Much to the dismay of the cookbook industry, digital recipe storage has exploded in popularity, making paper recipes a relic of the past. This has led to the creation of many recipe management apps and websites, such as Paprika and Recipe Keeper. While many apps likely outshine your old recipe index cards, they (and most other) all require payment to take advantage of their coolest features. This minHour article will show you how to make a completely-free virtual recipe box that you can access from any computer, phone, or tablet, no matter where you are.
Using Whisk
Sign up for Whisk.
Whisk is free recipe management app that makes it incredibly easy to save and organize recipes on any computer, phone, or tablet. Not only can you add recipes from the web, you can also enter your own recipes by hand. Whisk also plans to offer a recipe scanning tool you can use to scan your favorite recipes from cookbooks, recipe cards, and printouts (if available on your phone or tablets). Whisk even calculates nutritional information based on what you enter!
- To sign up on the web, visit https://www.whisk.com.
- On an Android, open the Play Store, search for whisk, and then tap Install.
- On an iPhone or iPad, open the App Store, search for whisk, and then tap Get.
Install the Whisk recipe saver Chrome extension (computer only).
Whisk’s browser extension lets you clip recipes you find on the web and save them right to Whisk.
- As long as you’re using Chrome or a Chrome-based browser (including Microsoft Edge), you can install the extension from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/whisk/gfoijmnbedaipllfimaogeepohalbgka?hl=en. Just click Add to Chrome to install it.
- Installing Whisk on your phone or tablet adds a sharing feature to your web browser that lets you share recipes to Whisk from your mobile browser.
Clip a web recipe to Whisk.
Once you have the Chrome extension installed (or you’re using the mobile app), use your web browser to find any online recipe you like. Once you’ve opened the recipe, you can share it directly to Whisk and assign it to a category (e.g., Dinners, Vegetarian, etc.). Here’s how to share:
- Chrome or Edge on a computer: Click the green-and-white “W” icon in the upper-right corner of Chrome to access the browser extension. Click Save recipe to save it to Whisk .
- Android: Tap the sharing icon in your browser—if you’re using Chrome, it’s the three dots at the top-right corner. Tap Share, choose Whisk, and then tap Save recipe.
- iPhone/iPad: Tap the sharing icon (the square with an up-pointing arrow) at the top or bottom of your browser, and then select Whisk. Tap Save recipe to save it to Whisk.
Add your own recipe.
Although not available on all phones and tablets (yet), Whisk offers a recipe scanner that lets you scan recipes from paper. And no matter what device you’re using, you can always enter a recipe manually. Here’s how:
- Mobile: Tap the Saved tab at the bottom of Whisk (it’s the icon of a bookmark), and then tap + to open the menu. You can choose to save a recipe by link (just paste the URL of any recipe you find), create a new recipe by hand, or scan the recipe.
- Computer: Click Saved at the top of Whisk, and then click + Add. You can choose the option to save a link to a recipe (this pulls the details into a new entry in your recipe box), or select Create new recipe to type your recipe by hand.
Organize your recipes into collections.
Collections are like folders for your recipes—you can create collections based on any criteria you want, such as cuisine type or diet. On the tab, click or tap the option at the top, and then select the option to create a new collection.
- When adding a new recipe by sharing, using the Chrome extension, or entering manually, you’ll be able to choose a collection during the adding process.
- To organize existing recipes in your collection, go to the Saved tab, click or tap Recipes at the top, select the three dots on the recipe, and then choose Add to > Collection.
Share recipes with others.
One of the best parts of having a recipe box is being able to share your favorite recipes with others. Whisk makes it really easy to do so. Just go to > in Whisk, select the recipe you want to share, and then click or tap the Sharing icon at the top—it looks like an open bracket with an arrow. You can share it on social media sites, via text message, in an email, or in a variety of other apps.
Using Organized Web Browser Bookmarks
Create a Recipes folder in your bookmarks or favorites.
These days, all major web browsers sync across devices on the cloud, making it possible to view your same bookmarks (or favorites, as they are called in some browsers) on your computer, phone, or tablet. Your bookmarks are actually the perfect place to store and organize your favorite recipes! This method is best if the recipes you use are all on the web.
- Safari for Mac: Click the Sidebar tab in the upper-left corner to open the sidebar, and then click the open book tab to view your bookmarks. Press Control as you click a blank area in the left sidebar, and select New Folder, and call it Recipes.
- Chrome: Click the three dots at the top-right corner of Chrome, select Bookmarks, and then choose Bookmark Manager. Click the three dots at the top-right corner of the open page, select Add new folder, and call it Recipes.
- Edge: Click the three dots at the top-right and select Favorites. Then, click the folder with a plus to create a new folder and call it Recipes.
Add sub-folders for different categories (optional).
You can add subfolders to organize your recipes however you’d like, such as by meal type, world region, or diet.
- To add a subfolder, select the new folder you just created, and then repeat the process for creating your Recipes folder—this time, name the folder the desired category, such as Keto or Thai.
Bookmark recipes as you discover them.
When you find a recipe you like on the web, add it to your bookmarks or favorites, and choose the appropriate category to keep everything in order.
- Safari for Mac: Click the share button on the toolbar (the square with an arrow), select Add Bookmark, and select the desired folder from the “Add this page to” menu. You can also type a different name for the bookmark and add notes to the “Add a description” section if you’d like.
- Chrome: Click the star icon on the right side of the address bar and select Add bookmark. Click the drop-down menu and select the folder you want to save the link to. If you don’t see the folder, click Choose another folder…, select a folder, and then click Save.
- Edge: Click the star icon on the right side of the address bar, click the More button, and choose the folder you want to save the recipe to. Click Save to save it.
Sync your web browser across all of your devices.
As long you use the same web browser on your phone or tablet as you do on your computer (and use the same login information in both places), you’ll be able to view your recipes on your phone or tablet—no need to lug your laptop into the kitchen when it’s time to cook!
- If you’re using Chrome, your browser is already set up to sync to any device you sign in to. Click the profile icon at the top-right corner—if you’re signed in, great! If not, click the “Turn on sync…” button to sign in and enable syncing now.
- If you’re using Safari, your browser content will always sync to the Apple ID you’re signed in with.
- If you’re using Edge, you should be set up to sync by default. Click the profile icon at the top-right corner, select Manage profile settings, choose Sync. If you see the option to Turn on sync, click it to sign in and enable syncing. If not, you’re all set.
Using Pinterest
Create a Pinterest account at https://www.pinterest.com.
Pinning recipes to Pinterest boards is today’s equivalent to cutting recipes out of magazines. You can use Pinterest on your computer, and/or install the mobile app from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone/iPad). The best part? Pinterest is totally free.
Create boards for different recipe types.
If you want to keep your recipe box organized, you’ll want to create pin boards for certain categories. To create a pin board, just click your profile photo or initial at the top to go to your profile, click , and select . Type a category name, such as Desserts or Thai Food, and then click .
Search for recipes on Pinterest.
Recipes on Pinterest are actually links to recipes that other people find on recipe blogs. You can search for a recipe using the Search bar at the top of the screen.
- To search for recipe pins, just select All Pins from the menu next to the search bar.
- To search for pin boards containing recipes, select Boards instead.
- To view a recipe, click the link at the top to open it in a new browser tab.
Save recipes to your pin boards.
If you find a recipe you want to make, just click the down-arrow next to the “Save” button to choose the pin board you want to save it to, and then click .
Browse and manage your pinned recipes.
You can see all of the recipes you’ve pinned on your profile page, which you can find by clicking your profile icon or initial at the top-right corer of Pinterest.
- Click a pin board to view all of the recipes inside.
- To manage recipes on a board, click the ORGANIZE link at the top.
- To change the order of pins on a board, just drag your pins to the desired positions.
- To delete one or more pins from a board, click the pin(s) you want to delete, and then click the trash icon at the bottom.
- To create a subsection of a board (such as for a cuisine type), click the pins you want to add to the new section, and then click the folder icon with a plus sign inside. Type and name for the section and click Add.
- To move one or more pinned recipes to a different board, click each recipe you want to move to select them, click the arrow icon at the bottom, and then click Save next to the desired board.
Create a pin from an online recipe.
Is there a recipe you found online that you can’t find on Pinterest? All you’ll need to do is create a pin for that recipe so you (and other Pinterest users) can add it to a pin board. Here’s how:
- Click Home at the top-left corner of Pinterest.
- Click the + at the bottom-right corner.
- Select + Create a Pin.
- Click Save from website at the top.
- Type or paste the URL of the recipe into the field and press Enter or Return.
- Select an image from the source to use as the pin image and click Next.
- Choose a board to post the pin to.
Using BigOven
Create an account at https://www.bigoven.com.
BigOven is one of the most popular recipe managers and offers many cool features, including over one million recipes built into the app. You can also use the Leftovers feature, which lets you enter the ingredients you already have to find out what you can make. While many feature are available in the free version, the paid version gives you even more. To sign up, just click at the top-right corner.
- You can use the free version of BigOven to save up to 200 recipes and scan one of your own. You can use Leftovers, create a grocery list, and use basic search features. The free version is ad-supported.
- Upgrading to BigOven Pro gives you an ad-free experience on top of the basic features included in the free version (such as grocery list and Leftovers). It also lets you save an unlimited number of recipes, access detailed nutrition information, copy and customize recipes, organize recipes into custom folders, and search using dietary filters.
- Both options automatically sync all of your recipes to your account, which means you can access your virtual recipe box on any computer, as well as in the official mobile apps.
Search BigOven’s massive database.
After creating an account, you can enter the type of recipe you’re looking for into the search box and click the magnifying glass to search. Many of the recipes are created by people like you, while several are added by BigOven’s curation team.
- Click any recipe to view its information, including the cooking time, steps, ingredients, and photos. If you have a BigOven Pro subscription, you can also view nutritional information.
- You can also comment on and leave reviews on recipes you’ve tried.
Add a recipe to your grocery list.
To do so, click a recipe to view its details, and then click the shopping cart icon at the top of the recipe card. This displays a list of ingredients you’ll need to prepare the item. Click the next to each item you already have on hand, and then click to add the rest to your list.
- You can easily access your list while shopping—just pull out your phone, open the BigOven app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android, and tap GROCERY LIST.
Save a recipe to My Recipes.
If you want to save a recipe you’ve found while searching BigOven, just click the orange button at the recipe card’s top-left corner, and then choose a folder.
- If you have the free version, you can add it to WANT TO TRY, FAVORITE, OR MADE.
- If you have the Pro version, you can add the recipe to a custom folder.
Use up your leftovers.
One of the coolest features of BigOven is its ability to transform a list of your leftovers into a recipe you can make right now. Click the link at the top of the page, enter three ingredients, and then click This returns a list of recipes you can browse.
Add your own recipe.
Want to add your favorite recipe to your virtual recipe box? Just click at the top, click the three horizontal dots at the top-right, and then choose . Then, you can add a recipe in one of 4 different ways:
- Click Type it in to type in your favorite recipe by hand.
- Click Copy/Paste to copy a recipe from text and paste it into a recipe field.
- Click Upload a photo or scan for instructions on scanning a recipe from a physical cookbook. If you have a free account, you’ll be prompted to send an email to support@bigoven.com to claim a free recipe scanning credit. If you have a Pro account, you’ll be able to scan right away.
- Click Clip it from any recipe site to paste the URL of your favorite recipe into BigOven and have it imported with ease.
- No matter how you add a recipe, it will be available on BigOven for all users to try!
Plan meals in advance (Pro membership required).
If you decide to spring for a Pro membership, you can click the link at the top of BigOven to view and manage your meal calendar. This lets you plan days, weeks, and even months in advance.
- You can click the calendar icon on any recipe card to add it to your calendar.
Share a recipe with others.
Find a recipe you love? Click the sharing icon (it looks like three dots connected by two lines) near the top of the recipe card to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via email. You can also choose the Word document icon to export it as a Word document so you can store it on your computer.
Tips
- If you have an Amazon Echo or other Alexa-enabled device, you can add the Whisk skill to Alexa so you can add items to your recipe list using your voice. Just open the Alexa app on your phone or tablet, go to More > Skills & Games, search for Whisk List, and add it to Alexa.
- Whisk also includes tons of other features, including social interactions and the ability to create shopping lists.
- You can move recipes bookmarks/favorites to other folders by dragging them.