Just over a month ago, I published a post on meal delivery kits, describing the nature of the service and noting a few points about the market, including some information about legal claims.  In that post, I promised more–specifically, a review of the kits themselves.  That review will come in two parts.  This is the first.  Today, I want to note some of the advantages and disadvantages of using meal kits, from my perspective.

First, the advantages:

  • delivery to your doorstep
  • the convenience of food and recipe in one box
  • little food waste (tailored quantities of food and fixings)
  • exposure to new recipes
  • introduction to new ingredients (most recently for us, spaghetti squash)
  • the chance to learn new cooking techniques
  • recipe cards that
    • lay out sequential steps
    • include helpful pictures and tips
    • have a glossy finish and wipe clean
    • fit in a magazine rack or storage unit

Now, the disadvantages:

  • undue packaging waste? (box, internal containers, cold packs)
  • uneven quality instructions (e.g., herbs divided . . . how–by type or by volume?)
  • expense (depending on what your household would do instead)

I have included below some pictures (click on any for full-size images) of the packaging for Hello Fresh and Plated, the two services we use most often.  

Hello Fresh:

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HelloFresh1

Plated:

Plated1
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As for the cost, here's what we pay for each:

Hello Fresh (4 people, 3 meals) – $129, including shipping
Plated (3 people, 2 meals) –  + shipping

In a third post, I will say more about the relative merits of the individual services.  My husband orders Blue Apron for us from time to time, and I also will try to get some information from him for my next post.  Feel free to post observations or ask questions in the comments.