Why Use Cookbook and Recipe Software?

If you cook and use a computer, cookbook and recipe organizing software can expand your repertoire, save you time and help you create a lasting archive of recipes from a variety of sources. But you can take it a lot farther: plan elaborate meals, shop for groceries by aisle and never forget another ingredient, choose recipes based on nutrition and special diet needs, estimate your food bill, and publish your own cookbook. Yes, you can run your kitchen like a restaurant.

What kind of cook are you? Look below to find out which extra features to look for based on your cooking style.

The Newlyweds: Novices in the kitchen, this team will need a collection of simple recipes and video tutorials. A couple can take advantage of their new start by adding recipes as friends and family entertain them, remember childhood favorites, and try new restaurants. The result: a working collection of recipes by their first anniversary.

Can’t Cook: Want to impress a date with your culinary prowess, but can’t cook? Look for a program that has recipes rated by level of difficulty and video tutorials. An online forum would be helpful too for advice from others in the same predicament.

Family Cook: With hungry mouths to feed night after night, this busy cook should look for a product offering a wide variety of recipes, automatic grocery lists, and customizable keywords to flag recipe favorites and rejects by family member.

Professional Cook: Whether it’s the annual fundraiser or a full-time catering business, Cookbook and Recipe Organizing software can manage the budget and the inventory. Look for cost analysis by recipe and by meal, inventory tracking, and drag-and-drop menu scheduling by the month.

Cook Historian: Recipe cards passed down from generation to generation, annotated cookbooks, slips of paper, and magazine clippings: an unwieldy and fragile collection that deserves a home. Look for software with an auto fill function to speed recipe entry. Once compiled, create an online version or print traditional cookbooks. Look for Web and paper templates, the ability to add photos, and the flexibility to change the layout for best results.

Make your final selection with confidence using TopTenREVIEWS’ signature comparison chart. Be assured that as your expertise grows or interests change, your cookbook and recipe program will adapt. You’ll never part with your cookbook collection, but now you’ll have your favorites in one place, on one screen, searchable, and virtually indestructible. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look for in Cookbook and Recipe Software

The finest cookbook and recipe software not only provides access to thousands of recipes, but also lets you add your own. A good program organizes all of your recipes and cookbooks for easy access, provides nutritional information, schedules your meals and creates grocery lists.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate cookbook and recipe software.

Feature Set
Cooking and recipe software should include features that make cooking easier, including a menu planner, shopping lists, nutrition information, recipe organizer and so on.

Ease of Use
Practical software is easy to navigate and use, so anyone can feel comfortable performing basic tasks with the software regardless of their computer knowledge.

Ease of Installation & Setup
The program should be easy to setup and install, offer detailed instructions and not cause errors.

Help/Documentation
Software manufacturers should provide sufficient help and support including tutorials, FAQs, online technical support and an email or a phone number to contact customer service.

Recipe Manager
Cookbook and recipe software should offer a recipe manager that is customizable, has good search capabilities, includes detailed recipe information and more.

Menu Planner
The best menu planners plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for days, weeks and even months, are customizable, track your inventory of ingredients and will even suggest recipes based on the ingredients you have.

To read the review on BigOven Deluxe, the cookbook and recipe software our reviewers ranked #1, click here.