Everything Kosher

This is an eclectic category.  We have everything here from apps that explain various kosher laws, to kosher supervision listings, and even an app that tells you how long to wait for dairy after eating meat.  One thing they all have in common is that they have something to do with "kosher."  How much so and how reliable they are will be seen in the individual reviews below.  We hope we've saved you time and money figuring out which of these apps are worthwhile.

Enjoy!

                                                                                    

CRC Kosher Guide (v. 1.0.7) by Rocketouch, LLC

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: There was really no difficulty choosing the Top Pick for this category.  This app does more than many of the other listed here -- combined.  (And it's free.) It's a must-have for any kosher consumer with an Android device. (Even so, there are some improvements that can be made.)

+Recommended kosher symbols list shows symbols and name in one list simultaneously
+Includes detail about each organization including address, tell, and rav hamachshir (rabbi in charge) upon touch
+Search feature is comprehensive throughout application
+Includes direct links to YouTube videos by the CRC on kashering kitchens and checking lettuce for bugs
+Not in any way limited to Chicago
+Even includes a Starbucks category, which tells you which products are alright at full service vs. kiosk locations and in some cases how to order a particular product so that it's not contaminated
+Has instructions for checking various vegetables
+Has liquor list, and even an OTC medications list

-Some reliable local kosher hashgachos may be missing from recommended kosher supervision list
-Share feature only shows what's literally on that very screen, which may not include enough information about that item
-Formatting errors in text are annoying (Q and A not separated properly; Hi-ASCII text appears where there should be "quotes" or apostrophes. 
-When looking up an item that appears in more than one category, one is often referred to the main category for that item. However, there is no hyperlink, and one must manually back out and find the item again a different way
-No listing of general brand-named foods under national hasghachos

                                     

 OK Kosher Food Guide (v. 1.0) by OK Kosher

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This app allows one to look up products supervised by OK (Organized Kashrus) Labs, one of the largest kosher supervisors in the world.  You can see what kosher products that company sells and what their status is (pareve, kitniyos, pas yisroel, etc.)

+Allows one to look up any OK supervised food item by company name (through index or search)

-The links that do work from the "info" button take you to non mobile-friendly websites and even links to iOS apps instead of their Android equivalents!
-Search feature does not allow product look-up, only company or category look-up
-App limited specifically to OK supervised companies and provides no additional information of any kind. 
-Does not include OK certified establishments (such as restaurants)
-Does not fill screen on our test phone

                                     

 OU Kosher (v. 1.32) by Orthodox Union Digital Media

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This limited app does one thing and does it pretty well.  You can look up any OU certified product by company name in either the "All" or "Passover" subcategories.  It will list any supervised items and their status (dairy/pareve) and also its passover status.

+OU's "Kosher Alerts" available from app
+Newly certified feature
+Cosmetically appealing app overall

-Problems with apostrophes displayed in text as a Hi-ASCII character.
-Link to "oukosher.org" is a not a mobile-friendly site
-Kosher Alerts does not alert you unless you go and manually check.  Should have option to receive the KosherAlerts as a notification for those that desire. 
-Does not include OU certified establishments (such as restaurants)
                                     

Kosher Recipe Feed (v. 2.2) by GizmoPress

Type: Application
Cost: Free (Ad Supported)
Overview: This unique app aggregates recipes and general "food-talk" from assorted kosher blogs and websites.

Overall: Could be good in a pinch, can be somewhat impractical on small devices for regular use

                                     

MK Kosher (v. 1.0) by Jewish Community Council of Montreal

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: Contains index of products and establishments under the supervision of Montreal-based "MK Kosher"

+Useful Passover list shows which items require special passover supervision in one color-coded list

-Contrary to claims that the "MK Kosher Guide" has long been a reference for consumers across Canada and the US, the app is almost entirely focused on Montreal
-"Snap it!" feature unexplained.  A response from the organization stated that it takes a photo of  an  item so you can send it to them as an e-mail attachment.  This was tested, but doesn't allow phone's built-in focusing or other photo-features to work.
                                     

Kosher Simbols [SIC] (v. 1.0) by Vielmassociates Ltd

 

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: Kosher Simbols [SIC], is a simple app that shows a text list of just a handful (15 to be exact) of the 1500 or so kosher supervision agencies.

-Does not fill our screen
-Does not show symbols until one already knows the name of the supervising agency. 
-Offers no additional information besides the name of the Rav Hamachshir and the symbol of most (but not all) organizations in the list after a touch.
-Its stated mission is to show trustworthy hashgachos, but some key ones are missing
                                     

Kosher Spirit  (v. 1.0) by OK Kosher

 

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This is the Android app for the Kosher Spirit magazine, put out by the OK Labs, one of the largest kosher supervising agencies in the world. 

+The app is well designed for excellent magazine reading on the device
+Includes easy zoom features and nice page-turning and page jumping features

-Shows only an out-of-date issue.  This product is not kept up-to-date
-App frequently has a minor crash upon exit
                                     

OK Vegetable Checking Guide (v. 1.0) by OK Kosher


Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This app shows, in written form, how to check most vegetables for tolaim (bugs, worms and other forbidden creepy things)

+From a trusted source, the OK Labs, one of the largest kosher supervisors in the world
+Contains pictures and, in some cases, diagrams of how to check the item
-No search feature -- index only
-Does not fill screen
-Text of actual instructions is somewhat fuzzy, as if it's a scan from a book
-Does not allow for zooming in to make text bigger

Final thought: This is one of those apps that really could be much better, but one needs to have in their arsenal in any event.
                                     

OKF (v. 2.85) by OrderingApps

 Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This store-specific app allows one to order food from two different establishments in Oakland, California


+App uses "OrderingApps™" a solid platform used by many other establishments
+Solid design and well-thought-out ordering options (all sorts of sandwich toppings are each chosen as an option)

Disclaimer: We didn't actually order anything to fully test the product, due to the great distance between the establishments and our test-site.
                                     

Fins & Scales (v. 2.0.0) by Anthony Angel


Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This unique app allows one to search for a fish type and see if it is a kosher species or not

+Shows fish in two categories as list and allows for search as well
+Excellent FAQ (written by Orthodox Union) sums up relevant kosher fish laws and how one should conduct oneself if they need to purchase fish in a place that doesn't sell exclusively kosher fish

-No source given for list of approved fish

Final thought: It's worth downloading this app for the OU FAQ alone. There one can see that finding out if a particular fish is kosher is not always as simple as knowing its name.  The laws are more complex and there are actual tests one can perform themselves (or watch being performed) to see if the the scales qualify as "kaskeses" according to Jewish law.  This is all described in some detail in the FAQ and is worth reading and having on one's phone in a pinch.

                                     

Milk or Meat (v. 1.3) by Kwazi

Type: Application
Cost: Free (Ad supported)
Overview: We know we use the word "unique" very often, but this app definitely deserves that title.  A quick setup and a quick click and one has kept track of when they last ate fleishigs (meat or basar) for the purposes of waiting until milchigs (dairy or chalav).  A notification sounds when time is up.

+Shows a small icon in the notification area at the top of the screen with a red "meat" indicator the whole time one is waiting until they can eat "milk"
+Allows one to set custom waiting times for both meat to milk or milk to meat
+Easy to use and it works

-Milk to meat time, while customizable, defaults to 30 minutes.  We don't know a halachic source for actually waiting time from eating milk to meat, but there is a source for waiting from hard cheese (defined differently by various poskim, but generally held to be cheese that's aged for more than six months such as Parmesan).  In such cases, one must wait the full length of time they wait for meat, which is often six hours. This "30 minute" default could be confusing. 

Recommendation: Include a brief overview of laws of waiting from meat to milk and vice versa

                                     

chai pizza (v. 2.2) by appsbar adamk


Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview:  Store-specific app doesn't work and frequently crashes


                                     

E Number Knowledge v. 1.0 by Happy Caffeine

 

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This interesting app is designed to decode the "E" numbers typically found on the ingredients panels of European-produced processed foods.  This app decodes those numbers and tells you what that ingredient is

+Has links to Wickipedia to further research what an ingredient is comprised of (on the chemical level) and what it's used for

-Shows symbols for each ingredient "Vegan, Kosher, Halal" but the Kosher indicator is extremely inaccurate.  Shows some items that are almost always non-kosher as "kosher" and also shows other items that are sometimes kosher (with proper supervision" as "kosher." 

Verdict:  As a way to find out if an ingredient is kosher, this app is useless. One who is just curious what certain ingredients are, can find this app quite interesting
                                     

   מאגר תרופות כשרות לפסח

(v. 1.0) by נצר חברה לסחר בע"מ

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Overview: This application shows what medications are kosher for Pesach (Passover).  It is primarily in Hebrew, but it does show results with English and allow English input as well.

+Nice design has index and allows search as well

-Missing medications commonly found in the diaspora

Note:  It would appear that this list is meant for the Israel market and it is not known that the medications listed as acceptable in Israel will necessarily be acceptable in the U.S. or other countries
                                      

Jewish Recipes (v. 1.0) by A N G Soft

Type: Application
Cost: $0.99
Overview: This paid app includes over 100 Jewish-style recipes. 

+Customizable colors, font size, other options; includes day/night feature
+Very easy (and really cool) page-turning software
+Screen stays on feature

-Author's website does not respond

Final analysis:  Recipes are simple and to the point.  There are no pictures or any distractions.  App was a keeper at the end of the day.
Disclaimer: The actual recipes were not tested by us! (yet)
                                     

Kosherquest Approved Symbols (v. 2) by BroadScaler Labs

Type: Application
Cost: $4.99
Overview: This relatively expensive app shows recommended hashgachos (kosher supervising agencies) from many states in the U.S. (approx 85).

+Allows click to call or clikc to show address of hashgacha on map (of dubious usefulness)
+Shows the symbol side-by-side next to the name of the hashgacho

-Missing all hashgachot (reliable or otherwise) from outside the U.S.
-Missing the graphic symbols of many supervising agencies
-One must know the state that the hashgacha originates in in order to look it up.  This is not something a consumer will necessarily know.  (Many -- perhaps a majority -- of hasghachos operate out of their home state)

Final analysis:  There is little here that isn't available for free in the cRc app above -- and they even have international hashgachos as well.  It would have been better to show everything in one long list like the cRc app