Customer Reviews (133)

nala.agojie • 2025-03-28T04:26:54-07:00

It just works! No bloated UI or unnecessary features. The import recipe from URL is magic. I love how it’s likely using AI to parse but doesn’t make a show of it. Really great work!

Slarose96 • 2025-03-20T08:46:50-07:00

I agree with another reviewer, I’ve never in my life left an app review. But this app is a hidden gem. So user friendly, so intuitive. A game changer if you love cooking

pfgrl • 2025-03-17T20:35:55-07:00

I started using this app recently. I had a ton of recipes saved in my notes on my phone. I’m transferring them little by little. But I’ve found a few on the internet that I wanted to save. SO EASY! Copy the link and paste. It takes the recipe and puts it in there for you!! Shopping list. Shareable! I’m very happy with this app!

Summary of Key Insights

Umami - Recipe Manager is overwhelmingly positively received, with users praising its ease of use, clean interface, and feature-rich functionality, particularly the recipe import and organization capabilities. The app successfully addresses the common frustrations associated with online recipes and provides a centralized, collaborative platform for meal planning and grocery shopping. The key weakness mentioned is the initial lack of clarity regarding the subscription model and specific feature requests to further enhance the user experience, especially around meal planning and grocery list management. Overall sentiment is exceptionally high, with a vast majority of users awarding the app 5 stars.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: High (close to 5 stars, given the distribution)
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 92.4% (123 reviews)
    • 4-star: 3.8% (5 reviews)
    • 3-star: 1.5% (2 reviews)
    • 2-star: 1.5% (2 reviews)
    • 1-star: 0.8% (1 review)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 133 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to be recent (no specific date range provided, but context suggests recent reviews).
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Manually assessed based on review content.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identified recurring words and phrases related to user experience, features, and pain points.
    • Frequency Analysis: Counted the number of times specific issues and feature requests were mentioned.

Key User Pain Points

  • Lack of Clarity on Subscription Model: Some users felt the subscription model was not clearly communicated upfront, leading to frustration after adding recipes. (Mentioned in 2-star and 1-star reviews)
  • Export Functionality Issues: One user reported issues with the export function locking up and difficulty finding the exported file. (Mentioned in a 3-star review)
  • NYT Recipe Import Failures: One user reported frequent failures when importing recipes from the New York Times Cooking website. (Mentioned in a 4-star review)
  • Minor UI Quirks: A few users noted minor UI issues, such as photo upload order problems and cookbook navigation. (Mentioned in 4-star and 5-star reviews)
  • Bouncing Recipe Books on Main Screen: One user reported that the recipe books on the main screen move without touching it. (Mentioned in a 5-star review)

Frequently Requested Features

  • Recipe Rating System: Many users requested the ability to rate recipes and sort by rating.
  • Improved Meal Planning:
    • Drag-and-drop rearrangement of meals in the meal plan.
    • Ability to see empty days in the meal plan when adding meals.
    • General calendar integration, not just meal plan calendar.
  • Enhanced Grocery List Management:
    • Combine duplicate items from multiple recipes.
    • Instacart integration/export.
    • Alexa integration for adding items.
  • TikTok/Instagram Recipe Support: Ability to save recipes directly from TikTok/Instagram captions.
  • Cover Photos for Cookbooks: Ability to select a cover photo for cookbooks instead of the most recent recipe image.
  • Customizable Tagging System: A more robust tagging system that allows for global tags and avoids tag redundancy.
  • Android Version: Several users expressed a desire for an Android version of the app.
  • Import Recipes from Photos: Ability to import recipes directly from photos.
  • Scaling Down from Cups to Tablespoons: The ability to scale down measurements further than cups.
  • Folder within a Folder: The ability to put a folder within a folder for more organization.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: The app is consistently praised for its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
  • Recipe Import Functionality: Users love the ability to easily import recipes from websites, including stripping away ads and unnecessary content. The scanning feature for physical recipes is also highly valued.
  • Organization Features: The tagging system, cookbook organization, and search capabilities are well-received.
  • Meal Planning and Grocery List Integration: The integrated meal planning and grocery list features are considered major time-savers.
  • Collaboration Features: Users appreciate the ability to share recipes and cookbooks with family and friends.
  • Clean and Minimalist Design: The app's clean and visually appealing design is a significant draw.
  • One-Time Purchase Option: The availability of a lifetime purchase option is a major advantage over subscription-based competitors.
  • Responsive Developer: Several reviews highlight the developer's responsiveness to suggestions and quick resolution of issues.
  • Cross-Platform Access: The ability to access and manage recipes from a web browser is highly valued.
  • Export Options: Users appreciate the ability to export their recipes in various formats.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Clarify Subscription Model: Improve the clarity of the subscription model within the app and before users invest significant time adding recipes. Ensure users are aware of the trial period and pricing options upfront.
  • Address Export Functionality Issues: Investigate and resolve the reported issues with the export function locking up.
  • Improve NYT Recipe Import: Investigate and improve the reliability of recipe imports from the New York Times Cooking website.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement Recipe Rating System: Add a recipe rating system to allow users to track their favorite recipes and sort by rating.
  • Enhance Meal Planning Features: Implement drag-and-drop rearrangement of meals, improve visibility of empty days, and consider a more general calendar integration.
  • Improve Grocery List Management: Implement features to combine duplicate items and explore integrations with services like Instacart and Alexa.
  • Refine Tagging System: Allow for global tags.
  • Address Bouncing Recipe Books on Main Screen: Investigate and resolve the issue of the recipe books on the main screen moving without touching it.

Low Priority:

  • Add TikTok/Instagram Recipe Support: Implement the ability to save recipes directly from TikTok/Instagram captions.
  • Allow Cover Photos for Cookbooks: Allow users to select cover photos for cookbooks.
  • Develop Android Version: Consider developing an Android version of the app to expand the user base.
  • Import Recipes from Photos: Implement the ability to import recipes directly from photos.
  • Scaling Down to Tablespoons: Add the ability to scale down measurements further than cups.
  • Folder Within a Folder: The ability to put a folder within a folder for more organization.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Recipe Recommendation Engine: Leverage user data (ratings, tags, meal plans) to provide personalized recipe recommendations.
  • Smart Grocery List Integration: Develop a more sophisticated grocery list feature that automatically suggests substitutions based on availability and user preferences.
  • Interactive Cooking Mode with Voice Control: Enhance the "Start Cooking" mode with voice control for hands-free operation and real-time recipe adjustments.
  • Community Recipe Sharing Platform: Create a platform within the app for users to share their own recipes and discover new ones from other users.

Trends and Observations

  • Reddit Discovery: A significant number of users discovered the app through Reddit recommendations, highlighting the importance of community marketing.
  • Paprika Migration: Some users are migrating from Paprika due to dissatisfaction with its pricing model or lack of feature updates, indicating an opportunity to capture more of this market.
  • Positive Sentiment Growth: The app is consistently receiving high ratings, suggesting that it is meeting user needs and expectations.
  • Feature Parity with Competitors: Users often compare Umami to other popular recipe apps like Paprika and Whisk, indicating a need to maintain feature parity and differentiate through unique offerings.
  • Focus on Collaboration: The desire for sharing and collaboration is a recurring theme, suggesting that features that enhance this aspect of the app will be well-received.

Conclusion

Umami - Recipe Manager is a highly successful app with a strong user base and overwhelmingly positive sentiment. By addressing the identified pain points and implementing the requested features, the developer can further enhance the user experience and solidify Umami's position as a leading recipe management app. The focus should be on improving clarity around the subscription model, addressing technical issues, and adding features that enhance meal planning, grocery list management, and recipe discovery. Overall, the app is highly recommended and has the potential to become even more popular with continued development and user feedback integration.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/umami-recipe-manager/id1597523594?uo=2