So after being continuously disappointed by the low quality of the current e-juice recipe sites (not JuiceDB, but the ones with recipe calculators), I've decided to make my own.
So far the following are done:
- Basic recipe handling per user
- Copying recipes into your own list
- List of official flavours and manufacturers (one of the biggest problem with e-liquid-recipes.com is that the flavours are so f*cked up...)
- Sending in flavour and manufacturer recommendations (to be added as official, after review)
- Log in system (using OAuth 2.0, you can register with your e-mail, FB, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account)
The UI is still being worked on, and it is on a non-public server, being tested by a few friends. So far, it can easily handle 50.000 recipes (test recipes randomly generated), 10.000 flavours and 1000 manufacturers.
I'm planning to implement the following:
- Voting system for recipe of the day/week/month
- Elevated user rights for well-known members of the community, who would be writing reviews on recipes they tried (also recommended single flavour percentage, based on PG-VG ratio)
- Sharing to FB/Twitter
- Uploading pictures
- Separating original and copy-recipes (the latter being when someone "clones" an existing recipe for their own use. Clone recipes will have the same name, but different ID, and will show up as variations of the original recipe, thus making a search for "TPA Strawberry Bliss" return only one hit, with e.g. 5-6 modified recipes)
- Clone section (same as the Clone Recipe Thread here on Reddit)
What else would you like to see in this system? What would your dream recipe builder have as a feature, what would its (visual) structure be? A step-by-step "wizard" or a control panel?
The ability to input your flavor arsonal into a database/spreadsheet, then have a program compile a list of recipes that you are able to make based off your inventory of flavors.
For example, I have a list of 22 different flavors from different manufacturers, but I want to know what I can make with only those flavors. I would love if I could sort by rating/popularity.
~~This feature isn't available in the other recipe websites, which could help you stand out.~~
/u/Theodorist pointed out that ELR does have this feature.
> This feature isn't available in the other recipe websites, which could help you stand out.
What about ELR? They have it.
You can use ELR but the results don't omit the flavors you don't have. so lets say you have 3 specific flavors, you run a search, and it will find every recipe that has 1 of your flavors, even if the recipe calls for more flavors that you don't have.
If you click on "What can I make?" it will show recipes that only contain the flavors you have in your stash. I think what you're talking about, is "Search by flavor stash", where you can pick flavors from your stash, but which does not show the recipes you can make.
Import/export capability. I use the Recipe Calculator from the sidebar and have way too many recipes to copy over one at a time. Being able to take/add recipes back into the calculator would be handy too. This is probably the biggest thing keeping me from using an online recipe site. Bonus points if I can import my 200+ flavors inventory.
Mixing by weight. Some people would want specific weights for each flavor. I like to assume 1ml=1g for mine. An option for both would keep people happy.
Searching for recipes based on inventory. This I consider a must. Even better if it brings up recipes you have ~75% of the flavorings for. Not that I need another reason to order more flavorings but, you know... :P
Mobile friendly. to get me away from my current calculator and a computer, it must be accessible from my phone. Ability to check off ingredients as I add them to keep from losing my place while mixing is a plus.
That's what I can think of for now but I'm sure there's more. :)
Import/Export
Export is easy, I already designed the whole system as a server-presenter (a REST API backend which can be called with ease, and the frontend). Exporting will be pretty much querying the given users' recipes and exporting the JSON response as a file.
Importing would work with the same format, BUT. It won't work (easily) with other tools' formats. It can be done, but it won't be in the first few iterations.
Mixing by weight
I can see the complications with this. Of course, setting a g/ml rate for each ingredient is an option, but that's more, in cases unnecessary, data to transfer.
Recipe search based on inventory
See I forgot to mention this in the original post. It is already being planned, though I will have to set a better "percentage" for it - say you have 8 flavours, and there's a recipe with 3 flavours, of which you have two, but would buy the third. In that case, it would give you the recipe. It has to be planned well, so that won't be in the first iteration either.
Mobile friendly
As I mentioned, the site is set up in two parts - the back-end will be there for all to use, not just a single website. There will be mobile apps using Apache Cordova, and of course the main site will be mobile-friendly too (actually the Cordova apps will be just a local copy of the site's mobile friendly part).
I do not understand your sentence > Ability to check off ingredients as I add them to keep from losing my place while mixing is a plus. Please explain what you mean by this!
> I do not understand your sentence > > > > Ability to check off ingredients as I add them to keep from losing my place while mixing is a plus. Please explain what you mean by this!
If there was a checkbox or similar that could toggle an indication that I have finished with that ingredient... highlighting or similar. I've got some recipes that have 10+ ingredients and it only takes a moment of distraction (phone rings, someone at door, etc.) and I'm wondering if I added ingredient #4 or not. A visual representation that I could toggle when done could help with that.
EDIT: Just wanted to warn you of the wall of text :-)
I see the need for this as well. I have an idea in mind for a solution for it that might also fix another issue: Recipes based on percentage that are NOT locked in by a default mL size. e-liquid-recipes.com has an "adapt" button that can allow you to copy your recipe with a different size; however, that size is then fixed. Sometimes I want to mix 30 mL of a recipe, other times 60 mL, maybe 10 or 15 mL if I'm just sampling something.
My thoughts are that recipes should be based SOLELY on Percentages, and that there is a button called "Craft!" or something similar that then takes you to a new page/window where you can input the bottle size to be used. This of course should have a default setting that can be entered in a person's profile--for example, 30 mL is my most common volume, so I want my recipes to be listed as 30 mL by default.
On this new page, you could add checkboxes that, when selected, Strike through the ingredient on this 'Craft!' page output. It would also be nice to be able to see my "Craft!" history and to determine -just how much- I spent in terms of volume and price in the previous month based on when I hit the Craft! button...a log of sorts. As it stands, this would be a good way to tell how much money you are truly saving compared to buying juice from the store.
In regards to Mixing by Weight...1g=1mL is a fine general assumption; however, it's not always the truth. The option to enter a specific g/mL IS necessary, and it should be maintained on the flavor page itself. I think that assumption is fine for every flavor to begin with, but if users want to update the value, they need to provide a specific source of how they determined that weight/volume ratio (possibly a link/quote from the manufacturer)?
Scattered thoughts, but the Cost feature is an incredible addition. The ONLY thing holding e-liquid-recipes back is its lack of Ingredient naming control. Otherwise, it's an incredible system, and the price point is perfect (free).
I really enjoy Juice Calculator's cost feature. I don't know exactly how you'll be setting your site up, but if that's something you could implement, I'd at least give it a shot.
As it will be targeting not just a singular country or shop, I think it would be misleading. Of course a general "rule of thumb" kind of cost calculator could be implemented (or a per-recipe cost, e.g. for each ingredient, type in the cost per ml).
I meant we could plug in our costs/size for each flavor in the recipe and it would calculate the cost per batch of whatever size chosen. Hopefully that make at least a bit of sense.
ELR supports this :) Batches will be implemented at a later time, but for now, you can see what a mix costs you.
There should be preference settings for things like desired VG/PG, VG/PG content of nic base, desired nic strength, etc, so when you go to create a recipe, the forms are filled out to your liking, so all you would need to do is input batch size and flavors. 95% of the time these variables are the same for me.
Have a static page listing all flavors, and organized by vendor. Properly named and only ONE VERSION (I'm looking at you ejuice calc with 17 versions of the same flavor because of typos and formatting!)
Not only will they all be clickable so you can search for recipes containing that specific flavor but they will have checkmarks next to them so you can go down the list, and at the bottom a button labeled "add to library" or some such, that will auto add all of those flavors into my own personal collection
In my own flavor list, also linked flavors like above, and also checkmarks.. but this time the checkmarks serve the purpose to create a recipe and auto load them into the calculator so that all you have to add at that point is the percentages