I love to start my mornings by scrolling through Snapchat’s Discover page. Getting my daily dose of Cosmopolitan and Buzzfeed is almost as important as that first cup of coffee to get me going.
Out of all the interesting Discover pages out there, though, the food-related ones are among my favorites. They’re my go-to’s whenever I’m bored, hungry or looking to go down the dark hole of visually appealing bird’s eye recipe videos that will probably leave me even hungrier than when I started. But that got me thinking: if we could only have one food-related Snapchat story to indulge in, which one would reign supreme?
To set the record straight on which food-based Snapchat Discover page deserves the top prize, I decided to compare the Tastemade and Food Network stories in the categories of graphics, recipes, tips and tricks, and videos.
Let the battle of the social media food accounts begin…
1. Graphics
Not gonna lie, there is something really great about seeing weird, food-related graphics when I’m procrastinating. The humor is always there to comfort me, especially during finals week (right now).
But there is a noticeable difference between Tastemade and Food Network graphics. In general, Food Network goes for creative covers for its articles with cool fonts and transitions reminiscent of my dope middle school science class Power Point presentations, while Tastemade is more likely to use cartoon pizzas and food-related art for article transitions.
In the end, you’ll probably think that Food Network’s graphics are a little bit more sophisticated. They’re colorful, classy and clean. That said, I’m a big fan of food puns and food comics, no matter how immature, so Tastemade wins this one for me.
2. Recipes
Recipes are a hard one. Some people have tons of kitchen knowledge and have perfected Giada DiLaurentis’ lasagna or Ina Garten’s old school chocolate chip cookies. Other people don’t really know much about cooking (hello, from yours truly) and usually judge a recipe based on whether it seems like it would taste good or is a cool idea.
In terms of recipes, Tastemade is pretty seasonal. The channel had an Ursula-themed paella for Halloween. It looked incredible, but I’m confident that I would never be able to make it. On the other hand, Food Network usually features more practical seasonal recipes that anyone can make: Halloween candy bark, monster apple slices and oreo cookie butter, to name a few.
Because Food Network features recipes that are so much more user-friendly, it earns the recipe point.
3. Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks is the section that most directly judges Tastemade and Food Network on their originality. Tastemade’s tips are often centered around spicing up everyday favorites: black velvet instead of red velvet, easy ramen hacks and inventive hot chocolate add-ins, for example.
The “Splurge” page of Food Network’s story is often full of interesting tips on how to get the most out of a certain food item. For example, “Splurge” might feature 10 ways to incorporate peanut butter into your Thanksgiving spread. The page does a good job of showing many different kinds of eating experiences, while offering strategies that are both inventive and practical.
Food Network takes the win here again.
4. Videos
Videos can be risky in the high-speed world of Snapchat stories. Creators runs the risk of losing their audience if they have to watch a super long video to get to the point.
Tastemade really likes video content. The channel’s “Tiny Kitchen” and “Cookie the News” sections rely on the watcher’s patience and curiosity, and yet they still end up being really entertaining. “Tiny Kitchen” features a miniature replica of a kitchen where someone bakes tiny versions of your favorite treats using a candle as the oven, while “Cookie the News” includes an incredible icing artist decorating cookies that match newsworthy events. Both of these sections are creative and fun ideas to get people to actually pay attention to longer video content.
Beyond the occasional pancake art video or guest chef, Food Network doesn’t use very much video content, instead filling its channel with articles and listicles.
Tastemade takes the risk, and the win, in this round.
Overall
The way I see it, Tastemade is more in touch with the creative 21st century and focuses on delivering new, interesting content. The articles and videos on the channel go out of their way to be funny, even if the recipes and tips aren’t always practical for most viewers.
On the other hand, Food Network is generally a lot more practical. The page occasionally features chefs making real recipes that are easy and inexpensive. Content is focused on eating, less as an indulgent culinary experience and more as a institution that needs to be in line with a consumer’s needs and budget.
So if you’re a little more interested in seeing awesome recipes but not actually making them yourself, Tastemade is more your speed. But if you like bringing ideas straight from Snapchat into your own life, I recommend Food Network.
Winner: Tastemade
Since I’m a college student with limited access to a kitchen anyways, I’m always more interested in seeing incredible food being made and then daydreaming about being able to make it myself one day. Tastemade indulges me on that front, so they take the cake this time around.