App Showcase: Stashcook

What it does

Stashcook is a comprehensive recipe keeper and meal planning application. Its primary function is to act as a central hub for all of a user's recipes, regardless of their source. The app allows users to import recipes from websites, photos of physical cookbooks, or plain text. Once saved, these recipes can be organized into collections, added to a weekly meal planner, and used to automatically generate categorized shopping lists.

Where it shines

Stashcook excels at reducing the friction of recipe management. The multi-modal import feature, shown at 06:57, is a standout, offering five different ways to add recipes. This flexibility is a significant advantage over apps with more rigid input methods. Another highlight is the "Cook Mode" (06:23), which transforms a static recipe into an interactive, step-by-step guide, showing only the relevant ingredients for each stage. Finally, the seamless integration between the meal planner and the shopping list (11:14 to 12:23) automates one of the most tedious parts of weekly cooking.

UX highlights

• Multiple Input Methods: The app offers five ways to 'stash' a recipe (photo, text, URL, manual, web search), catering to various user needs (06:57).
• Guided Cooking: A dedicated 'Cook Mode' simplifies following recipes by presenting instructions step-by-step with corresponding ingredients (06:23).
• Smart Shopping List: The shopping list automatically categorizes ingredients by aisle (e.g., 'Dairy and eggs', 'Produce'), making shopping more efficient (12:24).
• Interactive Planner: The weekly meal planner uses simple drag-and-drop gestures and clear entry points for adding recipes or notes (11:14).
• In-app Browser Extension: When searching for recipes, a persistent 'Stash' button remains at the bottom of the in-app browser, making importing seamless (03:30).
• Editable Imports: All imported recipe details, from ingredients to method steps, are fully editable, giving the user complete control (05:18).

Monetization & growth

Monetization is introduced at the end of a thorough onboarding process. At 02:35, the app presents a soft paywall for 'Stashcook Premium,' leading with a 7-day free trial for the annual plan. The paywall cleverly uses a visual timeline to explain when the user gets a reminder and when billing starts, which builds trust. The pricing is broken down into a weekly cost to make it appear more affordable, and a "Save 69%" badge encourages uptake of the annual option. Subscription is required to save any recipes, making it a hard gate for core functionality after the initial onboarding.

Who it’s for

This app is designed for home cooks who are tired of juggling recipes scattered across bookmarks, screenshots, and physical cookbooks. Its primary users are likely organized individuals who value meal planning to save time, reduce food waste, and streamline their grocery shopping. The family sharing feature also suggests it's targeted at households where multiple people contribute to cooking and shopping.

Notes & opportunities

The app is feature-rich and well-designed, but the user must complete the entire onboarding, including sign-up and subscription, before they can access the main interface. Allowing users to explore the app and save one or two recipes before hitting a hard paywall could increase conversion. Additionally, the initial empty state (03:19) is a bit stark; it could benefit from pre-populated sample recipes or collections to showcase the app's potential immediately after sign-up.