Pestle, a popular recipe app and cooking assistant, is now leveraging AI to enhance its functionality by allowing users to save recipes from Instagram Reels. Unlike many other AI-driven applications, Pestle does not rely on OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. Instead, it uses on-device machine learning to process and save recipes quickly, offering users a seamless experience.
Will Bishop, the developer of Pestle, announced that the app’s new feature enables users to import recipes from Instagram Reels almost instantly. This development aims to streamline the process of saving recipes found while scrolling through social media, making it more efficient and user-friendly.
The Origin of Pestle
Pestle was launched in 2022 by Bishop, who sought to address the frustration many users face with cluttered recipe websites filled with ads and lengthy stories. Initially, Bishop used Apple’s Notes app to save recipes and make personal adjustments, but he found the system disorganized since Notes was not designed for recipe management. This led him to create Pestle, an app that allows users to save recipes from the web by tapping the “Share” button in their iOS browser and selecting Pestle as the destination.
Beyond just saving and organizing recipes, Pestle offers several other functionalities. Users can plan meals, create shopping lists, keep up with new recipes from various creators, navigate with voice commands, and even cook hands-free or with friends and family via Apple’s SharePlay feature for FaceTime. Despite these comprehensive features, users had been requesting the ability to save recipes from Instagram, a challenge Bishop initially resisted.
Bishop explains that parsing recipes from Instagram posed significant challenges due to the varied ways recipes are written on the platform. While other apps have attempted to address this by using ChatGPT, Bishop was reluctant to take this route. He cited several reasons, including the processing time and concerns about privacy with OpenAI. Moreover, relying on a third party for parsing could lead to downtime and lack of control over improvements.
To overcome these challenges, Bishop explored the use of on-device machine learning. This approach not only speeds up the process but also keeps it under Bishop’s control. “The slowest part of the operation is just the request to fetch the Reel’s caption; the processing itself happens in about one-tenth of a second,” Bishop noted.
How the New Feature Works
Users can save recipes from Instagram Reels by sharing the Reel with Pestle, similar to how they save recipes from the web. Additionally, the app supports importing any plain-text recipe, providing greater flexibility for users.
The updated version of Pestle is available for free on the iOS App Store. However, subscribers can access additional features, such as a discover section for cooking inspiration, 14-day meal planning support, shopping lists integrated with Apple Reminders, and more.
Pestle’s new feature marks a significant advancement in the integration of AI and machine learning in recipe management apps. By focusing on on-device processing, Pestle ensures a faster, more reliable, and privacy-conscious solution for its users. This development not only enhances the app’s functionality but also addresses a long-standing user request, making it a valuable tool for cooking enthusiasts who rely on social media for culinary inspiration.
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