How to save cookbook recipes digitally

Why digitising your cookbooks makes sense

A physical cookbook works perfectly in the kitchen — but not in the supermarket. You can't search it by ingredient. You can't share it with your partner. And if you want to use the recipe in your weekly menu, you have to type the ingredients into the shopping list by hand.

A digital version is always accessible, searchable and linkable to your weekly menu. Enter it once — use it forever.

Method 1: Take a photo with Stoof

The fastest method. Open Stoof, tap 'Add recipe' and choose 'Take photo'. Photograph the recipe page. Stoof's AI reads the text — ingredients, quantities and preparation steps are automatically recognised and structured. Review the result and save.

This works well for printed cookbooks with a clear layout.

Method 2: Type or paste the text

For handwritten recipes (like your grandmother's) or recipes with hard-to-read fonts: type the text into Stoof's text input field. The AI structures it automatically — even if the format is irregular.

Method 3: Describe in your own words

You know how a dish tastes but don't have an exact recipe? Describe it in Stoof: "Potato gratin the way my mother used to make it, with gruyère and cream." The app generates a recipe as a starting point that you can refine. Handy for dishes that were never written down but that you want to preserve. Also read about saving recipes digitally in general.

How long does it take to digitise a cookbook?

An average cookbook has 50 to 100 recipes. With the photo method you enter a recipe in 1 to 2 minutes. Allow 1.5 to 3 hours for a full cookbook — spread over a few evenings. But you don't have to do it all at once: add recipes as you need them and build your library gradually. Also see how recipes and weekly menu come together in one app.