Dinner at Your Doorstep

I spent one summer in college teaching myself how to cook. I made a lot of meals and tried to learn cooking basics, figuring I’d need the skills after school. Ha. Who knew my dinner for one would typically consist of whatever odds and ends were in my cabinet? (A sweet potato, salad with leftover vegetables, chips and salsa, etc.) So when a friend offered me a week of free Blue Apron meals, I was excited to get back to cooking. Having just finished two weeks of the meal delivery service, I wanted to share my experience.

How It Works: As a Blue Apron customer, a box will arrive at your doorstep (or your work – wherever you choose to have it sent) each week with all the ingredients that you need to make a meal in the right proportions as well as a step-by-step recipe card. The service offers a two-person or family plan, which gets you three or two or four meals per week, respectively. The price per meal is either $9.99 or $8.74 per person, depending on your plan, and shipping is always free. Billing is per week, and you can cancel anytime. There is a different menu every week and the service can accommodate dietary requests. All meals are 500-700 calories per serving and take 35 minutes to prepare.

Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

The Pros: Getting a box of meals in proportions for just me, or for me and my boyfriend, made me excited to cook again. I knew I wouldn’t have leftovers for days, although I may not have minded because most of the meals were extremely delicious. Blue Apron also introduced me to spices I’d never heard of, and gave me ideas for new combinations of flavors I’d never of thought of. I think I most enjoyed having an activity at night that got me off the couch and had me multitask in a way that did not involve technology.

The Cons: The first time my box of ingredients for the week showed up at my office I was surprised by the weight of the package. It was heavy to carry on the El, but that was the only option because I couldn’t have it delivered to my apartment building. I was also a bit surprised that nothing was prepped. Aside from everything being in the right serving amount, I had to do all of the prep work like measuring and chopping the ingredients. I actually really liked this part, but you do have to keep in mind that when you get home from work you still have to spend at least 35 minutes preparing and cooking the food before you can eat.

I also couldn’t figure out if I was able to choose my meals. Blue Apron tells you the weekly line up, so you can cancel if you don’t like the food, but I wasn’t quick enough the first week to do that. I also felt that the calorie and fat count were high for the type of dinner I’d usually eat, and consuming that three times a week was a little more than just “treating myself.”

Pan-Seared Cod

The Verdict: Having a meal to cook was a great excuse for me to take a break from technology, and also a great way for my boyfriend and me to bond over a new activity. With him as my “sous chef,” it was a good team building exercise. Ultimately, I cancelled my subscription because the cost of $9.99 per meal still seemed a bit high, and because my schedule made it almost hard to keep up with making just three meals a week. That’s not to say I wouldn’t go back to Blue Apron, though. I can see this service being a Godsend for a lot of people, including:

• If you eat out at night and want to start having food in your fridge instead, Blue Apron meals are less expensive and much tastier than that burger and fries you’re ordering every day.
• If you like cooking but hate large meals when you’re just one person, Blue Apron is for you. The only leftovers you’ll have can be for your lunch tomorrow.
• If you love to cook but can’t find time to grocery shop, sign up. The ingredients will arrive magically on your doorstep so you can be a master chef for a few days.

If you want more information about Blue Apron, feel free to ask me questions in the comments or visit their site!