The 10 Best iPad Cooking Apps Slideshow

The app version of Mark Bittman's best-selling cookbook is destined to be a classic for iPad users. Mark Douglas of Culinate, the company that created the How to Cook Everything app, sheds light on the key qualities of a successful cooking app. "The beauty is that each cooking app, just like a printed cookbook, has a style that makes it successful and unique," he says. "You need to properly identify and focus on those elements that work and make it the best it can be." The app certainly excels in its quality and content. Not only are all 2,000 recipes of the original cookbook available, but the iPad app includes features such as a tutorial section, a notes tab, and voiceovers from Mark Bittman himself.

The Mario Batali Cooks! app delivers a personal cooking experience with the celebrity chef himself. The app includes recipes selected by Mario, videos of the chef demonstrating the recipes, and his personal notes on wine pairings. Matt Bardin, co-president of the company that created the app, sheds light on the intimate user experience. "It's [Mario Batali's] performance that takes full advantage of the immediacy of the medium. He's just talking to you, walking you through stuff and making it feel easy," he says. "As the technology continues to evolve, there will be many more opportunities to innovate. I don't doubt that some day you will see Mario Batali — the hologram version — running up and down your kitchen counter in orange Crocs showing you how to brine sardines."

Paprika is the go-to recipe manager for many, allowing cooks to search for recipes online and then organize them into customizable categories. Says Christina Meranda, co-creator of the app, "[With Paprika] you don't have to page through a binder to find what you want. You can organize more efficiently, search more fully; it's just a convenience factor, really." The app also seamlessly syncs the content between different devices, so that you can search for recipes on your Mac, shop for ingredients on your iPhone, and cook the recipes on your iPad. Paprika responds well to the needs of the average cook. Meranda explains, "It is definitely important to be on the cutting edge of your market, but I think our top priority with the app has been to ensure that users have a stable and secure experience. If Angry Birds won't launch, you're disappointed. But if you feel you've just lost your only copy of Grandma's rhubarb pie recipe, you're devastated and maybe you feel that technology has failed you."

At $49.99, the Professional Chef is the priciest of the cooking apps, but a steal for anyone looking for serious cooking training. Developer Matt MacInnis explains, "We've rebuilt what is considered the bible for all professional chefs into a fully interactive and easily accessible tool for the average home cook. Pro Chef on Inkling has more than 100 videos, 750 gorgeous photos, numerous interactive enhancements, and a powerful social overlay that lets cooks discuss recipes with their peers." Built in collaboration with The Culinary Institute of America, The Professional Chef is much more than a typical recipe app, giving home cooks the tools to be semi-professional at home.

The Epicurious web site is already an indispensible recipe database for the serious cook, and its iPad app brings the breadth of the resource to the kitchen counter. With more than 4 million downloads, according to Epicurious's editor-in-chief Tanya Steel, it's clear the brand has translated well to the new format. Epicurious for the iPad contains more than 30,000 recipes, interactive shopping lists, and weekly updates from the editors and magazine partners at Gourmet and Bon Appétit.