Meal Subscription Services: Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, Plated, etc (1 Viewer)

[Officer Pete Malloy]

I love to cook and have absolutely no interest in doing one of these.

You don't know what you're missing. We subscribe to Blue Apron Plus. They not only deliver plated meals to your house but a midget comes with the delivery to hit the buttons on your microwave for you.

If you have a bigger budget you can subscribe to Blue Apron Plus Platinum. With that package the midget chews your food for you and then spits it into your mouth while you recline on the couch. They'll also wipe your ### for you after to you crap out the meal.

 

[Cjw_55106]

I love to cook and have absolutely no interest in doing one of these.

You don't know what you're missing. We subscribe to Blue Apron Plus. They not only deliver plated meals to your house but a midget comes with the delivery to hit the buttons on your microwave for you.

If you have a bigger budget you can subscribe to Blue Apron Plus Platinum. With that package the midget chews your food for you and then spits it into your mouth while you recline on the couch. They'll also wipe your ### for you after to you crap out the meal.

Sounds intriguing. Any chance they'll just run around the yard? I love watching midgets run.

 

[gianmarco]

I love to cook and have absolutely no interest in doing one of these.

You don't know what you're missing. We subscribe to Blue Apron Plus. They not only deliver plated meals to your house but a midget comes with the delivery to hit the buttons on your microwave for you.

If you have a bigger budget you can subscribe to Blue Apron Plus Platinum. With that package the midget chews your food for you and then spits it into your mouth while you recline on the couch. They'll also wipe your ### for you after to you crap out the meal.

Sounds intriguing. Any chance they'll just run around the yard? I love watching midgets run.

Why did you have to cross the line?

 

[Righetti]

we got our first Blue Apron this week, far from 15 minutes of total cooking time which Mrs. Righetti wasn't thrilled about with three screaming kids, but the end result was absolutely delicious

 

[jamny]

 

[Tiger Fan]

Not sure if Blue Apron or Hello Fresh does free referral weeks or not, but I've got a week of Plated that I'd like to trade (New Customers only) for BA or HF.

Let me know.

 

[jamny]

Research done. I'm out.

I could see it working for us if we didn't have so many options within walking distance. Plus, I grill a lot and am a decent cook.

I think it's a great idea for a service though.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Yeah, I'd say that it ranges between 30 minutes to 45 minutes. It takes longer for me because I have a crappy electric stove and limited prep space.

Really enjoyed the black rice salad thing with the salmon tonight though.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Which of the three "big boys" of Blue Apron, Plated, and Hello Fresh is preferred here? Basically I would like to be able to cook a healthy meal, but have some choice in the dinner. I do not want to be stuck with seafood or something that I just do not like. Are any of them organic? We used to like to cook together before the kid. I think something like this once or twice a week where she, I, or we can cook a nice meal in less time (30-45 min prep or total prep and cook time??) would be something nice.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Which of the three "big boys" of Blue Apron, Plated, and Hello Fresh is preferred here? Basically I would like to be able to cook a healthy meal, but have some choice in the dinner. I do not want to be stuck with seafood or something that I just do not like. Are any of them organic? We used to like to cook together before the kid. I think something like this once or twice a week where she, I, or we can cook a nice meal in less time (30-45 min prep or total prep and cook time??) would be something nice.

I can't speak for the other 2, but I believe Plated takes care of most of what you're looking for. Re: organic:

Our ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and are always carefully curated from responsible providers. While we don’t exclusively source organically, we use 100% domestic and sustainably sourced seafood, 100% antibiotic-free meats, beef with no added hormones, and produce that is fresh, seasonal, and hand-packed.

 

[Capella]

How many people are these companies employing to organize and pack these boxes? Must be exhausting work.

 

[Big Blue Wrecking Crew]

Bumping to see if there is any updated input from the past thread participants, as well as others.  Thinking of this for my dad, as my mom passed earlier this year and she did ALL the cooking.  So, while it may be a bit pricey, at least gives him some variety.

 

[RokNRole]

Aren't these services very expensive for the amount of food you are getting?

Unless they are providing certain ingredients that would be impossible to source in your location what is the real benefit instead of just looking up the recipe yourself?

 

[Big Blue Wrecking Crew]

Can't speak for others, but I offered my logic above...for my dad who does not cook much himself.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Bumping to see if there is any updated input from the past thread participants, as well as others.  Thinking of this for my dad, as my mom passed earlier this year and she did ALL the cooking.  So, while it may be a bit pricey, at least gives him some variety.

Does he want/like to cook?  It does take time to cook these meals, it's not like they're readily prepared.

 

[Big Blue Wrecking Crew]

Does he want/like to cook?  It does take time to cook these meals, it's not like they're readily prepared.

If they are prepped and you just have to follow the directions, that is ideal.  Some basic prep he can probably handle.  But if you are mincing/dicing/julienning, that is likely beyond what he would want to do.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Aren't these services very expensive for the amount of food you are getting?

Unless they are providing certain ingredients that would be impossible to source in your location what is the real benefit instead of just looking up the recipe yourself?

You only get exactly the ingredients you need....nothing is wasted.  

Let's say you wanted to try this week's Greek Horiatiki with Marinated Feta/Toasted Chickpeas and looked up the recipe.  If you bought everything individually, you'd be spending way more than you would if you bought it through plated b/c they sell you the exact amount that you need.

What I did end up doing was finding a few things that I really liked via plated and did versions of those with things that I typically keep on hand....spaghetti squash is the first thing that comes to mind....I had never cooked with it before Plated, but it's super versatile and filling.

 

[Tiger Fan]

If they are prepped and you just have to follow the directions, that is ideal.  Some basic prep he can probably handle.  But if you are mincing/dicing/julienning, that is likely beyond what he would want to do.

I can only speak on Plated, but there is halving, chopping, pulling, etc involved.  Each recipe takes 30-45 minutes on average.  Check to see if there are any ready made prepped meal delivery services in his area.  I know quite a few have popped up around here.

 

[RokNRole]

I can only speak on Plated, but there is halving, chopping, pulling, etc involved.  Each recipe takes 30-45 minutes on average.  Check to see if there are any ready made prepped meal delivery services in his area.  I know quite a few have popped up around here.

But aren't you paying a ridiculous markup on the weight of the food you are actually getting? Most ingredients can be utilized for multiple meals to avoid waste which even a low skilled cook should be able to do. Most exotic dry Goods can be ordered individually online at a significantly better price. 

Do many of their recipes require exotic exotic produce or meat that is hard to come by?

 

[johnnycakes]

Slightly more expensive than these services, but I purchased a wife who can cook.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Slightly more expensive than these services, but I purchased a wife who can cook.

Has this gone to a collection agency yet? 

 

[Tiger Fan]

But aren't you paying a ridiculous markup on the weight of the food you are actually getting? Most ingredients can be utilized for multiple meals to avoid waste which even a low skilled cook should be able to do. Most exotic dry Goods can be ordered individually online at a significantly better price. 

Do many of their recipes require exotic exotic produce or meat that is hard to come by?

I don't think so.  If you plan out your meals to utilize 100% of what you buy, then these services aren't for you.  IMO, if you want to pursue these, you need to meet these criteria:

-interest in cooking

-have the time to dedicate to the recipes

-want to learn to cook different things.

If you can check the boxes on those 3 things, I think you'll enjoy them....If not, you're probably better off elsewhere.  

 

[RokNRole]

I don't think so.  If you plan out your meals to utilize 100% of what you buy, then these services aren't for you.  IMO, if you want to pursue these, you need to meet these criteria:

-interest in cooking

-have the time to dedicate to the recipes

-want to learn to cook different things.

If you can check the boxes on those 3 things, I think you'll enjoy them....If not, you're probably better off elsewhere.  

 Can definitely check all 3 of those boxes but I guess it's not for me for two key reasons. I like to experiment in the kitchen and due to life experience I like to get maximum value at the supermarket and hate to waste food so I almost never find myself having to throw food away.

 

[Mister CIA]

What a weird niche - I love to cook, but hate to buy groceries. 

Me, I love to cook, and I love to buy groceries. It makes no sense to separate the two. I hope Bill Parcells has my back here.

Looking forward to performing enchilada experiments this weekend.

 

[comfortably numb]

What a weird niche - I love to cook, but hate to buy groceries. 

Me, I love to cook, and I love to buy groceries. It makes no sense to separate the two. I hope Bill Parcells has my back here.

Looking forward to performing enchilada experiments this weekend.

I'm assuming a big draw is people who dont always have the time to go grocery shopping.

 

[Tiger Fan]

 Can definitely check all 3 of those boxes but I guess it's not for me for two key reasons. I like to experiment in the kitchen and due to life experience I like to get maximum value at the supermarket and hate to waste food so I almost never find myself having to throw food away.

i hear ya

 

[Tiger Fan]

I'm assuming a big draw is people who dont always have the time to go grocery shopping.

yep

 

[PlayaHata]

We've been doing Hello Fresh for about 2 months now and are very happy with it.  One thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the meals are WAY healthier than meals we'd normally be preparing on our own.  It has also exposed us to new foods that we would have never even thought of trying or preparing on our own.  Our hope is that we do this for a year or so and save all of the recipes, then eventually start cooking similar meals on our own.

 

[RokNRole]

For anyone that likes to cook and shop at the supermarket, you may like to do this with your SO.

Mine and I are fans of the show chopped so when we have the time to cook s nice meal we split up at the market and each pick 3-5 random ingredients that the other has to make a dish out of. We don't pick such weird stuff as they show on chopped though but we try to keep it interesting. It's fun to see if your SO makes a dish similiar to what you imagined when you picked the ingredients out.

 

[Hov34]

We've been doing Hello Fresh for about 2 months now and are very happy with it.  One thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the meals are WAY healthier than meals we'd normally be preparing on our own.  It has also exposed us to new foods that we would have never even thought of trying or preparing on our own.  Our hope is that we do this for a year or so and save all of the recipes, then eventually start cooking similar meals on our own.

We too have done Hello Fresh for about a month and have had mixed results.  Take that with a grain of tofu, because we are doing the vegetarian (stupid daughter & wife).  So some have been great tasty fulfilling, but a couple have been not so good.  Ingredients are all fresh and goo quality.  We too are trying to get more ideas for this new Pescatarian lifestyle.

Might try blue apron next just for some variety.

 

[mr roboto]

But aren't you paying a ridiculous markup on the weight of the food you are actually getting? Most ingredients can be utilized for multiple meals to avoid waste which even a low skilled cook should be able to do. Most exotic dry Goods can be ordered individually online at a significantly better price. 

Do many of their recipes require exotic exotic produce or meat that is hard to come by?

It's also cheaper to change your own oil, clean your own house, build your own deck and don't get me started on the markup for sex vs masterbation. 

 

[bigmarc27]

Blue Apron has left a bad taste in my mouth (figuratively) lately. We did this a year so back for awhile and it was great. After taking a break a re-starting, we've had 2 out of 3 shipments come in with the ice completely melted and the food spoiled and stinking. Refunds haven't been a problem, but how much food do they waste?  

I live in Atlanta and FedEx showed the package 45 minutes from my house Saturday morning, it just got here 10 minutes ago. 

Its kind of ridiculous. 

 

[joffer]

Really enjoying blue apron.  Not eating out as much, eating healthier, and spending less.  the sweet and sour pork bowl tonight was really good.

 

[shifty]

Slightly more expensive than these services, but I purchased a wife who can cook.

From what I have read, you may not be kidding....

 

[apalmer]

Blue Apron has left a bad taste in my mouth (figuratively) lately. We did this a year so back for awhile and it was great. After taking a break a re-starting, we've had 2 out of 3 shipments come in with the ice completely melted and the food spoiled and stinking. Refunds haven't been a problem, but how much food do they waste?  

I live in Atlanta and FedEx showed the package 45 minutes from my house Saturday morning, it just got here 10 minutes ago. 

Its kind of ridiculous. 

Sounds like a FedEx problem, not a Blue Apron problem.

 

[bigmarc27]

Sounds like a FedEx problem, not a Blue Apron problem.

When your entire business model revolves around shipping, it's a Blue Apron problem. Having spoiled fish in my garage where I keep the garbage can for 4 days became my problem. 

The sole benefit to me is the perfect portion size.  My wife and I can go a mile to the grocery store, but it's tough to get an amount of food that creates two meals for us and no leftovers for a week. 

 

[shifty]

I have thought of trying " the purple carrot" but its expensive. Anyone else use it?