Have you ever tried Pickled Grapes? I hadn’t until last year and will now eat them forever. I buy Grapes more often because of it. Pickled Grapes are amazing, especially when served with Fish over a Summer Succotash, pictured below — It’s our favorite Blue Apron meal that I’ve made several times. The original recipe used Cod, which is fine, but I’ve since used Salmon and Yellowtail at different times. This dish is extremely flavorful with much attributed to the Pickled Grapes.
A little White Wine Vinegar (2 T.), Sugar (1 T.), and a big pinch of Salt do a lot to elevate Grapes (at least 2 oz.), to a refreshing gourmet topping, side or special ingredient in another dish. Simply combine cut Grapes with all ingredients, let marinate for at least 10 minutes and see what we’re saying. Yum! Pickling is a beautiful thing, I’ve discovered. And my husband happens to call me Pickles. It’s just meant to be. Consult Blue Apron for more about recipe #227. We love it too.
Well… Hellooooooo Fresh. It’s finally your turn — Nice to try you. It’s hard to give-up Blue Apron, but I’m ready. Temporarily that is. We previously tried and reported about Plated, another meal (recipe + fresh ingredients) delivery company. It’s my plan to try most, if not all of the popular meal delivery companies and here we try and compare Hello Fresh to Blue Apron and Plated.
The Hello Fresh ingredients and recipe cards arrive in a large box that lists the enclosed meal’s nutrition facts on its side — A nice feature not included on the Blue Apron and Plated boxes.
All ingredients were well packed and arrived fresh.
In fact, each meal is packaged individually in nice windowed white boxes. It’s different than Blue Apron and Plated — The recipe ingredients are contained and sealed together in the large box.
The smaller boxes are impressive, but unnecessary — Hello Fresh can save on this packaging.
The proteins arrive under blocks of ice, as like the others, and all was perfectly fresh.
The Hello Fresh recipe cards are smaller than all others I’ve used, including the recipe cards from Chef’d, soon to be reviewed here on Nibbles of Tidbits — Check back for that comparison.
The Hello Fresh recipe cards are harder to read than the others — The card and photo are smaller, thus appear less detailed. The Blue Apron recipe cards are more user-friendly than those printed for Hello Fresh and Plated. Blue Apron includes a photo of the chopped ingredients and the others do not. I had no trouble following the Hello Fresh recipe cards, but Blue Apron’s are better.
Taste and the recipes — I made Jamie’s Roasted Chicken with Lemony Bombay Potatoes (above) and Spring Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto with Meyer Lemon (below).
I’m not sure why my Shrimp Risotto (below) looked albino compared to its photo (above).
Dukkah-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Snap Peas and Citrus Sour Cream (below). I liked it best from our first box. Not pictured, we also tried three Hello Fresh vegetarian meals. Since I forgot to deselect upcoming meals, I received a second Hello Fresh box in the mail. Related to that, the Hello Fresh web interface could use improvement. It’s not as easy to view and/or cancel future meals as it is on the Blue Apron and Plated websites. I had switched from the Hello Fresh ‘Classic Box’ to the ‘Veggie Box’ subscription on their website, because it’s a better value.
Hello Fresh costs approximately $10 more for a Classic Box (three meals w/meat) = $70. Three meals w/meat from Blue Apron costs the same as three vegetarian meals from Hello Fresh = $60. Aside from cost, we agree that Blue Apron meals are more flavorful and sophisticated overall. And since they do cost less, they’re a better deal all around. I keep the Hello Fresh and Plated subscriptions open in case there’s a meal I can’t refuse, but need to manage them better so not to receive meals from all companies in the same week. Each offers potential for a great meal.
It’s official — I’ve prepared 100+ Blue Apron recipes. My husband counted them. After two-hundred plus total dishes, I decided it was time to try a few other meal delivery companies. At least three to start… Plated, Hello Fresh and Chef’d. It’s not because we don’t like Blue Apron. We love them. I’m now curious how others’ dishes compare. Are they as flavorful and international?
The Plated Report — Plated’s box was huge and all was packed within a thick insulation that looked like it should be recycled in the garden. Different than Blue Apron, but it kept all cold and fresh.
One of the BEST things about Plated is they offer Dessert. Blue Apron currently does not.
Dessert (recipe and ingredients) costs about $8 more, over Plated’s meal plan — Most comparable to our Blue Apron Meal Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), Plated offers (2 Meals for 2 People = $48 + $6 for shipping = $54). Shipping is free with $50+ purchases. I thus added one of Plated’s weekly Desserts to try and to qualify for free shipping. $56 was our total for 2 Meals and 1 Dessert for 2 People from Plated. Leon thought all looked good upon arrival (below). I did too.
Plated’s recipes were well written and somewhat unique, like those offered by Blue Apron. The pictured Plated meals were good, but none knocked our socks off, like many Blue Apron meals have. We also missed the third meal offered by Blue Apron. Apples to Apples, the same Blue Apron Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), costs $72 at Plated. I wouldn’t mind future meals from Plated, but I prefer to save money. Plated is good, but they charge more for the same comparison of food.
I prepared Plated’s Pan-Roasted Redfish with Baby Kale Risotto (top), Cheese Tortellini with Basil and Spinach in Tomato Soup (above) and Caramelized Pear Shortcakes with Whipped Cream (below). We liked the Pan-Roasted Redfish the best and the other two recipes were just average. Plated’s recipe cards are nice and large, but not as glossy as Blue Apron’s.
The Caramelized Pear Shortcakes aka Biscuits were already baked, which made preparation easier, but the Dessert not as homemade. I may order from Plated again to try a different Dessert if its weekly menu sounds better than Blue Apron’s weekly menu. I’m currently subscribed to all listed herein, though opt for Blue Apron most of the time. If interested in trying any meal delivery company, be sure to obtain a coupon or coupon code, as each offers a $20 – $60 discount on your first box. Don’t miss out on that. Check back soon to read our Hello Fresh and Chef’d Reports.
It was Red Quinoa, introduced by Blue Apron, that inspired me to create the pictured Red Quinoa and Garbanzo Bean/Chickpea Salad, with Shallots, Parsley, Mint, Arugula, Toasted Slivered Almonds, Red Wine Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Olive Oil and Salt & Pepper. It was for the OC Fair’s Culinary Arts Competition this year and I won a 5th Place Ribbon for it. Measurements aren’t listed, because they didn’t need to be submitted — I just fine tuned the combination until it tasted great and now it’s a Salad I’ll forever make in varying combinations, with Quinoa, Beans and Nuts.
I won a second 5th Place Ribbon for a different Salad using Orzo Pasta, Broccoli and Pine Nuts.
Fifty-four recipe cards later… We’ve had some terrific meals with Blue Apron.
Though I’ve experimented with a lot of different ingredients, thanks to Blue Apron I keep discovering new ones like… Pea Shoots, White Miso Paste, Queso Oaxaca, Arepas, Pearled Barley, Yu Choy, Yuzu Juice, Ramps, Soba Noodles, Castelvetrano Olives and Fregola Sarda Pasta.
Meals are forever changed knowing these ingredients — Several meals will remain on my menu.
I now love Red Quinoa, which has been included in a few Blue Apron Meals. I used it in a Salad I created and entered in the Culinary Arts Competition at the Orange County Fair this year and won a 5th Place Ribbon for it. That recipe will soon be posted on Nibbles of Tidbits. Check back for that.
I have posted Blue Apron meal photos on Instagram @ShellyChiliFreis, but for the most part I just want to eat them. Dinner on my time has been more important than pausing to compose a photo. There is work involved. The meals don’t make themselves, but they’re worth the time.
Meals pictured from top down — Spiced Meatballs with Garlic Toasts & Summer Squash Salad, Salmon Burgers with Crème Fraiche Sauce, Arugula & Potato Salad, Arepas De Carne Molida with Avocado & Pickled Jalapeno, Chicken Milanese with Summer Corn, Cherry Tomato & Cucumber Salad, Seared Cod with Spring Vegetables & Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette and Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice. Blue Apron continues to be highly recommended by us.
Blue Apron Box Report No. 2 — We love them even more now.
It’s Blue Apron’s unique and enticing recipes that I appreciate most — The meals are exciting to eat.
We received 3 new recipe cards and the ingredients to prepare them all — Our final dishes are pictured on the right of its respective recipe card and our first Blue Apron report is linked here.
Each meal was completely different than the one before it and all had exceptional flavor.
We’re already looking forward to the next box from Blue Apron. Originally I was just going to try them, but their weekly menus and quality of ingredients are keeping me interested. I had also planned to try and compare similar companies, but after a little research it looks like Blue Apron may be offering the best deal. If that continues to be true, I may not want to try nor like another. Each looks similarly impressive, but I must have a good price too.
Similar companies are listed below and prices may change — Check them out yourself.
Plated.com – Eating Well Made Easy ($12/Serving – $72/Week – 6 meals total for 2)
Hello Fresh – Restaurant Quality Meals At Home ($11.50/Serving – $69/Week – 6 meals total for 2)
Green Chef – Deliciously Simple ($14.99/Serving – $89.94/Week – 6 meals total for 2)
Forage – Recipes from Notable Restaurants ($7.50 – $15/Serving – $60/Week – 4 meals total, which may serve 2. It’s unclear)
Chef’d – The Easiest Way to Cook Like a Pro ($19 – $38/Serving for 2 – Each meal has its own cost)
Have you heard of Blue Apron? It’s a weekly food delivery service. Blue Apron delivers recipes and ingredients to your doorstep for YOU to prepare. Blue Apron takes meal planning and grocery shopping off your To-Do List. They do that for you then deliver all to you. We tested them out.
Our delivery included 3 Recipe Cards and all the ingredients to make them.
All was wrapped in bubble foil insulation with sealed frozen ice blocks.
After review of its contents, let’s just say that I hope every box is as fresh as this one.
All produce was fresh — Kale, Spinach, Bibb Lettuce, Fava Leaves, Sugar Snap Peas, and the meat appeared fresh too. The box of ingredients even smelled fresh. The quality of all made me happy.
Each recipe comes with a “Knick Knacks” bag, which holds small and measured ingredients.
Knick Knacks bags may include Butter, Cream, Spice mixtures, etc. I love organization.
I had fun exploring my first Blue Apron food box and couldn’t wait to make and taste everything.
Shrimp, Flank Steak and Ground Turkey were included in this delivery for Lemon & Black Pepper Shrimp with Fresh Linguine Di Cavolo & Fava Leaves, Pan-Seared Steaks with Green Peppercorn Sauce & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Spiced Turkey Meatball Pitas with Sugar Snap Pea & Bibb Lettuce Salad — A good variety of recipes I wouldn’t make or try, but for Blue Apron.
I like trying new things and I like surprises, so this type of service is entertaining.
You can look ahead at upcoming recipes online or surprise yourself when the box arrives.
The step-by-step instructions on each recipe card are done well. I’ll often change something in a recipe to make the dish better, but I didn’t need to and wasn’t going to, as I wanted to make all as instructed for this post. Recipes are created by Blue Apron’s culinary team and renowned guest chefs. Recipes will never be repeated in the same year and meals are 500-700 calories.
Meals take about 35 minutes to prepare and ingredients are pre-measured, so there’s no waste.
Matt liked all the meals too — Maybe I’ll get him to cook one of the recipes.
I didn’t expect to like Blue Apron as much as I now do, but I find it convenient and enjoyable — You still need to chop, mix and cook all, but it’s nice to not have to plan what to make and shop for the ingredients. If I shopped for the quality ingredients I received here, it would probably cost more money, and more time and stress to look for and obtain all, let alone conceive the recipes.
Choose when you want your box of food delivered and how often — Once a week, every other week, once a month, etc. I set up Blue Apron to deliver recipes and ingredients every other week for now and look forward to trying more recipes. If everything remains fresh, I may be a customer for a long time, though I simply intended to try it. I’ve seen advertisements for similar food delivery companies and may need to compare them to Blue Apron who sets the bar high. Blue Apron’s prices are reasonable too, approximately $60/week for three meals for two. Shipping is included in the price too, which helps sell me. Check back to see how our second box of food turns out. Posted will be a clear side by side comparison of each recipe card and meal.
It’s ABOUT TIME… my long promised Meal Kit Comparison post. We tried Sun Basket, Gobble, Marley Spoon, Green Chef, Purple Carrot, Dinnerly and Freshly. We rate and review each of these meal kit companies, recipes and respective ingredients below. I learned A LOT and report about it after making and trying the aforementioned and 100+ Blue Apron meal kits.
Sun Basket — Fast Chicken Salad with Kale, Kiwi and Apples (Recipe 1). Top photo. The Kale arrived pre-cut. I found myself picking out the inferior, dry pieces. I would rather chop it myself. I usually remove the stem/center, but it was included in the chopped Kale. The provided dressing was just okay. And the Coconut Flakes would’ve been better toasted, seemed like an after-thought garnish. We (Matt & I) rate each recipe starting with this one.
Sun Basket Recipe 1: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6 (Out of 10).
Greek Salmon over Zucchini Noodles and Wilted Greens
Sun Basket — Greek Salmon over Zucchini Noodles and Wilted Greens (Recipe 2). I tossed out the pre-chopped Greens due to a bad smell. The Salmon was dry, though not overcooked. I liked the Tomato and Olive Relish. We liked the Zucchini Noodles, but they’re hard to stir and preserve as ‘Noodles’ when cooking. That’s fine, but good to know.
Sun Basket Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 5 1/2.
Mediterranean-style Cod with Artichoke Hearts and Kalamata Olives
Sun Basket – Mediterranean-style Cod with Artichoke Hearts and Kalamata Olives (Recipe 3). Cod quality wasn’t that great. Potatoes didn’t have much flavor though Salt and Peppered. I liked steaming the Fish over the Vegetables. Learned how well this cooking method works. Dish was easy to make and clean-up.
Sun Basket Recipe 3: Matt 6, Shelly 6.
Sun Basket Recipe Booklet
Sun Basket Overall — Menus are just okay, not as exciting as others, seemed somewhat repetitive with ingredients. Though Menu is international, which is good. Website is friendly and easy to use. Choose (3) out of (18) different recipes/meal kits. Recipes arrive in booklet form. Also within it are all the recipes you didn’t choose, which is nice. Best recipe score was 6 1/2.
Gobble – Nice packaging, similar to Blue Apron. Received one incorrect recipe card, but was easily able to print the correct one from Gobble’s website. They provide smaller recipe cards than other companies.
Gobble – Pan-Roasted Chicken in Three Peppercorn Sauce with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes (Recipe 1). Potatoes were not good. Gravy made up for it. Chicken was tough, though not overcooked. Odd cuts of chicken were provided. Not as pretty as the online photos.
Pan Roasted Chicken
This is how the Mashed Potatoes and Gravy arrived (below). No bueno.
Gobble Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 6.
Louisiana Shrimp with White Cheddar Grits
Gobble – Louisiana Shrimp with White Cheddar Grits (Recipe 2). Had to further devein the ‘deveined’ Shrimp. Like the Mashed Potatoes in Recipe 1, I don’t like unloading grits from a plastic bag to heat them in the microwave. Also, I didn’t like the pre-cut trinity. It looked a bit degraded in freshness, translucent Onions.
Pre-cut Trinity and bagged Grits, etc.
Gobble Recipe 2: Matt 7 1/2, Shelly 7.
Brazilian Black Bean Stew
Gobble – Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Roasted Squash and Swiss Chard (Recipe 3). I had to toss-out the provided Swiss Chard. It was too dried out. It’s scary not knowing what’s inside a compact bag of pre-cut Greens. Good thing we’re growing our own Swiss Chard. I love the idea and components of this recipe, but the pre-made beans and rice were just okay. I plan to re-create this recipe sometime. Our score for this recipe is below. Best overall recipe score was 8.
Marley Spoon – Box was delayed a day, because company didn’t have enough ice to ship. Recipe card photos are dull in color and paper is un-glossed. Nice packaging. Largest, tallest box received.
Marley Spoon Packaging
Marley Spoon – Cheesy Roasted Pepper Panini with Goat Cheese & Spinach and Side Salad (Recipe 1). Too much filling for the Panini, it overflowed. A Bun for the Panini Bread is not the best option. No photo.
Marley Spoon Recipe 1: Matt 8, Shelly 8.
Cilantro Chicken and Rice
Marley Spoon – Cilantro Chicken and Rice with Bell Pepper and Lime (Recipe 2). Flavorful, but wouldn’t garnish it with raw onions again. It’s unnecessary and over takes the dish. Having to use a blender or food processor is a first for a boxed Meal Kit. Good thing I have one.
Marley Spoon Recipe 2: Matt 7 1/2, Shelly 8.
Four Cheese Ravioli Alla Norma
Marley Spoon – Four Cheese Ravioli Alla Norma with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs (Recipe 3). It was super easy to make and very good.
Marley Spoon Recipe 3: Matt 8, Shelly 8.
Overall… good quality, nice packaging, tasty meals and good recipe selections. Marley Spoon costs about the same as Blue Apron, my long-time favorite Meal Kit company (so-far). Best recipe score for Marley Spoon was 8.
Green Chef also offers Paleo, Vegan, Keto and Gluten-free meal kit options. Very nice packaging. All looked good, though much was pre-prepared.
Green Chef Meal Kit Ingredients
A pre-cut Red Pepper was provided for a recipe. I want a whole one. There are small Red Bell Peppers. Pre-cut Onions too. I don’t like that either. They degrade, but I used them, and it didn’t ruin the meal.
Harissa Spiced Tuna Steaks
Green Chef – Harissa Spiced Tuna Steaks and Apricot Tomato Sauce, Kale Pistachios and Couscous (Recipe 1). The Tuna was nice looking. Recipe said to cook the Yellowfin Tuna 3 to 5 minutes per side, but was too long for the thin Fish provided. I cooked ours 2 1/2 minutes per side and it was still overcooked, as expected, but all was flavorful.
Green Chef Recipe 1: Matt 8, Shelly 8.
Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Green Chef – Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Toasted Nuts and Seeds, with Lemon Pesto Aioli (Recipe 2). I liked the Couscous with the Vinegar, Agave and mixed Toasted Nuts. The Dressing was just okay, pre-made. Homemade would have been better.
Green Chef Recipe 2: Matt 8, Shelly 8.
Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers
Green Chef – Cheese Steak Stuffed Pepper with Provolone Cheese, Spiced Potato Hash with Red Peppers (Recipe 3). Uneven, pre-cut Onions and Grated Cheese were provided. The small Onion pieces burned a little while cooking. Not a good thing. However, not a bad flavor overall. Our score for this recipe is below. Best recipe score was 8.
Purple Carrot – All was fresh and impressive. Some stuff was pre-cut, but mostly whole ingredients. Only the hardest thing to cut, the Squash was pre-cut, which was helpful. A booklet of all recipes was provided, as like Sun Basket. Only six recipes to choose from online at this time.
Black Bean & Polenta Casserole
Purple Carrot – Black Bean and Polenta Casserole with Chile Butter (Recipe 1). The large bag of Spinach was very fresh. I was a little nervous about the Vegan Cream Cheese and Vegan Butter provided for this recipe, but didn’t notice a difference. That was nice to discover.
Slice of the Black Bean and Polenta Casserole
Purple Carrot Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 7.
Autumn Bibimbap
Purple Carrot – Autumn Bibimbap with Gochujang Brussels Sprouts and Sesame Aioli (Recipe 2). I didn’t use the Kimchi or Vegenaise (Mayo instead). I didn’t like the color of the Vegenaise, yellow-ish. I liked the Brussels Sprouts with Gochujang. The Fried Rice ended up too hard. Seems 5 to 7 minutes is too long not to stir the Rice. I don’t know. Kind of a weird recipe, which I like, but it didn’t work properly.
Purple Carrot Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Purple Carrot – Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Cranberries and Hazelnuts (Recipe 3). A beautiful photo of this recipe is on Purple Carrot’s booklet cover. Had to toss out the Broccoli Rabe for this recipe, since it didn’t last a week. Used Swiss Chard from our garden instead. Added leftover sauteed Onions before the Squash. All was tasty with the Dried Cranberries, and had good texture with the Toasted Hazelnuts.
Purple Carrot Recipe 3: Matt 8 1/2, Shelly 8.
Black Bean and Polenta Casserole Ingredients
Recipes were grouped in plastic bags. I prefer no bags, loose ingredients or in paper bags, because all seems to stay fresher longer.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi Ingredients
Vegan Butter and Cream Cheese work okay. You won’t notice the difference. Though I’m still sketchy on Vegenaise (Mayo’s substitute). Someday perhaps, or not. Best recipe score was 8 1/2.
Dinnerly – Spinach and Ricotta Calzones with Tomato Garlic Dipping Sauce (Recipe 1). Crust was large and could have used more filling. I added Peppers to the filling too, and could have added more. It had a good flavor and texture.
Dinnerly Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 7.
Dinnerly is one of the least expensive Meal Kits available. You download the recipe cards from the internet, instead of them being provided. The menus make me think that I might as well make the dish myself and save even more money. Easy ideas. Dinnerly’s website functions just like Marley Spoon’s. The companies are related. Dinnerly is budget Marley.
Sausage and Kale Soup Ingredients
Dinnerly – Sausage and Kale Soup with Pasta and Parmesan (Recipe 2). It was just okay. A little bland. It made a lot of Soup. I added Beans for extra credit. I like the ‘extra credit’ options listed on the recipe cards. Helps company keep costs down, while suggesting something you might already have in your pantry.
Dinnerly Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6 1/2.
Banh Mi Burger
Dinnerly – Banh Mi Burger with Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers (Recipe 3). I didn’t like the provided Chipotle Mayo, weird taste. Would rather make my own combination.
Dinnerly Recipe 3: Matt 7, Shelly 6.
Overall… everything was just okay. With the right recipe choice, it could be a good dinner option, due to its price. And now I want to try Every Plate, Dinnerly’s budgetmeal kit rival I just discovered. I will amend this post after we try it. Best recipe score was 7.
Freshly = Pre-Made Meals
Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Freshly (Not a Meal Kit, a Pre-Made Meal)
Freshly – Choose between 30 meals. Just heat in the microwave and eat. They arrived nicely packaged between three layers of ice packs. They are best heated in their respective packs, and then plated, to keep moist.
Freshly Meal Samples
Freshly – We, mostly I, tried 6 different meals. Balsamic Turkey (Meal 1). The Vegetables were dry, cut too small and bland. The Turkey was tough. The Balsamic Mushrooms were good. Matt 6, Shelly 5. Pork Al Pastor (Meal 2). It was flavorful, could use a tortilla or chips for varied texture. Matt 6, Shelly 7. Moroccan Style Tagine (Meal 3). It was just okay. Had to pick out a few tough Vegetable Skins, and the small Onions in it were hard and not satisfying to eat. Seemed like a heated, frozen meal I’ve had before. And not any better. Shelly 5.
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Freshly – Moroccan Style Tagine
Freshly – Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower (Meal 4). Chicken was tender and good. Cauliflower was just okay, a little bland. Shelly 6. Southwest Chicken Bowl (Meal 5). It should have been tasty, but it was bland and dry. Needed Salt and Pepper and more sauce. The Corn in Freshly’s dishes seems once frozen or canned, not fresh. The Vegetables, Beans and Quinoa were dry too. The Chicken was tender and well cooked. Shelly 6. Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (Meal 6). The Meatballs where okay. Sauce was very good. On a side note, I finally decided I don’t like the texture of Spaghetti Squash. Shelly 5.
Freshly Packaging
What I learned from all…
I want to prepare everything on my own. I don’t want to receive anything pre-cut. I never purchased pre-cut items in the grocery store. Also, few ingredients can be combined to make something great. And, I can save money not buying a Meal Kit every week. I can make simple, fancy meals on my own from what I’ve learned from Blue Apron, elsewhere, and from this Meal Kit Comparison. I also saved money taking advantage of the introductory offers from each of these companies. You should too. See their pricing below.*
Meal Kit Comparison Pricing:
Sun Basket – Introductory offer is 50% off = $25.
Gobble – Introductory offer is 30% off = $42. Generally $79/week.
Marley Spoon – Introductory offer = $30.75. Generally $61.50/week.
Green Chef – Introductory offer is 40% off = $38. Generally $79/week.
Purple Carrot – Introductory offer $25 off. Generally $72/week.
Dinnerly – Introductory offer is $30. Generally $40/week.
Freshly – Introductory offer $45 for 6 Meals. Generally $60/week.
*PRICES are estimated and subject to change. See respective websites for up-to-date pricing and other information.
Orange County Restaurant Week will run March 2 – 9, 2019. It’s definitely one of the best times to dine out if/when in Orange County. Click HERE for a list of participating restaurants, prix fixe menus and prices. While this post is about Orange County Restaurant Week, the photo relates to an upcoming report comparing several meal kit companies… Blue Apron, Green Chef, Sun Basket, Gobble, Purple Carrot, Freshly, Dinnerly and Marley Spoon. We tried them ALL. That post is after OCRW. Until then, it’s time to enjoy a restaurant in OC.
I’ve made hundreds of Blue Apron meals, which we LOVE to eat. It’s hard to pass up their unique, diverse, ever-changing tasty menus and the price is right too. Blue Apron’s cost is lower than most Meal Kit Delivery companies. Though due to curiosity and first-box discount incentives, we previously tried Hello Fresh, Plated and Home Chef and their respective reviews and comparisons to Blue Apron are linked in this sentence. Now, we are underway trying several others — Sun Basket, Gobble, Purple Carrot, Green Chef, Marley Spoon, Freshly, Dinnerly, Factor 75, Balance/Bistro MD, Munchery, Global Belly, Takeout Kits, Shaker & Spoon (a cocktail club) and Burgabox (if they get back into the game). Did you know there were so many? This is far from a list of all of them, but some we plan to try. After all has been delivered, prepared and consumed, a report of pros, cons, costs and more will be posted here on Nibbles of Tidbits. We just finished (3) Sun Basket meals and (3) Gobble meals are scheduled to be delivered this week, and (3) Marley Spoon meals the week after that, etc. Yes, our review is underway and I have a lot to say. I already miss Blue Apron, but will definitely be fair. Stay tuned.
Pictured: Chicken Salad with Kale, Kiwi and Apples (Sun Basket)
I think to myself — I don’t want to photograph it. I just want to eat it. Especially if I made it. That’s my problem right now. Well, it really isn’t a problem, unless you have a food blog. It’s not that I’m not cooking and tremendously enjoying our new kitchen. I guess I’m not wanting to interrupt that time to take photographs. And the convenient lighting doesn’t make it quick.
That’s mostly it. For those interested, I apologize. I’m still here and always in the kitchen, though you would not know that here. It will be my goal (once again) to put forth good food content in the future, as I certainly don’t lack for ideas or material, just the will at times.
I like living in the non-media (actual) moment and enjoying tasty food at my leisure. Afterwards the kitchen is a mess, so what’s to photograph there? Ha. Until the next day, when it happens again — A scenario that has transpired all year. I have no complaints. I’m loving time in our beautiful open kitchen. I can see the television and backyard now. More will be shown another day.
In addition to my own creations, I’ve made a couple-hundred Blue Apron meals. I’m still a big fan. Pictured are two Blue Apron meals I recently prepared: Pork Chops & Balsamic-Pear Compote with Fennel & Sweet Potatoes (top/middle) and Chile & Orange-Glazed Chicken with Roasted Vegetables & Garlic Mashed Potatoes (directly above). Both were fantastic and are worth making again. I told myself, at a minimum, I would photograph and post more of our tasty Blue Apron meals, though quick photos don’t do them justice. But you can see that the menus are enticing and interesting. At least we think so. Note: Apologies for the weird formatting in this post. It will be remedied in the next post. Stay tuned. More of everything!
Home Chef is another company that offers the delivery of weekly meal kits. I’ve previously reported about a few others — Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Plated. And now, here is Home Chef.
Our Home Chef meal selection included Coconut Jasmine Rice Bowls with Fried Plantains and Corn Pico De Gallo, Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread with Walnuts and Caramelized Onions & Brown Sugar Salmon with Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.
The recipe cards came with a nice white binder and they were 3-hole punched on good card-stock.
Each meal is grouped in its own sealed, handled bag with a straggler or two in the box, and the meat is under ice, which is convenient and good. All received with this shipment was fresh.
However, the Naan received for the Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread was folded into its meal kit bag and thus cracked in a few places. I had to carefully place them back together before topping and baking them. They ended up tasting great, but it was mostly due to the Caramelized Onions, Fig Preserves, Goat Cheese and Arugula — An amazing combination.
We liked the Brown Sugar Salmon too, though mine didn’t end up as gorgeous as the one on the recipe card. Not uncommon, but the sweet, tangy flavor it was anticipated to have was there.
Home Chef’s price is comparable to Blue Apron’s — The Home Chef cost is $59.70 a week for (3) meal kits for (2) people and Blue Apron’s current cost for the same is $59.94.
We like Home Chef, and we like Plated and Hello Fresh too, but Blue Apron is still our favorite weekly meal delivery kit company. Aside from these meals and the others I’ve tried and reported about, Blue Apron meals have been prepared in our kitchen on a weekly basis for about two years now. I like Blue Apron’s unique meal options and that all is made from scratch. It’s extra time and labor in some cases, but worth it in flavor. I like Naan, but would have preferred fresh Pizza Dough with the winning combination of Caramelized Onions, Fig Preserves, Goat Cheese and Arugula. Pizza Dough would most likely come with a similar Blue Apron meal. I have no complaints about any of these companies and I am still willing to try others, if the menu is right.
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