AccuChef Review
Software A La Carte
You can buy it at RegNow for that price.
Comes with an extensive recipe database preloaded into the software (around 100 recipes) sorted in categories that make finding things easy. The Shopping list feature allows you to transfer ingredients onto a shopping list. There are also pre-formatted printing templates for 2 different sizes of Avery index cards.
The set up of Accu Chef is difficult to figure out at times, the buttons are small and not always logical. Graphics are old and outdated. The preloaded recipe database is logically lacking many recipes (coffee cake, for example) and the import feature takes a few tries to figure out.
There are three main features of the AccuChef program: the recipe database; shopping list and meal planner.
I was impressed with the Accu Chef once I started using it but at first glance you might think you have downloaded something from the early 1990s. For the tech-savvy cook this program is pretty good (especially if you are only using the free trial version) but most of the same information could be organized in excel if you knew what you were doing. The practical consideration of having a computer around some messy kitchen work is solved by the program's preset ability to print directly onto index cards (although it takes a few tries to figure out how to make this work with your printer).
- The recipe database comes preloaded with around 100 recipes, searchable by main ingredients, category, main ingredient and yield. Many of the recipes are award winners or have been published in major newspapers or magazines.
- The shopping list feature allows you to call up a recipe and add ingredients that you need onto a shopping list. The program sometimes asks you how many you are preparing the recipe for and gives you the amounts you need. The program also lets you keep track of stores where you have coupons for various items and where you shop for different categories of foods. Like many of the features in this program, the user would benefit from a tutorial to figure out tasks like adding main staples to the list.
- The meal planning feature allows you to track by date meals for days from now until well past the year 2050 but offers a convenient "jump to today's date" button. There are 11 categories that you can add to your food day, from breakfast to late night snack. This would also be a good feature if you are looking to keep track of daily eating habits, that is, if everything you eat has a recipe entered into the system.
If you were willing to spend some time entering your recipes into the system and like to keep track of information on the computer then this would be an excellent program for you. There are no flashy graphics or animation but the AccuChef does a good job of organizing and maintaining your household food information.