Dinner Spinner
Bring me vicious mustards to pierce the tongue like Cardigan's lancers
Android App of the Week Dinner Spinner is a classic example of the slick and inventive apps that have made the iOS App Store what it is today. It’s also a good example of the way those same apps are now migrating to Android.
The idea is blindingly simple and perfect for anyone who - like me - thinks that cooking involves a telephone and knowing the number of a local pizza delivery service.
Make your choices (left) for a damn fine dinner (right)
It offers up meal suggestions based on dish type, main ingredients and cooking time. Line up your three selections, press View Matches and whip out your wok.
The user-submitted ideas for a feed bag are sourced from the Allrecipes website which looks like a decent cooking resource even to an unreformed pie'n'mash wallah like me, though some of the guidelines are clearly not professionally written.
Not sure what you fancy? Try and the randomiser
Each recipe comes with plenty of nutritional information, peer reviews and can be saved as a favourite for future concoction.
If you fancy heading into the culinary Twilight Zone just shake your phone and the three categories do a random spin - pork-based appetiser that takes less than 20 minutes to prep, anyone?
After you get a suggestion (left) you still have to cook it (right)
The whole mix-and-match idea has more merit than you might think. Just to be awkward, I asked it for a soup or stew with chocolate in and it suggested something called Big Game Day Chili, and let me tell you, it’s one damn fine chili recipe.
Cough up $2.99 (£1.85) for the Pro version and you get a whole load of handy additional features.
Vox populi, scoff populi
These include sorting ingredients into types to make it easier to gather supplies while circumnavigating your local Waitrose, synchronising recipes with your web account and scaling ingredient quantities should you need to feed the five thousand.
The icing on the cake is the app's iOS heritage, which shines through at every turn - it’s simply a pleasure to look at and play with even if nothing ends up in’t pot. ®
Size 4.7MB
App2SD Yes
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COMMENTS
iOS Heritage
"The icing on the cake is the app's iOS heritage, which shines through at every turn - it’s simply a pleasure to look at and play with even if nothing ends up in’t pot."
In my experience, "iOS heritage" often means "we couldn't be bothered to work out how to create menus in Android apps, so we put hundreds of unnecessary buttons on screen instead".
no, no, no
"in’t pot".. what's that supposed to be? surely you mean "in t'pot"?
As for pronuncation, it would be closer to "int pot" and not "in tpot", with a softer t in int than in pot, otherwise you'd get a harsh pause between the two words, rather than a fluid transition. This is a common failing of Southerners attempting a Northern accent, with terrible results.
Odd interface
I installed it and decided to click on Bread. Rather than show me recipes for bread, I had to select Grain as a second option. Finally selected Any for cooking time and got a wadge of recipes. OKish, but clumsy.
So, rather than select bread and get a list or next level of filters, I have to tell it that I want bread recipes made with grain and not beef or pork or legumes (FFS!), although steak sandwich with onions on ciabatta is the dogs and a good bacon sarnie is, well simply, orgasmic.
The Spinny interface doofer, whilst having its merits, doesn´t work for all occassions and makes the app a little infuriating after a short period. Why would you want to search for a beverage made with chicken or a dessert made with pork?
Odd UI and American-centric recipes. Force Close twice on Galaxy S in 5 mins. Uninstalled.
Shame, as I love to cook and like to try different things out.
@AC whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com - most excellent!
I'm as sober as a judge, and furthermore I'm a magistrate.
Just here to say well done for the splendid Henry Rawlinson quote.
