Epicurious

Author: Kaitlyn Short

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The Good

• Numerous categories and filters
• Blog, newsletter, and forum
• How-tos and expert help
• Recipes for special diets
• Meal planner
• 150,000+ member recipes

The key great feature of the Epicurious website is the vast community of home cooks it has created. When a member signs up they are able to participate in the forums and can submit their own recipes which can be commented on and shared. The website hosts over 150,000 member recipes and many of them have been ranked when and received positive reviews. Another great feature of the website is the expert help and how-to article section. There are numerous articles about basic cooking techniques and more advance skills including a knife guide, cookbook cheat sheet, and how-to articles which cover a variety of topics such as how to save a dish from a mistake and even why food prices are what they are for certain items. The filtering system and categories are also a great feature because they make it very easy for users and members to locate recipes which fit their dietary needs and preferences. The categories include vegan, dairy-free, type of cuisine, quick and easy, as well as preparation method, course, and holiday/celebration.

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The Bad

• Difficulty level
• Easier access to meal planner

The first concern with the Epicurious website was that the recipes did not come with a difficulty level. While the site offered numerous other filtering options and categories, this was not represented. Assigning a difficulty level to the recipes would make the sure for recipes easier for users or members because they would be able to filter their results or search a category which contained recipes which they believed they could complete successfully. There is a section of Quick and Easy recipes however some home cooks may wish to try a recipe with is moderately difficult and these are difficult to locate on the website. The other addition we would make to the website would be to make the Meal Planner a bit easier to find. The option comes up along the side of the site occasionally on the home page and on some recipes. If this tool had a tab at the top of the page it would be easier for users and members to locate and utilize it. Along with this option would be the grocery list tab, this too would make the tool more beneficial to users and help them when shopping for the ingredients contained in the site's recipe(s).

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The Bottom Line

We recommend the website to home cooks who wish to take their time perusing the website and partaking in a large community of fellow home cooks. The number of member recipes on the website supports the community and the supplemental articles assist budding home cooks with developing their skills, learning about the food market, and exchanging ideas with other home cooks and entertainers. The website is also capable of helping users locate recipes which are compatible with a variety of dietary restrictions.