Synopsis of the App Kitchen Wizard recommends recipes based on what’s in your kitchen at any given time.
Platform and Price
Free. Apple.
RDN Score
3 out of 5
Pros
Initial interview starts with a simple question: What can I make right now?
Set up requires taking an inventory of what you have on hand and what you need to purchase using Kitchen Wizard’s 25 most common ingredients.
Recipes are built on pantry staples making it easy to get a quick meal on the table with what you have on hand.
Filter recipes based on health conditions, how many people you usually cook for, age and general health goals (to lose or gain weight, etc.).
Scale recipes to feed your family from 2-8.
Save favorite recipes to “My Cookbook” along with other pre-existing recipe collections.
Includes a few free recipe collections.
The Grocery List is searchable and available as an alphabetical list, categorized by grocery store aisle or easily sorted by “what’s on hand,” “running low” and “completely out.” It also alerts you to what may spoil soon to help reduce food waste and save money.
The My Kitchen feature organizes ingredients by what’s in the refrigerator, pantry and bar making it easy to figure out what you have on hand.
Cons
App is not as polished as many others in the category.
Many of the recipes are user generated and not tested.
Recipe photos are not always as appetizing as what you might see in popular food blogs or cookbooks.
Odd recipe formatting requires the user to click to read each recipe step.
Entering or submitting a recipe using the mobile app is awkward. It’s recommended to use a laptop for a better user experience.
Bottom Line
The inventory and grocery list functions are beneficial and easily the best features of Kitchen Wizard. However, the recipes are unreliable and often lack visual appeal to keep the average home cook’s attention and loyalty.
Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, is based in Atlanta and specializes in culinary nutrition, communications and consulting. She blogs at marisamoore.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
