Author Topic: Recipe box subscriptions  (Read 2098 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Recipe box subscriptions
« on: 14 July, 2021, 09:41:00 pm »
We used to subscribe to Gousto. It was pretty good. Ingredients very good quality. Flavours complex and interesting. The recipes were well thought out - some have even become staples in our repertoire. The recipes come on nicely printed cards, and they provide a folder for you to keep them in.

Can’t recall exactly why we stopped - probably a fit of frugality, or maybe the fact that the boy was home from uni and the recipes are only designed to feed two.

Recently we’ve been on a trial offer of Hello Fresh. It has the advantage that the boxes can be adapted to suit three or four people. It’s ok but not nearly as good as Gousto. The portions are huge, which may be seen as a positive, but that’s largely down to the amount of stodge they contain (potatoes, rice etc). The dishes are tasty but a bit basic, with flavours that you wouldn’t exactly call complex. We had a chicken dish for which the main seasoning was a teaspoon of thyme (for three people). I embellished it with some more thyme from the cupboard. In last weeks box, the key flavouring for one dish was supposed to be dill, but the ingredient was missing. Chiz.

Ingredients are mostly good quality but I was disappointed with the state of the carrots in the most recent box - limp and rubbery, definitely past their best.

The recipes come on A4 inkjet printed sheets of cheap paper - not designed to be kept. Also the layout is badly designed to the extent that it offends me. And timings are badly underestimated

My other gripe about Hello Fresh is that the recipes don’t really work for three people because some of the ingredients only come in portions for two - eg a carton of black beans serves two, so for three people, two cartons provided, of which the recipe requires 1.5 cartons, so you’re left with half a carton of black beans. I thought one of the main points of these recipe boxes was to only provide exactly what is needed, nothing more, nothing less. I would just shove the lot in the dish but that’s just too many beans.

The boy is sodding off for the summer, so we’re thinking of going back to Gousto. I don’t think we’ll be carrying on with Hello Fresh when the trial offer ends though.

Anyone have any experience with others of this ilk? I’m aware of Mindful Chef but haven’t tried it. Not sure what else is out there.

I think what I like about them most is that it takes away the having to think about what you’re going to have for dinner after a day at work. I know what some people will say - you don’t need these services to knock up a decent meal of an evening. Well, yeah. And I’m more than capable of rustling up something tasty from whatever we have in the fridge/cupboard but, you know, sometimes I just can’t be bothered to make even that much effort. And having the ingredients delivered is a bonus.

The packaging is a slight issue but again Gousto is better on this score - chilled stuff comes wrapped in raw wool for insulation (the smell of it drives the dog mad), whereas Hello Fresh chilled ingredients come in non-recyclable plastic foam.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #1 on: 15 July, 2021, 08:00:12 am »
I have never used any of these services (so skip to the next post) but what offends me about Hello Fresh is their annoying advert which pops up on YouTube and presumably on TV too. Having seen and heard that way too many times, I'm not surprised to hear their layout is badly designed to the extent that it offends you.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #2 on: 15 July, 2021, 08:16:02 am »
Oh yes, those YouTube adverts are seriously annoying!
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ravenbait

  • Someone's imaginary friend
  • Pudge controls the weather.
    • Someone's imaginary friend
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #3 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:19:02 am »
The secondary brain in my gut is a brat, so while I've been tempted to try one of these subscriptions, I never have. A friend was recently saying how good HelloFresh was until they started putting all of the same ingredient when it was in multiple meals in a single bag, but I was always dubious.

I just looked up Gousto somewhat hopefully, but wouldn't be able to eat any of the featured recipes. Also, I don't like how it doesn't tell you how much it costs on the front page.

Sam
https://ravenbait.com
"Created something? Hah! But that would be irresponsible! And unethical! I would never, ever make... more than one."

ian

Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #4 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:34:19 am »
I'm always tempted by these services but never get around to it, but they'd solve the nightly menu dilemma. What do you want? I dunno, what do you want? I swear I stood there for thirty minutes looking at the 82 different types of pasta we've accumulated trying to decide which one I wanted and that's before I even contemplated sauce.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #5 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:35:49 am »
I just looked up Gousto somewhat hopefully, but wouldn't be able to eat any of the featured recipes.

Yeah, they're definitely not ideal for anyone whose diet is in any way restricted. Generally, though, I've been quite impressed with how well balanced the Gousto recipes are, nutritionally speaking, so if you're not restricted, they probably count as reasonably healthy. Slightly less so with Hello Fresh, but they're still OK in that respect.

Looking at the recipes on Mindful Chef, they seem to be a bit more varied, with less dependence on bulking out with rice/pasta/noodles.

This review seems to mirror my experience (also notes that Mindful Chef recipes are designed to be low-carb - which tempts me to give them a try):
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-recipe-subscription-boxes

Quote
Also, I don't like how it doesn't tell you how much it costs on the front page.

Yes, that is annoying.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Edd

Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #6 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:38:19 am »
We tried HelloFresh on a trial offer, quite enjoyed it. There were just two of us and didn't think the portions were massive (we occasionally added some fresh veg to up the veg intake). The recipe sheets came on card, which we still have, and we occasionally recreate some of the recipes. While enjoyable, we didn't persist but may go back to it on the rare occasion. Agree with the waste, I wish there was a button I could tick so they didn't have to include a sachets of normal sources. I have mayonnaise, ketchup etc in the fridge
We do want to give gusto a go and have a trial offer kicking around somewhere.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #7 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:40:32 am »
I'm always tempted by these services but never get around to it, but they'd solve the nightly menu dilemma. What do you want? I dunno, what do you want? I swear I stood there for thirty minutes looking at the 82 different types of pasta we've accumulated trying to decide which one I wanted and that's before I even contemplated sauce.

It's definitely worth signing up for one of the trial offers, as they're pretty heavily discounted and I don't think they come with any commitment to continue (as long as you remember to cancel).

The websites tend to be quite hard-sell - you can't really browse, you're pushed into navigating through the ordering process, start to finish (and as ravenbait notes, you only find out how much it's going to cost you once you get to the checkout).
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #8 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:41:27 am »
The recipe sheets came on card

That's interesting. I expect they've switched as a cost-cutting measure.

I wouldn't be surprised to find Gousto has made similar changes since we last used them.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ravenbait

  • Someone's imaginary friend
  • Pudge controls the weather.
    • Someone's imaginary friend
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #9 on: 15 July, 2021, 11:16:43 am »
I had a look at Mindful Chef and managed to find more than the maximum of 5 recipes that I could eat, and it tells you how much you will have to pay when you pick, before you get any further. If I were going to go down the route of a subscription service, I'm sold on Mindful Chef for that reason alone.

(I'm not, because half our diet is leftovers, but I shall file away this information for potential future use.)

Sam
https://ravenbait.com
"Created something? Hah! But that would be irresponsible! And unethical! I would never, ever make... more than one."

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #10 on: 15 July, 2021, 10:33:25 pm »
I have never used any of these services (so skip to the next post) but what offends me about Hello Fresh is their annoying advert which pops up on YouTube and presumably on TV too.

This, but with the humans who turn up at the door uninvited selling Gusto.

See also: Virgin Media.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Recipe box subscriptions
« Reply #11 on: 12 August, 2021, 11:49:27 am »
I've had a press release this morning for another recipe box service that I've never heard of before - called KBK. Very much a focus on 'healthy' eating, including 'juice cleanse' and the obligatory 'plant-based' option... there's also a high-protein 'build' option for the gym bunnies.

https://www.kbk.co.uk/meal-prep/

Unlike the ones that are just dinner three days a week, this is a full week's worth of two or three meals a day. Have to say the menu for the 'everyday' option is genuinely appealing - although there's a fair bit of stuff my wife can't eat in there. And at just 1600 calories a day, I would probably need to top up.

Hmmmm, interesting.

ETA: also just realised this is ready meals, not ingredients for you to cook at home.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."