Best apps for food snappers
What it does: From the makers of Instagram’s main competitor, Hipstamatic, Oggl creates its own social media platform to take photos, edit them and share among your community.
Why we like it: Scroll through the Food & Drink category and browse creative food pics to inspire your own, then use the app’s camera to create tempting snaps. There’s even a food filter specially designed with the help of food photographer David Loftus to make your image look the best it can.
Limitations: New users will find it difficult to navigate, and we wouldn’t blame you if you just gave up. It’s easy to get lost and it lacks the detail of other photo-editing apps that will let you edit brightness, sharpness, contrast and more.
For: Those bored with Instagram, who are looking to join a new photo-sharing community.
What it does: Edits your images to ’gram and share within the Looksee community. Rather than filters, use ‘looks’ created by others to add colour and charm to your images.
Why we like it: Buy a ‘looks pack’ from popular photographers and bloggers to achieve their just-right temperatures, colour and exposure. Try Swedish food photographer and stylist Linda Lomelino’s ‘Soft Fades’ or ‘Candy Hues’ packs, or LA food blogger Kitchy Kitchen’s ‘Early Morning Coffee’ look.
Limitations: While you can adjust the finer details in the app, it’s hard to be accurate on the unmeasured slider without a stylus. There are only a few free looks to use, too, and most will cost you 99c a pop.
For: Those desperate to get their pictures looking just like their favourite ’grammer’s, but can’t be bothered with the tedious editing process.
What it does: Make detailed edits, add filters, textures, stickers, borders and text to your photos, and make your Instagrams stand out from that overflowing feed of food pics.
Why we like it: Shoot straight from the app or use your saved photos, then play around with extra additions. Add a recipe name, shaped border or give last night’s roast a 19th century-style stain.
Limitations: While there are seemingly endless filters offered, only a few are free. It’s confusing to see whether the filter or shape is premium or not, so it could end up being a costly photo edit.
For: Food snappers who like to give a heavy edit and are craving more filters and additions for their images.
Reasons to get your 'gram on
15 Instagram feeds that put yours (and ours) to shame
Best apps for drinkers
What it does: Deciphers that often-daunting wine list by turning a paper wine menu into an interactive list on your smartphone.
Why we like it: Super simple to use, just take a photo of the wine list and tap each wine you’d like to know more about. It’ll give you the vintage’s flavour profile as well as ratings, reviews and whether you should order the steak or salmon to go with it.
Limitations: It can take a little while for the app’s camera to focus on the menu and allow you to take the picture, especially in dimly lit locales. It also won’t recognise all the vino on the list.
For: Wine dummies looking to impress on a first date.
What it does: A choose-your-own whiskey/whisky adventure.
Why we like it: This fun and interactive app will recommend the best whiskey for your situation. Snuggled up by the fireplace and after a worldly scotch? How about a peated, single-malt from India? Or an ex-bourbon cask from Taiwan? Distiller offers information, ratings, tasting notes, similar suggestions and more.
Limitations: If you’re in the US, you can purchase your whiskey of choice through the app and get it delivered to your door. That function isn’t available Down Under, just yet.
For: Whiskey nerds.
What it does: Stores your favourite cocktail recipes with the ability to add your own boozy recipes of choice.
Why we like it: The cheerful, clean design makes it simple to sort from Negroni hour to Sex on the Beach. Choose from a library of recipe cards, or make your own with fully customisable options and a wide variety of ingredients. You can then share your recipe when you’re done.
Limitations: It’s like your very own bartender, but lacking that sympathetic ear, and the actual drink-making.
For: Anyone who likes it shaken, or stirred.
Best apps for the cook’s arsenal
What it does: Converts temperatures, weights, liquids and length. It also times your cooking, and explains equipment, ingredients and cooking terms.
Why we like it: You can add a few timers at a time if you have a couple of things on the go, and the ingredient and equipment glossaries are very extensive, including images, quality signs and storage temperatures – great for learning more about those unusual ingredients.
Limitations: The design is a bit drab, but looks aren’t everything.
For: Global cooks who need to convert to the metric system or find more information on foreign ingredients and methods.
What it does: Uses your phone camera to translate Japanese, Korean or Chinese food menus and signs.
Why we like it: You can set to translate live, or take a photo and the app will translate a picture from your phone. It’ll give you 10 free translations per day and will work even without an internet connection.
Limitations: The camera takes a while to focus, and can often change the definition based on how steady the camera is – so try to avoid shaky hands. It also only translates the above three languages to English, so if you’re in need of any others, old faithful Google Translate might be the way to go.
For: Travellers who need to know if that plate of thinly sliced ヤギの睾丸 is actually a goat’s testicle.
What it does: Gives you the environmental and ethical stats on the many brands you see in your local supermarkets.
Why we like it: It lets you know who you’re really buying from, the country it’s owned by and how they rate on scales for human and animal rights, corruption, deforestation, palm oil, health and social infringements.
Limitations: Not all brands and varieties are featured on the list.
For: Vegans and vegos who want to make sure there are no animal products in their foods, and anyone who aims to make a difference by choosing more ethical products.
Best apps for recipe collectors
What it does: With its clean design and easy-to-use functions this clever cooking app simplifies recipes with thorough step-by-step instructions and informative videos.
Why it’s cool: If you’re in need of a little friendly guidance in the kitchen, the full recipe videos, photographic instructions and extra how-to guides that explain particular techniques will ensure a no-fail result. Keep scrolling and you’ll even find utensils needed, nutritional information and wine pairings.
Limitations: The videos can be a little tedious for confident cooks. Some could do with a sharper edit, or are just altogether unnecessary – the 30-second video on how to grate cheese, for example.
For: Newbie cooks or those who want to learn a new culinary technique first-hand.
What it does: From the hit British YouTube food channel Sorted , which aims to get younger cooks making good food on a budget, comes their app of the same name – a global social networking platform to share recipes, food photography and stories behind the dish.
Why we like it: Try traditional pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese breads) from Sao Paulo cook Laura Biscaro, or enjoy the congee that ‘livvysmiles’ simmers up when her brother’s sick. The app is a great way to share recipes, and their stories, with cooks around the world. You’ll also get access to the Sorted lads’ ‘fridge cam’ – comedic recipe videos from their YouTube channel.
Limitations: Not all pictures come with a recipe and, aside from the recipes by the Sorted team, most are from home cooks and haven’t been tested, so there’s a chance for kitchen failure.
For: Students looking to upgrade from their packet noodle diet.
What it does: A kitchen assistant that offers hands-free access to a wide variety of recipes.
Why we like it: The voice-activated functions are a good option for those prone to greasy fingerprints or floury smudges on your device. Just speak the recipe name, let Cooklet know what you’d like to view and it will even speak the steps to you as you go.
Limitations: Lacks a meal planner or ingredient shopping list, like old-favourite apps, Paprika and Epicurious.
For: Those who need a kitchenhand.
Best apps for serial eat-outers
What it does: A traveller’s guide that finds the best food, attractions and hotels in the city you’re in.
Why we like it: Not just a directory for the best restaurants and watering holes in town, it’ll give you information about the city, such as the current weather and when to visit, as well as reviews and photos from both locals and travellers.
Limitations: Compared to Europe and the United States, this app isn’t as popular in Australia as other food and travel guides like Urbanspoon or TripAdvisor, so, while it’s great for travelling, the lack of reviews and inclusions make it a bit biased and doesn’t show the real must-visit gems and hole-in-the-wall favourites in Australian cities.
For: Travellers who are new to a city and looking for good food and good times.
What it does: Locates the closest snacking joints to you.
Why we like it: The app uses reviews from Foursquare, and if you login with your own Foursquare account, it will make sure your favourite type of places are featured first.
Limitations: The Tinder-style swipe function doesn’t allow you to see a full list of places nearby, so you just have to keep swiping until you find something you like.
For: Lazy snackers who just want the closest bites.
What it does: While these are two different apps, they both exist to do the same, great thing: find your nearest slice of pizza.
Why we like it: Pizza Compass uses Foursquare’s database to find your nearest pepperoni, tells you if it’s open, the rating and how far away you are from cheesy, carby heaven. Pizza Navigator is compatible with Android watches, so it can always be pizza time. It will also launch your chosen venue in Google Maps to guide you to your destination.
Limitations: If you accidentally guide the Pizza Compass past your favourite pizza place, it can be tricky to find it again; and there’s no way to save your favourite joint. The ability to see whether these places deliver would be a big, lazy plus.
For: Anyone prone to a few too many tequilas and needs a carb fix to soak them up.
