Contents
If you’ve ever wondered why recipe websites are so bad, you’re not alone. We explore the reasons why and offer some solutions.
Checkout this video:
Lack of Organization
One of the main reasons recipe websites are so bad is because they lack organization. You should be able to easily find what you’re looking for on a website, and recipe websites make it very difficult to do so. There is usually no structure to the recipes, which makes it hard to find specific things. For example, if you’re looking for a recipe for a specific dish, you might have to scroll through pages and pages of results before you find something that looks promising. And even then, you can’t be sure that the recipe will be any good.
Another problem with recipe websites is that they are often loaded with ads. This can make it difficult to find the actual recipe you’re looking for, as you have to wade through all of the ads before you get to the content. Recipe websites should be easy to use and navigate, but too often they are not.
Inaccurate Information
One of the most frustrating things about trying to cook from a recipe website is finding an inaccuracy in the ingredient list, preparation instructions, or estimated cooking time. It’s even more frustrating when you’ve already started cooking and have to make a last-minute change. While some inaccuracies can be chalked up to user error (e.g., forgetting to include an ingredient in the instructions), others are simply due to bad editing or outdated information.
It’s not uncommon for recipe websites to host inaccurate information because they rely on user-generated content. That is, anyone can submit a recipe to the website, and it’s up to the editors to fact-check and approve the recipe before it goes live. This system is far from perfect, and it often leads to recipes with inaccurate or missing information.
One way to avoid this problem is to use only reputable recipe websites that have a staff of professional cooks and editors who curate the content. However, even these websites aren’t immune to occasional inaccuracies. The best way to ensure that you’re getting accurate information is to cross-check the recipe against multiple sources before you start cooking.
Outdated Content
Recipe websites are often inaccurate and outdated, which can lead to problems when cooking. A lot of the time, the recipes are written by people who are not professional chefs, and they may not have updated their information in a while. This can make it hard to trust the recipe, and you may end up with a dish that is not as good as you hoped.
In addition, many recipe websites do not include key information that would be helpful when cooking. For example, they might not list the amount of time it will take to prepare the dish, or they might not include step-by-step instructions. This can make it difficult to follow the recipe, and you may end up with a meal that is less than perfect.
If you are looking for accurate and up-to-date recipes, it is best to consult a professional chef or cookbook. These sources will usually have more reliable information than most recipe websites.
Poor User Experience
Have you ever been in the middle of cooking a recipe, only to realize that the website you’re using doesn’t have a print button? Or worse, that the print button doesn’t work? We’ve all been there. Recipe websites are notoriously bad at user experience (UX). In fact, they’re so bad that many people have given up on cooking altogether.
Part of the problem is that most recipe websites are designed by publishers, not chefs.Publishers are interested in clicks, not in making sure that you can easily find the recipe you’re looking for or that you can print it out without having to scroll through a million ads.
Another problem is that most recipe websites are designed for desktop users, not for people who are trying to cook dinner while also wrangling a toddler. Mobile devices are becoming more and more common, but many recipe websites haven’t been optimized for smaller screens. This makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for, and it can be even harder to actually make the recipe.
So what can be done to fix this problem? For one thing, we need to stop relying on publishers to design our recipe websites. We need to start asking chefs and home cooks how they want to use recipes online. Do they want to be able to print them out? Do they want step-by-step photos? Do they want nutrition information? Asking these questions will help us create recipe websites that are actually useful.
In the meantime, there are a few good recipe websites out there. These websites might not be perfect, but they’re a lot better than most of the others:
Allrecipes: This website has a great search function and an easy-to-use printing system. It also includes photos and videos for every recipe.
Epicurious: This website is affiliated with Bon Appétit magazine, so you know the recipes are going to be good. It also has a handy “cooking mode” that hides all distractions and makes it easy to follow a recipe on your mobile device.
Food52: This website is less about recipes and more about connecting with other home cooks. But it still has a great selection of recipes, as well as helpful tips and techniques.
Annoying Ads
There are a number of reasons why recipe websites can be annoying, but one of the biggest issues is the presence of ads. Ads can often be intrusive and make it difficult to find the recipe you’re looking for. They can also slow down the loading time of a website, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to get dinner on the table.
Another issue with recipe websites is that they often don’t have printable versions of recipes. This means that if you want to save a recipe for later, you have to either take a screenshot or copy and paste the entire thing into a document. This is a huge pain, and it’s one of the reasons why I prefer cooking from cookbooks.
Finally, many recipe websites require you to create an account before you can access their content. This is yet another barrier that can stand between you and your dinner.
Hard to Search
One of the most frustrating things about recipe websites is how hard they are to search. You should be able to easily find what you’re looking for, but often times you have to search through a long list of unrelated recipes. This is especially true if you’re looking for something specific, like a vegan or gluten-free recipe.
Another issue is that many recipes are written by people who are not professional chefs. This means that they may not be written in a way that is easy to follow. They may also not include important information, such as cooking times or ingredient substitutions.
Finally, a lot of recipes are just plain bad. They may not taste good, or they may be needlessly complicated. This is especially true of recipes that have been passed down through families or adapted from other cultures.
No Print Function
Why are recipe websites so bad? More often than not, they don’t have a print function. I’m not sure if the web developers think that we all have unlimited printers and ink or what, but not being able to print a recipe is incredibly frustrating.
No nutritional information
One of the main reasons that recipe websites are so bad is because they rarely include nutritional information. This is a huge problem for people who are trying to watch their weight or eat healthy, as they have no way of knowing how many calories they are consuming. Additionally, recipes on these sites are often inaccurate, as they do not take into account the fact that people may use different ingredients than what is listed. As a result, people often end up making dishes that are completely different from what they were expecting, which can be extremely frustrating.
No step by step instructions
There are a few good recipe websites out there, but they are few and far between. The majority of recipe websites are terrible, and it’s not hard to see why. Here are some of the main reasons why recipe websites are so bad.
One of the biggest problems with recipe websites is that they often lack step by step instructions. This makes it very difficult to follow the recipe, especially if you’re not an experienced cook. Step by step instructions are essential for any recipe, and without them, you’re likely to make mistakes that will ruin your dish.
Another problem with many recipe websites is that they use poor quality images. Often, the photos on recipe websites are either low quality or simply don’t show what the dish is supposed to look like. This can make it very difficult to know if you’re making the dish correctly.
Finally, many recipe websites are simply not very user-friendly. They can be hard to navigate, and it can be difficult to find the information you’re looking for. This can make it extremely frustrating to try and find a specific recipe on a website.
No pictures
One of the most frustrating things about trying to find a recipe online is the complete lack of pictures. It’s hard enough to figure out if a dish is something you’re interested in making without having to imagine what it might look like, but that’s exactly what you have to do with most recipes. A picture might not be worth a thousand words when it comes to cooking, but it’s certainly worth a few hundred.
