OT: Meal Kit Delivery Services

And... Fonzi jumped the shark

We did Blue Apron for a while. The food is delicious but it was difficult to keep up with the shipments, even at just two meals per week. And stuff that the recipe card said would take, say, 45 minutes would usually take me twice as long or longer.

I haven't tried either, but I've considered both. I have opted not to use the services, though, because of the cost. It really just doesn't make sense. I could get take out for the same price every meal, practically. 

What I do, instead, is I cook two meals on Sunday, one for lunch and one for dinner. Then I portion those out for the week. It's somewhat boring, but I'm fine with it. And it ends up being so cheap. When I do not have to restock on anything like oils or spices, my weekly grocery bill is usually $25-30. 

Just kidding, but they have some good stuff.

If you are sick of the food posts stop reading here and refrain from commenting. But it needs to be said one FINAL time what an absolute first class job Brand Jordan and Nike did with the entire cooking transition culminating in the release of the food. As a food "aficionado" of sorts the Adidas years were a nightmare, from the different flavors of maize (first too bright then too dark) to the ridiculous recipe templates. Those days are now long behind us, and the partnership with Nike has restored a sense of tradition and swagger that was missing previously. Being the only university in the country with Jordan is simply incredible and trendsetting. Jordan and Nike brought a sense of modernism to the kitchen and dining room without sacrificing what makes our food the best in sports. Another big thing is they finally got the flavor of maize (amarillo) correct. Just nailed it. Tastes absolutely BEAUTIFUL and really pops off the plate without being overwhelming. Standing O to Harbaugh, Nike, Jordan, the AD, and everyone involved in the transition. Sunday night was fantastic and yesterday was tasteful and cool. Job well done.

TV dinners are easier.

Trip to the grocery store each day will get you fresh stuff and about 1/10th the price.

I (or my wife) will bake like 20 chicken breasts at a shot and I'll eat those all week.

blue apron is a lot of work, and not much cheaper than just eating out

WTF are you guys talking about? You know this is why McDonalds, Arby's and Subway exist right?

Just go to the grocery store. They are modern marvels filled with food from across the world. Quit being lazy.

Every fucking gosh damn year the off season is longer and longer and longer.

Blue apron is pretty good. The only problem is that I dealt stressed out when the package arrived.

For example, say it arrived on a Monday morning, but I had some weekend leftovers and was lazy on Tuesday. I felt the need to cook it on Wed, even though I was tired and just wanted a couple of slices. It became just another task to accomplish as opposed to being fun.

It was nice BR to buy random ingredients that i wouldn't use for another few years.

I cannot imagine a more expensive, less efficient way to cook. Look up a recipe. Go to Meier.com. Place an order and they'll shop it for you to pick up. Yeesh.

I love to cook. I would go to the grocery store every day if I could

Blue Apron is decent. The only issue we had with them is on three separate occasions the food rotted (specifically fruits and veggies) before we got to use them. They spoiled in less than 4 days from delivery. However they gave us some money off everytime it happened so the customer service is decent. As for the meals themselves the food is good and there is a wide variety. Some weeks knocked it out of the park while others were just okay. Meals were easy to make but their timing was off a bit. The one advantage is you get to pick what weeks you have food delivery to you and you know the recipes 2-3 weeks ahead of time

I used Blue Apron. My account is currently suspended (my choice) because I am traveling a lot through August so I won't really have the time to cook.

I've had some eggs come smashed and they always gave me $10 off the next box. I really like these services for several reasons. It's just me so I cook and eat dinner then have lunch the next day, less time grocery shopping / looking for meals, I don't waste a ton of food because it goes bad before I eat it all, I cook with ingredients I'd never just buy myself, and I learn new cooking techniques as well as flavors that go together. If you're on the fence because of price you should definitely consider you are getting food + convenience + cooking skill. Plus the built in portion control has helped me drop a few lbs. I haven't tried any other service because I've really liked BA.

My favorite is "just buy groceries".

I have some friend who just cruise groupon, gilt, etc... and pick up whichever service is available on sale through them. 

I tried Blue Apron. The meals aren't that big, and while tasty, the cost just isn't worth it.

Maybe once in a while or on a week when you really can't get to the grocery store, but otherwise, takeout is a better option - same price, less time/effort.

depends on one's countertops

My girlfriend, who is a very good cook, randomly decided she was going to try all of these services because she felt grocery shopping was "too expensive". I like Blue Apron the least. We're currently working through Green Chef and Hello Fresh, and I'm split on those. The food was good, and meal sizes were more appropriate. I found that I was eating less, and healthier. 

I can't comment on the cook time, as she takes care of that. All things considered, I'm on the fence about it. I do think shopping can get expensive, but these meals aren't necessarily great deals either. Might be nice to change things up here and there, but I wouldn't rely on them exclusively. If nothing else, it gives you pretty good variety from the stuff we usually eat.