What it is
2,550 ingredients, each on one card. The card opens with the substitute to use and the exact amount, in type big enough to read from the stove. Everything else comes after.
What is it doing in your recipe?
A substitution is not one fact. Creaming an ingredient with sugar and melting it into a batter are different jobs, and the right swap is different for each. Where it matters, the card asks which case you are in and answers for that case.
Every option, stamped
A stamp is always one of four verdicts, and nothing else. There is no “perfect” stamp, because there is no perfect swap, and an option the record cannot vouch for is left unstamped rather than guessed at. Where an option does not work, the card says so and sets it apart, rather than burying it in the ranking.
- Works
- Tweak it
- You'll taste it
- Not for this
What is not here
No life story before the answer. No sponsored swaps: no substitute is listed, ranked or recommended because someone paid for it. The answer sits at the top of the page, and you can leave as soon as you have it.
Where the ratios come from
Ratios follow what the ingredients are made of — fat and water, acidity, protein — and standard kitchen practice. They are given for home cooking, in cups and spoons, and they are a starting point rather than a guarantee. Ovens, brands and humidity vary, so taste as you go.
Corrections
If a card is wrong, or an ingredient you needed is missing, tell us. Corrections are made to the record, so the fix shows everywhere that ingredient appears.