The top performers in our review are MacGourmet Deluxe, the Gold Award winner; Cook'n Recipe Organizer, the Silver Award winner; and Computer Cuisine Deluxe,
the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a program to meet your
needs, along with details on how we arrived at our ranking of 10
products.
If you're like most cooks, you probably already have a system worked
out for storing recipes on your computer. Since you can find most
recipes you want online, investing in recipe software may seem
unnecessary. However, Mac cookbook software has a wealth of tools that
go beyond what even the most organized cooks could do on their own.
Some of these recipe organizers come with hundreds
or even thousands of preinstalled recipes or give you exclusive access
to a vast library of recipes online. Most Mac recipe software also lets
you import and export recipes that you find online or have in your
personal recipe files. The ability to import and store them all in one
place is an enormous convenience. You can plan out meals by the day,
week or month and get nutritional information about each recipe with the
click of a button.
While this lineup focuses exclusively on the best
Mac recipe software we found, if you use a PC or want to access recipes
through your Android device, our cookbook and recipe software reviews
may be more helpful. For more information, check out our articles on cookbook and recipe software.
Mac Recipe Software: What to Look For
A recipe software package should have all the
essentials, such as tools that let you import, organize and manage your
recipes. It should also have extras to accommodate your family's
specific needs. If you're cooking for several people, you'll want a
program that automatically adjusts the ingredients based on the number
of people. You'll also want software that helps you with shopping lists
so you don't have to make multiple trips to the store. We selected
recipe management software that lets you easily import recipes into your
database and effectively organize and file them.
Although many people cite cooking as a favorite
pastime, it can be a hassle to attend to all of the small details in the
kitchen, both prior to and during cooking. You want software that acts
as an electronic organizer, putting your favorite recipes at your
fingertips and allowing you to focus on preparing food, not finding
recipes. As we used and evaluated the software featured in our reviews,
we found some vital criteria for choosing the best Mac recipe software.
Recipe Manager
The best recipe programs offer a plethora of options for documenting and
editing items in the recipe database. First, programs should include
preinstalled recipes to get you started. Each Mac recipe manager should
have numerous fields for various information, such as the recipe source,
cooking notes or variations, food and beverage pairings, substitutions,
serving size adjustments, and preference and difficulty ratings.
Finding the right recipe
for the right occasion can be a daunting task if you have hundreds or
even thousands of dishes saved on your Mac. Make sure the program you
purchase has great search options that let you find recipes quickly.
These include the ability to search by title, keyword or ingredient, but
also more specific searches such as cooking method, preparation time
and rating.
Convenience Tools
You want to be equipped with all the tools you need to make the cooking
experience as seamless as possible. Searching through a box of 8 x 5
index cards for the right recipe is as obsolete as card catalogs at the
local library. But this software goes beyond mere electronic
convenience. The best Mac recipe software lets you sync your PC recipe
files with an iPhone app, so when you import recipes you find online,
they automatically transfer to your iPhone. You can adjust serving sizes
in real time on your mobile device as you prepare food if you're using a
new recipe with a big group. Mac recipe software should also make it
easy to share recipes online, print them off individually or collect
them in book form.
Recipe software requires
a specific type of user interface to be useful in the kitchen. You
don't want to get flour or sauce on your Mac while you prepare your
favorite meals, so look for programs that have a cooking view, or
hands-free options. For when you're not cooking, make sure the program
has an easy-to-use interface that makes recipe creation, meal planning
and any other task simple and intuitive.
Menu Planner
The best recipe software for Mac allows you to create menu plans weeks
or even months in advance so you can stay organized and maintain a
healthy diet. Many programs also allow you to create shopping lists,
which is convenient because it lets you keep track of your inventory. It
also streamlines the shopping process, reducing the time spent figuring
out what you need from the store. It all but eliminates extra trips to
the store because you forgot important ingredients. Also look for
programs that can tell you the nutritional value of recipes and
individual ingredients. If you're short on time, many programs give you
suggestions of dishes you can make with what you have on hand.
Help & Support
Resources to answer your questions are a vital part of any software
package. Most programs provide access to resources such as communication
with other users via online forums, which is very useful. Also look for
programs that offer email support, online manuals, how-to sections and
video tutorials.
Mac Recipe Software: Our Verdict and Recommendations
We identified the best cookbook and recipe software
for Macs on the market. The best options are MacGourmet Deluxe, Cook'n
Recipe Organizer and Computer Cuisine Deluxe. Each has a lot to offer in
terms of keeping your library of recipes organized and up to date.
MacGourmet has stellar cooking tools that let you plan meals weeks in
advance and generate advanced shopping lists. Cook'n Recipe Organizer
provides excellent help with setting nutritional values and serving
sizes for your family, and it goes beyond lists to offer shopping
strategies. Computer Cuisine Deluxe has more than 1,000 preloaded
recipes and an attractive, easy-to-navigate user interface.
When choosing cookbook and recipe software for your
Mac, first decide what your needs are. If you are a gourmet cook, you
may want features that allow you to edit recipes and change serving
sizes. However, if you don't cook for many people, you may find that
more basic Mac recipe software suits you best. One such basic software
package is Paprika Recipe Manager, an inexpensive program that doesn't come with preloaded recipes but lets you add your own recipes quickly and easily.
Mac recipe software makes recipe collection a
simple and painless task. The best recipe software for Mac combines
extensive recipe management tools, effective meal-planning capabilities,
a simple user interface and great support options. Our Mac recipe
software reviews help you narrow down your choices and find the program
that works best for you.
PROS /
MacGourmet Deluxe has an excellent menu planner that allows you to plan your meals weeks in advance.
CONS /
The number of preloaded recipes is somewhat limited.
VERDICT /
MacGourmet is the best Mac recipe software we reviewed because of its exceptional features and easy-to-use interface.
MacGourmet Deluxe is among the best-known recipe programs on the
market. It offers an impressive combination of tools such as smart lists
and detailed search options. MacGourmet's advanced features and ease of
use make it our top choice among the Mac recipe software we reviewed and winner of our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award.
