Here’s Why You Should Be Digging Deeper If You Get Recipes Online

It’s far more convenient and effective than flipping aimlessly through the tattered pages of your grandmother’s recipe book, but is a random cooking website actually the best place to find out how to make a new dish? The answer might not be that simple.

The neverending scroll

In an attempt to keep visitors on their site as long as possible, most recipe sites have adopted a strategy involving a lengthy backstory before the first actual ingredient is ever listed.

But if you think the scrolling is over when you finally do get to the recipe, those who know say it’s important to delve deep into the feedback left by other readers.

There are three types of useful content commonly found among these comments:

• Warnings: No recipe can be popular with everyone, but if an overwhelming number of comments say the resulting meal is bad you can probably believe them.
• Advice: Even if the recipe is a winner, other home cooks who have added their own touches could help you make dinner even more delicious.
• Levity: And then there are some comments (whether recipe-related or not) that can simply give you a chuckle while you’re planning out your meal.

Don’t get sidetracked

As with any comments section on the internet, there will be a few trolls and potential scammers sharing their unwanted input. Nevertheless, there’s often some insightful stuff to be found if you don’t mind searching a bit.

Adding the right mix of reader suggestions to your own personal cookbook can help make your recipes something worthy of being passed down to the next generation.

Finding the most useful tips, however, involves honing your ability to tune out the trash. If you can ignore the nonsense, the comments section might become your favorite place to hang out online.

Chris Agee September 23rd, 2024

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