I figured this would go well paired with the food delivery service thread just started - does anyone on here enjoy using those meal kit services that are out there?  I've actually noticed they aren't as much of a splurge anymore with the increase in food prices at the grocery store as prices are starting to seem more reasonable. My biggest grip is one that's unavoidable though - there's so much packing material it's obnoxious to dispose of but there's not really a away around that either.

To date, I've only used Hello Fresh but have typically found their meals REALLY tasty and they turn out exactly like the picture they send along - it's pretty wild since that's usually NOT the case with so many recipes.  I'm curious to try Mosaic as well since they're a vegetarian box plan where the food is already made (just needs to be heated) however they're not available currently for my area.  I'm not vegetarian either but I do try to incorporate less meat into my diet as a general rule of thumb for healthy purposes (although I'll be making ribeye tonight haha).

What about ya'll?

I never tried one, but if I did I'd want the kind where you just warm it up. I wouldn't want to get a kit with the ingredients where I have to make it myself. It may taste better that way, but I want less work if I pay for those kits.

4 minutes ago, SonOfJack said:

I never tried one, but if I did I'd want the kind where you just warm it up. I wouldn't want to get a kit with the ingredients where I have to make it myself. It may taste better that way, but I want less work if I pay for those kits.

it is pretty damn cool to see stuff turn out look exactly like the picture on the card they send with the recipe though.  I've learned of some fun new dishes over the years thanks to their program although I haven't ordered from them in probably a couple years now.  I did know a person who delivered for them though and every week there would be so many boxes that people would cancel delivery for or refuse to take delivery and you know what happens to those boxes?  NOTHING.  the delivery driver gets to keep them and all the contents inside 100% free (or at least that's how it worked in 2020 and earlier).  There was one time where she literally had probably 20 boxes filled with meal kits of food that took up her entire living room.  I stocked up real fast on some good quality wares.

1 minute ago, hovertical said:

it is pretty damn cool to see stuff turn out look exactly like the picture on the card they send with the recipe though. 

Yeah that does sound cool. If I remember right, their intro offer is a good deal but then it gets really expensive quickly. Which is how most things work so makes sense.

8 minutes ago, SonOfJack said:

Yeah that does sound cool. If I remember right, their intro offer is a good deal but then it gets really expensive quickly. Which is how most things work so makes sense.

it's really not that bad any longer with the crazy prices of grocery store items now.  It used to be more of a once-in-awhile 'date night' splurge for those of us who enjoy cooking and creating new things but if you're used to buying decent quality goods at grocery stores already then these really aren't that much more any longer.  The amount of packing materials though is utterly obnoxious.

There are some cheaper ones to look at as well - I believe there one called something along the lines of 'Plated' that is supposed to only be around $5-6 a meal which is pretty damn solid. 

 

Had Trifecta for about a year and a half - decent but living situation changed (for the better) so haven't bad to buy from them anymore.

I've never tried one.  Do the boxes not need to be refrigerated?

36 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

I've never tried one.  Do the boxes not need to be refrigerated?

Hello Fresh comes with ice packs for the stuff like meat and whatnot

17 minutes ago, hovertical said:

Hello Fresh comes with ice packs for the stuff like meat and whatnot

But still, those have to warm up eventually, no?  Just referring to what you said above about someone having 20 boxes of unused food.

19 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

But still, those have to warm up eventually, no?  Just referring to what you said above about someone having 20 boxes of unused food.

yeah but i mean it was the same day they weren't delivered.  there's a lot of stuff inside of them that doesn't go bad.  the bulk of most meals are made of dried goods or things that don't require refrigeration (pasta, rice, spices, vegetables, fruits et al.) the actual small amounts of meat are packaged with refrigerant packs that will last at least a couple days if not more before melting. 

Tried Freshly for a few months a few years back. Kind of ass. It's just a fresher version of a TV dinner

Did Blue Apron a few years ago.  Was kinda cool.

 

But I didnt have the time nor the inclination to cook that much unfortunately.  

95% of the time things turned out great though. 

12 minutes ago, Das Texan said:

Did Blue Apron a few years ago.  Was kinda cool.

 

But I didnt have the time nor the inclination to cook that much unfortunately.  

95% of the time things turned out great though. 

yeah to me, the results were pretty impressive versus just grabbing a recipe off the internet.  It actually looked....pretty?  it's probably mostly due to they have control over which brands and precise amounts of ingredients which will vary widely if you're free styling off a recipe you find.  Nontheless it was neat to see things consistently turn out like the picture on the included recipe card.