Synopsis of the App Cooking PlanIt acts as a “personal kitchen assistant” to help home cooks prepare a complete meal with everything ready at the same time.
Pros
Preplanned menus come with a synchronized and preplanned shopping list
Registered account holders enjoy the My Cookbook and My Groceries features as well as the ability to plan customized meals
Voice or visual commands prompt cooks to prep ingredients for immediate and later use
View steps at a glance or one by one to get a feel for the meal
Search by ingredient, type of dish, occasion and an extensive list of diet restrictions including no onion, no pork, no nuts, gluten-free and more
Voice control for hands-free movement through each step
Built-in breaks to relax or cleanup to keep the meal timing on schedule
Automatic timers alert you when each component is ready to move to the next step and estimates dinner time
Easily rate, save and share recipes
Back up account with cloud sync
Cons
Meal timing may not be perfect and will vary with the cook’s experience and equipment
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Bottom Line Cooking PlanIt is ideal for new home cooks who struggle with good timing in the kitchen. It takes the stress out of meal planning and simplifies the organization and cooking process to save time and headache in the kitchen. Even without the timing option, the app provides an additional source of recipes for all cooks.
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.
