Kitchen Stories

Market position

Kitchen Stories operates as a consumer cooking app and content platform with a German base and international reach; the app topped Apple's food category in over 150 countries after launch, has won an Apple Design Award and Apple App Store Best of 2015, the Google Play Design Award 2016 and Apple App Store Editors' Choice recognition, and German press including STERN, Süddeutsche Zeitung and BRIGITTE have commented on the product. Since 2017 it has been majority-owned by the BSH Home Appliances Group.

The platform emphasizes video-first, design-led presentation with step-by-step photography and guided cooking mode, recipes developed and repeatedly tested by in-house professional chefs and food editors, an ad-light interface noted by users, and organizational tools such as multiple personal cookbooks and cross-platform recipe import.

Technology

The product is built around video-based recipe content with HD tutorials and step-by-step photo instructions, a guided cooking mode, search and filtering by difficulty, preparation time and dietary preference, a measurement converter, timers, personalized recommendations, leftover- and pantry-based suggestions, automatically aggregated shopping lists, digital cookbook storage, and one-click import of recipes from external websites and social platforms. Content is distributed across ten platform channels including iOS, Android, web, smart TVs and Amazon Echo Show, and recipes have been offered in 12 languages.

Go-to-market

Distribution is primarily through free app downloads on iOS and Android plus the web, smart TV and voice-assistant channels, supported by editorial content, recipe videos, social media, a newsletter and app-store featuring; monetization is layered on via the Plus subscription, brand partnerships and the online shop.

Home cooks of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced hobby cooks, seeking everyday meal inspiration, baking and technique guidance and meal planning; on the commercial side, consumer brands and companies wanting native placement in front of cooking audiences.

Geography

Headquartered at Storkower Straße 115 in Berlin, Germany, with a single Berlin-based team of more than 70 people; content is distributed internationally, with German- and English-language sites, recipes offered in 12 languages and users worldwide.

History

After the 2013 founding and the early-2014 iOS launch, the app reached one million downloads worldwide in 2015, the year an Android version launched. It collected app awards from Google and Apple in 2016, and Apple CEO Tim Cook visited the Berlin office in 2017. In 2017 the BSH Home Appliances Group became majority shareholder. In 2019 the company moved into a new office with four show kitchens and opened the platform to user-uploaded recipes. Alexander Bauer succeeded Verena Hubertz as Chief Operating Officer in 2020, the year the first cookbook appeared with Penguin Publishers. In 2021 the company was recognized by media as a "Top Employer" and "German Startup Brand," and reported 22 million app downloads worldwide. 2022 brought an app redesign with personalization features and the founding of the Food Alliance, described as Germany's largest native food community. In 2023 Nora Seetge and Alexander Bauer took over as managing directors and the online shop and own spice mixes launched.

Risks & controversies

Content is partly funded by product placement, which the company discloses on its website, and the platform's majority shareholder since 2017 is a home-appliance manufacturer, BSH Home Appliances Group.