Using the AppGuide

Learn how to get the most out of the Cook Android app with this comprehensive guide.

My Recipes Screen

The main screen shows all your recipes organized by folder. This is where you'll spend most of your time browsing and selecting recipes.

Navigating Collections

If your recipes are organized in folders (collections), tap a folder to navigate into it. A breadcrumb navigation trail helps you keep track of where you are. Use the back button to go up a level.

Refreshing

Pull down and release to refresh your recipes from the cloud. This checks for any changes made on other devices and syncs the latest updates.

Viewing Recipes

Tap any recipe to view its full details. The recipe view is organized into tabs for easy navigation.

Recipe Tabs

The recipe view has three main tabs:

• Overview - Recipe metadata, description, and key information
• Ingredients - Complete list of ingredients with quantities
• Steps - Step-by-step cooking instructions organized by sections

Recipe Information

Each recipe displays:

• Recipe name at the top
• Recipe image if available
• Metadata like servings, prep time, cook time, author
• Ingredients with quantities and units
• Cookware needed for the recipe
• Steps with clear instructions

Adding to Shopping List

From the recipe view, tap the Add to Shopping List button to add all ingredients. You can also add ingredients from multiple recipes to plan a shopping trip.

Starting Cooking Mode

Tap the Start Cooking button to enter the immersive step-by-step cooking mode.

Metadata & Images

The app displays rich recipe metadata, giving you all the key information at a glance.

Supported Metadata

Recipe metadata is defined using YAML frontmatter at the beginning of your .cook file. The following fields are displayed when present:

---
servings: 4
time: 45 minutes
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
author: Chef John
---

Recipe Images

Add a beautiful header image to your recipe. The image displays prominently at the top of the recipe detail view.

Automatic Detection

Add images to your recipe by including a supported image file (.png, .jpg) matching the name of the recipe in the same directory:

Baked Potato.cook
Baked Potato.jpg

Step Images

You can also add images for specific steps by including a step number before the file extension:

Chicken French.cook
Chicken French.0.jpg
Chicken French.3.jpg

Using Metadata

Alternatively, specify the image in the frontmatter. Images can be local files or URLs:

---
image: pasta-carbonara.jpg
---

Or reference an image from the web:

---
image: https://example.com/pasta-carbonara.jpg
---

Image Requirements:

• Place the image file in the same folder as your recipe
• Use common formats: JPG, PNG, or WebP

Scaling Recipes

Easily adjust recipe quantities when cooking for more or fewer people. The app automatically recalculates all ingredient amounts.

How to Scale

Look for the scale controls in the recipe view:

Using +/- Buttons

Tap the plus and minus buttons to increment or decrement the serving count. All ingredient quantities update instantly.

Manual Input

Tap on the current scale value to enter a specific number manually.

Baker's Percentages

For baking recipes, the app supports baker's percentage scaling. This allows you to scale based on flour weight, which is the standard method for professional bakers.

What Gets Scaled

• Numeric quantities - All amounts like "200 g" or "2 cups" scale proportionally
• Servings - The servings metadata updates to reflect the scaled amount
• Shopping list - When you add ingredients to the shopping list, they use the scaled quantities

What Doesn't Scale

• Text quantities - Amounts like "a pinch" or "to taste" remain unchanged
• Cooking times - Timer durations stay the same
• Instructions - Step text remains unchanged

Cooking Mode

Cooking mode provides an immersive, full-screen experience that displays one step at a time. Perfect for following along while you cook.

Navigation

• Swipe left to go to the next step
• Swipe right to go back to the previous step
• The progress indicator at the bottom shows your current position

Ingredient Highlights

Each step shows which ingredients are used in that particular step. These are highlighted at the bottom of the screen for quick reference.

Quick Timer Access

When a step mentions a time (like "cook for 10 minutes"), you can quickly start a timer directly from the cooking step.

Exiting Cooking Mode

Tap the back arrow or use the Android back gesture to exit cooking mode and return to the recipe view.

Using Timers

The app includes powerful timer functionality for tracking cooking times. Timers continue running even when the app is in the background or closed.

Starting a Timer

Timers can be started in several ways:

• Tap a time mentioned in a cooking step (like "cook for 10 minutes")
• Use the dedicated Timer screen from the bottom navigation
• Set a custom time using the timer creation dialog

Timer Controls

• Play/Pause - Start or pause the timer
• Restart - Reset and restart the timer
• Manual adjustment - Tap the time display to manually adjust the remaining time

Preset Durations

When creating a new timer, you'll see preset duration options for common cooking times. You can also enter a custom duration.

Timer Notifications

When a timer completes, you'll receive a notification with:

• An alarm sound
• Device vibration
• A notification even if the app is closed

Shopping List

The shopping list helps you buy ingredients for your recipes. You can view items organized by recipe or by aisle for efficient shopping.

View Modes

Switch between two view modes:

• By Recipe - See shopping items grouped by which recipe they came from
• By Aisle - Items organized by supermarket section (produce, dairy, pantry, etc.)

You can customize aisle groupings by creating a config/aisle.conf file in your recipes folder. See the Cooklang shopping documentation for examples and configuration options.

Adding Items

Add ingredients to your shopping list from any recipe. You can add from multiple recipes to plan a complete shopping trip.

Checking Off Items

Tap an item to check it off as you shop. The app provides haptic feedback to confirm your action. Checked items show as completed.

Sharing the List

Tap the share button to send your shopping list as text via any Android sharing method - Messages, Email, WhatsApp, or any other app. Great for coordinating with family members.

Clearing the List

Use the clear button to remove all items at once. You'll be asked to confirm before clearing. This is useful after completing a shopping trip.

Combined Quantities

If you add the same ingredient from multiple recipes, the app intelligently combines the quantities so you know the total amount needed.

Settings & Account

Access settings from the navigation menu or bottom bar.

Account Information

View your account details and sign-out option. If using CookCloud, you'll see your account email and profile information here.

Sync Status

Check when your recipes were last synced. If there's a problem with sync, you'll see an error indicator here.

Re-authentication

If your session expires or there's an authentication issue, you can re-authenticate from the settings screen without losing your local data.

Switch Storage Mode

Change between CookCloud and local folder storage. Note that switching requires signing out first.

Help & Support

Access help documentation, FAQ, and contact support directly from settings:

• FAQ - Links to frequently asked questions
• Contact Us - Send feedback or report issues
• Report a Problem - Submit bug reports
• Rate the App - Leave a review on Google Play

Parser Playground

For advanced users, the Parser Playground lets you test and debug Cooklang recipe syntax directly in the app.

About

View app version, terms of use, and privacy policy.