Lesson 1 of 14 · Basics · 3 minutes
What is an AI model?
An AI model is a computer program that has read an enormous amount of text: books, websites, recipes, letters. From all that reading it learned how words usually follow each other, so it can write new text that fits what you ask. It doesn't look answers up in a book; it writes them fresh every time, a bit like a baker who knows thousands of recipes by heart.
Models are ovens
In GrannyBakes every AI model is an oven. You put in your ingredients (your message), the oven bakes, and out comes an answer. Your bakers (AI helpers) always bake in one of these ovens. Changing the oven changes how fast, how clever and how pricey the result is, but the recipe card stays yours.
Why are there so many?
The company that runs the ovens is called the provider. Today GrannyBakes works with OpenAI. Like a kitchen shop, a provider sells big ovens and small ones:
- Big ovens are cleverer and better at tricky jobs, but slower and dearer.
- Small ovens are quick and cost a tiny fraction, and they are great at everyday jobs like short emails.
- Thinking ovens (reasoning models) stop and think before they answer, which helps with puzzles and planning.
Here is the same request baked in three real ovens. Look at the time and the cost under each answer:
The message Write a short, kind email to a customer whose cake order will be one day late.
Real answers from GrannyBakes' model demos. Same instructions and message for every oven.
GPT-6 Luna
Small, quick and very cheapInstructions sent
You help a small family bakery write to its customers.
Subject: Update on Your Cake Order
Hi [Customer Name],
I’m so sorry, but your cake will be ready one day later than planned, on [new date]. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your understanding. Please let us know if this causes any inconvenience.
Warmly,
[ Bakery Name ]2.8 s · 39 in / 95 out tokens · 25 of them thinking · $0.000051
GPT-5.6 Sol
A big, careful writerInstructions sent
You help a small family bakery write to its customers.
Subject: An Update on Your Cake Order
Hi [Customer Name],
We’re sorry, but your cake order will be ready one day later than planned, on [new date]. We understand this may be inconvenient and truly appreciate your patience.
Please let us know if the new date causes any issues.
Warmly,
[Your Bakery Name]2.0 s · 39 in / 73 out tokens · $0.0016
o3
A thinker: it reasons before it writesInstructions sent
You help a small family bakery write to its customers.
Subject: A quick update on your cake order
Dear [Customer Name],
I’m so sorry to let you know that your custom cake will arrive one day later than planned, on [new date]. An unexpected equipment hiccup slowed us down this morning, but the cake is already back in the oven and will be baked fresh for you.
We know timing is important, so if the new delivery date won’t work, just reply to this email or call us at [phone] and we’ll make it right. To thank you for your patience, we’ll include a 15 % refund (applied automatically) as well as a little box of assorted cookies with your order.
Thank you for understanding and for supporting our family bakery. We look forward to sweetening your day very soon!
Warmly,
[Your Name]
[Bakery Name]3.2 s · 39 in / 424 out tokens · 192 of them thinking · $0.0035
All three emails are fine. The small oven cost about a thirtieth of the big writer and a seventieth of the thinker, which also took the longest. That is the most common surprise: for everyday writing, a small oven is often all you need.
Granny's ratings
Every oven on the ModelsModels page has three ratings from 1 to 5: smarts (how clever), speed (how quickly it answers) and wallet (5 means cheapest). They are Granny's own scores to help you compare, not numbers from the provider.
What an oven knows
An oven learned from text up to a certain day, called its knowledge cutoff. It doesn't know what happened after that unless you tell it, or unless a utensil (tool) reads a web page for it. It can also sound sure and still be wrong, so check facts that matter.
Picking an oven
Start with a small, cheap oven. If the answers aren't good enough, try a bigger one in the Test KitchenTest Kitchen, where you can compare up to four side by side.
Granny's rule of thumb: small ovens for everyday words, big ovens for tricky thinking, and always taste before you switch.