Rating: 
Summary: Still supported, still a good product
Review: I've used MasterCook for several versions, so when I saw the previous review saying it was discontinued, I went to go check it out. Sierra has stopped producing new versions of almost all of their home software, but continue to support it. They also maintain an online forum that is actively moderated and contains lots of helpful support, including how to get MasterCook up and running on XP, though I haven't tried this yet since I don't have XP. Also, Sierra is in the process of trying to find a buyer for MasterCook and other titles, and since they have been the standard for many years, it's not unlikely they will succeed, and MasterCook will continue to be developed.As for switching to another product, I can't speak to the quality of Cook'n or other products out there as I haven't used them yet. I have used the Cook'n demo on the company's website, and it seemed to be friendly enough. Unfortunately, I have a lot of recipes in MasterCook format, and Cook'n doesn't currently have import and export filters, so I won't be in any hurry to move. Aside from the great price and the solid MasterCook software, the other great thing about this edition is the Cooking Light recipes. One thing I've found is that when I've bought various versions of cooking software in the past, I only use the included recipes if I know enough about the source to trust it. The recipes in the base version of MasterCook (or in other software) may actually be just fine, but I don't really know enough about their cooking philosophy to trust them. By contrast, I know what Cooking Light recipes are like and I like them, so I'm comfortable trying a recipe of theirs for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: solid and inexpensive software
Review: Like any software, this program is not perfect - but it is an excellent value. The help function is weak: for example, it was difficult to find where to enter personal ratings of a recipe. However, the program is sufficiently user-friendly that one rarely wishes for a help function. Cooking Light recipes are an excellent base for cooking. Entering recipes by hand is easy. Importing recipes in MasterCook format from the Serra site is simple. Importing recipes in text format is a bit more difficult but the tool for editing is good. It provides a number of useful features - meals, meal plans for a period of time, shopping lists, pantry items expiration dates, a wine selector, comprehensive nutritional analysis including exchanges for diabetics - as well as photos, cooking tips etc. I did not load the pictures onto my PC; the program handles the absence with style ... a generic, graytoned picture. The basic print format is satisfactory with two-sides options; I have not yet experimented with one's ability to manipulate the output. What features do I wish it had? An ability to export the added ingredients list, a cheese list equivalent to the wine list, and a better handling of alternate ingredients, nutritional analysis for individual family members, purchasable add-ins for other cookbooks, ratings of ingredients by brand name or variety (not all tea is equal, for example) What features do I especially like? The freedom to use my own categories and rating system, the ability to search for recipes using ingredients I have on hand (useful only AFTER one loads the data which is simple but time consuming), the thoroughness of the nutritional analysis, the arrangement of recipes and menus for easy access, the intuitive interface so one can learn the system by doing ... This is a software package that makes on-line cookbooks use the computer capabilities for a tangible advantage rather than simply computerizing the paper cookbooks 'cause the computer's there.
Rating:
Summary: solid and inexpensive software
Review: Like any software, this program is not perfect - but it is an excellent value. The help function is weak: for example, it was difficult to find where to enter personal ratings of a recipe. However, the program is sufficiently user-friendly that one rarely wishes for a help function. Cooking Light recipes are an excellent base for cooking. Entering recipes by hand is easy. Importing recipes in MasterCook format from the Serra site is simple. Importing recipes in text format is a bit more difficult but the tool for editing is good. It provides a number of useful features - meals, meal plans for a period of time, shopping lists, pantry items expiration dates, a wine selector, comprehensive nutritional analysis including exchanges for diabetics - as well as photos, cooking tips etc. I did not load the pictures onto my PC; the program handles the absence with style ... a generic, graytoned picture. The basic print format is satisfactory with two-sides options; I have not yet experimented with one's ability to manipulate the output. What features do I wish it had? An ability to export the added ingredients list, a cheese list equivalent to the wine list, and a better handling of alternate ingredients, nutritional analysis for individual family members, purchasable add-ins for other cookbooks, ratings of ingredients by brand name or variety (not all tea is equal, for example) What features do I especially like? The freedom to use my own categories and rating system, the ability to search for recipes using ingredients I have on hand (useful only AFTER one loads the data which is simple but time consuming), the thoroughness of the nutritional analysis, the arrangement of recipes and menus for easy access, the intuitive interface so one can learn the system by doing ... This is a software package that makes on-line cookbooks use the computer capabilities for a tangible advantage rather than simply computerizing the paper cookbooks 'cause the computer's there.
Rating:
Summary: The best cooking/recipe software available
Review: The feature I most enjoy about this program is the ability to type in your own recipes and get the nutrition information. You can play around with ingredients and see how the nutrition facts change with reducing the cup of chopped walnuts to a half-cup, for example. I print out my "family favorite" recipes and store them in page protectors in a 3-ring binder. You can add pictures to your recipes too. (there's Aunt Helen with her famous chicken and dumplings!" <g>) This is perhaps my third version of Mastercook and it keeps getting better with each new version! I already had Mastercook 5.0 Betty Crocker Suite, so by getting the Cooking Light version of 6.0, I was able to keep all my Betty Crocker recipes and add the Cooking Light ones. You can import recipes that you find on the internet and you can export recipes to put them into an email or a word-processing document. There are LOTS of recipes included with all the versions of Mastercook - you'll never run out of new things to try! In 6.0, they've improved the speed of the search and it's noticably faster. Mastercook is the standard by which recipe software is measured - get the best! Like any powerful program, however, it does require some time to learn how to use all the features. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: excellent for any cook
Review: This is a 5-Star product, even though I have about 1/10 of a star question concerning the import/export function. I originally purchased an earlier version of this product in a software store for about ... in 1995. I learned to use it with a little trial and error, and between 1995 and 1997 I wrote my own cookbook as emotional therapy during law school. I love the ability for the program to add ingredients, since I often cook with obscure items I find in the gourmet shops. Simply read the nutritional analysis on the label and add the item with its nutritional values to your master list! I created over 200 recipes with nutritional analysis (adjusting recipes for not more than 30% fat), printed them, bound them and gave them away as Christmas gifts. What better way to preserve those old family favorites??? I just ordered version 6.0 and look forward to trying it. While the 4,000 recipes might be of minor interest, I bought this product to hold my own. Printing your recipes or the whole cookbook you create from Mastercook is easy with a number of recipe designs built into the program. But what I really want in the new version is the ability to convert the MasterCook Cookbook designs into Word or Adobe formats for electronic publishing. In the original version, the translation was possible, but I lost all the formatting. I am hoping the new version can do this seamlessly. You will love this product. Use it an be healthy.
Rating:
Summary: 5-Star Product
Review: This is a 5-Star product, even though I have about 1/10 of a star question concerning the import/export function. I originally purchased an earlier version of this product in a software store for about ... in 1995. I learned to use it with a little trial and error, and between 1995 and 1997 I wrote my own cookbook as emotional therapy during law school. I love the ability for the program to add ingredients, since I often cook with obscure items I find in the gourmet shops. Simply read the nutritional analysis on the label and add the item with its nutritional values to your master list! I created over 200 recipes with nutritional analysis (adjusting recipes for not more than 30% fat), printed them, bound them and gave them away as Christmas gifts. What better way to preserve those old family favorites??? I just ordered version 6.0 and look forward to trying it. While the 4,000 recipes might be of minor interest, I bought this product to hold my own. Printing your recipes or the whole cookbook you create from Mastercook is easy with a number of recipe designs built into the program. But what I really want in the new version is the ability to convert the MasterCook Cookbook designs into Word or Adobe formats for electronic publishing. In the original version, the translation was possible, but I lost all the formatting. I am hoping the new version can do this seamlessly. You will love this product. Use it an be healthy.
Rating:
Summary: A gazillion recipes plus nutritional analysis -- EXCELLENT
Review: This is a wonderful edition to any home computing library. This CD rom contains the recipes from years of Cooking Light's yearly recipe books. You may never have to buy another cookbook again! It contains all kinds of foods from complicated gourmet foods to simple delights. There is also full nutritional analysis on all their recipes at the click of one key! Then you can print out favorite recipes and the nutritional analysis as well! Super Here in my opinion is the best feature of all -- not only can you input and save your own recipes very easily in an area called "my cookbook," but the click of one little button analyses your recipes! You get the lowdown on how much calories, fat, and fiber (especially useful for people on Weight Watchers), but also on every other nutrient in your recipes. So not only is this a great library of recipes with their nutritional analysis, but it is also a great program to input your own recipes and get the analysis on them. This is a wonderful program -- I'm so glad I own it.
Rating:
Summary: A gazillion recipes plus nutritional analysis -- EXCELLENT
Review: This is a wonderful edition to any home computing library. This CD rom contains the recipes from years of Cooking Light's yearly recipe books. You may never have to buy another cookbook again! It contains all kinds of foods from complicated gourmet foods to simple delights. There is also full nutritional analysis on all their recipes at the click of one key! Then you can print out favorite recipes and the nutritional analysis as well! Super Here in my opinion is the best feature of all -- not only can you input and save your own recipes very easily in an area called "my cookbook," but the click of one little button analyses your recipes! You get the lowdown on how much calories, fat, and fiber (especially useful for people on Weight Watchers), but also on every other nutrient in your recipes. So not only is this a great library of recipes with their nutritional analysis, but it is also a great program to input your own recipes and get the analysis on them. This is a wonderful program -- I'm so glad I own it.
Rating:
Summary: excellent for any cook
Review: This is the only cooking CD-ROM to date that I have purchased, and it is well-worth the money. The number and variety of recipes is astounding, the directions are easy to follow, and the treats are healthy! The option I love is that of entering your own recipes and analyzing them for nutritional value. Have you ever wondered how healthy that broccoli gratin was? Well, simply enter the ingredients into the sheet and you'll know (without having to hunt up the nutritional information for the individual ingredients on your own)!
Rating:
Summary: Great for Weight Watchers
Review: This program makes it so easy for me to store my favorite recipes, and then calculate Weight Watcher points. There are also many wonderful recipes already there to choose from!!
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