HOME AND GARDEN

Review by Glenn Bolton:

For those that have MC 8, this new version only adds a few recipes and a some bug fixes...there are no new features from MC 8. I upgraded anyway and am happy with it.

BUT, if you have MC 7 or before, this version is for you!

I've been using Mastercook since version 4 and with the change of ownership it had from Sierra to ValuSoft. I figured Version 6.2 would be the end of the line....but thankfully not..it's up to Version 9 now!

Each version release of MC continues to evolves it and keep it the best possible cooking/planning software on the planet. MC just keeps getting better.

The basics-it comes with a standard set of cookbooks and an increased ingredient list of 7000 items, a place to create a meal plan and shopping list manually or automatically while giving you options on how to import(webImport/email/copy,paste) as well as export(email, printing, copy,paste recipes. It interacts with both Palm/PocketPC to download recipes and grocery lists for swapping or easy list check-off at the grocery store.

The WebImport bar makes it easy to import recipes you find on websites by a highlight and click process that works only in Internet Explorer...but it drastically reduces input time versus typing is all in.

While MC 9 comes with a few cookbooks, the web awaits you. There are literally thousands of websites that not only have recipes to download, but whole cookbooks full of recipes...all for FREE. The forums and newsgroups abound in Q&A help and how-to's in better understanding how to use MC.

The interface is clean and sharp...doesn't look like a Win 3.1 interface but not quite XP. It will take time to learn all of the secrets of using Mastercook, but the HELP section is in the program with a PDF you can print that is a step-by-step guide. What a nice touch.

This program is great for those on diet plans, as you can make menu plans, shopping lists and search for foods with specific needs(calories, carbs, fat, fiber, etc.).

In conclusion, the planning and shopping lists have saved my family money and time in not buying what we don't need and letting us know what's for dinner without having to go and search for food. 15-20 minutes of planning on a Saturday will take care of planning for the whole week. Thanks to Mastercook!

Review by R. Burkhardt:

I have been collecting recipes online since the early to mid 80's, and have purchased every single recipe management program I could find.

Some have complex features that I find difficult to use, and don't really need.

Some are only databases which you use to simply store and retrieve your recipes.

I always return to MasterCook. In my opinion it is the very best software for those of us who are home cooks.

It is very easy to use, and comes complete with thousands of recipes already entered in the program. In addition, you can enter your own recipes by typing them in.

There are hundreds of thousands of recipes available on the internet which you can import. It is able to import recipes which are formatted for other recipe management programs as well as those already formatted for MasterCook.

It is unique in that it is able to import recipes directly from any web page using a special web tool. You will not have to type them into the program, For example, if you find a coconut cake recipe on the Betty Crocker site, just import it into your program and it is yours, picture and all!

You can enter the number of servings you wish to prepare and the recipe is scaled to the correct amount of each ingredient. You can scale it down to a single serving or up to very many.

The feature I use most is nutrition calculation. Every recipe displays the amount of calories, Protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals in each serving. It also displays the %of daily nutrition provided, according to the daily calorie limit you set, (for example, you can chose 2000 calories per day, or 1800 cal etc)

Great for people on special diets such as low sodium, diabetic, low carb, or low calorie.

You can add pictures to each recipe if you choose.

Another great feature is the ability to publish your own cookbook, and print recipe cards. You can also print any recipe on a single sheet of paper or several recipes over many sheets.

I always print my recipe and take it to the kitchen with me.

There are dozens of different formats and designs which you can select to print your recipes. They really look great!

You can e-mail a recipe or group of recipes directly from within the program.

You can create a shopping list using your chosen recipes. It is arranged in order of the departments of your favorite store. (I do not use this feature, most recipe programs have it, and this is as good as the others but still too much trouble to use.)

There is a menu planner, and you can save menus for future reference.

It has a simple backup function so you will never loose your valuable recipe collection.

Using a "cookbook" format you can arrange your recipes into any collection. You can have as many "Cookbooks" as you wish. (I have several hundred - Some of my cookbooks: Chinese, Rachael Ray's Recipes, Bread Machine Recipes, Barbecue, Asparagus, Pork, My Family Recipes)

Each cookbook can hold 12,000 recipes.

It has a search function that can search a single "cookbook" file or every cookbook in your collection. You can search for recipes by title, or ingredient, or category, or source, or just about anything. It will immediately scan all your recipes and display a list of the recipes you chose.

You can save the source and author of your recipes Such as Rachael Ray March 2007, My Mother, Aunt Grace, Lady's Home Journal etc)

You can indicate categories for each recipe, and by selecting the category in a cookbook, only display those in that category. Favorite recipes from any group can be added to a list so you can access them frequently without scanning the entire cookbook collection.

It is a tremendous value and provides the most in features and ease of use.

If you are looking to organize your recipes or begin a collection I highly recommend MasterCook. You will love it!

I recommend that you buy version 9. Most earlier versions do not have the web tool, and you will find that most useful.

MasterCook Deluxe 9.0

Review by L'lee:

I have used Master Cook for many years now, and I am very impressed with it's capabilities. I mainly use it for managing and nutritionally analyzing my own recipes, but the recipes that come with the program are also useful, and easy to customize to your own needs. There are many yahoo (and other) groups dedicated to sharing Master Cook recipes in a format that is very easy to download, and the recipe import feature makes it easy to copy and paste recipes in text format (or from websites - including pictures!) in just a few seconds. It can take a while to type in a lot of recipes from books, or initially typing in your collection if you choose to do it all at once, but I think it is worth the effort. I have tried a variety of other recipe software programs (Cook'n, ChefTec - EXPENSIVE, Meal Master, Instant Home Cooking, CookWare, among a few!) and I have found Master Cook to be by far the best value with the most customization abilities, ease of use, and user-friendliness.

Master Cook also has the capability to keep track of your pantry, create shopping lists, plan your menus, search for recipes based on very specific criteria (ingredients to avoid or include, single nutritional items, your personal rating or category, time to make, cost - if you use the shopping section, etc., and combinations of any of these things).

One thing that I don't like about Master Cook are that it *doesn't* include SUGAR or TRANS FATS in the nutritional information (or a custom nutrition capability - that would be handy for calculating weight watchers points!) I contacted ValuSoft about the possibility of adding these and was told that they do *not* expect to add these in the near future. I was disappointed by this because I think that sugar and trans fat are pretty basic items to nutrition - I hope they reconsider!

Overall, I highly recommend this product if you are interested in maintaining and sharing recipes and/or having control over your nutrition. I have enjoyed the ability to modify recipes so that they are healthier for me and my family, and have given this software (and my recipes/cookbooks from it!) to several family members as gifts.

Review by Miss Kitty:

It's true there are not many pictures, but this software wasn't meant to be eye candy. It was created for functionality and to fill a void in the software market. The program has been around for years, and each edition keeps getting better. In version 8.0, MasterCook includes literally thousands upon thousands of recipes compiled from various cookbooks and textbooks used in home cooking as well as the hospitality industry (such as Food for Fifty, On Cooking, etc). I've found delicious and sometimes difficult to find recipes for petits fours, casseroles, and breads. There are even separate sections for "low carb" and vegetarian recipes. I honestly haven't prepared many of the recipes, but I don't think that could be accomplished in my lifetime!

Each recipe can be customized by adding your own notes, ingredients or modifications on the original recipe. You can choose recipes to compose an entire meal and print out a grocery list of all the ingredients required to make that meal. It makes meal planning on a daily or weekly basis a snap (if you have the time to invest). It also has chapters on preparation methods and definitions of terms used in cooking.

The best part is the nutritional analysis, my main reason for buying this software package. You can enter a recipe from your own archives and receive a fully detailed nutritional analysis of the dish. Despite its overly-complicated interface, it is chocked full of information and retails at an affordable price. This is a fantastic organizational tool for a computer-savvy foodie, a nutritionist, or even a chef. I recommend this software as one of the best recipe organizers and cookbooks available for your PC.