When comparing The CookBook App vs Basil, the Slant community recommends Basil for most people. In the question“What are the best recipe manager apps for iOS?” Basil is ranked 1st while The CookBook App is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Basil is:
Basil uses a highlighting system that allows selecting each element of the recipe instead of having to type it in.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Allows importing recipes
Cookbook can import recipes and has a long list of supported websites.
Pro Sleek and easy to use design
The user interface of the app is great and easy to use.
Pro Automatic Measure Conversion
Convert ingredients from the original measure type to your preferred US, Imperial and Metric measures.
Pro Syncs across devices
Syncs seamlessly between devices and platforms (iOS, Android and web!)
Pro Generate a grocery list and meal plan
Create a meal plan, print the planner or generate an interactive shopping list for your recipes!
Pro Upload and show images per step
They have made the app really personable by being able to add descriptions and upload an image to each step for your recipe.
Pro Cooking Mode
Built in Cooking mode that reads your recipe to you while you cook!
Pro OCR Support
Free built in OCR support to take images of paper recipes and turn them into digital recipes
Pro Free Cloud Storage
Automatically stores your recipe information within the cloud to enable access from the mobile applications and website
Pro Timer detection
Create recipe timers automatically from detected instructions or enter a timer manually to alert you when you are needed in the kitchen
Pro iPhone X Compatible
Pro Active support team
Usually respond within a matter of a day and keen to fix bugs and improve the app
Pro Manual recipe clipping doesn't require typing
Basil uses a highlighting system that allows selecting each element of the recipe instead of having to type it in.
Pro Good web clipper
Recipes found on the web can be added to Basil by simply navigating to the recipe using the built-in web browser and clicking the plus icon. It will automatically import recipes from a variety of sources including epicurious.com, seriouseats.com and chow.com.
Pro Flexible organizational methods
Recipes added to Basil get automatically tagged. Tags include ingredients as well as meal and cuisine types. It allows quickly finding what recipes can be made from available ingredients.
Pro Tools that help prepare meals
The app includes timers that can be activated from the directions section.
Pro Easy to use grocery list creator
Grocery list creator is easy to use and it does small helpful things such as combine all quantities of ingredients and offers substitution suggestions.
Pro Simple interface
The interface is very clean, clear, easy to understand and pleasant to use.
Cons
Con Directions and ingredients are on separate screens - but you can pop out the ingredients screen when in the steps screen.
Directions and ingredients are on separate screens, makes it hard to cook when you need to flip back to the ingredients to see what the quantity is and then back to the instructions to see what to do with the ingredients.
Con No longer maintained
No bug fixed, waste of time
Con iPad only
There's no iPhone version.
Con No meal planner
There are no tools for planning out meals in advance.
Con Web clipper requires using the built-in browser
To import a recipe, Basil's built-in browser has to be used to navigate to the recipe. There's no way to "share" to Basil.