Pestle: Recipe Manager

What it does

Pestle is a sophisticated recipe manager designed to be a central hub for all your cooking needs. The app's primary function is to import recipes from virtually anywhere, including websites, PDFs, and even physical cookbooks via scanning. Once saved, it organizes them into a clean, ad-free format and provides tools for meal planning, creating shopping lists, and a hands-free cooking mode to guide you through the steps.

Where it shines

Pestle excels in its thoughtful execution of the cooking process. The hands-free cooking mode (03:07) is a standout, allowing users to move through recipe steps with voice commands. What makes it particularly useful is the ability to tap on an ingredient within a step to instantly see its required quantity (03:53). Another powerful moment is the seamless recipe import from a website using the iOS share sheet (00:10), which transforms a cluttered webpage into a beautifully formatted recipe card in seconds.

UX highlights

Contextual Information: Tapping ingredients in cooking mode to see quantities reduces the need to scroll, keeping the user focused.
Flexible Planning: The meal planner allows adding not just recipes, but also simple text notes like 'pizza' for a given day (06:50), reflecting how people actually plan their meals.
Smart Shopping Lists: The app automatically generates a shopping list from recipes and allows users to check off items, which are then visually separated (05:33).
Powerful Filtering: Users can filter their cookbook by various criteria, including rating and categories, making it easy to find the right recipe (04:33).
Unit Conversion: The app offers tools to scale recipes or convert ingredient units between metric and imperial systems (04:02), adding a layer of practical utility.
Customizable Interface: Simple settings like changing the app icon (07:11) and switching to a dark theme (07:17) allow for a degree of personalization.

Monetization & growth

The app presents its subscription model upfront, after a brief feature tour. The paywall screen at 00:47 is comprehensive, integrating a feature carousel, social proof, and clear pricing for three tiers: monthly, yearly (with a 'Save 31%' flag), and a lifetime option. The user must subscribe to a free trial to access the main app, indicating a confident strategy focused on acquiring high-intent users from the start. The app also includes a skippable prompt to join a mailing list (00:30), a classic growth tactic.

Who it’s for

Pestle is for the avid home cook who collects recipes from various sources and wants a single, organized place to keep them. It's ideal for users who are tired of scrolling through ad-laden food blogs on their phone while cooking. The meal planning and shopping list features also make it perfect for individuals or families who want to be more organized with their weekly meals and grocery trips.

Notes & opportunities

The app is polished, but the forced subscription before any hands-on experience might deter some potential users. Allowing the import of one or two recipes for free could be a powerful way to demonstrate the app's core value before hitting the paywall. Additionally, while the hands-free mode is excellent, the initial prompt for speech recognition access (03:47) could be warmed up with a custom screen explaining the benefits, similar to how it handles notification permissions.