The Verge reports on NYT Cooking’s AI assistant, a new feature available on iOS that helps users adapt recipes by suggesting ingredient swaps, cooking adjustments, and portion changes based on user input. This assistant leverages a large database including reader comments to provide practical guidance, but still requires cautious use to avoid errors in execution.
- Customizes recipes with ingredient and cooking substitutions
- Generates new versions without altering originals
- Available on iOS to subscribing users
Product angle
According to The Verge’s review, NYT Cooking’s AI assistant integrates directly into the recipe pages of its iOS app, providing an interactive text prompt where users can request customized adaptations. The assistant uses data from the extensive archive of tested recipes and reader comments to suggest practical substitutions and adjustments tailored to user input. This approach aims to blend AI’s efficiency with the reliability of human-curated cooking content.
The tool creates modified recipes under a separate tab named 'Your Version,' allowing users to compare changes side-by-side with the original. While helpful in generating ideas and handling common cooking challenges such as ingredient substitutions and portion scaling, the assistant is not flawless and sometimes gives imperfect advice that users should review critically before applying.
Best for / avoid if
The AI assistant is best suited for home cooks who often find themselves improvising with available ingredients and need quick, practical guidance without extensive recipe re-searching. Subscribers to NYT Cooking who appreciate tested recipes but want AI-driven customization can benefit from this feature, especially during busy weeknight cooking.
However, recipe purists, users seeking fully AI-generated dishes, or those unwilling to carefully validate AI suggestions may find the assistant less suitable. The Verge’s user test highlighted a nearly critical error in a baking recipe, indicating the tool’s recommendations should be double-checked to avoid unintended results.
Pricing and alternatives to check
The AI assistant is included as part of the paid NYT Cooking subscription, available exclusively on iOS at launch. Subscribers access thousands of curated and tested recipes supported by human contributors alongside the AI customization feature, blending traditional recipe quality with modern AI assistance.
Alternatives to consider include other cooking apps and platforms that offer AI or smart cooking assistance, such as Samsung Food app integration with smart appliances and AI-enabled cooking robots. However, these may vary in reliability and user controls. For those prioritizing fully human-tested results, apps focused exclusively on tested recipes without AI customization might be preferred.