It can be difficult to keep track of the constant launches of new apps that promise to make your life better in some niche way. We’ve rounded up the best ones out there so you can be sure you’re not missing out on the tried-and-tested food apps that really do make your life easier.
For timeous takeout
Mr Delivery offers great local cuisine paired with quick and easy delivery. Simply save your location then check out all the restaurants in your neighbourhood ready to bring their menu offerings straight to your door. Browse restaurant specials, fastest delivery, food type and Mr D exclusive eateries.
Order lunch, breakfast, snacks or beverages from the NowNow app by Woolworths. You have the option to have your meal delivered, or you can opt to collect it. You’ll find dishes like falafel and chickpea cauliflower mash pots and Thai roast chicken and you can even select the time you’d like to have it delivered. You can also choose to pay using your Woolworths card.
OrderIn takes all the effort out of getting your favourite takeaway delivered to your front door. There are hundreds of restaurants to choose from and the app is always adding new restaurants, cafés and delis.
UberEats connects you to all the restaurants in your area and surrounding neighbourhoods. There’s a delivery or pick-up option, and you can plug in your dietary requirements and browse restaurants by cuisine. The payment options are simple and there’s the ability to track your order and even chat to your delivery driver. The best part? The app trades in most neighbourhoods in South Africa.
For kitchen confidence
With Bottles, getting your favourite tipple delivered is as easy as setting your location, picking your items, answering the front door and pouring your drinks. Whether you’re pre-drinking, planning a dinner party or hosting a big game, Bottles will be there within 20 to 60 minutes. Oh, did we mention that they deliver mixers and snacks, too? Bless you, Bottles.
Handpick is the smart app that addresses the near-daily challenge of what to cook when you’re limited by your current fridge and pantry contents. Just plug in whichever ingredients you have and it will generate recipes you can make using them.
How many times have you attempted to do ‘kitchen math’ and convert recipe metrics? Have you struggled to scale recipes up or down? No more! Search for ingredients or use the app’s customisable feature, which enables you to add your own ingredients or edit the existing ones for more precise conversions.
Whether you’d like to discover a new cocktail or figure out what to do with the ingredients you have on hand, look no further than the Lush Cocktails app. Simply select the ingredients and you’ll receive a list of recommendations. Lush’s mixologists are also constantly adding new recipes, so you’ll always have the most innovative cocktail game.
Plan your meals, track your inventory, organise your recipes and create your shopping lists all in one app. Mealboard keeps track of meal prepping with its calendar feature, plans lunchbox meals, and finds the answer to the age-old “What’s for dinner?” question. Keep track of the food in your pantry, categorise your recipes and so much more.
Sixty60 is the awesome new app by Checkers. The grocery app offers customers a selection of over 5 000 products (including beers, wines and spirits from Checkers LiquorShop). The nifty app has easy-to-scroll categories and simplified sections for kids’ lunchboxes, lunch on the go, speedy dinners, fresh produce, healthy meals and more. Simply place your order and you can expect delivery within 60 minutes – or whenever it suits you!
Thyme
Thyme is the simplest kitchen timer. It gives you a layout of your kitchen stove (hot plates and oven!) where you’re able to set a timer for each hot plate by simply tapping and swiping. Have multiple timers running at the same time and handle hosting dinners like a pro!
Sidechef essentially allows you to plan your meals and to create and organise your grocery lists. But there’s a lot more to this app. Receive daily recipe inspiration and search for recipes by the ingredients you have. If you’re in the mood for something new, purchase the in-app featured cookbooks or follow their featured foodies, chefs and recipe developers for inspiration. Step-by-step mode shows you video instructions and the ‘add to shopping list’ feature, which sends the recipe ingredients straight to your grocery list.
Buy anything in your neighbourhood and have it delivered in less than an hour. Get food, groceries, liquor and more delivered to you whenever you want it. The app even allows you to link your store cards, enabling you to get those coveted points.
For on-the-go foodies
Have you ever wondered how much sugar or salt is in your food? Get scanning! The Food Scanner app allows you to scan a food or drink barcode to quickly see which ingredients it contains. It also identifies healthier snack choices, if that’s your preference.
Clink is a membership app that allows you thirty free drinks a month (or one a day) for a subscription fee. To claim your free drink, go to the venue offering the free drink and pass your phone to the bartender to redeem it.
The Eaten app helps you find the best things to eat anywhere in the world. With Eaten you can find and share hidden gems, keep a record of the scrumptious things you’ve tried, and share it with friends and foodies. Keep a wish list of all the dishes and restaurants you’d like to try, find the best place to eat any dish, discover the best dishes near you, and see the best things to order at a restaurant.
Eat Out (Stuff magazine food app of the year)
The Eat Out app takes the headache out of making dinner reservations, offering the country’s largest directory of restaurants in South Africa along with reviews by critics and the public. You can also use it to book your table after you’ve browsed the restaurant’s menu, checked out images of your prospective dinner and read those all-important reviews. It also shows all restaurants closest to you, which you can filter by specials available or cuisine type.
With The Entertainer app, you can visit the best restaurants in your city at discount prices. When you’re in a new area, simply browse the restaurant deals close by and you’ll find two-for-one deals, wine pairing price cuts, and more.
Vivino’s claim to fame is promising that you’ll never buy the wrong wine again. Simply take a photo of any wine label or restaurant wine list (or search for varietals by name) and you’ll instantly see detailed information about the bottle, such as taste characteristics, vintage comparisons, winemakers’ notes and geotagged information on the wine estate. It includes ratings, reviews, average price and suggested food pairings. There’s more! Tap to purchase and have your selection shipped to your door. Plus, you can easily keep track of the wines you’ve tried, including your personal rating, notes and the date it was consumed.