Pestle: The FaceTime-Friendliest Cooking App

What does a cooking app of a new generation look like? The developers of Pestle offer their version of the future cooking. This recipe book heavily uses AI features to deliver the best experience and help cook at your comfortable tempo. The result is a little ambivalent but usable.

Adding recipes is easy. Whenever you run into a good recipe on the Internet, you can just share it from the app you used to browse (Safari, Chrome, whatever) and send it to Pestle. Then the miracle happens. The app automatically fetches the recipe and processes it with its algorithms, only leaving the most essential part.

When you start cooking, you can just place your iPhone or iPad in front of you and inquire about the next step. The texts are well readable, and the names of ingredients are highlighted with green bold font. The process is organized into steps and well-timed, and if you need a timer, there is a built-in one that works automatically.

It’s logical that the app is only available for iOS, given how closely it’s integrated with Safari. The premium version also supports meal plans and recipe recommendations, plus it’s ad-free. It may lack premade Siri shortcuts, but you can set them up yourself.

Though the app has already caused controversy because of its manner to hide the original link behind the three-dot menu (no creator would like it), the developer doesn’t consider it an issue. The user has already visited the page to import the recipe and can do it again, says Mr. Will Bishop, the author of Pestle. Plus, when you’re done cooking, the app invites you to revisit the site you’ve taken the recipe from.

Do you like cooking yourself, and if you do, how do apps help you? What’s your favorite cookbook app? Have you discovered any new dishes on it, and how did you manage not to touch the screen while cooking? Let’s share our experience in the comments!