Customer Reviews (500)

tami4pete • 2025-03-16T09:04:05-07:00

I’ve tried a few recipe storage apps but this takes the cake. I love that I can easily store, alter, and access all my recipes. I can easily plan our meals and create a rolling menu that works for my family. We have 3 four week meal plans that we rotate through and it’s been great to help with the dinner boredom. It’s super easy to create the weekly shopping list, add and remove items and then check off once at the store. I have been a subscriber for several years and gifted memberships to multiple people. This is definitely one of my most used apps!

Sigkapoli • 2025-02-25T16:09:01-07:00

This is probably my most used app on phone & iPad. We have happily been using it for several years. I’ve added most of our family recipes along with new ones. The new checkbox feature is so helpful!

Susiesassymoss • 2025-02-24T13:25:27-07:00

Thank you !

Summary of Key Insights

Plan to Eat is a highly-rated meal planning app with a strong positive sentiment among its users. The app's strengths lie in its ability to seamlessly import recipes, organize meal plans, and generate shopping lists. Users appreciate its ease of use, time-saving features, and the ability to access recipes from anywhere. The app's ability to eliminate ads and unnecessary information from online recipes is also a major selling point. The few weaknesses identified relate to the shopping list's handling of staples and minor import bugs, but these are outweighed by the app's overall effectiveness. Quantitative metrics strongly support this positive assessment, with an overwhelming majority of reviews being 5-star ratings.

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but reviews appear to span several years, based on mentions of subscription lengths and features added over time.
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual interpretation of review text), keyword extraction (identifying frequently used words and phrases), and thematic analysis (grouping reviews based on common themes and sentiments).

Key User Pain Points

  • Shopping List Inefficiencies: Some users find the shopping list feature to be not "smart" enough, automatically adding every single ingredient from recipes, even staples like salt and pepper. It also struggles to recognize repeats if ingredients are worded slightly differently. (Mentioned by a small number of users).
  • Minor Recipe Import Issues: A small number of users reported minor bugs with recipe import, particularly with fractions or apostrophes.
  • Lack of Instagram Recipe Capture: One user specifically requested the ability to capture Instagram recipes, which is a growing trend.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Pantry Inventory Management: A common request is a pantry feature with a UPC scanner to track on-hand ingredients and expiration dates.
  • Sub-Logins for Family Members: Several users suggested sub-logins for family members to avoid sharing a single account.
  • Integration with ChatGPT: One user requested importing recipes from ChatGPT.
  • Improved Freezer Functionality: A user wanted more fleshed out freezer functionality (adding ingredients, backdating dates, etc.)
  • Export to Printed Cookbook: One user wished for the ability to export family recipes to a printed cookbook.
  • Weight Watchers Points Tracking: A user requested the ability to track Weight Watchers points within the app.
  • Pantry-Based Recipe Generation: A user wanted the ability to generate recipes based on items in their pantry.
  • Side-by-Side Ingredients/Directions on iPad: A user suggested a layout improvement for the iPad app to show ingredients and directions simultaneously.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: Users consistently praise the app's user-friendly interface and intuitive design.
  • Recipe Import Functionality: The ability to easily import recipes from various websites is a major draw. The app's ability to strip away ads and unnecessary content from these sites is also highly valued.
  • Meal Planning and Scheduling: The meal planning and scheduling features are considered highly effective and flexible.
  • Automatic Shopping List Generation: The automatic shopping list generation is a significant time-saver and helps users avoid forgetting ingredients.
  • Organization and Accessibility: Users appreciate having all their recipes in one place, easily accessible on multiple devices.
  • Customization: The ability to edit recipes, add notes, and customize categories is highly valued.
  • Time and Money Saving: Users report that the app helps them save time on meal planning and grocery shopping, and reduces food waste, ultimately saving money.
  • Cooking Mode: The "cook mode" feature, which keeps the phone screen lit and provides step-by-step instructions, is appreciated.
  • Customer Support: Several reviewers mentioned positive experiences with customer service.
  • Family Sharing: The ability to share recipes and menus with family members is a popular feature.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Improve Shopping List Logic: Address the inefficiencies in the shopping list feature. Implement a system to automatically exclude common staples (salt, pepper, etc.) and intelligently recognize duplicate ingredients, even with slight variations in wording. This directly impacts the user experience and is a recurring complaint.
  • Address Recipe Import Bugs: Fix the reported bugs with recipe import, particularly those related to fractions, apostrophes, and overall import reliability.

Medium Priority:

  • Explore Instagram Recipe Capture: Investigate the feasibility of adding a feature to capture recipes directly from Instagram posts and reels. This caters to a growing trend in recipe sharing.
  • Develop Pantry Inventory Management: Consider adding a pantry inventory management feature, possibly with UPC scanner integration. This is a frequently requested feature that would enhance the app's overall utility.
  • Offer Family Sub-Logins: Explore the possibility of offering sub-logins for family members.

Low Priority:

  • ChatGPT Integration: Investigate the feasibility of importing recipes from ChatGPT.
  • Freezer Functionality Enhancements: Consider enhancements to the freezer functionality based on user feedback.
  • Export to Printed Cookbook: Evaluate the demand and feasibility of adding an export to printed cookbook feature.
  • Weight Watchers Points Tracking: Assess the potential user base and feasibility of integrating Weight Watchers points tracking.
  • iPad Layout Optimization: Implement the suggested layout improvement for the iPad app.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Recipe Suggestion Engine: A system that suggests recipes based on user dietary preferences, available ingredients, and user ratings.
  • Smart Shopping List Optimization: An algorithm that analyzes shopping lists and suggests the most efficient route through the user's preferred grocery store, based on store layout data.
  • Community Recipe Rating and Review Platform: A platform that allows users to share their own recipes, rate and review recipes from other users, and create collaborative meal plans.
  • Meal Kit Integration: An integration with meal kit delivery services that allows users to easily add meal kits to their Plan to Eat calendar and shopping list.

Trends and Observations

  • Long-Term User Loyalty: Many users have been using Plan to Eat for several years, indicating strong customer loyalty and satisfaction.
  • Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Several reviews mention that users were referred to the app by friends or family, suggesting effective word-of-mouth marketing.
  • Black Friday Sale Impact: The Black Friday sale is a significant driver of subscription renewals, indicating price sensitivity among some users.
  • Value for Busy Families: The app is particularly popular among busy families who are looking for ways to simplify meal planning and grocery shopping.

Conclusion

Plan to Eat is a well-regarded meal planning app that effectively addresses the challenges of recipe organization, meal scheduling, and grocery shopping. Its strengths lie in its ease of use, recipe import functionality, and time-saving features. While there are some areas for improvement, such as the shopping list logic and minor import bugs, the app's overall positive sentiment and strong user base suggest that it is a valuable tool for many users. Prioritizing the action recommendations outlined above will further enhance the user experience and solidify Plan to Eat's position as a leading meal planning app.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plan-to-eat/id1215348056?uo=2