Recipe Manager for Mac

Recipe Manager for Mac represents a basic tool for menu planning and food shopping, but entering in recipes might seem too much of a chore. However, once you enter all your recipes, this tool will be a valuable asset and could eventually save you a lot of time and hassle.

Recipe Manager for Mac requires no installation -- just download and launch. The interface is basic looking, but clean and intuitive. The lack of a Help file didn't slow us down at all, but the method for entering recipes did, as the app required us to type in every recipe by hand. While the cooking directions could be copied and pasted from another source, each ingredient must be entered individually, field by field. For example, if you needed to add two gallons of something, first you type "2" in the Qty field and then select "Gallon" from the measurement field. The ingredient, itself, is entered into another field, though once entered it's added to a drop-down menu. Once everything is entered, Recipe Manager for Mac shines. Click the "Week Drawer" button, and a visual representation of the current week appears. Recipes can be dragged and dropped into each day. Once the week is planned, you can generate a shopping list with all the ingredients and quantities for that week's menu. You can then edit the list, deleting items you may already have in your pantry.

Recipe Manager for Mac's planning features are well implemented, useful for anyone in charge of shopping for and feeding their family. If you have the time and don't mind typing out all your recipes, then this tool could prove quite handy.