Top 5 online recipe sites

Top 5 Online Recipe Sites

When it comes to searching for recipes there is a cornucopia online. Some sites are better than others. Some really get your culinary juices flowing as you search by ingredients, theme, or cuisine. I’ve listed my top 5 Recipe sites and given you a breakdown of why they make the cut.

www.epicurious.com – their tag line if for people who love to eat! This site partners with Bon Appétit and Gourmet Magazine. You search by ingredient, cuisine, holiday, preparation time, and healthy options. Their advanced search allows you to select ingredients to include or exclude from your search. Other benefits are the user ratings which allow you to see how many forks out of 4 others rated recipes and review their comments. Invariably I will modify a recipe for the better after reading through the comment section. There are also articles, videos and other resource guides to help advance your culinary knowledge and technique. Don’t miss out on their dictionary for looking up what to do with an exotic ingredient and the drinks recipe section for alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. It’s free to join and the recipe box allows you to store your favorites so you don’t have to hunt for that to die for chocolate cake when the next birthday rolls around.

allrecipes.com - Based here in Seattle, this site is designed for working women. Many of the recipes are created and then rated by site users using a five star system. There is an advanced search for ingredients to include and exclude, along with theme, holiday, preparation method, prep time, etc. One unique feature is their budget cooking which gives you some wallet friendly meal choices. There’s a recipe exchange where you can submit questions or recipe needs to other home cooks. The site is free to join and offers a recipe box to store your favorites along with a shopping list.

www.foodnetwork.com - With recipes and info from all your favorite food network shows you can search by host, ingredient, theme, etc. They also have a budget friendly section called Good Food for Less. One unique feature is you search by what’s in season as far as produce. Missed your favorite Bobby Flay Throw Down show – well you can watch full episodes online. Recipes are rated by viewers on the 5 star system with a comment section. This site is also free to join and includes a recipe box to store your favorites.

www.about.com/food - food advice and a database of recipes from other users akin to your friendly neighbor. The home site offers many different channels than just food. They offer informative expert guides on a variety of topics, everything from kitchen equipment to an overview of Dutch cheese. You can search by cooking technique, drinks/beverages, diet/specialty, and world cuisine. Recipes are ranked on a five star system by users and reviews are included for your reference. They have a budget section – ten meals under ten dollars. The advanced search section has a number of ingredients you can select as being a primary component in the recipe. This site is free, but somehow not quite as streamlined in appearance as some of the others.

www.cooksillustrated.com – probably one of my favorite culinary resources, I really enjoy the magazine and the in depth experimentation they do to get it right! I have rarely had a recipe disaster using the recipes developed by their test kitchen. This site is not free, but internet access is included with your magazine subscription or you can opt to buy an internet only access for minimal cost. They have everything from recipes, equipment reviews, how to cook guides and videos, and taste testing reviews of various products. You can test drive it free for 14 days.
 

Bon Appétit!