step video tutorials, Tasty makes cooking feel like a private masterclass. The app is developed by BuzzFeed. So, you don’t need to worry about its authenticity. Each recipe is presented with clean visuals, in-app timers, and a stay-awake mode to prevent your screen from going dark mid-cook.
What sets Tasty apart is its personalisation: recipes are recommended based on the time of day, holidays, and your dietary preferences—whether you’re vegetarian or just cutting back on meat. Ingredient lists are clearly laid out and can be saved or sent straight to your grocery list, making it a practical, stylish tool for everyday cooking.
Supercook
Above The Supercook app features offline recipe downloads, recipe ratings, and themed menu search.
Above The Supercook app also allows you to create a personal shopping list.
The Supercook app features offline recipe downloads, recipe ratings, and themed menu search.
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Don’t feel like running to the shop? Just tell Supercook what’s in your fridge or cupboard, and it will recommend recipes based on what’s already available. It’s a dynamic, ingredient-first platform that updates suggestions as you add or remove items.
Supercook also offers offline access, personalised shopping lists, recipe ratings, and search filters by meal type or dietary preference. Whether you’re planning breakfast or a light supper, this app is ideal for reducing food waste and discovering unexpected meal ideas on the fly.
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SideChef
Above The SideChef app features an AI system called RecipeGen that can turn food photos into recipes.
The SideChef app features an AI system called RecipeGen that can turn food photos into recipes.
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SideChef is built for cooks who love structure, smart tech, and seamless integration. With over 18,000 recipes, the app provides guided cooking via voice and visual step-by-step instructions, complete with timers and a dedicated cooking mode to keep your screen active.
The platform also uses AI-powered tools like RecipeGen, which can turn a photo of a dish into a real recipe. Beyond that, SideChef integrates with smart kitchen appliances, letting you control devices like ovens directly from the app.
With features like personalised meal planning, ingredient substitutions, cooking challenges, and one-tap grocery ordering through retail partners, SideChef is perfect for both seasoned home chefs and curious foodies with a love for tech.
Whether you’re clearing out your fridge, creating a Pinterest-inspired dinner, or just want to streamline your weekly meal planning, these five apps turn your phone into a powerful culinary companion.
Each one blends smart functionality with creativity—helping you elevate the everyday act of cooking into something intuitive, fun, and beautifully efficient.
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