Ever try to cook a recipe from your phone, only to have the screen go dark with honey all over your fingers? Well, cook mode is here to make sure that never happens again with hands-free cooking!

Cook mode (sometimes called cooking mode) is an optional toggle that keeps your device's screen on while you cook. That way, you can follow along with sticky fingers without missing a beat.

It's perfect to use while cooking and following along with a recipe!

In this guide, I'll show you how to add this awesome feature to your food blog (it's easier than you think!).

Get Cook Mode for Your Recipes

Why is cook mode important?

Cook mode improves your readers’ experience…BIG TIME.

But, how does it work? It's actually pretty simple! Cook mode is a little toggle button (like a light switch) on your recipe card that your readers can tap.

When it's on, it keeps their device's screen on so they can easily check the instructions or ingredients without having to touch their screens.

No more frantic screen taps or missed steps because the screen went dark. Just smooth, uninterrupted cooking!

Here’s an example of what it looks like on a recipe card. πŸ‘‡πŸ»

An example of what is cook mode on a Tasty Recipes recipe card

As you can see, the cook mode button is snuggled into your recipe card perfectly.

All that's left to do is click that button, and cook mode is on!

A gif showing how to turn on cook mode from a recipe card

It's a small detail that makes a BIG difference. Your readers will thank you for the stress-free cooking experience. You'll also love seeing more people successfully recreate your delicious dishes!

But, how do you get that handy toggle switch on your site?

I don't have time to deal with code, so I use Tasty Recipes. It's the best WordPress recipe plugin, and it's so easy to use!

Not only do you get this handy cook mode feature, but every other recipe card detail is also thoughtfully organized. Plus, its built in recipe schema helps your recipes stands out to visitors and to Google.

That way, your recipes are an absolute joy to follow, even with messy fingers!

Get Tasty Recipes

How to add cook mode to your recipe cards

We’re all about giving food bloggers with the best tools possible that are also super easy to use.

So, here’s how you can turn on cook mode in one click. πŸ–±οΈ

1. Download Tasty Recipes

Grab Tasty Recipes, and then check your email for your license info. There will also be a link to your downloads page.

From there you can download the plugin as a zip file, and remember to leave it zipped!

2. Upload Tasty Recipes to WordPress

To add Tasty Recipes to your site, log in to WordPress and head to your dashboard.

Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin. Then, choose your Tasty Recipes zip file!

How to add a new plugin to WordPress. Click plugins > add new.

After it uploads, Activate your plugin and you're set! Need more help? Use this handy doc for uploading a WP Tasty plugin to your site.

3. Enable cook mode on the Settings page!

By default, once you download Tasty Recipes to your site, cook mode is automatically enabled as a feature on your recipe pages. It'll be there any time you add a recipe card to WordPress.

If you want to turn it off (but I don't suggest that!), just click Off from the dropdown menu.

A gif showing how to change your cook mode description text with Tasty Recipes

And, with Tasty Recipes, you can customize your cook mode description from “Prevent your screen from going dark.

Want a simpler cook mode description? Change it to something like “Don't let your screen go dark!”

Oh, and here's a friendly reminder: Using Cook Mode might make your phone's battery drain faster, so let your readers know! Turning down your brightness a little helps to minimize this drain.

Tasty Recipes product image with admin options.

Interested in trying Tasty Recipes?

With our easy-to-use, customizable recipe card plugin, Tasty Recipes helps you look good β€” and your recipes look even better.

Take a look at all Tasty Recipes has to offer.

Also, don’t forget about our 14-day money-back guarantee! Trying Tasty Recipes is risk-free!

Tasty Recipes: the elegant recipe solution (more than cook mode)

Tasty Recipes eases blogging workflow so you can spend more time creating and publishing recipes your readers will love.

It’s the only WP recipe maker plugin you’ll ever need. Here's why:

  • Everything you need to create and publish beautiful recipes is in one tool.
  • Built-in schema markup and SEO make your recipes discoverable to search engines. 
  • There’s no coding required! All you have to do is insert recipe details in each field.
  • Consistent updates make sure your recipes perform as wonderfully as they taste. 

Tasty Recipes also has six beautifully designed recipe card template options to showcase your culinary creations.

Plus, it works with ANY WordPress food blog theme. In fact, it picks up styles from your theme to make the recipe look “at home” on your website.

Download Tasty Recipes

Set your food blog apart

So, there you have it! Cook Mode isn't just a fancy add-on. It's an essential tool for creating a user-friendly, hands-free cooking experience.

But at WP Tasty, we know you might get to like your hands sticky from time to time. So, don't worry; you and your users still have the option to print recipes, too! πŸ–¨οΈ

Want more food blog tips? Check out the WP Tasty blog for tons of tips on everything from SEO for food bloggers to food photography tips and more!

With Tasty Recipes and these handy resources, you're well on your way to becoming the go-to destination for food lovers everywhere.