The Melting Teapot

My iPhone is only a few weeks old, but it's already exploding with "apps."  I've downloaded games, spinning plates, and rainsticks, many of which only last a day or two before being deleted.  There are also quite a few choices in food-related apps out there, some useful, some quirky.   Below are my favorites from the realms of food, wine, and tea.

FOOD APPS

Yelp: I'll use this every time we're out and wonder "where should we go for dinner?"  I often turn to Yelp at home on my laptop, but being able to read reviews and menus on my iPhone is wonderful.  The "nearby" feature, which makes use of your pinpointed location, makes this a great travel tool.  In addition to restaurants/bars/tea, you can search for banks, gas stations, and drugstores.  Cost = FREE.

Seafood Watch Recommendations: I was very happy to discover the app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.   As many of you probably already know, the Monterey Bay Aquarium maintains a regularly updated list of which seafood to choose and which to avoid. They are promoting consumer awareness of sustainability in seafood, in hopes that this will in turn create a healthier ocean environment. The iPhone app is easy to use -- seafood is organized alphabetically, and distinctions are made by region and type.  This app resides right next to my grocery list, and I will be checking it whenever purchasing seafood.  I'm also going to check it before placing an order at a restaurant (the Sushi Guide will serve me well).  Cost = FREE

Grocery Lists? Still taking suggestions . . . I've found several apps that organize grocery lists, but so far none really seems any better than just using the regular "Notes" app that came with the iPhone.

RedLaser: I don't have this yet, but I am considering purchasing it.  There are several glowing reviews of the product (including Wired.com's Top 20 Faves of 2009), and it seems to be popular with many iPod owners.  RedLaser lets you scan product bar codes with your iPhone, then make use of that information.  So. . . you could scan an item at home, then add it to your grocery list.  You could scan a product at a store, then search google for better prices.  You could scan a cookbook, then look at online reviews.  Sounds cool, right?  Cost = $1.99

See Also:

• Mashable, 21 iPhone Food Apps to Eat Your Heart Out
• PCmag.com,  10 iPhone Apps for Foodies
• EcoSalon has a Top 10 List of Green iPhone Apps, some of which are food-centered (e.g. iLocavore)

WINE APPS

There are apps focused on pairing wine with food or selecting wines at restaurants, while others provide information about types of wine or cost comparisons. A few are aimed more at people like me, who want to manage cellar information or compare ratings/reviews.  Some claim to do all of the above, but I'm not sure they do them all well.

Cor.kz: For me, having an app that integrated with the Cellartracker database was crucial.  All of our wine purchases are already set up on Cellartracker, and I don't want to have to move everything over in order to use something new.  That said, I find Cor.kz a bit awkward, and I haven't quite figured out how to use it.  I seem to mess things up and end up over and over again at the sign-in screen.  Hopefully, with a bit more time, it will be more  familiar and easier to use.  Cost = $3.99

Velvet Vine: If it weren't for the cellartracker connection, I would probably have gone with this instead.  I've read some great reviews of it, and the interface does look very nice.  Download the free Velvet Vine Wine Lite first, to see if this is for you.  Cost of Velvet Vine Wine Pro = $3.99.

See Also:

Paul Mabray, of VinTank Research, gives his selection of the Top 5 Wine Apps.  It's a well-done, thorough review.  In part I of the article, he also lists many more that didn't quite make the list. . . and a few that should just throw in the towel.

TEA APPS

These tend to be centered around two general areas: teatime and  tea information. Teatime is my biggest concern, since I've been an avid tea drinker for a few decades.  The very first iPhone app search I did was for a tea timer.  It's a must-have app for anyone who travels (or makes tea in the workplace).

Teavana's Perfect Tea Touch: I'm not a huge fan of teavana teashops (more on that in a future post), but this tea-related app is quite elegant.  It can be set for type of tea, gives temp and time suggestions, and has a pleasant alarm.  There are other things in there which I'll never use, like a store finder or blending suggestions. Cost = FREE

Aromatic: If the only tea you purchase comes from In Pursuit of Tea, this is the app for you.  It provides information about specific teas, with a brewing timer attached.  The timer is really nice because it has a slider -- you choose how dark you generally like your tea, and the time adjusts accordingly.    Most of us, however, have tea from a wide variety of vendors in our cupboards.  Download the free Aromatic Lite first, to see if this is for you.  Cost of the full version = $1.99.

Tea Round or Wheel of Tea: There is another type of teatime app, which is probably used more outside of the U.S.  These answer the everyday question of "whose turn is it to make tea?"  With Tea Round you shake your iPhone, and the next tea-brewer is chosen randomly.  If you live or work somewhere where everyone argues over whose turn it is, this free app is for you.  Wheel of Tea is similar, but it has the added feature of storing information of how each person takes their tea (with sugar, milk, etc.).  Cost = FREE

Tea Notes: For many of us, sipping tea can be an analytical experience.  We might want to record notes, or keep track of purchase information.  I'm still searching for a good app that helps with this.  So far, nothing has really struck me, but I'll let you all know if I ever do find something.

Informational Apps: There are several tools or  "pamphlets" that organize facts and information about tea.  For me, this seems unnecessary.  Most of this is available on the web for free, so why spend money (even if it is only 99 cents)?  You'll find the full text of certain books as well, but for me the iPhone screen is just too small for extended reading.  I'd rather read the print version or use a larger electronic version that is easier on the eyes (like Amazon's kindle).

MAKE A SUGGESTION!

If any of you out there have other suggestions, please make add a comment here.  I'd like to know what others are using.