A few weeks ago I tossed my egg timer in the garbage. I haven’t touched my recipe books in months. I’ve also been a bit more daring, making substitutions for dishes where I don’t have the precise ingredients, rather than scrapping the idea altogether. And it’s all because I’ve been using the best kitchen gadget ever invented.
It’s all because I started to use my smartphone as my kitchen helper. It was a bit weird at first, but now I have trouble imagining life without my smartphone helping me out. With all the apps, and the entire web, available right in my kitchen, cooking has never been easier.
Multiple timers
If you’ve ever cooked a complex meal, especially for a large party, you know that timing is everything. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of timers in the kitchen. Before I had three: microwave, oven, and egg timer. But with my smartphone I can have as many as I need. There are even specialty timers just for your kitchen, like the app Kitchen Timers. Yet more general timers, such as StopWatch & Timer Plus, gives you more available timers.
(Unfortunately, if you want unlimited timers you’ll have to pay. Developers typically limit the number of timers you can use in a free app, making it unlimited in the paid version.)
The ability to use unlimited timers not only means that all dishes are prepped and cooked for the proper time. It also means that I can time various aspects of the meal experience itself. Even if I have a pot of sauce on one burner, vegetables sautéing on another, a roast in the oven, and some fish marinating, I can time when to bring out the wine, when to serve appetizers, and more.
It’s no wonder that I tossed out my egg timer.
Recipes at your fingertips
Before having a recipe in front of me meant a few things. Usually it was a big book, propped up (and falling down often). It might have been a printed sheet. But whatever the case, it was taking up room on my counter. As anyone who has cooked a large meal knows, counter space is valuable real estate. I’ll take as much as I can get. By using my smartphone, I’m using no counter space at all.
The key is my Galaxy S3 4G phone. It has a large, high-resolution screen, so it’s easy to read even though it’s kinda small. It’s also easy to navigate using the touchscreen. I can search the web for recipes, or I can take advantage of many apps that feature recipes. There are apps such as Big Oven that have hundreds of thousands of recipes. My personal favorite, Recipe Search, allows me to find recipes based on the ingredients I have (or want to use).
Even if I want a traditional recipe book, many are available in PDF form, and I can view those on the Galaxy S3 as well. Why bother using a book when a device a quarter the size done the job just fine?
Substitutions and more
We’ve all run into this issue: we just don’t have one of the ingredients in a recipe. That’s always rough, and it means a quick decision. Do you have time to run to the store, or do you have to make due with what you have? Thankfully, if you have a well-stocked pantry you can usually substitute ingredients. But what works in place of what?
I’ve found multiple recipe substitution apps, including Food Substitutes, in Google Play on my Galaxy S3. Friends have told me there are plenty in the iPhone App Store as well. Not only that, but if you have any questions about recipes and ingredients, Google is just a few clicks away. You can find information on your recipe while you’re standing in your kitchen.
Entertainment
Of course, I want to liven up my kitchen while I’m cooking. How about some tunes? No, the built-in speaker on your smartphone won’t do. But there are a number of speaker docks available for iPhone and Android. There’s even the Nexus Q for Android, which is just perfect, since it plays music wirelessly. I absolutely love it for cooking time, especially when it’s a big meal.
Pitfalls
OK, so there are a few pitfalls to discuss when using your smartphone in the kitchen. Take care of these, though, and you’ll be smooth sailing.
- Spills. You really don’t want to spill anything on your expensive smartphone. That’s why I always keep mine in my pocket, pulling it out only when I need it.
- Screen protection. Yes, you’ll have food on your hands while cooking, and yes, you’ll be touching your screen. That means two things. 1) Get a plastic screen protector. That will provide a protective layer, so you won’t damage your screen. 2) Wipe down your phone afterwards. Don’t use soap or anything. Just a moist paper towel.
- Battery. Using multiple apps, browsing the web, and playing music can be a drain on your battery. Make sure you’re nice and charged before using your phone for a big meal.
With those three big issues out of the way, you have no worries. You might even find that a smartphone is the best kitchen gadget you ever had.
This post is written by Joe Pawlikowski who edits several websites about mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. He keeps a personal blog at JoePawl.com.