Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how Spoon and Simmer uses them, and what choices you have when it comes to managing them. We know cookie notices can feel like small print nobody reads, but we would rather be upfront: this page walks through it in plain language, alongside our broader Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, so you always know what is happening behind the scenes when you visit us for a new dinner idea or a slow cooker recipe.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device — computer, tablet, or phone — when you visit it. They help the site remember information about your visit, such as your preferred language, whether you have seen a certain notice before, or which pages you looked at. Cookies are not able to run programs or deliver viruses, and they cannot access other files on your device. They simply carry small pieces of data back and forth between your browser and the site.

How We Use Cookies

Spoon and Simmer is a recipe and food content site, and cookies help us keep the experience smooth — whether you are scaling a batch of gnocchi chicken pot pie, saving a beef stew recipe to try later, or scrolling through dessert ideas for the weekend. Broadly speaking, we use cookies for four purposes:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function properly, such as loading pages correctly, remembering basic settings, and keeping the site secure.
• Preference cookies — remember choices you have made, like dismissing a cookie banner, so you are not asked repeatedly.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand which recipes and categories are popular, how visitors move through the site, and where we can improve. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.
• Marketing and affiliate cookies — used by advertising partners and affiliate programs to show relevant content or track referrals when you click a link that leads to a product or ingredient we mention.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the site to operate. Without them, basic features like page navigation, security checks, and stable loading of recipe pages would not work correctly. Because they are essential, they cannot be switched off through our own site settings, though you can still block them through your browser if you choose (more on that below).

Preference Cookies

These remember small choices you make while browsing, such as whether you have already seen our cookie notice or certain display preferences. They make repeat visits smoother but are not critical to the site working — you can disable them without losing core functionality.

Analytics Cookies

We use analytics tools to understand, in general terms, how many people visit certain pages, which recipes get the most attention, and how long visitors typically stay. This helps us decide what to write about next — for instance, whether more soup recipes or seasonal baking ideas are worth prioritizing. Analytics data is reviewed in aggregate and is not used to identify any individual visitor.

Marketing and Affiliate Cookies

Some pages on Spoon and Simmer include links to kitchen tools, ingredients, or products we genuinely recommend. When these are affiliate links, cookies may be used to track that a purchase came through our site, which can earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full details on how this works are explained in our Affiliate Disclaimer and Disclosure pages. If you arrive here from or share our content on Pinterest, our Pinterest Disclaimer covers how that platform’s own tracking may apply separately from ours.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our site are placed by third parties, not by Spoon and Simmer directly. These may come from analytics providers, advertising networks, or embedded content such as social media buttons. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie practices, which we do not control. We encourage you to review their policies if you want more detail on how they handle data, and to check our own Privacy Policy for a fuller picture of how information is collected and shared across the site.

Consent and Your Choices

When you first visit Spoon and Simmer, you may see a banner asking for your consent to non-essential cookies. You can accept all, reject non-essential ones, or adjust your preferences where such controls are offered. Essential cookies do not require consent since the site cannot function properly without them. You are always free to change your mind later by clearing your cookies and revisiting your settings.

Managing or Disabling Cookies in Your Browser

Most browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings menu. You can generally choose to block all cookies, block only third-party cookies, or delete existing cookies after each session. Keep in mind that blocking essential cookies may affect how well the site displays or functions, including recipe pages, search, and saved preferences. Popular browsers all publish their own step-by-step instructions for managing cookies, so check the help section of whichever browser you use for the most current guidance.

How Long Cookies Last

Some cookies are temporary and disappear once you close your browser (session cookies), while others remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them manually (persistent cookies). Retention periods vary depending on the purpose of the cookie — essential and preference cookies are typically shorter-lived, while analytics and marketing cookies may persist longer to recognize returning visitors.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the tools we use, legal requirements, or how our site operates. Any changes will be posted on this page, so we encourage checking back occasionally. For a broader understanding of how we handle content and data together, you may also want to read our Editorial Policy and Disclaimer.

Questions?

If anything here is unclear, or if you would like more information about how cookies are used on Spoon and Simmer, feel free to reach out through our Contact page or email us directly at [email protected]. We are happy to explain further and always open to feedback on how we can be clearer.