Cook with Kre

Cooking From an iPad: Setup, Stands and Apps

Updated

Cooking from an iPad works best when the tablet stands upright at eye level, away from the hob and the sink, with the text big enough to read from where you chop. Choose a recipe app for iPad by how it behaves while you cook, not by how its recipe library looks. Setup comes first, though; a good app on a badly placed iPad is still hard to cook from.

Where to put it

The right spot is close enough to read, far enough from heat and water to survive, and somewhere you won’t knock it while you work.

  • Away from the heat. Apple designs iPad to work in surroundings between 0 and 35 °C (32 and 95 °F). The air just above a simmering pot or next to an oven vent can be hotter than that, and steam is no friend to the ports either. Keep it on the counter, not beside the burners, and never set it down on a glass or induction hob that is still warm.
  • Away from the sink. Splashes from rinsing vegetables travel further than you’d think.
  • At eye level, near the back of the counter. A folding stand or a case that props the iPad up is the easy option. An under-cabinet or wall mount frees counter space entirely if you cook from it often.
  • On the side you work from. If you’re right-handed and chop on the right, put the iPad on the left so your arm doesn’t cross the screen with a knife in hand.
  • Near power for long cooks. Route the charging cable along the back of the counter, well clear of burners and the knife block.

Portrait or landscape? Portrait shows more of an ingredient list at once; landscape usually gives bigger text in apps that resize to fit. Try both with the recipe you’re actually cooking.

Splashes and grease

Kitchen screens get dirty. Plan for it rather than reacting to it.

  • Cover it, if you like. A clear zip-top bag or a splash-proof case keeps flour and sauce off the glass. You can still tap through most bags.
  • Touch with clean, dry hands. Wash after handling raw meat, poultry, fish or eggs before you touch the screen, because whatever is on your fingers ends up on the glass and back on your hands later. Soap and running water for about 20 seconds is the standard advice.
  • Use a knuckle or a stylus for a quick scroll when your fingertips are floury.
  • Clean it promptly, and gently. Apple says to clean iPad straight away if it comes into contact with anything that may stain or damage it, and names acidic foods, soap and detergent among them. Turn it off, unplug it, and wipe with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth such as a lens cloth. Keep moisture out of the openings and skip cleaning products and compressed air; they wear down the screen’s oil-repellent coating.

Reading distance and text size

You’ll read the iPad from a step or two away, often while moving. Small text that’s fine on the sofa is hard to follow across a counter.

  • Make the text bigger. In Settings, tap Appearance, then Text Size, and drag the slider. Turning on Bold Text in the same place helps at a distance. Apps that follow the system text size will grow with it.
  • Let brightness follow the room. Auto-Brightness (in Settings › Accessibility › Display & Text Size) adjusts for bright windows and dim evening light.
  • Stop it locking mid-step. In Settings › Display & Brightness › Auto-Lock, choose a longer time. Apple notes that many apps prevent iPad from locking while they’re actively in use, and that delaying Auto-Lock may increase power consumption. The guide on keeping the screen on while cooking covers Guided Access too, which works the same way on iPad.

A quick test before you commit to a setup: stand where you’ll chop, look at the screen, and read the next step aloud without leaning in. If you can’t, make the text bigger or move the iPad closer.

What to look for in an iPad recipe app

Most recipe apps for iPad are good at storing recipes. Fewer are good company once the pan is hot. Before you rely on one, check:

  • Getting recipes in. Can it import a recipe from a web link, and what does it do when a page can’t be read? Tidy failure beats a recipe with gaps.
  • A cooking view. Steps large enough to read at a distance, one at a time or clearly separated, with the amounts you need in the step rather than only in the ingredient list.
  • The screen staying on. Does it keep the display awake while you cook, and let it lock again afterwards?
  • Timers. Can you start a timer from the step it belongs to, and run more than one?
  • Messy hands. Big tap targets at least; voice control if you’d rather not touch it at all. Hands-free cooking compares the voice options.
  • Changing the number of people. Cooking for six from a recipe written for four should not mean doing arithmetic over the chopping board.
  • Your other devices. If you plan on your phone and cook from the iPad, check the recipe is there on both.

A word on bias: we make Cook with Kre, a voice-led cooking companion for iPhone and iPad, so read this list knowing that. Hold any app you’re considering, ours included, against it. See how Kre cooks with you.

FAQ

Is an iPad better than a phone for cooking?

For reading, usually. A bigger screen means bigger text at the same distance, and an iPad on a stand stays put. A phone is easier to carry to the hob and back. Plenty of cooks plan on the phone and cook from the iPad.

Do I need a special kitchen case?

No. A stand that holds the iPad upright does most of the work. A clear bag over it is a cheap way to keep flour and splashes off; a splash-resistant case suits you better if you cook from it daily.

Can I keep the iPad near the oven?

Near, but not next to. Apple designs iPad to work in surroundings up to 35 °C (95 °F), and the air around an open oven door or a pot at a rolling boil gets hotter. Keep it at the far end of the counter.

How do I clean food off the screen?

Turn it off, then wipe with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid cleaning products, sprays and anything abrasive.

Sources

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