Pantry Management Software? [General]

2007 Oct 30
I'm just wondering if anyone here might be geeky enough to use something, and can relate how it works and how much of a geek you have to be to make it work. And of course what you use.

I'm thinking mainly inventory - but maybe there is something else you do with your computer that might work for a geek like me.

e.g. something that will inventory everything I have in the cupboards, freezers, canning shelves and so on. Of course I'd have to update it religiously as I buy stuff and use stuff. But my wife and I are both big geeks and always on our computers so that should not be too difficult.

2007 Oct 30
I've thought about building something like that many times, but always bailed for one reason or another. Ideally, the system should handle bar codes so you could just scan your stuff when it comes into the house and again when it gets used up. On the other hand, this could just be the killer Mac app that I'm destined to write. ;-)

On the other other hand, maybe these guys (www.delicious-monster.com) are already working on it.

I'm curious to see if anyone here already has a solution for this!

2007 Oct 30
Sounds like a good killer app for a foodies site!

EDIT : BTW, bar code readers are just an input device and should not be any different from keyboard input. At least that's how they worked about 14 years ago when I wrote software for the eyeglasses industry which took barcode input. To print barcodes at the time you only needed a barcode font. And to read it nothing since the scanner did the conversion as I recall.

2007 Oct 31
Well if we can add a wish list to this killer app. (just in case either of you decide to give it a try!) then I'd love to see it keep track of what's in the 'fridge and how long they have been open! And maybe list what exactly is in all those tupperware containers in the freezer....

2007 Oct 31
It would also be cool if I could select a list of my in-stock ingredients, click a button and have it give me recipe suggestions!



2007 Oct 31
Yes this software is definitely appealing! I have been using the old fashioned method of pen and paper but had the misfortune recently of carefully updating everything in my freezer after a huge shopping spree at Costco then throwing my list out while cleaning off the kitchen counter. I label everything so identifying baggies is not a problem but when everything is squeezed in the freezer tightly it's hard to tell what's in there... I seem to be more careful with my electronic files than my paper ones! Don't know about the barcodes though since I am too lazy to slap barcodes on my containers. It really is a very easy task and I'm sure lots of other people would find this useful though.

2007 Oct 31
The barcodes wouldn't be something you print out (although that would work too). I meant the barcodes that are already on every single package/can/bottle we buy. When you get home from a grocery trip, you would just do the same as a checkout clerk at a grocery store (minus the weighing). Then, when you finish a package/can of anything, you scan the barcode of the empty package to tell the computer to subtract one from your inventory.

This kind of software isn't rocket science so I'm surprised it isn't available. Something like it already exists for tracking movies, music, and books (the link I posted earlier). Tracking food inventory isn't really any different...

2008 Jan 23
The topic of cooking SW came up on the brewers' list today and someone found this :

www.amazon.com

Not sure if it has pantry management built in though. But for the price it is almost worthwhile grabbing a copy to find out.