The 8 Best Accessories for Cooking With Your iPhone or iPad

We’ll always love cookbooks printed on real paper, but the internet offers a whole world of recipes that even the largest physical library can’t hold. From blogs to apps to e-books to this very website, digital recipes are very much the norm. But when you’ve got your iPhone or iPad out in the kitchen, you can’t just leave it flat on the counter, where it’s hard to see and likely to get spilled on. Thankfully, there are lots of accessories available to keep phones and tablets visible, convenient, and protected while you cook.

Best Case

ZUGU CASE 2019 iPad 10.2 Muse Case with Stand

$40 at Amazon

$50 at Best Buy

This magnetic case sticks to your iPad and protects it from impacts (up to a 5-foot drop), but what makes it great for cooking is that it also acts as its own stand: You can flip open the cover and set it on the counter at any of eight viewing angles. There’s a storage compartment in the back for a stylus. It can even stick to the fridge!

The case is super-strong, but its thin profile and black color make it look sleek. (The brand even offers to reimburse repair costs if you manage to crack your protected screen.) This model is compatible with generation 7, 8, and 9 iPads, but Zugu also makes the same case for different types of tablets.

Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches | Weight: 12.5 ounces

Best for iPhone

Courant MAG:2 Essentials

$100 at Amazon

View on Staycourant.com

$100 at Best Buy

A small iPhone is probably even harder than an iPad to keep track of while cooking, but this stylish stand can hold one steady and charge it wirelessly at the same time. An iPhone 12 or later will snap in place magnetically on the vertical pad, while a horizontal one on the back will hold and charge AirPods or any other device that uses the Qi standard. (You can also unplug it and have a cordless magnetic phone holder, but it won’t charge.)

The MAG:2 Essentials is fairly expensive, but we love its linen-look, and the fact that it’s sold in three different colors. You can also take a step up in luxury with the MAG:2 Classics line, made of leather and available in five shades.

Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.2 x 4.7 inches | Weight: 1 pound

Best Mounting System

Vogel’s iPad and Tablet Wall Mount

$51 at Amazon

View on Vogels.com

Vogel’s simple but secure mounting system is a secure way to hold an iPad (or other tablet) pretty much anywhere. Once you’ve attached the base to your iPad, you can snap it onto any of the brand’s brackets. This package includes two slim mounts that stick to walls, cabinets, or any flat surface, which means you can set one up in the kitchen and the other on a car dashboard for navigation assistance, or in a bathroom to use while you soak in the tub. (The company also makes other bracket styles designed to move and rotate in different ways.)

We’d suggest installing this bracket at eye level in the kitchen to prevent the hassle of constantly craning over your counter to read a recipe. Vogel’s system fits tablets measuring 7 inches to 13 inches, with a thickness of 0.2 to 0.5 inches, which includes many iPad and iPad Pro models as well as Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Google Pixel Tablets, Amazon Fires, and more. Installing the stick-on wall mounts doesn’t require any tools, and they let you rotate your tablet 360 degrees, from landscape to portrait mode. You can’t, however, tilt the tablet forward or back; it can only sit straight up and down.

Compatible tablet sizes: 7-13 inches (screen), 0.2-0.5 inches (thickness) | Includes: tablet mount, 2 wall mounts

Best Cutting Board Stand

CTA Digital Bamboo Cutting Board for iPad

$30 at B&H Photo Video

$25 at Adorama.com

This surprisingly inexpensive package puts basically everything you need for cooking with your iPad in one place. It’s a good-sized bamboo cutting board, with a slot in the back built to hold a phone or tablet up to 9.5 inches wide. But it’s also a knife block, with slots cut in either side of the board to hold up to eight knives. And on top of that, it comes with a removable transparent screen shield to protect your devices from spills and scraps.

Like any bamboo cutting board, this one does take a little maintenance, though. It’s not dishwasher-safe, and you should dry it right after hand-washing to avoid warping. It’s also a good idea to apply some mineral oil occasionally to keep it from drying out.

Dimensions: 15.6 x 12.9 x 0.8 inches | Weight: 3.3 pounds

Best Screen Protector

STARY Like Paper Screen Protector

$13 at Amazon

Bringing a tablet or smartphone into the kitchen can be risky: Errant splashes might short out the expensive electronics, and greasy fingers can smear up the screen. Stary’s reusable screen protector solves that problem with a thin, transparent surface that snaps into place easily using the iPad’s built-in magnets. When you’re done cooking, you can remove the screen protector, rinse it off, and dry for next time. (It’s also magnetic on only one side, so you can use it along with a magnetic case or stand and not worry about fit issues.)

The Stary protector is compatible with a stylus, and artists praise its paper-like texture for drawing. It also blocks blue light and glare to make the screen easier to read. Just make sure you choose the correct size—there are five different magnetic protectors for five different sets of iPad models at the link above.

Best Floor Stand

CTA Digital Compact Security Gooseneck Floor Stand

$30 at Amazon

This versatile stand lets you keep your iPad stable, visible, and protected no matter where you’re cooking. You can set it up in the kitchen, next to the grill, at a campsite, or really anywhere there’s a reasonably flat spot on the ground. The telescoping stand stretches to as tall as 57 inches, and there’s a foot-long gooseneck at the end that’s flexible and rotatable. The adjustable tablet holder can also accommodate any model with a screen size between 7 and 13 inches.

Plus, whether you’re cooking or not, this device will replace a tripod for taking beautiful photos, videos, or other content to impress on social media.

Compatible tablet sizes: 7-13 inches | Dimensions: 24 x 24 x 57 inches | Weight: 3.8 pounds

Best Stylus

Adonit Mark Stylus

$10 at Amazon

$20 at Walmart

You might need to scroll a recipe or navigate to a new app while you’re cooking, and this inexpensive stylus keeps your wet, slippery, or dirty fingers away from the screen. It has no batteries or Bluetooth connection to worry about; it’s simply an aluminum tool with a mesh tip that’s compatible with any kind of touchscreen, from tablets and phones to fancy ovens or other kitchen appliances. That also means you can rinse it off in the sink after cooking. But perhaps the most clever thing about this stylus is that it can’t roll away: Its triangular profile stays put on the countertop much better than a perfectly round one.

Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches | Weight: 0.8 ounces

Best Swivel Stand

Nite Ize Steelie Tabletop Stand

$27 at Amazon

View on Acmetools.com

A flexible stand that can tilt and turn with ease, this magnetic dock moves in every direction and angle—and it can work with just about any model of phone or tablet. You’ll need a separate socket that attaches to your device, and then it will snap to this stand that can be set up on any flat surface, vertical or horizontal. You can attach it to a countertop or wall for optimal positioning no matter your kitchen’s layout.

The Steelie socket is also compatible with a variety of other mounting options from Night Ize, which come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are designed for the car, office, and home.

Dimensions: 3 x 0.3 x 0.3 inches | Weight: 4.9 ounces

What to Look for When Buying iPhone and iPad Cooking Accessories

Size

There are dozens of different iPhones and iPads, all in different shapes and sizes. Some accessories can adjust to accommodate various measurements, while others work only with specific models. Make sure to check your devices to be sure they’ll fit with the item you’re considering buying. Keep in mind that most brands make multiple versions of the same product made for different phones and tablets, so check for alternatives if you find something that won’t fit your device.

Compatibility

Some accessories have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections, and others can charge your devices while you use them—as long as your phone or tablet is compatible. Different iPhones and iPads use different wireless charging standards, cables, and other connectors, and you’ll need to make sure yours will work with your cooking accessory. Thankfully, most product listings give a pretty extensive list of compatible models.

Placement

Every kitchen is different, so you’ll want to choose accessories that fit the space you have available. Every inch of space matters in a small kitchen; consider a wall- or fridge-mounted iPad holder. An under-the-cupboard mount can also be convenient if it doesn’t get in the way while you’re preparing food or cooking. A stand mount that you can move around may be a good bet for kitchens with ample space. Think about where you’re going to store the accessories when not in use as well.

FAQs

How do I protect my iPhone or iPad when cooking?

Things can get messy in the kitchen, but there are several ways to keep your digital device clean. Elevating it off the counter will keep the delicate electronics away from spills, and a stylus can help interact with the screen without physically touching it. (If you do need to use your hands, be sure to wipe them on a kitchen towel before you touch the screen.) A screen protector that covers the glass but still allows touch interaction is also a good choice, and generally an inexpensive one—you can even seal your device in a zip-top bag for a quick-and-dirty alternative.

Don’t forget that you can also use voice commands; Siri, Alexa, Google, and their cousins will look up unit conversions for you, or even read recipes out loud. Finally, keep your devices well away from burners, ovens, and hot cookware: A phone or tablet can be damaged by ambient temperatures over just 100 degrees.

What’s the best way to display recipes on the iPhone or iPad while cooking?

By default, most phones and tablets automatically lock and turn off the screen after a few idle minutes, partly for security and partly to save battery. But if you’re elbow-deep kneading pizza dough, you don’t want to have to unlock your phone with flour-covered hands. For iOS devices, you can change how long the screen will stay on—or turn off auto-lock completely—in the Display & Brightness section of the settings menu. (Most other phones and tablets should have a similar option in a similar location.) Just make sure to turn auto-lock back on when you’re done cooking!

How else can you use an iPhone or iPad in the kitchen?

Twenty-first-century technology is finding all kinds of ways to link phones and tablets to cooking appliances. There are versions of everything from ovens and smokers to blenders and thermometers that you can monitor and control via app. These apps often also include specialized recipes, or even fully automated programs for making specific dishes.