BigOven Recipes & Meal Planner Reviews

by Sophiekitty

This new version is terrible. Can’t add recipes to “favorites” or to “to try” lists. While it did import those lists from the older version when I signed in, when I tried to print one of those recipes BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner crashed. When I reopened BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner , the recipe I had tried to print had disappeared from my list. BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner is not an improvement at all. I will stick with the older version and if that one stops working eventually I guess I will have to find another recipe site unless you improve this one. Very disappointed in Big Oven as you are generally my go to source for good recipes, the main reason being that your app was so easy and had great features.

by Newwaverap

Using BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner was a bit clunky at first because some of the features were not available on the basic version, so you had to upgrade to the pro which I did not want to do before extensively testing BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner. A lot of my questions to the customer service were answered by simply suggesting that I allow them to make the changes for me on their end, which is a bit strange given the fact that I want to be able to make all of my own changes. The customer service team did not seem at all concerned with my frustration, I was unable to link the Web app with the mobile app and that once again was tackled with a “why don’t you do it this way“ and so after a few hiccups I decided that I wasn’t going to mess around with it anymore. And once again The customer service department did not seem to care that I was going to look for a different app and not continue to use this one. So I cannot recommend BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner to anyone for that reason, I recommend that you guys find an alternative.

by RCPeterson

I tried to enter a personal custom recipe by typing it in. There are no “smarts” to adding a recipe. It’s just a free text box that lets you type in anything, rather than letting you add ingredients one by one. I don’t need a recipe app for that - I could just use a notes app like Google Keep, Evernote, etc. I expect a recipe app to calculate nutrition facts, allow me to vary the portion sizes, etc. Not to be a limited notes app.

But even that functionality doesn’t work. I can’t type ten characters without BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner minimizing my keyboard and exiting the text field. And when I finally fought enough to put in my whole recipe and clicked save, BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner crashed and all my work was lost.

No thanks.

by Lilsquirt22

I’m still a fan of the original app. Once they upgraded it I find the meal planning section to be clunky. I liked the meal planning when it was shown with a calendar view. Also once you click on a meal for a specific day, the instructions won’t open to full screen on my iPad which is extremely frustrating. It seems like whoever designed BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner does not cook using it. When I’m cooking I want to be able to quickly go into my meal plan, click on the recipe and have it open to a full screen so I can read it.

In addition I cannot delete ingredients from a recipe before sending them over to my shopping list. If I have the ingredient already at home I don’t want it on the shopping list. The shopping list has glitches, marking things off when they should remain on my list(super frustrating).

Pictures don’t always upload when recipes are added. I can no longer import recipes from the Food Network, where I pull the majority of my new recipes and so I’m starting to migrate my recipes over to the Food Network app.

For these reasons I’m still using the old app. I would hate to move to a new cooking app since I’m invested in this one already but it’s been over year since my last post and no changes have been made. You’ve removed my recipes from the old app so I’m forced to use this new one that I truly hate.

by Ti'anda

A lot of resources has gone into the making of BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner and service. I wanted an app specifically designed for scanning and cataloging recipes. Unfortunately, after signing up for the pro service to use the 30 day trial, BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner /service didn't do what I wanted. You are limited in the number of recipes you can scan unless you pay more. And if you want to add community recipes to your own book, you can't edit them in any way. I attempted to cancel my subscription via their support center (I was less than 30 days into the trial) but I still got charged for the full pro service. After filing a second ticket, I still have gotten no response to either request. The service and app might have a lot of resources put into their importing algorithms and community contributions, but their support center is in dire need of help. I cannot recommend Big Oven to people.

by Sfayeb

I downloaded BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner on my iPad because I had many written or printed copies of recipes that I wanted to get online and also be able to search. The details said that you could scan written recipes, but what they don’t tell you is that you only get three free scans with the free version. I understand that you get more with the paid Pro version, but you still will end up paying to scan your own recipes when you go over that limit. It was a moot point anyway since the scan would never show up in BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner . I also was unable to save any recipes from websites. It kept coming up saying that the save didn’t work. There also are some ads that interfered with search boxes. The keyboard kept disappearing and flickering. Very disappointing since I had high hopes of BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner. Will keep searching.

by 4angelina569

Eh. I didn’t really like BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner. It does have some technical problems, and a family member of mine couldn’t open it. It’s kind of boring, too, which is why I barely visit it nowadays. The home section doesn’t have much there; you can’t even scroll, and I prefer apps that let me scroll for recipes.
As I mentioned in the reviews title, BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner is pretty much unremarkable. Putting it simply; to me, BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner is boring, has more technical difficulties than other cooking apps I have tried, and the layout isn’t appealing to me.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t that I necessarily hate BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner, but it’s not for me. Try it out for yourself and see if you like it. However, it isn’t an app that I enjoyed having, or one that I want to keep.

by Nitiforu

BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner has tons of recipes. I’m trying out the PRO version, and I am liking it, except for some kinks.....within the Meal Plan, there isn’t an option to DELETE recipes added to the meal plan. Once added, you’re stuck with the recipe, thereby cluttering your meal plan. Another drawback is the Home Page dashboard. It’s USELESS!!! Instead of pictures of dishes, I’d rather see the COLLECTIONS tabs OR the BY COURSE tabs (both of which are currently buried within the search function)...too many steps to get to them. I like the Grocery List and the ability to select/adjust my serving size, so that I don’t buy more groceries than needed.

by Keith Pickett

I am looking to replace Recipe Keeper and are looking at other apps. Big Oven has a lot of promise, but the one annoying thing is that it crashes very frequently. I have an iPhone 11 and latest iOS installed. I also noticed that when you create a shopping list, it does not include the quantity of the ingredient being added. I can’t believe this was left off. If you have multiple recipes with requiring chicken, for example, how do you know much to buy? Hopefully, the crashes will get fixed, but for now I’m removing it.

by ValentAntona

Not a bad app, but it’s really glitchy. It doesn’t sync very well with the website, and the photos don’t seem to appear, even when it says they have been accepted. Force closing BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner does not help either. You can’t edit directly in BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner , it takes you to the site and then syncs down. Very clumsy.

It’s good as there doesn’t seem to be a hard limit on number of recipes. However it seems like more of a community recipe sharing site (which bis great if that’s what you’re looking for!) rather than a personal recipe box.

Overall good, but app needs work.

by Human Being 3

BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner seems like a dream come true in a lot of ways – I got it because I wanted to be able to add my recipes from my books to a digital format. But when you upgrade to the pro membership, you have to purchase recipe scans, which quickly run out. Then you have to buy more. A lot of people i’ve already complained about this, so whatever. That’s not my main issue anyway. BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner is full of glitches. If you rate a recipe, and then change your mind about how you feel about that recipe, if you try to change the rating, BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner simply shuts down. It seems that you can’t alter anything, once you finalize it. You can’t change your own recipes, even if you make an error. And you can’t remove recipes from a collection- if you try to, then it deletes ALL of the recipes in that collection. I can’t give up on BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner, because I’m already too invested in it. It has all of my recipes in it. It would be way too troublesome to try and switch to a different app, but I am sick and tired of the glitches. I’m tired of paying money every month for BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner, when there are so many problems with it. Why won’t people fix it?? I know I’m not the only person complaining about these things. But it seems like the people who made BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner just don’t care. They’ve got you by the balls, and they know it.

by Strong Passwords

So I'm a premium user and Big Oven is awesome for me. I like that it let's you adjust how many probs you're making then automatically calculates grocery list. So if a recipe calls for 1/4 Tblespoon and you're making a double portion...BOOM! Your grocery list has 1/2 Tblespoon. Nice.

However... Adding my wife allows her and I to share the grocery list only!! She asks me all the time for what recipes I'm using. You have to fix that. The ability to share or pin recipes to each other's views (esp. within a premium family plan...) would make this a much better app and would seem a no brainer to add a "Family Favorites" folder for instance.

by ActiveMom4Life

I do love this out, and I use it every week to plan my meals. I’ve had no trouble with adding in recipes or editing from other sources to customize for my use. My biggest complaint would be the grocery list… I’ve used other grocery apps in the past that I was able to customize the categories to correspond with the way I shop, and they also were able to save commonly purchased items that ended up on the list every week. I find myself editing the categories of most items that I put on my grocery list every week as the assumed categories are inaccurate. Fixing this feature would make this the ultimate grocery and meal planning app.

by Trevor RJ

I use BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner almost every week to plan meals for the week, and it automatically builds my grocery list which I can then open at the store and check items off the list as we go through the store. I upload recipes from the internet that I like, and use the search capabilities to get recipe ideas. The support is good too.

I wish the iPhone app grocery list made it a little harder to check things off. I often inadvertently mark something off the list just by scrolling down the list using my thumb on the side of the screen. It has an undo button but when I’m at the store I dont always notice it until I’ve left the store and don’t have everything on my list. It should have a confirm button or some second step before crossing it off the list.

Thanks!

by Yinglingc

Love BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner and haven’t had to upgrade to pro. This is what every busy family needs. I added recipes for the week into my favorites and then loaded the ingredients into my grocery list. This made grocery shopping a breeze (I swiped the items we already had at home) it definitely saved my money! I’ve made two of the meals so far and they were big hits with my family. We were sick of the same dinner rotations we’ve been eating for the past five years and I’m not creative enough to do it on my own. So yeah def get BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner!

by Emilyraccoon

I love BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner how did a few years back and delete it for a bit but now that I am working again and living with my boyfriend and roommateI carpool with to work,we all need recipes that are easy for meal planning plus can fit the criteria of her being able to take to work being she works at a Jewish community center so she hast to take foods that are kosher that she can put in the same fridge as the rabbis and recipe she can keep cold because right now due to Covid they’ve taken away our microwaves

by Drcodyms

BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner is a lifesaver for my budget and for my family eating healthy meals. I can plan the whole month, put it on the grocery list, and check the night before To see what I’m cooking the next day. I do a lot of freezer meals and meal prep. This is a lifesaver for me because sometimes I only have 30 minutes to throw a meal together. I want my kids to eat good healthy food. It’s important for this to happen when they’re young so they know how to eat when they grow up. Love BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner

by Tamia835

I love BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner and I have been using it for several years. Using it to compile my personal recipe book and with the ability to customize recipes that I get from websites and magazines as well as putting in family recipes. I don’t do the scan feature as much but I love being able to edit and adjust the instructions to my liking. Which is adding the amount of each ingredient with in the list in the instructions. Preparing my grocery list is a huge plus and pulling it up on my phone while shopping. Thanks Big Oven!

by The Real Idgie

LOVE BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner! All your recipes at your fingertips on your phone where you can access them at the grocery store. Share with friends or on Social Media. The shop feature is great. The only issue I have is with "clip recipe" from web. Out of the 10 times I have tried to use this has only worked twice. I know this feature is only compatible with recipes from certain sites, just wish it would accept any recipe from less popular sites. But I still love it! I also really love that I can take a photo of one of my Grandmother’s handwritten recipes and save it to my recipes on BigOvenRecipesMealPlanner . A MUST HAVE for cooks you can find so many new recipes and rediscover old favorites!

by Aalexiscp

I have used this for 2 years plus and hace always had a great experience- i have come to rely on it a great deal and now i go to renew my pro and I’ve done it 3 times but cannot make a grocery list or add recipes despite having paid to update ! It keeps telling me to update- these things happen right? BUT NO ONE WILL GET BACK TO ME! I have all my recipes and can no longer use this to meal plan and organize m household AND I’m out the money i paid - i am so frustrated

by 2coolbaby

I specifically use this for Keto/Low Carb diet planning and I love it. I’m sure it works just as well with other plans as well. As I chose Low Carb preference, everyday the home page shows new recommended Low Carb recipes for me. Love that. With the pro I can organize all my recipes just how I want them. I can create my own recipes or make others Keto. I love that I can control exactly what ingredient it is reading to give me correct nutritional amounts. Love the meal planning.

I took off a star because the recipe import feature doesn’t work very well. Mostly from Wordpress sites, which most bloggers use these days. They need to develop a wordpress plugin like Yummly did to make it easy for us to post to BigOven and it would also promote their app. I just did not like Yummly, so I manually do most recipes. Fortunately, most recipes I find are already in Big Oven! This thing does not lack for choices in low carb / Keto recipes. It’s truly mind boggling.

I could not see where we could link one recipe into another and if you could add it’s nutritionals. For example, Eggs Benedict, would love to incorporate or at the least link to my low carb hollandaise sauce. Now it could be here but I haven’t figured it out yet!

Anyway, I have tried all the apps on the market and this really is the best one I have come across. The most recipes, nutritionals, meal planning, grocery list, organization.