From feeding your family to making special memories over favorite meals, the perks to becoming a better chef are endless. Mastering new cuisines and methods are easy ways to improve yourself, and it couldn't be simpler with a handy smartphone by your side. Here are 10 ways your phone can help you become more comfortable in the kitchen.
1. Watch a pro do it first
Pull up some recipe videos on your phone's web browser or on an app and watch an instructional recipe video. As long as you follow the directions of an expert, you can't mess things up too badly.
2. Check out podcasts
Download some food-related podcasts and deepen your knowledge of the culinary arts. The more you know about ingredients and where they come from, the more natural a chef you’ll become. Not sure where to start? Chowhound has a list of the top 10 food podcasts.
3. Keep the time
Use your phone's timer to get all the steps right. No one likes a burnt dinner and your phone can make sure you're not leaving the oven on for too long. Bonus: use audio voice commands so you don't have to put down that saucy spoon to pick up your phone.
4. Shine a light
If you need some extra light in your kitchen or the bulb in your oven goes off, pick up that phone and use the flashlight function. Yes, smell is important in cooking, but you also need to make sure you can see what's going on.
5. Measure carefully
Measuring is kind of hard, but your phone's handy calculator can make quick work of any tricky conversions you might have to do. If changing cups to quarts gives you a headache, there's definitely an app that can help you get those tricky conversions right.
6. Let the bots cook for you
Set your phone up with one of the many smart cooking appliances out right now for a tech-infused cooking experience. From gourmet sous-vide machines to smart fridges, your phone can help you connect to your kitchen on a much deeper level.
7. Pump up the jams
It’s important to create a nice environment if you want your food to turn out well. Put on some tunes that will help you relax and have some fun in the kitchen — or put together a go-to cooking playlist. Food just tastes better when it’s made with love.
8. Record your results
Note-taking is important if you want to perfect a recipe to your taste buds. Was there too much salt for you in your finished dish? Make a note on your phone about the recipe you made with your annotations and next time you'll nail it.
9. Snap a photo
Use your camera to take some food pics and share them on social media. Solicit some tips and reviews from your friends and fans that will encourage you to get back in the kitchen and go bigger and bolder with your creations. And check out our “10 Tips for the Perfect Social Media Shots.”
10. Have a backup
When all else fails and things don't come out the way you want, there's a ton of delivery apps you can download to get a meal from the real experts. Any good chef knows when to call in some help and just make your guests happy.