The iPad is one giant cook book if you think about it for just a second, but instead of having an index whereby you spend ages looking up that perfect recipe for lamb you can just search for it.

While there are thousands of recipes online on numerous websites, there are of course apps as well all keen to help you enhance your cooking skills whether it is with tips, tricks or even tools to make you a better chef. 

So what are you waiting for? Here are some of the best iPad cooking apps available. 

Jamie's Recipes for iPad

Firstly, the good news - you can use this app without ever seeing Jamie on screen at all (apart from a brief introduction). Whaddya mean that isn't good news? Whatever your opinion on Mr Oliver, there's no denying that the man can cook. And he also makes it look pretty easy - hence his massive popularity. And he has now brought his unique way of cooking to the iPad following the success of his iPhone app.

Jamie's Recipes for iPad is a free app, where you'll get a welcome pack of dishes for free (each with step by step instructions) as well as a few tutorial videos on using knives properly and the like (to cut vegetables, not people). There's also a load of premium packs you can buy, each containing around 10 recipes and one or two vids. These packs are in-app purchases and, until 14 August, are at a cut price 69p - they're usually £1.49. Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free, Recipes packs cost though

Rating: 4/5

Great British Chefs - Recipes HD

Great British Chefs is a collective organisation that "celebrates and champions the best chefs across Britain", and by that it means the promotion of a collection of top restaurateurs and foodsmiths who have be awarded coveted Michelin stars. And Great British Chefs - Recipes is the brand's first application (with the HD suffix for iPad, without for iPhone). You can find recipes in their own section, via one of the chefs' profiles, through a listed ingredient, or even listed per course. You can also see several entire suggested course-by-course menus from each chef, which you could make for a dinner party, for example. You really are only limited by your own cooking skills and time.

Like many other recipe apps, Great British Chefs - Recipes also gives you the opportunity to click on ingredients to add them to a shopping list. And you can write your own notes on the instructions. However, as each dish is presented for you in intricate detail, it's unlikely you'll want to. In short, it's expansive but not intimidating. Jam packed with content (if not jam). Read More. 

iTunes: Link

Price: £2.99

Rating: 4/5

Tesco Recipes

Tesco has always been one of the most forward thinking of the big supermarket chains, and has been dabbling with apps for mobile devices for a while. However, nothing that Tesco has done before has been quite on this scale. This iPad-specific app is quite simply stunning, in both application and presentation. At its core, it's essentially a portal for the online shopping experience. But Tesco has tarted it up and added over one thousand recipes for you to view and try at home. Each of them has easy-to-follow instructions and gorgeous pictures of food that will bear little or no resemblance to your own end result, no doubt. 

Of course, how much you get out of this app is entirely based on how often you shop online and, specifically, with Tesco. With Tesco Recipes, the brand has made giant steps into making the whole process as user-friendly as possible, but that all comes to nowt if you don't have a branch nearby that's willing to deliver. Nonetheless, it may be worth the free download, just for the recipes. Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 4/5

Epicurious Recipes

This app has been produced by the award-winning food site Epicurious.com and includes over 28,000, professionally tested recipes. It should prove dab handy for those of you who want to eat a little healthier or become a bit more adventurous with your nosh. Features include the ability to browse a list of "most popular" recipes, which are categorised for different occasions and you can also filter your search by swiping through icons, enabling you to find recipes which are healthy, in season or simply what's in your fridge.

There's also the ability to take a look at what other Epicurious members are plating up, so if you like surprises then it'll certainly give you the chance to experiment, whilst a personal favourites list means you can keep track of successful meals. The iPad also offers a few extras like a full screen cookbook view, and a snazzy interface, but both seem like very decent propositions and more importantly are free. Read More

iTunes: Link

Price: Free

Rating: 3/5

Egg Boiler for iPad

If you thought all of the above were pretty pointless then you'll love Egg Boiler for iPad.

Making sure you cook your egg the right way can be tough. How does a cold egg affect the process for example? What if you've forgotten how long ago you put the egg in the boiling water.

Simple, Egg Boiler for iPad lets you select the consistency you want, you tell it whether or not it's come from the fridge or the cupboard and then you'll get a timer to tell you when it's done.

At the end your iPad makes a big noise and your egg is cooked as requested. Done.

Price 59p / $99

Rating 3.5/10

iGrill

If you've taken things to the extreme you could opt for the iGrill app that connects to the iGrill (a probe to put in your food) and allows you to turn your iPhone or iPad into a state of the art temperature gauge. The app then lets you manage temperatures including giving you alarms and warnings when your food is cooked all from the sofa. 

"The iGrill is an app enabled Bluetooth meat & fish wireless thermometer allowing you to monitor your food from up to 200 feet away. The iGrill has dual probe capability and also works as a stand alone thermometer. Your Apple device will alert you when your food is ready!" reads the blurb. The iGrill hardware accessory costs $99. 

Price: Free 

Rating: 3/5

Photo Cookbook - Quick and Easy

If you are a bit slow on the reading front you might want to check out the Photo Cookbook for baking and it's brother then Photo Cookbook for Quick and Easy.

The idea is that both start with a picture of what you need in your recipe as a picture so you can see what's what rather than having to read it.

"In one glance, you can control if you’ve got all the ingredients you need for preparing the dish," the app tells us as to why it is done this way.

The app then continues this theme with short and straightforward steps. Each recipe ends with a photograph of the finished dish, complete with any serving suggestions.

The basic version of the app illustrates 84 recipes, divided into four topics: “Quick & Easy” (60 recipes), “Asian” (5 recipes), “Italian” (15 recipes) and “Baking” (4 recipes).

By In-App-Purchase, you can increase your library to 240 total recipes (that’s 60 recipes per chapter).

The item "Baking" is also available with the same content as a separate app: "The Photo Cookbook - Baking".

It's simple and too the point, although at £2.99 might put you off. 

iTunes: link

Price: £2.99

Rating: 3/5

What are you favourite iPad cooking apps? Let us know in the comments below