CookShelf: Search Cookbooks

• Free to download
• In-app purchases

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

• Free to download
• In-app purchases: $4.99 - $39.99 per item

Last verified 7 Aug 2026

4.6 498 ratings · App Store

1. 5/5Obsessed with this app

   I am an avid cookbook collector and curious home cook. I have over 75 cookbooks, and this app has transformed the way I interact with my beloved books. If you have ever been over-eager at the farmers market, but then get home and wonder, “ok, what can I make with this __”, all you have to do is type the item in the search and the app offers all the recipes in your books, what page they are on and ingredients needed. If you want to make a frittata, you can search for all the recipes to choose from in your library. You can bookmark recipes, read reviews, and see photos from other users. I am now reaching for my books more often, discovering new recipes, and truly diving into my book collection (vs being overwhelmed or forgetting where to find recipes). It’s easy to add books by scanning the bar codes. Such a great app!

   FancyFeast78 · 31 Jul 2026

2. 3/5decent, but could go further for the price

   I don't expect full recipes here, but I do wish there was more flexibility in the app. Tagging books by a category we choose would help a lot, especially for filtering. (Such as, I have a few books that are more challenging "project" cooking - so I'd love to be able to tag a book so it doesn't show up when I want a weeknight meal.) I wish there were other view options than one long list of recipe titles - like small thumbnails or something. Obviously it would be great to sort by cook time or difficulty if applicable, but I understand that would be very hard to index. The other big thing, which I don't think would be possible, is to get the book photos instead of user-submitted photos for the recipes. Almost none have photos, and those that do aren't appetizing, making me not want to cook it. I really appreciate what the app does, and the amount it DID index was good (not great for more obscure or vintage books, which I understand.) But it's not functional enough for me to subscribe yet.

   invormation · 31 Jul 2026

3. 4/5Would love to see improvements to this great app!

   CookShelf single-handedly makes it possible for me to use cookbooks at all, and I’m VERY grateful for that. There are however a few improvements I’d like to see. 1) The grocery list feature: I understand why recipe steps aren’t in the app, but it makes no sense to me that CS doesn’t include recipe quantities. It makes grocery planning so much more fiddly and annoying. Items should have the option to be swiped to be checked off (and tapped to edit) as it’s too easy to mistakenly remove them. The auto grocery sorting in Paprika 3 is much better, with categories that match US grocery aisles (I realize this may not be a US-centric app, but there isn’t even a Dairy or Other option…). Paprika 3 also combines the same ingredients from different recipes into 1 entry; CS does not. 2) Recipe photos cannot be tapped to enlarge them - this makes some pics impossible to view clearly, especially on iPad. 3) Would love to be able to sort every recipe in a book by ratings/popularity instead of seeing just the top 5. 4) Would love to see all recipes I’ve cooked from a book, not just all my cooks - wastes time to scroll through repeat cooks of the same recipe. 5) Would love to be able to quickly submit feedback/feature requests to devs via the app. 6) Nice to have - would love to be able to add friends and follow their cooks.

   りん🌸 · 31 Jul 2026

4. 5/5Worth the wait!

   Since I started collecting cookbooks I have loved the idea of EYB & maintained a free membership. I knew I wouldn’t use a website enough to justify a payed membership. Apps are just my go to way of doing things now. I was anxiously awaiting this app that I heard they were working on. I am happy to say that after just a few days of using the free trial I know that I will be happy to pay for a membership. I know with this app I will be able to utilize my cookbook collection so much better. My only criticism of the system in general is I wish there was a way to eliminate multiple entries of the same book existing in the database. That way all comments & reviews on that particular book could be under one book & not spread across multiple entries.

   Mom4aCrew · 31 Jul 2026

5. 5/5Fricking game changer!

   I have so many cookbooks and yes, I know where some of my favorite recipes are but a lot I do not. I would say out of 200 cookbooks. The app had 85% maybe 90% of them indexed. I requested indexing with all the rest of them, we’ll see if it happens. But now I just add a search for an ingredient and then all of the recipes from all of my books come up and I get to choose. It is so easy now. I have Kindle cookbook and physical cookbook and I was able to find most of them and add them to my shelf. I love this app so so much my other favorite app is ReciMe! The only downside is, I guess I have no excuse to not to cook at home.❤️

   TinyTeeGraphics · 31 Jul 2026

3.8 154 ratings · Google Play

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• 1.83.0 · 30 Jul 2026