The right app depends on what you are after: lots of recipes or reviewed ones, a shopping list or a delivery, free with advertising or a subscription. Six questions are enough to decide.
There are dozens of recipe apps, and they do not all do the same job. Some are huge libraries, some sell a delivery, some help you decide. This guide does not rank apps: it gives the questions that let you choose yours.
This article is published by MoodDish. The last part says where the app stands on each criterion, limits included.
1. Where do the recipes come from?
- User recipes: a huge choice, uneven quality. Comments act as the filter.
- A written and reviewed catalogue: fewer recipes, but checked quantities and steps.
2. How do you find an idea?
- By search: handy when you already know what you want.
- By suggestion: useful when you have no idea. This is where apps differ most.
3. What does the app do with the shopping list?
Three very different cases:
- it does nothing, you copy the ingredients yourself;
- it builds a list to tick off, and you shop wherever you like;
- it fills a basket at a retailer and arranges delivery or collection.
The third is convenient, but it ties you to particular shops.
4. Do you know the price of the dish before cooking?
Few apps show it. When they do, it is an estimate: check where the prices come from and when.
5. How does the app handle allergies?
See whether allergens are recorded ingredient by ingredient or only inferred. In every case, the product label is what counts.
6. What does it cost, and what do you get for free?
Compare what is free, the subscription price, and whether a one-time purchase exists. Also check how much advertising there is.
Where MoodDish stands
| Criterion | MoodDish |
|---|---|
| Recipe source | A catalogue of more than 1,000 recipes written for the app and reviewed. No user recipes, nothing created on demand. |
| Finding an idea | Yum or Pass: dishes come up and you keep the ones that tempt you. Regular search too. |
| Shopping list | A list to tick off, built from the recipe and sorted by aisle. No ordering, no delivery. |
| Price of the dish | An estimate shown on every recipe, from French retailer prices. |
| Allergies | Allergens recorded by ingredient; filters with MoodDish+. |
| Pricing | Free with advertising; MoodDish+ at €1.99 a month or €19.99 as a one-time purchase. |
Who it is not for: if you want your shopping delivered, to publish your own recipes or to browse hundreds of thousands of recipes, another app will suit you better.
To understand the idea: How to choose dinner when you cannot decide? How Yum or Pass works.
