Blue Apron Review: Comparing Blue Apron to Everyday Meals

Every time I’m watching television I seem to see a commercial for one of these new recipe-at-your-doorstep food services. Blue Apron, one of the more popular sites that provides these services, delivers approximately 5 million meals per month (significantly more than the 500,000 monthly deliveries in 2014). So, what is behind all the hype? Is Blue Apron really worth the cash people are spending on it? Here is my Blue Apron Review.

Blue Apron Review

If you’ve been wondering about Blue Apron, I say give it a try! You can get your first week free and cancel the second week before you’re charged if you’re unhappy or can’t afford the services (though once you’ve tried it it’ll be hard to stop). Why am I so thrilled with Blue Apron, you ask? Well, here are just a few reasons:

Quality

One of the first things people wonder about when it comes to these doorstep recipe programs is quality and there is no doubt Blue Apron uses high quality products. All of the meat you receive is grass-fed and each piece of produce is fresh and organic. It really brings a new meaning to “farm to table.” You really do feel like you’re picking fresh produce while you’re unpacking your Blue Apron box.

Delivery

Speaking of boxes, Blue Apron’s delivery is flexible, on time and neat. You can schedule a delivery for Blue Apron when it is convenient for you (they’ll even deliver on Sundays). Receiving the Blue Apron box was practically like opening a present on Christmas. Once you get the box you’ll see instructions to get to the goodies inside. The food is individually packed between ice packs and is accompanied by recipe cards. It is great!

That being said, if you’d like to discontinue your Blue Apron services you can cancel them fairly easily. All you have to do is send Blue Apron an email and they’ll send you a cancellation link. You can also skip weeks. For example, if you don’t want next week’s meals you can hit “skip” and you won’t be charged for the week and won’t receive a new box.

Easy prep

Delivery and cancellation aren’t the only easy aspects of the Blue Apron experience.

Preparing the food is pretty easy too. Blue Apron sends its quality products along with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meal. Each recipe card has prep time, cook time, wine pairing recommendations and ingredients. Once you flip the card over you’ll see step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the meal (with photos).

Cost

Although preparing the meal is fairly easy and it’s a great experience, how much does Blue Apron cost its customers?

Personally, I thought that Blue Apron would be a bit above my budget for groceries (and I have a picky eater that I cook for) and I’m sure that many people argue that Blue Apron is too expensive. Blue Apron’s services cost about $60 a week for three meals (leaving four dinnertime meals, seven breakfasts and seven lunches unaccounted for). In my mind, I think, “I can feed myself and my boyfriend on $60 for a little over a week,” but would they be the same, great quality products? Well, I decided to take a look for myself using my favorite Blue Apron meal from the week as an example.

Smoked Pork Burgers

Blue Apron Ingredients

• 10 oz. Ground Pork
• 2 Potato Buns
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2 oz. Baby Greens
• 1 Russet Potato
• 1/2 lb. Broccoli
• 1 Roasted Piquillo Pepper
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 1 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar
• 2 tsp Smoky Spice Blend

The above items cost you approximately $20 with Blue Apron.

Supermarket Prices

• 10 oz. Organic, Grass-Fed Pork (roughly $8)
• 2 Potato Buns ($1.20 for two but you’ll have to buy the pack for about $5)
• 2 Cloves Garlic ($0.50)
• 2 oz. Baby Greens ($5.00)
• 1 Russet Potato ($0.50)
• 1/2 lb. Broccoli ($3.00)
• 1 Roasted Piquillo Pepper (about $1.00 for one but you’ll have to buy a jar for about $10)
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream ($2.50)
• 1 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar (only about $0.75 for what you need, $5.50 for the bottle)
• 2 tsp Smoky Spice Blend (about $3.50 for comparable spices)

To duplicate the same recipe from Blue Apron you’ll have to spend $43.50. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you’ll have to buy entire packages of these items. You can buy potatoes and fresh veggies/herbs individually but things like buns and spices you’ll have to buy more than you’ll need.

One of the more important things to note where cost is concerned is that $60 per week is only for three meals for two people. If you’re cooking for a family, Blue Apron does offer delivery for up to four people but no more than that and it costs significantly more than the two-person plan.

Blue Apron Review Conclusion

My experience of Blue Apron is the service is a great, quality product but it comes at a cost. In my mind Blue Apron is ideal for people who have money, are trying to learn how to cook, don’t have time to shop or are trying to work on portion control. So, if you’re looking to eat healthier and have new and exciting recipes delivered to your door, Blue Apron is for you!

Interested in trying Blue Apron? You can get $60 off your first 3 boxes using this link.

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