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:
Plated:
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) – $59.70 + $7.95 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.