Meal Kit Reviews Part 1: Blue Apron, Purple Carrot, Sun Basket

Besides bringing you awesome recipes (and obviously brilliantly written blog posts), one of my goals with this site is help people with healthy meal planning and budget shopping. There are a lot of people who want to cook more, but are short on time (some of us still gotta work during the pandemic) and find the prospect of shopping and planning and prepping and cooking and then clean up so fucking overwhelming that they just give up and order in.

Often times people will ask me, “Actress Who Cooks, HOW do you have time to plan, shop, and cook all those incredible meals all the time?!” And then I bat my eyes and say in my best stage voice “I’m just #soblessed.”

Sike.

Y’all. I don’t.

Confession time: Sometimes, I use Home Meal Kit Delivery services. I use them when I am extremely busy, don’t wanna shop and frankly, don’t want to be the one cooking every night. Sometimes, I want to delegate that shit out to someone else. In this house that’s my boyfriend “Moose” since Biscuit the Dog obviously can’t even though he is more than helpful catching fallen scraps.

Home delivery meal kits a great option for those looking to plan on a budget and have limited time. They are also a great option for novice cooks who can follow a recipe and want to expand their options beyond frozen dinners, fast food, and pasta with jarred sauce. (Ahem, Moose). Not that there is anything wrong with that sometimes - We are all doing our goddamn best - But if you are curious about some of those meal kits, this is the post for you.

I’ve been using them for years. I’m the OG meal kit user in my circle. I should have gotten a percentage from the amount of people I sent to some of them. They’ve grown in popularity over the years and became especially useful during COVID when more people were staying home. I’ve used several brands in the past but there are a helluva lot more of them out there - It can be hard to decide which ones are the best option for you sooooooo… I’m dedicating several upcoming posts to talking about and reviewing some of them. But I didn’t think it would be a totally fair assessment of them if I was the only opinion since I am no novice in the kitchen. I often find myself tweaking the kit recipes as I go (I had an entire tirade once on how I thought one recipe did the garlic “wrong”) so I thought the best way to really give you the best view of these is to have someone with less experience cook one of the meals from each weeks meal kit and tell you what they thought.

That’s where having Moose around here is useful. He gladly took on the task (read: I told him he was cooking dinner that night) of choosing one meal, and prepping it himself without any help from me (which was an exercise in restraint on my part, let me fucking tell you.) Then I had him type out his thoughts about them for you!

Of course, I have my thoughts too, which I will put in below his. So, without further ado, here’s Moose in italics!

Moose, here...Sabby asked me to help her with a little project. She wanted to see what a novice in the kitchen thought of some different Meal Delivery Services. I’m not a total novice, mind you, but cooking skills have never made my list of top attributes. She had me choose an option to cook from what she had delivered that week. For this experiment we went with three different choices, each from a different company. The companies are Blue Apron, Purple Carrot, and Sun Basket. I’ll look at each from 3 perspectives: 1) Packaging and Collateral Material like recipes, instructions, and any other material they provide. 2) Level of Difficulty 3) Quality and Quantity

Meal #1: Blue Apron: Corn & Goat Cheese Quiche

Packaging - Overall the packaging was good. Everything for the meal was in one bag apart from 2 ears of corn. All of the ingredient bags were clearly labeled so I knew what everything was.

Level of Difficulty - This one was not difficult. There were a bit of vegetables to chop up during preparation that took some time. I’m slow, because it is hard to use a computer and golf (two things essential to my existence) without fingers, so I take my time cutting…but once that was all done, the stuff I had to do was pretty quick . The instructions were easy to follow from preparation through to serving the dishes. One thing that I might put as a “Con” is that they don’t provide an upfront ‘List of Tools’ like pots and pans and other things you’ll need. They point it out in the course of reading the instructions, but I personally like a list.

Quality and Quantity - It came out pretty well. We each had an individual Quiche in a smaller pie pan. That and the radish salad were filling enough for a complete dinner. It was tasty, but a little on the bland side. I’d have it again but spice it up a bit somehow. One negative I had was the amount of dressing to salad ratio. Usually I’m on the More Dressing is Good side, but this just drowned everything. Add the fact that I way over-salted the salad, and I’ll be honest, it was pretty gross! But overall, I liked it and would do it again!

Sabrina’s thoughts:

Blue Apron was actually one of the first meal kits I ever started using many moons ago. It’s what got me started on my home meal service adventure, so I do have a soft spot for it. But I have… thoughts.

Ok. So first... Moose is spot on about the overdressed, over-salted salad. It was almost inedible. Of course, he assumed that you should use ALL the dressing because no one told him not too (this is no fault of the recipe, just how Moose generally cooks). Moose also has a tendency to over salt food anyway because “to taste” means something differently to everyone, and he likes a lot of salt. My tip to him is always: “You can always add more salt, you can’t take it out. Err on the side of under-salting if you have doubts.” But the quiche was well-executed, if not a bit… boring. That’s not to say the recipe is not good, it just wasn’t POW enough for me. I like a bit of kick and this was mild in that department. But it was definitely fun to eat, and aside from the soggy, sad, salad, it was a good, filling meal.

Packaging: Truth? I hate Blue Aprons packaging. While I do agree with Moose about how helpful it is that everything is individually labeled, it’s packed terribly. Each item is placed in the box. That’s it. NO other effort is made to ensure they don’t get damaged or lost. Smaller items have a tendency to fall between the box and the lining and if you don’t know to look for it, you’re likely to leave it in the box and accidentally throw it out, which Moose almost did. Also, because everything is loose, storing it in your fridge becomes problematic because if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s hard to stay organized. Additionally, if an item gets damaged in shipping either due to an ice pack exploding from straight up mishandling, (which is possible considering most carriers really do not give a flying fuck that the package clearly says “fragile” and “perishable” on it) that ingredient is pretty much unusable forcing you to have to either use your own pantry items (which defeats the purpose) or forces you to go to the store (again, defeating the purpose). The big appeal of these meal kits is the convenience of having all of your ingredients available and portioned out as you need them without having to think about it. It’s not at all convenient to have to hunt for a missing ingredient.

They also tuck the recipe cards in between the lining and the box so again, if you don’t know to look for it, you might accidentally throw it out or it might be covered in that icky gel from the aforementioned exploded ice pack. Luckily, you can log on to the site to download the recipe. The recipe card is easy to follow and does include some nice pictures for visual reference though which is a plus.

Another issue I have - I think that Blue Apron tends to have smaller veggie portions and I always find myself adding more veggies from my own fridge/freezer. If you want a more veggie forward dish though, you may want to stick with their vegetarian options, which are usually very well thought out and very tasty, if not a bit carb heavy for my liking.

Overall: Despite my rants against the packaging, (got all that did ya?) I do find that Blue Apron is a great meal kit service for folks who are really getting started on their kitchen journey as they are the simplest and they have a LOT of options for every dietary preference. You can choose options for 2 servings or 4, a Meal Planning option (yay for taking the thinking out of that too!), Weight Watchers options if that’s your thing, and sometimes they partner with celebrity chefs to create a meal so you get to feel like you’re cooking with a Food Network star… there’s something for everyone. The site also includes some helpful cooking tips so it’s great for beginners (for example if you need to know what the fuck is the difference between a dice a chiffonade.) They also have a blog that includes more recipes and tips, cocktails and wine pairings (A HUGE PLUS for my basic, white girl, wine loving behind), and a community page explaining where they get their ingredients and about the chefs. They also include instructions on how to recycle the packaging. And, my favorite part is that they sell pantry items, kitchen tools, and WINE directly on the website. Their products are super useful, super cute, and super inexpensive.

I also think they are the most economical of the bunch. Meals range from approx. $6 per person to $10 depending on which meals you choose and how many of them. If you pick 3 meals for a week, you’ll spend about $59.94, including delivery, but you can choose only two meals which is helpful if you don’t love all the menu options. AND, another plus, they have a great customer service team. If you do have a damaged item that becomes unusable or something is missing, they will credit you appropriately. So, as problematic as I find the packaging, I do appreciate that and so much more about them and will definitely keep recommending them.

Link below.

Meal #2: Purple Carrot: Tofu Palak Paneer w/ Brown Basmati & Mango Chutney

Packaging - The rice packaging had exploded and opened somewhat inside (I assume from heat and air pressure changes during shipping?) but it all stayed in the larger bag, so no big deal. Everything was labeled so it was easy to find everything. The Recipe is part of a larger Recipe Booklet for the Week. It looks very nice and was easy to follow.

Level of Difficulty - This was my first experience with tofu. Maybe I was being too meticulous and trying to brown every side of each cube, but I could have done with a little less flipping. This didn’t provide a “List of Tools” but by looking at the Step-by-Step pictures I was able to see which pots and pans I was going to need. Other than the Tofu flipping and some related oil spillage everything went smoothly.

Quality and Quantity - Way too much rice! It soaked up all of the yummy Indian sauce. It was still tasty, but less rice would have been better. I guess I could have served less, but I figured I was supposed to use it all, so I did. The Plus side of that would be, all that rice made it a very filling meal. It tasted pretty good but didn’t blow me away.

Sabrina’s thoughts:

I love curries so I was super excited about this one. I agree with Moose about the amount of rice on this one. It soaked up all that yummy sauce and made the meal feel “heavy”. But the flavor was there, and Moose didn’t over salt this one. YAY! PROGRESS!

Moose said it was easy to follow the directions which is plus. You got to be a bit of a multi-tasker for some of these though so I highly recommend that you definitely READ the recipe a few times first. (I assume you’ve read my Kitchen Basics: Part 2 at this point so you understand why READING THE RECIPE is the most important step. If not, go read that first then come back. Did that? Good. Carry on.) They also include some visual guides in the form of pictures next to the step though, which is super helpful for those who don’t know what it should look like.

Packaging: I like their packaging a lot because all the ingredients for one meal, except for the tofu, come in a large sealed plastic bag. (It’s not as environmentally friendly as paper but they tell you how to recycle your packaging so there ya go.) Like Moose said, the rice had exploded a bit, but it was contained in the larger bag, so it was manageable. The recipe is inside a booklet (that they also tuck between the lining and the box so be careful not to throw it out) of all that week’s options which I appreciate but you have to flip through it to find the one you’re cooking and because you’re not using all those recipes this week, it seems a bit wasteful to me.

I only discovered Purple Carrot in March (right before quarantine began) but so far, I’ve enjoyed them. They are strictly plant-based so if you want meat as an option, this one isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for cooking inspiration to incorporate more plant-based eating into your diet, they are a fantastic kit. As far as pricing though, this is one of the more expensive options. Three meals cost about $71.94, including delivery, and you must choose at least three meal options, no less. But they also have add-on options for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks so when you consider the prices, you probably spend the same amount of groceries anyway so it might be worth it for you. They also have a blog titled “ROOTED” on the site that offers insight into the plant-based community (without all the judgement), nutrition articles, cooking tips with instructional videos, and fun veggie and vegan recipes.

Link below:

Meal #3: Sun Basket: Eggs in purgatory on Spicy turkey, mushroom, and kale hash

Packaging - Everything apart from the ground turkey meat was in a brown paper bag. All of the ingredients were labeled. The Recipe was the smallest of the group, but everything was neatly laid out and easy to follow.

Level of Difficulty - A List of Tools! Right at the top. However, I still had to ask Sabby which of her pans was OK to put in the oven. I did NOT want to get that wrong. As I said the recipe was easy enough to follow, although the actual instructions were one long paragraph. I prefer numbered list or bullet points (which they did employ in the Preparation Instructions...maybe their “bullet point guy” was out the day they got to the cooking instructions. Small complaint, but worth noting.

Quality and Quantity - This was my favorite of the group. I overcooked the eggs because I still always err on the side of overcooking things so as to not rack up a body count. I saw spicy in the name, so I took the liberty of adding additional heat like chili powder and cayenne. That brought it up to my liking! I definitely want to try this one again and I’ll want to cook the eggs properly to get that runny yolk effect.

Sabrina’s thoughts:

I was also as excited about this one as Moose was because we both love spicy food and you all know my love for anything with runny eggs. I appreciated that Moose asked me which of my pans to use for the oven because he knew that I would cry angry tears if he ruined my favorite pan. I think he handled this one very well. Yes, he definitely overcooked the eggs, but I applaud his intuition to add more spice as most meal kits tend to go very light on that, even when they call it “spicy”. Of the three meals he made, I think he did the best with this one. That could be because he had some practice ahead of time with the other kits or because this was the simplest of the three, but either way, this was also my favorite.

Packaging: I prefer Sun Basket’s packaging of the three. Almost each item is portioned, individually wrapped and labeled. The entire meal (except the protein which they keep in between some cardboard on top of the ice packs at the bottom), and the meal card, is tucked neatly inside a large paper bag. There is a little less waste with this packaging, and everything is organized and easily identifiable.

They have lots of options for every dietary preference, you can choose 2 or 4 servings, and you can choose additional proteins (for an additional cost). They also have breakfast, lunch, snack, and other pantry staple options you can choose from to include as part of your delivery. And, most importantly they are currently offering a “feed it forward” option that allows you to donate a meal and choose which of the three charities receives your donation. In our current situation, being able to give back if you’re able, is extremely important and you don’t have to change out of your yoga pants to do it with Sun Basket.

They are also one the more economical meal kits. One meal generally ranges from $11-13 per serving depending on how many you get and what protein options you’ve chosen. The price can start to add up with all the other options, but you really do get a lot of bang for your buck. They, like the others, also have a blog page that features nutrition articles, more recipes, and more tips with short instructional videos.

Link below to try:

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I liked all 3 meals. All of them were easy to follow. If you literally just go step by step and follow the instructions and use all of the ingredients they provide, it’s hard to mess up. I certainly came away with more appreciation of taking the time before hand to really read the recipe and instructions and kind of visualize myself doing it as I read. The pictures on the Recipes helps with that. If I had to choose a winner of the 3, I’d go with the Sun Basket Spicy Turkey and Kale hash. Really, with all things being equal on my 3 criteria it was just the one that my taste buds preferred the most. Also, it was the one I feel I could whip up in a pinch most easily if I were in a pinch.

Sabrina’s overall thoughts:

Of the three, I have to say that I also preferred the Eggs in Purgatory for the same reasons as Moose. Of all the meal kits I’ve tried in general though, Sun Basket it definitely one of my favorites. I’ve used them on and off for a couple of years and think that they have only gotten better with time. I always look forward to their new menus and get a lot of inspiration for my own recipes from them. I personally think their blog is the most fun to navigate too. However, ALL of them are affordable, easy to use, and packed with useful info and each of them has something for everyone.

I hope you found this helpful! I find these meal kits and services to be a great way to help people who are looking to cook more and eat healthier.

Thanks, Moose!

I also hope you found this helpful. I’ll be enlisting Moose to sample three more kits (Green Chef, Hello Fresh, and Marley Spoon) and giving you his thoughts soon.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. What kits have you tried? What do you love about them? What do you think needs improvement? Which ones do you think I should try next? Drop me a line in the comments, people!