Does SideChef read recipes aloud?

Reading steps aloud: unconfirmed. A 2019 review describes it; current store listings don’t mention it. Voice commands: unconfirmed. Its about page says so; current listings don’t. Voice cooking also works through Alexa and Google. Tamarin reads each step aloud and answers commands such as “next step”, “go back” and “show ingredients”, with PRO.

How much does SideChef cost?

Free (contains ads, per the App Store) · Premium $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. Tamarin is free with ads; PRO is $6.99 a month, and new accounts get PRO free for 5 cooks or 60 days.

Does SideChef have a meal planner and a shared shopping list?

Meal planner: yes. Pick recipes for the week. Shopping list: partly. Shopping list with grocer checkout; sharing isn’t documented. Tamarin has both with PRO, and its list opens from a link for anyone, with no account needed.

Which has more recipes, Tamarin or SideChef?

SideChef: yes. 18,000 recipes. Tamarin has 800 recipes, each with an estimated ingredient cost and nutrition, and it imports recipes from any website with PRO.

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Comparison

Tamarin vs SideChef

Both help you cook at home, in different ways. Everything below about SideChef comes from its own store listings and pages, checked on Nov 7, 2026, with a source for every claim.

SideChef is best at

Beginner-friendly guided cooking with a photo or video for every step, recipes you can shop at major US grocers, and control of smart appliances from LG, GE and Bosch.

1M+ installs on Google Play (Editors’ Choice); 4.7★ from 1.7K ratings on the US App Store.

Tamarin is best at

Cooking hands-free: it reads each step aloud and answers your voice, then plans the week, builds a shopping list anyone can open from a link, and reminds you before pantry food expires.

Free (with ads) · PRO $6.99 a month. New accounts get PRO free for 5 cooks or 60 days.

Feature by feature

“Not listed” means we couldn’t find it in SideChef’s store listings or help pages, not that it’s missing.

Tamarin compared with SideChef, feature by feature
Feature	Tamarin	SideChef
Reads the steps aloud	Yes PRO	Unconfirmed A 2019 review describes it; current store listings don’t mention it Source
Hands-free voice commands	Yes PRO · “read step”, “next step”, “go back”, “show ingredients”	Unconfirmed Its about page says so; current listings don’t. Voice cooking also works through Alexa and Google Source
Step-by-step cook mode	Yes Step-by-step view free; guided “Let’s Cook” mode is PRO	Yes A photo or video for every step, with timers Source
Built-in recipe catalogue	Yes 800 recipes, priced and with nutrition	Yes 18,000 recipes Source
Import a recipe from any website	Yes PRO	Yes Paste a link or share from the browser Source
Meal planner	Yes PRO	Yes Pick recipes for the week Source
Shopping list you can share	Yes PRO · share a link; others check items off without an account	Partly Shopping list with grocer checkout; sharing isn’t documented Source
Pantry with expiry reminders	Yes PRO · a reminder before anything expires	Partly My Pantry with a barcode scanner; expiry reminders aren’t documented Source
Nutrition per recipe	Yes Calories and macros on every recipe; full breakdown is PRO	Yes Calories and macros per serving Source
Cost per recipe or serving	Yes Free · estimated ingredient cost on every recipe	Yes Cost per serving from retailer prices Source
Platforms	iPhone and Android	iPhone, iPad, Android and the web
Price	Free (with ads) · PRO $6.99 a month. New accounts get PRO free for 5 cooks or 60 days.	Free (contains ads, per the App Store) · Premium $4.99 a month or $49.99 a yearSource

Where SideChef is stronger

A bigger catalogue: 18,000 recipes against Tamarin’s 800, with a photo or video for each step.
Shopping the ingredient list at Instacart, Walmart, Amazon Fresh and Target.
Smart-appliance control and 800+ cooking classes with Premium.

Where Tamarin is different

Tamarin reads steps aloud and takes voice commands inside the phone app. SideChef’s about page mentions voice commands, but its current store listings don’t, so we couldn’t confirm them.
Tamarin’s pantry reminds you before food expires. SideChef’s pantry scans barcodes; reminders aren’t documented.
Tamarin’s shopping list opens from a link for anyone, no account needed.

How Tamarin’s recipes are built

Steps you can follow at a glance

Every recipe is rewritten into short steps in cooking order, one action each. The prep the ingredient list asks for, like chopping, rinsing or softening, comes first as your mise en place. Code checks every number in a step against the original recipe, so the quantities, times and temperatures are the recipe’s own.

The ingredients, in the step that uses themPRO

In guided cooking, each step names its ingredients and shows them beside the step with the amount that step needs. Swap an ingredient for an alternative and the swap follows you through every step.

RemindersPRO

Plan a meal and Tamarin reminds you when it’s time to cook it. Keep a pantry and it reminds you before something expires.

Cost and nutrition, worked out ingredient by ingredient

Each recipe’s estimated cost and nutrition are added up from its ingredient lines, and when some lines couldn’t be counted, the recipe says how many it was based on. An ingredient whose nutrition had to be estimated is marked, and says how. The cost is free on every recipe; the full nutrition breakdown is PRO.

Which should you choose?

Choose SideChef if you’re learning to cook and want a photo or video for every step, or want to send the list straight to a US grocer. Choose Tamarin if you want to cook without touching your phone, with each step read aloud and your voice answered, and keep your meal plan, shopping list and pantry in the same app.

Questions

Does SideChef read recipes aloud?: Reading steps aloud: unconfirmed. A 2019 review describes it; current store listings don’t mention it. Voice commands: unconfirmed. Its about page says so; current listings don’t. Voice cooking also works through Alexa and Google. Tamarin reads each step aloud and answers commands such as “next step”, “go back” and “show ingredients”, with PRO.
How much does SideChef cost?: Free (contains ads, per the App Store) · Premium $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. Tamarin is free with ads; PRO is $6.99 a month, and new accounts get PRO free for 5 cooks or 60 days.
Does SideChef have a meal planner and a shared shopping list?: Meal planner: yes. Pick recipes for the week. Shopping list: partly. Shopping list with grocer checkout; sharing isn’t documented. Tamarin has both with PRO, and its list opens from a link for anyone, with no account needed.
Which has more recipes, Tamarin or SideChef?: SideChef: yes. 18,000 recipes. Tamarin has 800 recipes, each with an estimated ingredient cost and nutrition, and it imports recipes from any website with PRO.

Sources

Checked on Nov 7, 2026.

Product names are trademarks of their owners. Tamarin isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by SideChef. Apps change: if anything here is out of date, write to [email protected] and we’ll correct it.