America's Test Kitchen Negative Reviews

America's Test Kitchen App Complaints & User Negative Comments 2024

America's Test Kitchen app received 60 complaints, negative comments and reviews by users. Have you ever had a bad experience using America's Test Kitchen? Can you share your negative thoughts about america's test kitchen?

America's Test Kitchen for Negative User Reviews

✓ Unable to open appThe app is completely unreliable. Since the website for ATK redirects to the app I am unable to access my paid content. Ugh Pfff update to say I clicked the app support link in the App Store and even that link doesn’t work..SuelovesquiltingVersion: 3.9.0

✓ Can’t find my saved recipes!I’m an all access member, and I can’t find my favourites. What good is this app?.Suz320Version: 1.1

✓ Great content access, poorly writtenIn this day and age with new and current phones with lots of memory there really is no excuse to have an app that is this slow and often buggy. I’m just reinstalling it on an iPhone 12pro as it’s stopped opening. This isn’t the first time of the first phone it’s done this on..SudokurokuVersion: 1.17.0

✓ Love the recipes, problem with adding personal notesFirst of all, I love the recipes and useful tips and instructions. My complaint is with functionality. I have to be able to add notes when I make something. The app has a personal notes feature, but after taking the time to type them out, when I click the ‘add’ button, I get an error message saying unable to add personal notes. Worst of all, everything I just typed is then cleared so I can’t even copy and store it myself. Very frustrating. I am an annual subscriber so this feature should be available to me..BluesquidboyVersion: 3.6.3

✓ Bugs logging inI love the recipes and have subscribed to Cook's Illustrated for almost 20 years, but it’s so frustrating to be locked out of my account every 2-4 weeks because of bugs. I was told to clear cookies from my phone to fix the problem, but that resets so many other programs I have that I just delete the app and hope it works when I redownload it. Works about 60% of the time. It’s super frustrating because we rely on ATK for so many of our dinner options - the recipes really are the best!.SambraelVersion: 3.8.2

✓ BrokenPlease provide a way to reinstall the old version, which allowed recipes to be viewed..KRP1978Version: 1.5.0

✓ Cost of SubscriptionI might be interested in buying a subscription, but it seems to be a secret. Why not be up front about the cost instead of offering a two week trail, with no hint of price. For this reason, I will just delete this app..The Bird's CageVersion: 1.8.1

✓ Useless for UK usersApp does not work in UK maybe US users have better luck, having just signed up for a two week trial hopefully it can be cancelled before I get charged fingers crossed..MikesuttoVersion: 1.6.0

✓ DisappointingThere is no info on the app or the App Store site about the cost of this subscription. And it’s offensive that a subscriber to the hard copy of the magazine is not entitled to log in without paying. What’s up with that?.CdnT2Version: 1.0

✓ FrustratedFirst I want to say I love this app very much and enjoy cooking, baking, and eating food made from the recipes. But…every holiday I get locked out (thanksgiving and now Christmas). I suddenly have ‘invalid credentials’ and can’t sign in. It’s so frustrating to save recipes for a particular occasion and not be able to access them. I’ve powered down/restarted, deleted the app and reopened it, I’ve changed passwords, it does nothing. The holiday will pass and suddenly I’m logged in like nothing ever was wrong. I feel cheated, I’m paying for nothing when I really need it..Hangry cookVersion: 3.7.0

✓ Recipes don’t load“Oops something bad happened” error message…Like all the other reviewers here no recipes are loading, either from favourites or direct from recipe pages. I’m on a 14 day trial and it may not last beyond that! You know by now you have an issue, at least for non-US users as far as I can see, so please sort it out..Tfc99Version: 1.11.0

✓ App needs lots more testing/developmentI love ATK, and I guess I’m happy to be supporting them with my subscription $$ while they work on developing the app, but right now, I think they need to put a lot of money into actively user-testing this app. Like, get a usability researcher to gather up some live, unfamiliar respondents, and do some old fashioned task scenarios, to see where people are struggling / stumbling. The app is just not quick/easy to understand and move through. I couldn’t figure out what lists even WERE or how to add a recipe there, til I’d had the app for a month (hint, you don’t add recipes there, you add ingredients from recipes.) I’m hopeful it will continue to improve..PietzscheKeenVersion: 2.5.0

✓ ATK -love your recipes but app is crapI’ve been unable to get your app to work for years despite updates and redownloads. Apparently I’m not the only one. Please do something!.H20manVersion: 1.11.0

✓ No longer works on older versions of iOS and iPadThe updates broke the ability to use this on older versions of iOS. The older iPads were useful in kitchens and other high traffic areas..SavioBernardVersion: 1.1

✓ App doesn’t work since redesignFeatured content does not load and recipes only show a blank page. App is completely unusable. Please fix this immediately. Disappointed paying customer here close to cancelling subscription..BengiwickedVersion: 1.4.2

✓ A good beginningIt’s nice to see an ATK app and I think it’s a good beginning. That said, I’m hoping that future versions will let me: 1) browse recipes. Yes I can search in this version but I have to have some idea of what I’m looking for. Would be great if I could at least browse sections of some sort. 2) use it as a prep aid. It’s nice that I can add ingredients to a shopping list, but how about letting me use the app while I’m cooking? Marking steps complete, ingredients added as I prepare the dish etc. . ..SaberTechVersion: 1.0

✓ Doesn’t workLike other reviews, this App doesn’t work for non-US based users. I’m on a 14-Day trial and will not be subscribing unless this is fixed.DaniQ69Version: 1.11.0

✓ Love the recipes frustrated by the appSo if I don’t close the app and accidentally leave it open in the background it kicks me out of my account, so frustrating. It usually takes a day to reset automatically but really difficult when I’m doing meal planning and come back to it with no access to recipes for a day. Please fix..NH loves2cookVersion: 3.10.1

✓ Bugs to fix, lost all favorite recipes :(Although a better interface and includes equipment reviews and videos which I don’t have to alternate through their different websites. All favorite recipes have been lost and some recipes can’t be bookmarked. :(.Raine_cVersion: 1.4.1

✓ Good when it worksI’m not sure if it’s because I’m subscribing from Canada, but I’m constantly getting messages in the app to subscribe, having trouble logging in, and generally not being able to access my account. I’ve paid for an annual subscription and definitely won’t be renewing when it comes due in February. It happens way too frequently..Sunshineleith1049Version: 2.0.2

✓ Poor implementationLatest version won’t let me log in. And has never worked properly in the UK..MDRedwoodVersion: 1.15.4

✓ Won’t accept login infoApp is broken. Won’t accept login info.DialecticianVersion: 1.15.4

✓ Ughhhhhh!!I love this app and it’s all access!! But since last update, signing in is impossible!!! Just buffering!!.NosebreakerVersion: 1.13.3

✓ Great recipes, app issuesI love ATK’s recipes. Unfortunately their app team does not have the same attention to detail as the cooking team. The app regularly logs me out. Sometimes there isn’t even an option to log in, just to pay money. For the past two years when I log in first after my annual subscription renews, my saved recipes are missing. They’re there if I log in through the browser and at some point in the year they come back but it’s usually after I need them..Cwells18Version: 2.2.1

✓ No FunctionalityOnce you perform a search there is no way to narrow down your results. It would be so much easier if you could add a few filters, type of dish, meal type, technique etc. Also - I cook exclusively with my iPad and the app is not configured for that and only works in portrait mode. Way too much money for what is basically just a list of recipes. There is no value added. I will not be renewing my subscription..SmalldeluxeVersion: 1.0

✓ Keeps Prompting for Subscription, Already SubscribedI have deleted and redownloaded the app twice. Updated my phone. Logging into and out of the app Logged in through the website. No matter what I do it keeps prompting me to choose a subscription. I originally purchased a yearly subscription through Apple with a two week free trial. It does not register that I gave subscribed until I try to purchase a second time and then I get the notice that I already have an active subscription. It never moves pass this screen. That's when I tried the website. Lets me login but when I try to view content I am told I need to choose a subscription and enter a credit card. I called the 800 number and the woman tried to tell me that my email isn't valid. Even though it sent me a confirmation to that email and then allowed me to use the same email to login on both the app and website. I ended up canceling the subscription through Apple and now I'm going to try to reset the password since the 1-800 lady asked me for it. What a joke!.RunrunyogiVersion: 3.10.1

✓ Won’t open after update1 out of 5 is generous for an app that doesn't work.WorldsokayestguitaristVersion: 1.13.3

✓ Trouble renewingI opened the app to retrieve a recipe I’ve used in the past. Up popped a renew now which I tried to do but it wouldn’t accept my Canadian address. I tried unsuccessfully a few time. Finally gave up and renewed through the App Store.Mrs. BueyVersion: 3.10.1

✓ Great when it worksThe app is great when it works. America’s Test Kitchen is the gold standard for any cook who wants to improve on their cooking and also for the best recipes. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t seem to properly link my email address to my payment. The first time this happened I just brushed it off, but to happen again seems unacceptable. Hopefully this problem will be resolved by the end of the week - but I’m still waiting. For $50 a year I expect to have access to the app when I want to look up a recipe..Myorange88Version: 2.6.1

✓ No joy in this kitcheCan’t tell you how disappointed and frustrated I am! I’ve been a fan of cooks illustrated in America’s test, quit kitchen for many many years. Have digital access, put up with the bugs because I appreciate the information techniques available. But as of the last month or so I’ve been completely unable to login either on the website or through the app. I am a voiceover user, had others try to login on the website who aren’t using voiceover, and they are able to access. I have called customer service, no help, they told me I need to call Apple. I have called Apple, no help they need. They tell me I need to talk to cooks illustrated. at this point, I have to decide whether to continue my subscription with the hope that someone there were realize that you have completely made your website an app on accessible to those who have to use voiceover. I have tried to log in here to talk to Apple support, simply tells me the server logs up because I can’t access it. So no help again. please let me know what you’re going to do so I can either cancel my subscription or keep my fingers crossed that you might decide to make your data available to those with handicaps. You claim to be excessively friendly, it’s clear that you were not have you even checked? yes, I am angry..BrewndruidVersion: 2.4.0

✓ Too minimalATK recipes are incredible, but this app is not fully-baked (sorry for the pun). There is no browsing through ideas, or different cuisines, just a search. And not a particularly accurate search, either, which goes back to the very start every time..JS92973Version: 1.2

✓ Rip-offIt says they’ll charge you $9.99 for a month and I got billed $66.00!!!! Sat on hold for hours, no Representitive..Livin da dreammmmmmVersion: 1.2

✓ RequestI wish for more gluten free recipes. A GF hot cross bun recipes would be nice.Janet400Version: 3.7.0

✓ A global membership requires metric & imperial measures.As America’s Test Kitchen is available to a global community of subscribers, the app should present all of their resources, suggestions, recommendations, advice & their recipes, in both metric & imperial measures. To continue to present the app in only an imperial setting, to the exclusion of the most used system of measures across the world, is inappropriate. More people use the metric system in the world than the entire number of people living in America. America’s Test Kitchen app is a very good source of recipes and a lot of expertise and commitment lies behind all of there thousands of articles and recipes. The only matter preventing the ATK app from being absolutely outstanding, is its singular focus on the imperial system of measurement..John CandidoVersion: 1.2

✓ New versionSlow to load homepage, but when you select a recipe it won’t load. Although the old app was clunky at least you could use it..BristolCookVersion: 1.5.0

✓ SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! SPAM!Since subscribing to the service so I could watch all the shows on demand I get incessant spam emails marketing all the other ways to give ATK money, sometimes multiple emails in one day, an abuse of good will. I have clicked the unsubscribe all emails option in my account multiple times to no avail. I’ve written to ATK support and if they get it fixed, I’ll update this review but at this point, I can’t recommend anyone signing up. EDIT: Not sure what’s worse about the form letter response to this review: admitting the unsubscribe doesn’t, or that customer service doesn’t? Still getting the daily emails. It appears ATK considers paying customers as sheep to be shorn for all they’re worth.Not your target marketVersion: 2.5.0

✓ Requires a ton of improvement!This has got to be the worst cooking app ever! Repeated recipes, no videos, repeated photos in different recipes, no option to comment or ask questions. It’s a terrible app!.Kodie GirlVersion: 1.1

✓ Please fix!!!!This app is unusable! Hello? Anyone there? I have to go to the website to access any recipes..SsolandVersion: 1.5.0

✓ I keep finding more reasons to just use the websiteUpdate: a new grievance. You can’t print articles from the app. You can only favorite and share them. This truly confuses me, since the website doesn’t even need you to log in to view and print articles. I have to copy the link from the app, and then open it in safari in order to print. Truly bizarre. Another thing, the reviews don’t have half stars. This one baffles me. Equipment reviews on the website that have, say, 2.5 stars will instead have 2 stars on the app. And recipes print in super tiny print on the app, but normal on the website. I guess it saves paper, but I have to squint to read it. The recipes on the app don’t have the publication date. This matters when there’s multiple magazines with multiple versions of a recipe and I’m trying to find that one prime rib recipe I used 10 years ago, for example. Tldr: the website is better by far than app, even on mobile, just make it with less ads and offers to clutter it up. Stop forcing me to close extra offers and making me reject cookies so I can just log in and use the account I pay for..Zeebz27Version: 3.9.0

✓ UselessNon of the recipes can be opened so it’s just an app full of photos.StickladyloveVersion: 1.12.0

✓ Website outages are common and frustratingI have subscribed to the website for a long time, but there are often outages that prevent me from accessing the content I paid for. The unreliability of the site has me reconsidering whether I will renew next time. It makes the app much less attractive..TheRealMeVersion: 3.9.0

✓ Possible fix for recipes not loading (VPN)I had the same issue as others have reported; since the new redesigned app came out none of the recipes load properly. We’ve now had 3 updates and it still isn’t working so I thought to myself it must be working for some people or they’d surely have fixed it by now. Anyway long story short, the only thing I could think of was that it was working for people in USA as I assume that’s where they have their biggest customer base. *******FIX********* I tried connecting to my VPN in a USA location and lo and behold the app now loads everything properly. Obviously this isn’t a proper fix and they need to bring out a permanent fix for the UK version of the app if they’re going to have it on the UK App Store but I hope this might help others use the app while we wait for the proper fix!.Lh44mercVersion: 1.6.0

✓ Avoid. Videos no longer workBought this because it had an Apple TV app to watch the episodes. Without warning the app gives a message “video content is no longer supported in the app”. I contacted support and they sent me links to US-only services (that require separate accounts and/or subscriptions) to watch the videos. I’m not in the US so my subscription and the app are useless. They must have known they were going to do this but didn’t warn anyone and collected their money as usual a few days ago. I’ve requested a refund. Terrible behaviour..AegirthorVersion: 2.11.1

✓ Better with update, but still needs workThe recent update to the app is just okay. There are now equipment reviews and videos, but as a cooking app, it’s still lacking necessary features. For example, if you jump from a recipe to the equipment reviews section of the app, there’s no obvious way to get back to the recipe you were just looking at. Like, there’s no back button. And let’s say you make a recipe and want to rate it or write some notes for yourself, like “Next time, try cooking this a few minutes less.” Nope. Can’t do that. There’s no way to assign your own rating or to add your own notes when you save a recipe. So basically, it’s just a search engine specific to the content of the three ATK websites. 😕.Kathode72Version: 1.8.1

✓ App is not workingSince the latest update the app will not load and any recipes. You touch the image and it only gives you a blank page..JlgenoVersion: 1.5.0

✓ DismalNot worth the money-can’t find personal reviews or equipment reviews..Wellsj78Version: 1.1

✓ Took my money!I subscribed, and they took my money, but the app states my payment request is cancelled. This has happened to others as well. Buyer beware!!!.AppManiac1978Version: 1.2

✓ Charged for a one year subscription,When questioned about payment after trial period if I would be interested in paying monthly or yearly I checked monthly. If I we’re interested in this site I would have agreed to pay monthly, until I was positive I wanted to commit to yearly. I haven’t been able use this site enough to have made this decision. Also, why when I added this app to my phone did they bother to ask if I wanted to pay monthly or yearly if their intentions were to charge me yearly, when I explicitly checked monthly? What right did they have to charge me for yearly at the end of my trial period? Extremely disappointed!.Nana Pam 55Version: 3.4.1

✓ Some features neededPlease consider adding some features to allow the users to personalize the recipes, such as mark a recipe as cooked and let users add their own notes for preference/substitution/metric measurement conversion (since ATK only uses U.S. Standard, even for baking recipes). It would also be helpful to have rough categorization of bookmarked recipes without having to save each one to personal collections. If not, at least provide a way to text search for a recipe within the user’s own favorites list. My list is getting quite extensive and it’s getting harder to find a specific recipe quickly. Thanks!.TW11Version: 2.0.2

✓ IPad app is broken AGAINApp is fine when it works but starting last weekend I can no longer access my account through the iPad app. It has logged me out, and when I try logging in using my valid credentials I am taken to a page saying I need an all access membership (which I have and pay for though the App Store) and am given the choice of either month-to-month pricing or annual. When I tap on annual (which I already pay for) a message pops up saying I am already subscribed. IF I AM ALREADY SUBSCRIBED (WHICH I AM) THEN WHY WON’T THE APP LET ME IN???? This is frustrating and infuriating AND it’s happened before. DEVELOPER PLEASE FIX..JricleVersion: 2.0.2

✓ Good recipes; awful appThe app is why I won’t be renewing my subscription. Searching is clumsy, you can’t move smoothly from hit to hit, recipes refer to “pictures below” that aren’t there, some photos don’t load, product reviews aren’t on the app, some results are duplicated—those are just a few of the issues. Too bad such a fine show ended up with this app fail..JEC2806Version: 1.1

✓ What a joke!I don’t have an America’s test kitchen account but I thought the app would contain similar information to the websites. On my 14 day trial, I was looking through recipes on the website and saving them. All my recipes are saved in the app but there is nothing else, no recipe reviews...nothing!! What a horrible waste of money! This subscription does NOT include access to the websites. Save your money!.Val CatVersion: 1.1

✓ It’s worse than awful - NOTHING worksThis is what you get when you try to see a recipe… “Ooops, something bad happened. Tap the refresh button to try again” And if you should tap the ‘refresh’ you will be redirected to the recipes page - and - you guessed it. Hence the cycle continues - ad infinitum - or even longer….TMitBBVersion: 1.13.0

✓ Love ATK, hate the appWorst app I use. Some examples: - have a large favorites file. It only let’s you look at a few at a time. So make take 8 ‘more’ to get to a recipe. And if I look at it, the app fakes me back to beginning!! Have to keep ‘more’. Incredibly frustrating. - SEARCH function is horrid. Used to be able to search for ingredients. I use ‘black garlic’. Try searching for that- you get every recipe that has anything ‘black’ or anything ‘garlic’ - almost 1500 items. One example of many. Previous search options were not great but way better than this. - integration between app and emailed recipes is poor. Email doesn’t know I’m a member, doesn’t always save it to my favorites, and makes the email marketing experience very poor - loads slow too Seen some improvements but overall ATK/CC is an incredible group tied to a poor app.Update deleted everythingVersion: 3.3.1

✓ App does not recognize my subscriptionI bought a 1 year subscription and just cancelled it after a few days of trying to gain access. I can log into the app but it takes to the page to buy subscriptions. It will not allow me to go beyond that page to any other sections. This is a pricey subscription. The cost does not live up to it’s performance. I have deleted and reloaded several times so I could try to log in again. Once it takes you to the subscription page, your stuck there. There is no drop down menu available. My advice is to avoid this until they fix it and drop the price by at least 60% It’s too bad because I really like the show and content is great. Too bad they can’t get their act together on the app..Mimico SlimVersion: 1.2

✓ Cannot SaveSince the update to the new app version I cannot Save on my iPhone. :-(((.NYC_SCVersion: 1.4.1

✓ App no longer worksUsed this app for years, starting in January it won’t load recipes, glitches, shuts down, shows blank pages, etc. So frustrating. Can’t believe I paid for this..LondonKWKVersion: 1.5.0

✓ Can’t useCan it be fixed - no point in advertising your update to the app when there’s nothing there!.RosslynDVersion: 1.5.0

✓ Nope, I’m out.I was a subscriber previously and decided to go for it again. But this app is not clean and easy to use, and is full of affiliate marketing junk. But the worst is that even after paying for a pricy subscription it won’t allow me to share ingredient lists to notes for shopping, or to select and copy text. If I make any recipe, it’s going into my recipe folder. ATK is determined to block this. I could do a screen grab and OCR it, but that’s too much hassle, and I object on principal to paying and still being restricted. Canceling now..Stochastic42Version: 3.1.0

✓ No IllustrationsTrying to follow a recipe and need the illustrations. They aren’t there. Thus, only half a recipe..NomoregoalsVersion: 1.0

America's Test Kitchen works most of the time. If it is not working for you, we recommend you excersise some patience and retry later or contact America's Test Kitchen.