NYT Cooking review
Tested recipes and cooking videos from the Times
- The New York Times Company
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone & iPad, Android, Web
Does it deserve #7?
Is NYT Cooking worth it?
For most people, yes. NYT Cooking scores 8.2/10 and ranks #7 in Food & Cooking. It's best for cooks who want reliable recipes and don't mind paying for them. Skip it if you want to organize your own recipes from across the web. Price: Free to browse; unlimited recipes need a Cooking or All Access subscription.
The verdict
NYT Cooking is the recipe source you trust when dinner matters. More than 20,000 recipes, each tested by the Times, come with ratings and reader notes full of practical tips, plus short videos from cooks like Samin Nosrat and Ina Garten. The Recipe Box and grocery list keep plans together. You need a subscription for full access, and the app tracks you more than any other pick here.
- 20,000+ tested recipes
- Reader notes and ratings
- Cooking videos from well-known cooks
- Recipe Box and grocery list
- Cook Mode
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Sep 2026Support for Apple's OS 27 releases and printing from Cook Mode
- Aug 2026Cooking stickers added to the share sheet
- Jul 2026New grouped filters for finding recipes
Privacy 6.2/10
App Store label: contact info, search and browsing history, identifiers and usage may be used to track you, and more is linked to you. Google Play lists data shared for advertising and analytics.
What we like
- Every recipe is tested before it's published
- Reader notes add real-world tips
- Clean, appetizing design
What could be better
- Full access needs a subscription
- Heavy tracking for an app you pay for
Cooks who want reliable recipes and don't mind paying for them
you want to organize your own recipes from across the web
Questions about NYT Cooking
Is NYT Cooking worth it in 2026?
For most people, yes. NYT Cooking scores 8.2/10 and ranks #7 in Food & Cooking. It's best for cooks who want reliable recipes and don't mind paying for them. Skip it if you want to organize your own recipes from across the web. Price: Free to browse; unlimited recipes need a Cooking or All Access subscription.
Is NYT Cooking free?
You can download it and browse for free, but unlimited access to recipes requires a New York Times Cooking or All Access subscription.
Can I make a grocery list in NYT Cooking?
Yes. Save recipes to your Recipe Box and add their ingredients to the built-in grocery list.
What are the best alternatives to NYT Cooking?
The closest alternatives are ReciMe, Paprika Recipe Manager and Crouton. See all of them ranked on our NYT Cooking alternatives page.
Where does NYT Cooking rank?
NYT Cooking ranks #7 of 7 in our Food & Cooking ranking, with an overall score of 8.2 out of 10.