Monday, July 29, 2013

AirTurn Controls Kitchen Cook Book

by James Kloepper

As an amateur musician (Dulcimer and Harmonica) I enjoy using the AirTurn Bluetooth Remote and Pedals with OnSong App on my iPad to organize and view my chord charts and sheet music.

In addition to music, cooking is a passion for me. I discovered I could simplify my life in the kitchen and be more productive by applying the same method used to organize and display sheet music or chord charts to recipes in the kitchen.

Using the AirTurn with the iPad and OnSong for my cook book has many advantages, which are listed below:

  • Allows hands free scrolling, turning of the recipe pages and moving back and forth between different recipes. (Four pedals required for the most features) 
  • Eliminates the cookbook and stand from the counter top. 
  • Places the recipes at eye level so they are easier to read. 
  • Allows zooming in on the recipe section which makes it easier to see small print for older eyes. 
  • Recipes may be organized into sets, with all the recipes for a dinner or meal grouped together. (The recipe book may be further organized into groups like Vegetables, Poultry, Fish and Sea Food, Deserts, etc) 
  • Allows making notes on the recipes of any changes made while cooking. 
  • Protects expensive cookbooks from stains, finger prints, and wear and tear. 
  • Minimizes clutter when using recipes from more than one cookbook at a time. 

Like many home cooks I have a collection PDF files of my favorite recipes on my computer. PDF files are compatible with OnSong an iPad app for musicians. The PDF recipes are uploaded to OnSong through iTunes. In OnSong I created a Recipes "Book" folder to keep all the recipes separate from my music. When I have a dinner to prepare I create a Menu "Set List" which contains all the recipes included in the dinner menu. This is especially helpful for holiday meals which often require a large number of recipes.

Once I have the set list made there are settings in OnSong which easily allow you to pair the AirTurn and pedals to connect to the ipad for turning the pages of the Dinner Menu Set List.

If I make a change in a recipe while cooking I can add a note to the recipe indicating the changes for future reference. Only AirTurn allows you to toggle between the keyboard function and bluetooth pedal page control seamlessly. Keep a towel handy to wipe your hands if you need to actually touch the ipad to make entries while you are cooking.

If you have a flatbed scanner you can digitize pages to PDF files from you favorite cookbooks and then import them to OnSong to use in your Recipe Book.

Here's what you need:

  • iPad – Apple Store
  • OnSong App – Download from the iTunes App Store
  • AirTurn BT-105 or DIGIT and 2 or 4 foot pedals - I recommend the 4-pedal model so you can turn and scroll pages independently
  • Cabinet Mount for iPadI recommend the Tournez Wall/Cabinet Mount from The Joy Factory