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Quickstart

This guide will walk you through parsing your first recipe and exploring Mizen’s core features.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
  • A recipe URL or image to parse
  • (Optional) A Groq API key for AI-powered features
Mizen works without an API key for recipes with JSON-LD structured data, but AI enrichment (cuisine tags, storage guidance, ingredient descriptions) requires a Groq API key.

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Step 1: Launch Mizen

Navigate to the Mizen homepage. You’ll see a clean landing page with the tagline “Clean recipes, calm cooking.” The search bar accepts two input types:
  • Recipe URLs - The default mode (link icon)
  • Recipe images - Click the chevron icon to switch modes

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Step 2: Parse a recipe from URL

Let’s start by parsing a recipe from a website.
1

Enter a recipe URL

Paste any recipe URL into the search bar. You can paste the full URL or just the domain path:
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipe/garlic-noodles
Or use the shorthand:
seriouseats.com/recipe/garlic-noodles
Mizen automatically adds the protocol and validates the URL.
2

Click 'Parse Recipe'

Once you enter a valid URL, the “Parse Recipe” button appears. Click it to start parsing.You’ll see a loading animation with three phases:
  • Gathering resources (0-30%) - Fetching and validating the URL
  • Reading the recipe (30-90%) - Extracting ingredients and instructions
  • Plating (90-100%) - Finalizing metadata and enrichment
3

View your parsed recipe

After parsing completes (usually 2-5 seconds), you’ll be redirected to the recipe page with:
  • Recipe title and author
  • Prep, cook, and total time
  • Servings controls for scaling
  • Grouped ingredients with descriptions
  • Step-by-step instructions with titles
  • Cuisine tags
  • Storage and plating guidance
If parsing fails, check that:
  • The URL is accessible and contains a recipe
  • The website isn’t behind a paywall
  • Your internet connection is stable

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Step 3: Parse a recipe from an image

Mizen can also extract recipes from photos.
1

Switch to image mode

Click the chevron icon (▼) in the search bar to switch from URL mode to image mode. The icon changes from a link to an image icon.
2

Upload a recipe image

Click “Upload recipe image” to open your file picker. Select a photo of:
  • A recipe card
  • A cookbook page
  • A handwritten recipe
  • A screenshot of a recipe
Image requirements:
  • Format: JPEG, PNG, or other common image formats
  • Size: Maximum 10MB
  • Quality: Clear, readable text works best
3

Preview and parse

After selecting an image, you’ll see a preview. Click “Parse Recipe from Image” to extract the recipe.Image parsing takes slightly longer than URL parsing (5-10 seconds) as the AI vision model reads and interprets the text.
4

Review extracted data

The AI extracts:
  • Recipe title
  • Full ingredient list with amounts and units
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Any visible timing information
If the image quality is poor or text is unclear, some data may be incomplete.

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Step 4: Scale ingredients

Now that you have a parsed recipe, let’s adjust the servings.
1

Find the servings controls

At the top of the ingredients section, you’ll see two controls:
  • Yield: Adjust the number of servings (1-10)
  • Scale: Apply a multiplier (1x, 2x, 3x)
2

Adjust servings

Click the + or - buttons to change servings:
  • Original recipe: 4 servings
  • Adjusted: 6 servings (1.5x multiplier)
All ingredient amounts update instantly:
Original: 2 cups flour
Scaled:   3 cups flour

Original: 1½ tsp salt
Scaled:   2¼ tsp salt
3

Apply scale multiplier

Use the scale pills to double or triple the recipe:
  • 1x: Original amounts
  • 2x: Double all ingredients
  • 3x: Triple all ingredients
The multiplier works in combination with servings adjustments.
4

Reset to original

Click the servings number to reset both servings and multiplier to the original recipe values.
Mizen handles complex fractions and ranges intelligently:
  • Mixed numbers: 1½ → 3 when doubled
  • Ranges: 2-3 cups → 4-6 cups when doubled
  • Unicode fractions: ¼, ½, ¾ display correctly

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Step 5: Follow instructions

The recipe instructions are displayed as titled steps for easy navigation. Instruction format: 
1. Prepare the ingredients
   Wash and chop all vegetables. Mince the garlic and ginger.
   Set aside in separate bowls.

2. Heat the pan
   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high
   heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
Each step has:
  • A title summarizing the action (“Prepare the ingredients”)
  • A detail section with full instructions
  • (Optional) Timer information if the step includes timing
  • (Optional) Tips for technique notes
Using step timers: If a step includes timing (“Simmer for 20 minutes”), a timer control appears:
  1. Click Start to begin the countdown
  2. The timer shows remaining time (MM:SS)
  3. Click Pause to stop temporarily
  4. Click Reset to return to the original time
  5. An alert sounds when the timer reaches zero
Multiple timers can run simultaneously for recipes with parallel cooking steps.

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Step 6: Access recent recipes

Your parsed recipes are automatically saved for quick access.
1

Return to homepage

Click the Mizen logo or navigate to the homepage.
2

Search recent recipes

Start typing in the search bar to see matching recipes from your history:
  • Type “pasta” to find all pasta recipes
  • Type “chicken” to find chicken dishes
The dropdown shows:
  • Recipe title
  • Brief description
  • Date parsed
3

Open a saved recipe

Click any recipe in the dropdown to load it instantly—no re-parsing needed.
Cuisine filtering: If recipes have cuisine tags, you can filter by cuisine type:
  • Italian, French, Mediterranean
  • Korean, Japanese, Chinese
  • Mexican, Indian, Hawaiian

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Understanding recipe metadata

Mizen enriches recipes with AI-generated metadata: Ingredient descriptions: Each ingredient includes a brief explanation: 
Gochujang (2 tablespoons)
"Adds spicy-sweet depth and fermented complexity"
Substitutions: See alternative ingredients: 
Heavy cream (½ cup)
Substitutions: coconut cream, half-and-half
Storage guidance: Learn how to store leftovers: 
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator
Shelf life: 3 days in fridge, 30 days in freezer
Plating notes: Get serving suggestions: 
Serving vessel: Shallow bowl
Serving temp: Hot
Notes: Garnish with fresh herbs and grated parmesan. Serve
immediately for best texture.

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Troubleshooting

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Recipe doesn’t parse

Problem: The parser returns “No recipe found” Solutions:
  • Verify the URL contains a recipe (not a recipe index page)
  • Check if the site requires JavaScript to load content
  • Try a different recipe from the same site
  • Use image mode to upload a screenshot instead

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Ingredients not scaling correctly

Problem: Ingredient amounts don’t update when adjusting servings Solutions:
  • The original recipe may have “as needed” amounts that don’t scale
  • Ranges (2-3 cups) scale both minimum and maximum
  • Reset to original servings and try again

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Image parsing fails

Problem: Uploaded image doesn’t extract a recipe Solutions:
  • Ensure text is clear and readable (not blurry or too small)
  • Try taking a new photo with better lighting
  • Use a higher resolution image if available
  • Manually verify the image contains visible ingredient amounts and instructions

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Missing AI features

Problem: No cuisine tags, descriptions, or storage guidance Solutions:
  • Configure a Groq API key in .env.local: 
    GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key_here
  • Get a free API key at console.groq.com
  • Accept model terms in the Groq playground if you see rate limit errors
Without a Groq API key, Mizen falls back to JSON-LD-only parsing, which doesn’t include AI enrichment features.

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Next steps

You’ve successfully parsed and scaled your first recipe! Here’s what to explore next:
  • Parse recipes from your favorite cooking sites
  • Upload family recipe cards to digitize them
  • Adjust servings for meal prep or scaling recipes
  • Use built-in timers while cooking
  • Build your personal recipe collection
Happy cooking with Mizen!

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