# America's Test Kitchen vs CHEF iQ

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CHEF iQ at none against America's Test Kitchen's 6. CHEF iQ also leads on ads (none vs shown). America's Test Kitchen's advantage is review sentiment (66% vs 43%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. America's Test Kitchen sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. CHEF iQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

America's Test Kitchen holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18K and 35K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of America's Test Kitchen's written reviews are positive against 43% of CHEF iQ's.

America's Test Kitchen ships an update fortnightly, CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | America's Test Kitchen | CHEF iQ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/americas-test-kitchen/id1365223384/reviews)** | [4.7 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chef-iq/id1496378504/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 18K | **35K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.2% of reviews** | 42.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [America's Test Kitchen LP](https://appshunter.io/developer/385122166) | [RJ Brands, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1278407317) |

## What reviewers say

### America's Test Kitchen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/americas-test-kitchen/id1365223384)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Access thousands of rigorously tested recipes, cooking videos, and expert product reviews. Enhance your culinary skills with on-demand classes taught by test kitchen professionals. Save favorites, create shopping lists, and discover new dishes for any occasion.

**Highlights:** 14,000+ tested recipes, Expert-led cooking classes, App-exclusive content, Product reviews and ratings, Save favorite recipes, Create shopping lists, Ad-free cooking episodes

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ATK Essential - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Classes Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Essential + Classes - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Classes Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| ATK Essential - Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Essential + Classes - Annual | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate app
- 👍 Excellent recipes and cooking tips
- 👍 Helpful product reviews and recommendations
- 👍 Valuable subscription worth the cost

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues and app crashes
- 🐛 Unreliable server connectivity
- 🐛 Inconsistent app performance and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search and organization features

**Reported bugs**

- Recipes and content not loading properly
- Inability to access account after updates
- Syncing issues between app and website
- Frequent log-outs and need to re-login

**Requested features**

- Add ability to categorize and organize saved recipes
- Improve search functionality and filtering options
- Implement sharing capabilities to easily share recipes
- Add support for metric measurements alongside imperial


### CHEF iQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chef-iq/id1496378504)

This app acts as a culinary companion for smart cooking appliances, offering guided recipes, remote control, and ingredient shopping. It connects users with a community of home cooks and provides over-the-air updates for enhanced features.

**Highlights:** Remote appliance control, Thousands of pre-programmed settings, Guided cooking recipes with videos, Instacart integration for ingredient delivery, Save favorite recipes and configurations, Appliance sharing with friends and family, Community forum for cooks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate temperature readings
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Guided cooking makes cooking easy
- 🚀 Helpful for new cooks
- 👍 Versatile for different meats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues with WiFi and Bluetooth
- 🔒 Requires account verification to use
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data access
- 🐛 Inconsistent notifications
- 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Firmware update failures
- Inability to connect to WiFi
- Incorrect temperature conversions
- Cooking time and liquid amount miscalculations

**Requested features**

- Live Activity support for cooking status
- Ability to adjust temperature and time during cooking
- Cooking history and data tracking
- Landscape mode support for iPad
- More generic cooking options beyond recipes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is America's Test Kitchen free?

America's Test Kitchen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CHEF iQ free?

CHEF iQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, America's Test Kitchen or CHEF iQ?

America's Test Kitchen is rated higher. America's Test Kitchen averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while CHEF iQ averages 4.7 from 35K ratings.

### Do America's Test Kitchen or CHEF iQ have ads?

America's Test Kitchen shows ads; CHEF iQ does not.

### Which is updated more often, America's Test Kitchen or CHEF iQ?

America's Test Kitchen ships an update fortnightly, and CHEF iQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, America's Test Kitchen was updated on October 27, 2026 and CHEF iQ on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*