Had to Try It
(Rachel testing recipes)
I couldn’t help myself, I had to check it out and see what is was really like. Being a professional chef and huge supporter of the family meal I cook everyday and make dinner almost every night. Now usually this is fun and easy for me. However, just like everyone else, I have those days I don’t feel like cooking. But then I can rely on any number of home-cooked meals I have perfectly packed in my freezer for a quick thaw and dinner is served. I don’t know about you but I have been seeing so may new fresh packed meal delivery services pop up I had to see what the fuss was all about and if it really worked.
So is it right for you? Check this out: here is my review and experience with one of them.
Hello Fresh Review
I have been seeing lots of advertisements for these fresh packaged home meal delivery services. Being an avid supporter of home cooked meals, I was very curious if they lived up to their claims, such as, really making cooking delicious balanced meals at home or work. I was quite surprised with the quality of results. So, do you think it is right for you? See my experience below.
How it works:
I chose the company Hello Fresh, as I liked that they supported local farmers and focused on high quality ingredients. I signed up for the classic box for 2 people, which included meat. They also have vegetarian options for a slightly less fee and also options of meals for 4 people. The program sends you everything you need to cook a meal at home in perfectly packaged measured amounts for the specific recipe. Salt, pepper, sugar, cooking oil and butter are considered pantry staples and are not provided.
Each week you have your choice of 5 set recipes to choose 3 meals from, sorry vegetarians at this point you have no choice options. For my first box I let them choose for me and I was sent Spring Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto, Steak Sandwiches with tomato watercress-salad and Rosemary Walnut Crusted Chicken.
Each recipe is created by chefs to be well balanced and in several of different flavors. They do all the work for you, except the cooking that is. The recipe and all the pre-portioned ingredients are delivered directly to your door.
They claim is that this is “Cooking Made Easy”. Their mission is “quick and easy recipes, no fancy equipment or techniques, and no obscure ingredients to help you get nutritious and delicious meals on the table.”
So how much does this serve cost? In my opinion it’s a bit much for every week and I still have to do the work. However, if it gets you cooking real food and sharing a balanced meal together, that is priceless. Here is how it breaks down.
- 3 Classic Meals Box for Two – $69, $11.50 per person
- 3 Classic Meals Box for Four – $129, $10.75 per person
- 3 Vegetarian Meal Box for Two – $59, $9.83 per person
- 3 Vegetarian Meal Box for Four – $109, $9.08 per person
This was my experience:
Ironically my box showed up midday, just as I was coming home from the grocery store with basic pantry goods like milk, eggs, bread and cereal, items that we go through every week.
I opened the insulated box that had ice packs by the meat and seafood. It was packaged well but I would be concerned about some of the items, especially the seafood, if it was a hot summer day and it sat outside for the afternoon until I got home. The proteins were packed separately and everything else for each recipe was tucked inside it’s own plastic bag, making it easy to keep what is need for each recipe together. The packaging was not excessive but if you are a real environmentalist it may bother you that everything, even the 2 sprigs of parsley, were individually packaged. Each recipe came with a color photo recipe card with instructions and nutritional information.
Time to cook
Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto
I started with the Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto, given it was seafood and likely to spoil first.
(Contents that came in the box for Shrimp and Asparagus risotto)
This recipe stated it was at a level one recipe, which takes 45 minutes. I liked how on the recipe card they had an informative note about what a Meyer Lemon was. A photo of each ingredient was provided just in case you were unfamiliar with a particular item.
I did my best to read through this recipe in advance, gather the equipment as stated on the card, and cook as a normal home cook would to make sure the times were accurate. Speaking of the equipment list, I did not understand why they bothered listing out the “tools needed” when they did not list everything you actually needed to prepare the meal. This happened with every recipe. In this particular recipe it was quite a few things. They also clearly state you need a slotted spoon yet in the instructional photos show a ladle and a wooden spoon. In my opinion, if you are going to take the time to list equipment needed, list it all; knifes, cutting boards and measuring tools needed to create the recipe as stated.
(Tools the recipe card said I needed to make the Risotto)
(All the tools I actually needed to make the Risotto)
The recipe itself was easy to follow and produced two generous portions of tasty risotto. I completed this recipe in 40 minutes so given I did all the chopping in 7 minutes and I only let my rice cook for 20 of the 30 minutes suggested; the average home cook may not chop that quickly. I thought the timing on this recipe was pretty accurate. I would maybe give yourself an extra 5-10 minutes for gathering extra items, chopping, familiarizing yourself with the recipe, and potentially some of the cooking terms used like “al dente” if you are a true beginner.
(Managing three hot pans at one time does not seem like a level one beginner recipe to me)
On that note, I would have to disagree that this is a level one recipe as in my mind having to manage 3 pans all cooking at the same time, and taking 45 minutes is not a quick, easy dinner for a beginner.
(Generous portion of Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto)
Recipe 2: Steak Sandwiches with Tomato-Watercress Salad
(Contents that came in the box for Steak Sandwiches)
This recipe was also stated as a level one recipe that takes 40 minutes to complete. Again it was an easy to follow recipe and it tasted delicious taking me a total of 35 minutes to complete. I did not roast the tomato for the full 20-25 minutes. Which brings me to the point of it is great to have the perfect measured ingredients and easy to follow recipes, but that does not make up for cooking skill. You still should know how to properly sear the piece of meat, as it just says sear, no instruction on what this is or how to do this, or what a roasted tomato should looks like when it is done, and that you should remove the really thick woody stems of the watercress first for the best results. It is implied that the cook already knows these tips and techniques. Is it not that big of a deal, however the consumer may be creating an entirely different result that what is intended without this proper information.
My husband and I enjoyed the sandwich, but as I told him the cost of the program, that it came down to $11.50 per person per meal, we both thought why did I take the time to make this sandwich when we could have gone to any number of local artisan sandwich shops and ordered a delicious steak sandwich similar to this for the same price, if not even less. So yes, good easy to follow but for the time, effort and cost of this particular meal, it did not make sense for me. In my personal opinion I also did not like heating up my oven to roast a single tomato and warm the buns, this seemed like a waste of energy and the prep. The time on the recipe card does not include time to preheat the oven, so also add 15 minutes to your prep time.
(Steak Sandwich with Tomato-Watercress Salad)
The next day as I was thinking about it when it occurred to me, that I would never cook a steak with the end result of it to be a steak sandwich. The steak sandwich would be a leftover result from another steak meal. Previously I would have cooked steaks for dinner one night and made an extra one or used the leftovers to make a steak sandwich the next day. Spending 40min to make 2 sandwiches seemed ridiculous to me, in my mind sandwiches should be quick and easy foods that should take 10 minutes or less not 40 minutes. It is getting you to cook at home, but this one had me seriously questioning the time, money, and effort aspect.
Recipe 3: Rosemary-Walnut Crusted Chicken
(Contents that came in the box for Rosemary-Walnut Crusted Chicken)
I personally thought that this was the most mainstream and simple recipe of the bunch, featuring chicken, roasted potatoes and a simple salad. I thought this one was the most accurate in its recipe and the most satisfying given the amount of time and effort put in. This recipe was stated as a level 2 that takes 30 minutes and leaves you with a complete filling and substantial meal. My guess is they marked it as a level two because of the pounding the crusting of chicken technique. However, I still feel managing three hot pans for the risotto is much more difficult for a beginner in the kitchen than breading chicken.
(Rosemary-Walnut Crusted Chicken with side salad)
Overall, I loved that everything was used up and there was no waste but at the same time, I know how to creatively use leftovers to make other meals faster and I was slightly bummed when I went to the refrigerator to make breakfast Saturday morning, and I didn’t have little extras to use from making the weeks meals. To be honest, I would have been looking forward to extra asparagus, rosemary and potatoes to make a simple frittata and potato hash for breakfast, extra greens and steak for a steak salad lunch, and leftover risotto for risotto cakes for dinner, making another complete day’s worth of delicious and healthy meals. Leftovers and extra food is wonderful if you know how to use it.
Pros:
- Loved that everything was pre-measured, made it really easy to get started, cut down prep time and waste.
- Easy to follow color recipe cards
- Pictures to help with some of the steps of the recipe and identify ingredients used
- Great to try new recipes or ingredients easily
- No thought required to produce balanced meal
- Serves 2 people, a decent portion on good tasting food
- Encourages home cooking
- Program allows for hold periods, if you want to skip a week’s meal box you can
Cons:
- Even with items pre measured it took 35-45 minutes to cook a meal
- Extra packaging is slightly wasteful
- Not sure what I would do with all the ice packs after a few weeks of deliveries
- Participant must have basic cooking skills; proper preparation and culinary knowledge is required for best results
- Just enough for one meal at a time, no thoughts on advance prep to make things more efficient or other meals
- Convenience comes with a cost, $11.50 per person per meal
- Provides 3 meals per week, what are you eating the other 4 days?
- You have to put the box on hold in advance and pick your meals in advance. If something comes up and you don’t want to eat that particular meal or have time to prepare it food would still be wasted.
- Meals are set for 2-4 people making it difficult for a single person of family of 5
- Not much option for picky eaters, special needs or diet restrictions you must pick from the few recipes choices per week.
Is it for you?
I loved this little experiment and yes it did provide 3 substantial balanced meals. Would this work long term for me, not really. For me the time, effort and cost just do not make sense for me. I could maybe see ordering a box to have delivered after we get home from vacation so we instantly have food on hand. For me, I like the flexibly of cooking what I am in the mood for, and if I am busy or tired I always have options for quick meals on the pantry and freezer. It is also more than I want to spend on groceries per week. I know how to properly stock a working pantry, which allows me to produce delicious balanced meals quickly for a few dollars per person. I can also adapt if it is just myself eating alone or accommodate more if I have impromptu guests.
Will it work for you? Maybe!
I loved that it easily inspires balanced cooking and sharing of meals at home. This alone will serve you well in long run for better health and relationships than eating out, or relying on convenience or grab and go food options. If you are looking to start cooking, or have trouble stocking a pantry, and don’t really want to think about it, I think this is a great option. I caution that you should have a basic understanding of cooking skills and proper technique for the best and most efficient results. I think if you are on a tight budget or have 3 growing boys, it may not be the best option for you. I think it would work well for couples and small families that want to try new foods with little risk. They are interested in cooking, but not sure where to start or find recipes that work. It is a great way to get into the habit of cooking at home. Still not sure, give it a try; there are several very similar companies with programs just like this one. I have included links below. Most also offer a reduced rate trial week, so you can test out a few recipes like I did without the full fee. If you want to learn basic cooking skills, techniques and how to stock a pantry for inexpensive quick meals at any time, contact me; I am happy to help you set your kitchen up for success.
Good luck and happy cooking!
References:
https://www.hellofresh.com