Skip to main content

Ingredient icons

Each ingredient has an icon. It shows in the Pantry, the shopping list, recipes, and cook mode.

How the app picks an icon​

The app uses the first rule that applies:

  1. A custom image link that you set.
  2. A bundled icon that you chose.
  3. A bundled icon that matches the ingredient name or one of its aliases.
  4. An empty bowl.

An empty bowl means the app has no icon for that name. In the Pantry and on the shopping list, the bowl looks dimmed with a dashed ring.

Choose an icon​

  1. Open the icon sheet. You can do this three ways:
    • In the Pantry, tap an ingredient, then tap Change icon.
    • On the shopping list, tap the icon in a row.
    • Tap a dimmed bowl.
  2. Type in Search icons, then tap an icon.

Choose Automatic to go back to name matching. To use your own picture, enter an https:// link in the custom image field. If the image does not load, the app shows the automatic icon.

A free-text shopping item has no ingredient, so it cannot have its own icon.

Find ingredients without an icon​

Open Settings. Items without an icon lists every ingredient that shows the empty bowl. Tap Choose icon on a row to pick one. Tap Request an icon to open a prefilled GitHub issue with these names. The app sends nothing until you submit the issue.

Through the API or MCP​

The ingredient field imageUrl holds the choice:

ValueResult
null or emptyAutomatic icon.
A bundled icon name, such as garlicThat icon.
An http:// or https:// linkA custom image.

Any other value fails validation. Use PATCH /ingredients/{id} or ingredient_upsert with action: "update" to set it. The MCP tool list_icons returns the bundled names; its query input filters them.

To add icons to the app, see Contribute.