Plan, Gather, and Prep
Get ready to cook with the first three Start Cooking stages.
The first three stages help you understand the recipe, gather what it needs, and finish useful preparation before active cooking begins.
Plan
Use Plan to review the recipe before you start.
Plan can show:
- Servings and total time, including when a value is estimated.
- The full ingredient list.
- Warnings that should be checked against the original recipe.
Mark an ingredient when you still need it. These marks are a temporary planning aid for the current cooking session; they do not change the recipe or automatically change a grocery list.
Gather
Use Gather to bring together the ingredients and important equipment.
Check off ingredients and equipment as you gather them. The checklist is optional and remains separate from the recipe.
Prep
Use Prep for useful mise en place, such as chopping an onion, measuring broth, or preheating an oven.
Prep tasks are derived from the saved ingredients and directions. If no separate preparation is needed, Sparky Cooks tells you to continue to Cook.
Move Between Stages
Use the stage controls to move directly between Plan, Gather, Prep, and Cook. On wider screens, the stage sidebar can be hidden when you want more room. On smaller screens, use the compact stage control.
Previous and the next-stage button move through the guide in order.