BigOven’s free recipe apps help you get organized in the kitchen and on the go, and have been downloaded more than 5 million times. Thank you for naming BigOven “Readers Choice, 2011, Best Recipe App” on About.com, and we look forward to another great year ahead in 2012.
As 2011 draws to a close, we combed through product support inquiries regarding the iPhone app, and wanted to take a minute to surface the top tips and hidden gems in the iPhone app that you might not know about.
[ We also offer great recipe apps for Android, Windows Desktop, Windows Phone and iPad, but this post pertains specifically to the iPhone app. ]
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Tip 1. There’s always a corresponding function on the web, at www.bigoven.com, that gives you even more power. Bookmark www.bigoven.com from every desktop you use, and you’ll find it saves you time meal-planning.
One of the ways BigOven’s recipe apps are unique is that they are backed by a very versatile and powerful website, www.bigoven.com. You can do a LOT with the iPhone app, but if you’re ONLY using the iPhone app, you’re missing out.
BigOven was designed from the beginning to be used either at a desktop computer and on-the-go, with all your recipes, menu plan, and grocery list seamlessly synchronizing for you. Everything you do on BigOven.com from a web browser is synchronized with your mobile app, and vice-versa.
A single login is all you need.
For example:
| Feature | On the iPhone | On BigOven.com |
| Add your own recipes! | “Recipes I’ve Posted”, RecipeScan |
www.bigoven.com/recipe/post, OR www.bigoven.com/recipe/scan |
| Grocery List (PRO) | Grocery List | www.bigoven.com/grocery |
| Menu Plan (PRO) | Menu Planner | www.bigoven.com/plan |
| Account Profile | n/a | www.bigoven.com/account/me |
| Favorite Recipes | Favorite Recipes | www.bigoven.com/{user}/favorites |
| Try Soon Recipes | Try Soon Recipes | www.bigoven.com/{user}/trysoons |
| Recipes I’ve Made | “Prepare” mode on a recipe | look on right side of recipe page |
| Edit an existing recipe | n/a | log onto website and find recipe |
| Add a recipe photo | Camera icon on a recipe | look near photo on a recipe page |
| Access your stuff | “My Kitchen” | your user profile page, e.g., www.bigoven.com/user/stevemur |
Many people find that BigOven saves them time at the grocery store because they use a ten-minute break at work or during the day to fill out their Menu Plan, or add recipes to their “Try Soon” list. Then, when they’re at the grocery store, they’ve already got ideas!
Tip 2. Your iPhone and iPad app have a local database on-board. You can refresh any recipe result list by tugging down on the list and letting go.
The iOS apps sport an extra feature that other mobile apps do not currently have – a local database. This allows you to carry your recipes, menu plan, and grocery list with you wherever you go, whether it has wi-fi, 3G, or not.
The iPhone synchronizes in the background with the website every now and then. Occasionally, it is also necessary to “force a refresh” of your recipe or recipe list.
For instance, if you’ve recently posted a recipe using the website from a desktop browser, or added a new “RecipeScan”, you may need to force the “Recipes I’ve Posted” list to refresh.
To do so, simply use your fingers to swipe downward on the list, and you’ll see this (notice the “release to update”, and the arrow, at the top):
Tip 3. Want to see another random recipe? Just shake the phone.
BigOven’s “Random Recipe” feature is designed to get you unstuck. You might not make the actual recipe shown, but it can definitely inspire you to “think different” at 4:00pm if you’re out of ideas!
Just choose “Random Recipe” from the “Get Ideas” menu.
Want another choice? Simply shake the phone.
Tip 4. The Settings app on your iPhone has a “BigOven” section on it.
Just go to the iPhone’s home screen, and tap the Settings app (the gear). If BigOven is installed, you’ll find a “BigOven” section there. Tap it, and you’ll see options to:
- Enter your username and password (login info)
- Share location (on/off) – helps us populate “nearby recipes”, which surfaces what people are making locally
- Display in metric (on/off)
- Home screen recipes (on/off)
- Play sounds (on/off)
- Edit Photos (on/off)
- Restore Views (on/off) – restores views when you load the app again, e.g., if you are interrupted by a phonecall
- Beta testing (on/off) – useful for us when we go to beta testing (default is off)
Tip 5. To edit any recipe you’ve posted or RecipeScanned, use the web.
Just about every day, we get a question on how to edit a recipe.
In general, we don’t feel that the smallest mobile screens (i.e., on smartphones) are well-suited to content-creation.
Instead, to edit any recipe you’ve posted – whether it’s one you typed in or one you RecipeScanned, just visit the website. Find the recipe (either in the “Recipes I’ve Posted” list, which can be accessed easily in the upper menu bar – or by typing the title in).
While you are logged in, when you view the recipe page, you’ll see an “Edit” button on the right hand side. Click it, and you can edit (or delete) the recipe.
Tip 6. If you are actually preparing the recipe, switch to “Prepare” mode!
On any recipe page, you’ll see a toggle switch “Overview” and “Prepare”.
“Overview”: This is the normal browsing mode for a recipe. It shows all the recipe details.
“Prepare”: This tells BigOven you’re making the recipe. It will show more text on the screen (hiding the image temporarily), it will log the recipe in your “Recipes I’ve Made” list, providing handy reference later, and it will also keep the screen from timing out.
Tip 7. Viewing a recipe in “Prepare” mode adds it to your “Recipes I’ve Made” list.
You can find your “Recipes I’ve Made” list at the bottom of the “My Kitchen” section of the app.
Tip 8. Your grocery list can be edited on your iPhone and on the web.
Be sure to bookmark www.bigoven.com/grocery in any web browser! (PRO members only)
This handy link will allow you (or anyone else in your household) to add to your grocery list. It’s a huge time-saver! Be sure to refresh your grocery list while at the store. (Choose “Reload from BigOven” in the grocery list view.)
Tip 9. You can remove a recipe from your grocery list with a simple swipe.
If you’re like me, you sometimes change your mind at the grocery store about what to make, when you see what’s fresh and on-sale.
BigOven makes it simple to delete all the ingredients from a particular recipe. Just choose “Recipes on Grocery List” from the action menu on the grocery list, and swipe the recipe (to the right) to reveal the “Delete” button.
When you delete a recipe from your grocery list, all the items that pertain to that item are automatically removed from the list! (This important feature is one of the reasons we don’t currently combine quantities on the grocery list. It makes it simple to see what’s removed, and causes less confusion.)
You can also remove recipes from your grocery list on the web (www.bigoven.com/grocery) simply by clicking the “x” next to the recipe card – see the highlighted X below. Note that you can delete individual items or entire recipes at once.
Tip 10. In the “Use up Leftovers” section, you’re not limited to the quickfill items on the list!
BigOven lets you use up leftovers by entering up to three ingredients from your fridge, pantry or freezer, to see what you can make. The results are often surprising – and usually very helpful!
Now, the iPhone includes quick-fill options for the most common ingredients you might want to search for, simply to help you save time typing — but you’re not limited to the list. Just keep typing what you’d like!
In the screenshots below, I’ve typed “kafir limes”, and pressed “Done”. Don’t be scared by the “No Results” message – that simply means that the local list of common ingredients doesn’t include “Kafir Limes” – you’ll still get great recipe suggestions if you proceed!
Download the app today!
We hope you find BigOven a useful app in your life. If you do, we’d love a "Like" on this page, so your friends know as well!
Download the app on iTunes, or here:
