We started this week with a food app, so we thought we should jump into this genre and bring some competition to the table. We already reviewed Allrecipes TV and it performed very well, but it definitely isn’t the only player in the field. One of my other favorite food apps is Recipe Search by Allthecooks.com.

This one is many times pushed aside by Google TV users for not being a TV-optimized app. Instead, it features a tablet UI. This touch-optimized UI is not the most convenient, but if you get past the weird interface and controls you will find it to be an amazing food app for Google TV.

UI & Content

Right off the bat you are welcomed by the usual food app arrangement. There is a series of good-quality images (with names) that direct you to recipe pages. The biggest problem you will find is that many functions have to be done with the cursor. This is all tablet-optimized – from the images to the categories. The touch-optimized UI makes it very hard to see which recipe image is highlighted, so one is forced to use the cursor instead.

Upon accessing a recipe, one is presented with a main image (if available), ingredients, instructions, other images and a few other features (which we will talk about in the next section). It is simple and to the point, so there is no getting lost there.

You can tap on the avocado icon next to the logo on the top-left corner. This will open a menu that will let you access the app’s other features, which is really what makes this app stand out. It’s what makes it worth using a tablet UI on a Google TV device.

Hot Features

Here is what makes this app special – its unique features. Recipe Search is a very social app. One can add reviews and questions, as well as images (which get included in the “other images” section of the recipe. Of course, you can also hit the Share button and share with your social networks.

There is much more to this app, though. It features a calendar for you meal-planning, a cart for creating a shopping list, a nutrition fact section and a tool that converts measurements (in case you prefer metric). This can all be accessed straight form the recipe page. The main menu also has Settings, My Recipes, News Feed and even Forums.

One feature (an important one, at that) is video streaming. No recipes have any videos to help you understand the cooking process better. This will drive away many of you, but if you don’t need videos and would like to enjoy this long list of features you are set.

Conclusion

Sure, there are no videos and the UI is not the most pleasant for TVs. Recipe Search offers much more than that, though. Those that can take advantage of features like the Meal Planner and the Shopping List will love this app. They won’t mind it having a tablet UI. Not even I mind it – one just has to get used to the different way of interacting with the app.

We recommend that you at least give this app a go. Don’t like it? Then move on to another one! Maybe check out our review of Allrecipes TV, or any of our future food app reviews. If you have any food apps for Google TV that you love, let us know! We will definitely check them out and consider reviewing them.

Google Play Store: Recipe Search by Allthecooks.com