All of my professional life I have translated technology for those who struggle with it. From that viewpoint, I offer my review of recipe organizer software.
Everyone searches out recipe organizer software to fulfill a need. Your reason may be to:
1. Print and share recipes.
2. Customize your recipes.
3. Meal planning/ brainstorming.
4. Make your own cookbook.
5. Automatically calculate recipe sizes.
6. Locate recipes easily when you need them.
7. Organize your recipes in a way that makes sense to you.
On everyone's wish list for electronic recipe organizer software is an interface that is friendly and intuitive (that's a techie word meaning you can start clicking away and not have to get bogged down reading the directions).
I like my software pretty just has much as the next cook. It's easy to be drawn into recipe organizer software based on looks alone, which can be deceiving. I have found that some recipe organizers have appeared at first to be easy to navigate. Then you start getting deeper into them and realize they are not as they appear.
You will find some programs heavy on the gray screen, typical of many software designs. Please understand that there is complex coding involved in digital recipe organizer creation. The engineers start out with a stripped down, base product (gray). They then begin to build in features which the consumer wants to see in the best recipe organizer software. Pretty comes later.
I know many of you are looking for free recipe organizer software and freeware. Free is going to cost you. What do I mean? Loss of time for lack of technical support, loss of time trying to figure the software out, increased frustration because the program won't do what you want it to do, and dicey backup for valuable recipes you have stored on your computer.
When looking for recipe organizer software, make sure:
It has a search feature. Easy to navigate - you feel you don't have to sit and read a manual. You can categorize the way you want. You can tag your recipes the way you want (I discuss the advantages of tagging at EverythingPantry.com). You can have the ability to compute larger batch sizes. LOTS of customer support. Online video training. The company LISTENS to its customers to improve the product. Free software updates. Generate your own cookbook. Use as a tool for monthly meal planning. Cool add on tools. Ability to import other cookbooks. Large, satisfied base of customers you can network with on the web. Generate shopping lists.
I myself have laid some money out for an electronic organizer and found I wasn't happy with it. Then I had to live with it for a few years because I couldn't justify getting a new one. Boy, was I happy when I found the right recipe organizer, which I use it everyday!
If you want to learn about which software I thought was the best and why, please visit my website for the detailed article. There are some runners-up and some that didn't pass the test. You may recognize some of the names: CookN DVO, Living Cookbook, Mastercook, Advantage Cooking, Betty Crocker, AccuChef, etc. I also discuss recipe organizer software for the Mac and PC.
Copyright Renee M. Matt, 2011
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Fascinated with kitchen pantries, baking, canning, and taking care of your family? Visit http://www.EverythingPantry.com for more kitchen pantry information such as pantry storage, organization, kitchen pantry design tips, a nd other related kitchen pasttimes.
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