Review of "Home Chef" meal kits

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We've only tried one week, but we like what we had. We are both pretty good cooks and we like cooking, too, but have gotten into a real rut. We get take out once of twice a week from favorite places, but then it's a real rut. So we decided to try a meal kit service.

Price: Most meals are 8.99/serving. Minimum is two meals/two servings once a week. You can easily skip a week or more. There is a shipping charge for the 2+2 minimum, free shipping with larger orders. I haven't trued the oven-ready meals yet, but most of it is not suitable for freezing. So that's about $50/week for two meals for the two of us.

Variety: Really nice. Maybe 15-20 choices each week, with two automatic unless you change it. You can change up proteins on many dishes. Make your choices by early Friday of the the next week's mid-week delivery. You can order organic or vegetarian easily, tho I haven't seen those menus.

We tried shrimp with cheesy grits and a chicken breast with scallion sauce and roasts rooy vegetables. Kits include everything except S&P, olive oil and water. The servings are nice sized. For a big eater, you may need to order more. No leftovers. I liked that I didn't have to buy a whole package of grits or a whole bag of carrots (can't seem to buy single carrots here the way I could in CA). A tablespoon if tomato paste, 3 oz cream, some shredded cheese. All included. It would have cost me more to buy all the whole packages of ingredients that I don't commonly use. (Which is probably why we are in a rut.)

Instructions are great. A large sheet, 3-hole punched, complete with pictures. Notes like "Ingredients used more than once". Three scallions looked a little tired, but they look that way at the local store, too. The proteins were very high quality.

Packaging" all in a 15" sq box with cold pack. Not terrible waste, but yes, there is wasteful packaging. Things like tomato paste or roasted red peppers in little plastic cups. Each meal ingredients in a large ziplok bag, except proteins, which are separate,

We're looking forward to out next selections tomorrow.

Featured Answer

stacey_mb

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We are providing HelloFresh meals to DS and family by way of helping when we couldn't be there during the time that our daughter-in-law was disabled with cancer, receiving treatment and a long hospitalization. She has passed away now and DS has said that this continuing service has been a lifesaver to them through all this difficulty. They all find the meals to be tasty and filling and it's easy enough that Grandkids prepare the meals and do cleanup. Edited to correct spelling error.

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Comments (11)

eld6161
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Glad you liked yours. My DH is a simple eater so these programs would not work for me.

Oldest DD does Green Chef. They have a good selection of vegetarian meals. She has shipped them here for when they visit.

They have been interesting. Spices and sauces that I would not normally have heard of let alone use in a recipe.

I found them more complicated than expected. I also don't like the way the recipe is presented.

I liked when DD BF helped me with one of the recipes. Dividing the labor was nice.

In a few meals things were left out. In one I happen to have it on hand.

But, in another, it was Chia see. The pack at 10 tiny seeds. You were supposed to get enough to be able to saute them for the "meatballs." So it was important. I guess if someone was checking they could think that yes, there is the Chia. But, honestly you need amounts.

They encourage you to recycle.
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terezosa / terriks
5 years ago
We have tried several different meal kit services, and Home Chef was our favorite.
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Tried Blue Apron... encountered too much kale substituted, spoilage and lengthy prep time. Won't try again.
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beesneeds
5 years ago
I tried a couple of the meal kits earlier this year- both because I didn't want to go out shopping and also to help break me out of cooking ruts. Every Plate was first, and basic. Dinnerly had some more interesting ingredients. Both ended up with me just using the ingredients to make other stuff instead of following the recipes after a while. And there was a LOT of packaging to dispose of.

But it did help break me out of cooking ruts. And get used to using some smaller portions of stuff with fewer leftovers.
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bbstx
5 years ago
I have a friend who swears by Hello Fresh. He keeps telling me to try it. I haven’t, yet.
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bpath
5 years ago
Does anyone use a menu-planning service, where you receive recipes and shopping list for a week of meals, but not the food itself? It lets you shop where you want, whether in person, or online, curbside or delivery, and make the substitutions and quantities you want to make.

Is that not desirable? I can see the fun of getting a whole kit, but the price?
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artemis_ma
5 years ago
bpath, I know every time I plan my meals out for a week, I CHANGE my mind. Early and often.

Otherwise, for recipes I just go to a cookbook, make notes, and shop from that. (Or using online recipe sources for individual things I want.) I frankly can't picture someone else supplying me with a week of menus that I'd really want to eat all of them.
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wednesday morning
5 years ago
stacey, I can't think of a more perfect use for these meal kits than what you have done! I remain opposed to them for many reasons, but your gift was the best use of them that I have ever heard of. How extremely helpful it must be!!!!
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sushipup1
Original Author
5 years ago
The cost of the HomeChef meals is offset somewhat by the lack of waste. I didn't buy a whole package of grits that I'd only need for one recipe (and it sits in the back of the pantry forever after), or a tablespoon of tomato paste from a can (what? freeze the unused part?), or buy a small cartoon of cream to use less than half of it? I think all these considerations are what put us into our cooking ruts. When I browse recipes, how many do I reject because they require me to buy a container of a ingredient that I have little or no other use for? So we stick to 'safe' recipes, and that's the rut.
maifleur03
5 years ago
I have to agree with artemis those buy lists for this area are basically worthless except for staples like catfood and condiments. There is no guarantee that the item will be of a quality that you want to bring home or an alternate is better or on sale. When I was grocery shopping, it seems like a long time ago, I would have a general idea of what I thought I wanted then allowed the in store sales and quality of various fresh food guide my purchases. This area is normally a test market for new products. Although the ones I like seldom make it I have found some wonderful things by just opening my eyes to what is available. If I went with an item by item list that would never happen.
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Review of "Home Chef" meal kits

stacey_mb

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eld6161

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Review of "Home Chef" meal kits

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