How does Focara know when to start each dish?
It adds up each recipe's prep and cook times and counts backward from your serve time, plus any extra time you ask for, so every dish starts when it needs to.
Meal timeline
Get every dish on the table hot, at the same time
Focara Kitchen's meal planner builds a cooking timeline backward from the time you want to serve and gives each dish its own start alarm, so the main course, the sides, and the rolls all finish together.
Free on the App Store and Google Play.
Last updated
How it works
- Plan a meal and add the recipes you're making.
- Set your serve time. Focara works backward from each recipe's prep and cook times to build the timeline.
- Follow the alarms. Each dish gets its own start alarm, and you can open any dish's steps right from the timeline and move from dish to dish.
Made for the big ones
Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, a birthday feast: the meals with the most moving parts are where a timeline helps most. Add every dish, set the time, and let the alarms keep track. You can print the plan to keep on the counter, with the timeline, each recipe on its own page, and a shopping list for the meal if you want one.
Good to know
- The timeline is only as good as the times in each recipe, so check them before the big day. A recipe with no prep or cook time is scheduled to start a minute before serving.
- Allow Focara's notifications so the start alarms can ring. On Android, also allow Alarms & reminders so they ring right on time.
- Timers keep running if you leave the recipe or close the app.
Questions about the meal timeline
Will the alarms go off if my phone is locked or the app is closed?
Yes, once you've allowed Focara's notifications. Each dish's start alarm rings even when your phone is locked or you've closed the app, and cooking timers keep running too.
Can I print the plan?
Yes. Print the meal and choose what goes in: the timeline, each recipe on its own page, and a tick-box shopping list for the meal.
Can I cook straight from the timeline?
Yes. Tap Start Cooking to open the meal in Cook Mode, and switch between dishes as you go. Cook Mode keeps the screen awake with big, readable steps.
More of what Focara Kitchen does
- Save recipes from any website
- Scan recipe cards and handwritten recipes
- Build a grocery list from your recipes
Or start from the Focara Kitchen homepage, read the frequently asked questions, or take the step-by-step tutorial.
Get the app
Plan your next big meal
Focara Kitchen is a free recipe box for iPhone and Android.
Free on the App Store and Google Play.