Apple Zone

Is Apple News+ the New Kitchen Essential? How iOS 18.4 Reinvents Home Cooking

Forget cluttered recipe blogs and endless ads—Apple just turned your iPhone into a sous chef. If you’ve ever rage-quit a recipe website after scrolling through someone’s life story (and three pop-ups), iOS 18.4’s new cooking features might be your salvation. With a library of 70,000+ ad-free recipes and a sleek cooking mode, Apple News+ is making a bold play for your kitchen. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive in.

🔥 The Recipe Nightmare: Why Cooking Online Sucks

Searching for recipes online has become a universally frustrating experience. Here’s why Apple’s timing is perfect:

📉 Ad Overload: 83% of popular recipe sites bombard users with ads, autoplay videos, and cookie consent banners before you even see ingredients.
🕵️ Information Hunt: Users waste 2-3 minutes per recipe scrolling past anecdotes and ads to find cook times or measurements.
📱 Mobile Unfriendliness: Only 12% of recipe blogs optimize their sites for phone screens, according to a 2024 culinary tech survey.
🗂️ Scattered Libraries: Most home cooks juggle 4-5 apps or bookmarks to manage their go-to dishes.

Apple’s solution? A centralized, distraction-free hub built for efficiency—not ad revenue.

✅ iOS 18.4’s Recipe Revolution: Clean, Fast, and Growing

Apple News+ subscribers now get instant access to a culinary arsenal designed to eliminate friction:

📚 70,000+ Recipes (and Counting): Filter by dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free), cook time (15-minute meals), or meal type (breakfast, desserts).
🎨 Consistent Formatting: Every recipe has a photo, cook time, yield, ingredients list, and step-by-step instructions—no surprises.
⏲️ Cooking Mode: Tap to start timers, swipe through steps hands-free, and keep your screen awake without ads interrupting.
💾 Save & Organize: Build personal recipe collections for weekly meal prep or special occasions.

Best of all? It’s fully integrated with Apple’s ecosystem. Start a recipe on your iPhone, continue on your iPad, and (reportedly) soon control it via the rumored HomePad.

⚠️ The Catch: Can Apple Out-Cook the Competition?

While promising, Apple’s recipe play isn’t without challenges:

🚧 Niche Gaps: Early testers note limited options for regional cuisines like West African or Filipino dishes compared to apps like Yummly.
💸 Subscription Lock: Requires Apple News+ ($12.99/month) or Apple One Premier ($39.95/month)—a hard sell for casual cooks.
📱 Device Dependency: No web version means Android users and desktop cooks are left out.
👩🍳 Community Factor: Lacks user reviews or ratings, a key feature of platforms like AllRecipes.

Apple’s strength lies in its simplicity, but food culture thrives on diversity and interaction. Will a walled garden approach work here?

🍳 Final Verdict: A Game-Changer—With Caveats

iOS 18.4’s recipe features are a major upgrade for Apple loyalists who value:

✅ Speed: Find and start cooking in under a minute.
✅ Consistency: No layout surprises mid-recipe.
✅ Ecosystem Synergy: Handoff between devices and future smart home integration.

But for foodies who crave variety or community input, third-party apps still hold the edge. If Apple commits to expanding its library and adding social features, this could become the default kitchen companion for millions. For now, it’s the best option for stress-free weeknight dinners.

Have you tried cooking with Apple News+ yet? Does it replace your go-to recipe apps—or leave you hungry for more?

Let us know on X (Former Twitter)

Sources: Ryan Christoffel. Apple’s new iOS 18.4 recipe feature is a big upgrade for cooking, Apr 3 2025. https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/03/apples-new-ios-184-recipe-feature-is-a-big-upgrade-for-cooking/