The community generally views JEI as a mandatory "backbone" mod for any modpack.

“jei IS modded Minecraft . I can't even imagine trying to play a pack without it, it's like the backbone of the whole thing.” Reddit · r/feedthebeast · 5 months ago

Just Enough Items (JEI) is a foundational utility mod for Minecraft, essential for both beginners and experienced players navigating modded environments. It provides a searchable sidebar of every item and block in the game, alongside an integrated recipe viewer.

“I don't think you'd even be able to find recipes for 90% of mods without JEI.” Reddit · r/feedthebeast · 5 months ago

Adds a menu to the right side of the inventory screen displaying all available items, including those from other installed mods.

When enabled, players can click items in the list to spawn them directly into their inventory.

Users can instantly view an item's crafting recipe by pressing 'R' or its various uses in other recipes by pressing 'U' while hovering over it.

Allows players to save specific items to a separate list on the left side of the screen by pressing 'A' for quick reference during complex builds. Community Perspectives