The Verge: NYT Cooking AI Saves Chicken but Nearly Ruins Cake
The Verge tested NYT Cooking’s new AI helper on swaps and scaling, with mixed but useful results.
TL;DR
- The Verge tested NYT Cooking’s AI on ingredient swaps and recipe tweaks.
- It turned a chicken recipe into a success using what was on hand.
- The tool nearly halved the butter in a cake and refused bad flavor ideas.
The Verge reports that its writer tested NYT Cooking’s new AI assistant on real weeknight cooking fixes like ingredient swaps and scaling recipes.
Available only to iOS subscribers at launch, the tool sits in a small text box on recipe pages. Users type requests such as swapping ingredients or adjusting for missing equipment. The Verge notes it was trained on reader comments and creates a fresh version of the recipe instead of altering the original.
In one test, the writer adapted a One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Ginger recipe using only chicken tenders, green beans, red onions, and Thai basil. The AI suggested shorter browning time, cooking onions with the chicken, and steaming the beans on top. The result earned husband approval and tasted better than the writer’s usual comment-section guesses, according to The Verge.
Another swap for makrut lime leaf got a practical answer: grated lime zest works but lacks the deeper aroma. The Verge says the tool refused wild requests that would ruin flavor.
Still, it wasn’t flawless. The Verge reports it almost told the writer to use half the required butter in a cake. The author also tried equipment swaps and scaling but found the chicken fix the standout win.
The Tea
At 7 PM with an empty fridge and zero meal plan, even a slightly shaky AI sous chef beats scrolling comments or winging it. The Verge’s tester shows this tool shines when you already know roughly what you want but need quick, safe tweaks. Purists may grumble, yet for busy cooks it’s the kind of practical AI that actually earns its spot on the counter.