Zest: Meal Planner & Helper

Look - I’m not proud of it but I talked a big game on the first date. I said I can cook (I wasn’t lying - I write dank software & make sick beats) but in the kitchen an omelet was about as far as I could take it. Date no2 was approaching quickly - panic. That’s when I remembered this app. First off I love that it literally, with the click of a button, gets all my ingredients in Instacart. I am used to living in my little coding cave - don’t make me search for a thing I’ve never heard off in the wrong isle. This feature alone would be worth the monthly sub. BUT THEN - IT ACTUALLY TEACHES YOU USEFUL LITTLE TRICKS I CAN USE FOREVER. I’m not just mindlessly following a recipe - although you could do that bc it’s so easy - but for example the trick that my grandma would’ve thought me if she had the patience - of checking if your chicken is ready by holding the knife against your lip??? I love that you are giving me this life skill that 1:1 has helped me back up my big game talk and I now have a lovely gf thanks to it 🥰 if this turns into marriage you all are invited for sure

Having just cooked my first meal with this app, I feel I can say I’m very excited for where I’ll go with it! I’ve long been looking for something this accessible to help me learn and feel more comfortable with cooking. I think I can say that I’ve found that with Zest. The wealth of knowledge available in each recipe really makes you feel at ease with each recipe, with bite-sized tips and tricks through videos within the steps. I love the broad range of recipes even separated by your skill level, with more complex dishes and simple single-digit ingredient dishes all available even at my introductory skill level. This move was genius, I think, because having that rush of being able to make something delicious and quick but also learning as I go will definitely help keep me engaged! I honestly can’t wait to explore more recipes and learn more, I already have a dozen recipes saved! Addition to my previous review after using it for a while longer: I love this app for how it has helped me cook for my family a lot more than I used to in my pre-Zest days! One gripe and suggestion for a clarification to add for equipment: I have many times not used the right sized bowl or pan or pot. Saying “small” or “large” is not always specific enough. A suggested volume of size would be immensely helpful! In fact, I would love to see a View Details option for the Equipment section in the future.

I’ve used the app a bit and so far I really like it. The videos are interesting and informative and it has been a great place for me to learn more and get more cooking experience under my belt. I saw that some ppl say you have to pay for the app in the future? If that’s the case then that would deter me from using it. I could maybe do a short ad once in a while but I wouldn’t want to pay in the future. Really cute app and illustration design. Pretty user friendly. The simplicity makes for good UX/UI design. I would recommend a subtitle option for the videos that you could turn on or off. I think you should add the option to take a picture of your meal after you finish a recipe that would be added to a scrapbook of sorts so you can see all of your progress and past meals!!! (Or even if the picture was just connected to the meal after you added it to your cookbook or something.) I love being able to store pictures of my work!