I recently discovered a recipe management app called Paprika that has become my go-to app when I’m in the kitchen. Paprika is a useful and feature-rich application that helps make meal planning and cooking easy and fun – and includes a built-in user guide to get you up to speed quickly (though most tasks in the app are fairly intuitive). The images in this post are from the iPad version of Paprika. Paprika is also available as a Mac app and for the iPhone.

Bringing in Recipes

Use Paprika’s built-in web browser to view and import recipes from hundreds of sites on the Web, with as little as a single tap. Tap the Browser icon on the toolbar to bring up a combined address bar and search bar. Here, you can type in a URL (such as allrecipes.com) or a specific recipe you wish to find (Peach Pie). Or if you prefer to browse a popular cooking site, click on the desired link in the Bookmarks section of the browser.

Once you find a recipe you want to import, you can clip it as follows:

1. Use the Web browser to browse to a recipe you want to save.
2. Press the Save Recipe button on the lower right corner of the toolbar.
3. Paprika will attempt to clip the recipe from the page. Press the Create Recipe button to save it.
4. If Paprika is unable to save the recipe, you will receive an error message.
5. You can then use the manual clipboard to clip the recipe.

Additionally, you can import recipes from other popular recipe managment applications such as MacGourmet and MasterCook.

Grocery List & Pantry

You can create a grocery list with one tap which you can then export to the Reminders app if you so choose. Display a recipe and then click the shopping cart icon on the top toolbar (not the side toolbar). Uncheck any items that you do not wish to add and then click Add. All of the checked items are then added to the grocery list. You can also add items manually.

To view your grogery list, click the shopping cart icon on the left toolbar (not the top one). Paprika’s grocery list is smart in that it combines your ingredients and then sorts them by aisle. From here, you can add additional items to your grocery list as well as to your pantry list (I find the pantry feature handy to ensure a well-stocked kitchen). To export your grocery list, click the icon on the lower-left corner of the screen and choose Export to Reminders.

You can also print the recipe from this screen or send it to someone via e-mail.

Categories and Subcategories

To help you find a recipe quickly, create categories and subcategories to organize your recipes. Display a recipe and then press Edit on the top right corner of the screen. Under the Info tab, scroll down until you see Categories. Tap Categories and then tap the category you wish to apply to the recipe.

To create a new category, click the + (plus) symbol on top of the Choose Categories screen. Type in a name and if application, choose the parent category.

Using the Edit Recipe Box

In addition to creating and assigning categories, you can add a plethora of information from the Edit Recipe window. Many of the fields are automatically populated when importing a recipe but you can edit any of these fields at a later time. For instance, you might need to adjust the ingredients, directions or general recipe info after you’ve tried the recipe for the first time.

Smart Tools

What I really like about Paprika are the smart tools, which can really help to make cooking a lot easier. For instance, if you are cooking a recipe, you can track your progress by crossing off the ingredients when you’re finished with them. How many times have you been in the middle of preparing a recipe and you’ve forgotten whether or not you’ve already added an ingredient, such as salt? With Paprika, simply cross off ingredients as you go.

You can also highlight your current step as well as keep the iPad or iPhone screen on while you’re working.

Another handy feature is the ability to scale up or down recipes. For instance, if you were preparing a two serving recipe but needed to make it for four people, click the scale 1x link in the Ingredients pane and then click 2. The ingredients in the Ingredients Pane will then display as doubled. You can also scale your recipes by 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6/ 2/3 and 3/4.

Working on Multiple Recipes

If you are cooking more than one recipe at a time – such as a main dish and a side dish – you can pin recipes for easy access. Once you pin a recipe, all recipes that you have pinned will display in a small window when you tap the Pin icon in the lower-left corner. Tap a recipe to quickly jump to it.

Set Multiple Timers Right From the App

Paprika also includes the ability to set multiple timer directly from the app. Tap the timer icon on the lower-right corner of the screen, press Add Timer and then specify a name for the timer and its duration. To add additional timers, click the icon again and repeat the steps above. This is another one of my favorite and often-used features.

And There’s a Built-in Meal Planner

Paprika includes a meal planner with which you can plan meals by the week and month and then export them to the Calendar app. You can also create reusuble menus, saving you time in the long run.

Verdict

Given that I’ve added Paprika to my list of Essential Mac Apps, I cannot say enough good things about it. I use it almost daily and it’s the first time that an app has met all of my cooking needs.

Paprika is available as a Mac app, for iPhone and iPad.

Similar Posts:

• Read Web Pages Offline using Safari’s Reading List Feature
• Sync Google Contacts with your Mac’s Contacts application
• Turn TextEdit into a Word Processor by Inserting Tables
• Apple’s Best of 2014
• Create Links to an E-mail Messages in the Notes app
• Introducing Daily Mac Tips Courses