Cookstr is a site to help you find great recipes online. Not just any recipes, but recipes from some of the top chefs and cookbook writers from around the world. The site has only been around for a few short months but it has already attracted hundreds of big names who have contributed tempting dishes to its recipe database. Whether you like Jamie Oliver or Julia Child, you are sure to find many fantastic recipes.

The interface is simple and uncluttered. It’s essentially a dedicated cooking search engine, enabling searches by chef, recipe or ingredients. Searches provide a range of dishes across many categories each with photos and detailed cooking instructions. If you enjoy recipes from a particular chef, you can visit their profile page to get more information, check out their latest recipe submissions to the site, and view any cookbooks they’ve written. Cookstr will help anyone answer the eternal question of “what’s for dinner?” with recipes for every skill level and every budget.

Practical Uses:

• Check out recipes from chefs you like before buying their cookbook
• Find plenty of meal options that can be made from the odds and ends in your refrigerator
• Create an exquisite meal on a budget
• Create a record of your favorite recipes (this feature will be available soon)

Insider Tips:

• Use the advanced search features to find recipes that meet particular dietary requirements, such as gluten free or low carb meals
• Keep the cost of your meal down by filtering out recipes that are too expensive
• Check out the ‘surprise me’ button to get a new meal idea
• Use the ‘share with a friend’ button to easily email a recipe to your contacts

What we liked:

• Ingredient names are highlighted in orange so it is easy to see everything that’s needed
• The author profiles are detailed
• Cookstr has great food photos which would tempt anyone to make the dish
• The advanced search engine works really well, allowing you to choose dishes that suit your mood, preferred cooking method, or the time you have available

What we didn’t like:

• The site is still in development but thus far everything works well

Alternatives:

• All Recipes – allrecipes.com
• Delish – www.delish.com
• Epicurious – epicurious.com
• Foodista – www.foodista.com
• Food Network – foodnetwork.com

Company Info:

• Launched: November 2008
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: New York, NY
• Founded by: Art Chang, William Schwalbe, Katie Workman
• Web site: www.cookstr.com

Costs:

• Free (with plans to be ad sponsored)

Rating:

• 4 out of 5 (great)