What the Tech? App of the Day: Kitchen Pal

(ABC 6 News) – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come back from grocery shopping and discovered I didn’t need that can of tomatoes or box of bread crumbs, because there were a few cans already in my pantry. If I’d known or remembered what was in my pantry, fridge, and freezer I could have saved $10-$25 on my grocery bill.

The app Kitchen Pal not only helps save money but cuts down on food waste by helping you keep an inventory of what food you already have.

Kitchen Pal is one of about a hundred grocery shopping apps created to help at the store. Using the phone’s camera, scan the barcodes of items in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. It may take a little time to take inventory the first time. Kitchen Pal makes it easy though. It has millions of items it’ll recognize.

You can also just speak what’s in your fridge and Kitchen Pal will add it to your inventory list.

You can change the quantity if you’ve already bought the same thing over and over again and make a note of how much you have left. is the bottle full, low, or about half empty?

Kitchen Pal also has recipes for meals, desserts, and appetizers based on what you already have. No need for another trip to the store. Other recipes show you what you don’t have.

If you like to stay organized, you can even create meal plans for the next week. It really is a Kitchen Pal. And there are apps for both iPhone and Android devices.

The free version lets you scan up to 100 items. The premium version is unlimited and costs $12 a year. Helpful in the kitchen and at the store as long as you use it.