3 Reasons Why I Cancelled My Blue Apron Subscription
I like to call myself a pretty good cook. I know my way around the kitchen, and I learned a thing or two from the amazing chefs in my family: my mom, grandmother and aunt. My schedule makes it hard for me to cook as much as I would like these days. Despite that, when I do get a moment to throw something together, it's a relaxing and rewarding experience. I put on my music, light a candle, dance around the kitchen and try to create a masterpiece. Whether it's a home cooked meal or an outing with the Circle City Supper Club (shameless plug), good food and the ritual of sharing it with others is one of my favorite things. So when I was gifted a free trial subscription for Blue Apron, I was all in. The "meal kit delivery" trend is hot right now, and I definitely wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It also gave me an excuse to try out some new recipes and use them as practice for food photography. Win Win.
So let's get into it. Here are my thoughts on the Blue Apron service, what I enjoyed and what ultimately led me to cancelling my subscription.
What I Got
Blue Apron promises everything you need to make a complete meal with farm fresh produce, meat with no added hormones and sustainably sourced seafood. You select a plan sized to feed your family. Your kit arrives at your door every week, shipped on ice to keep it all fresh.
I selected the 2-Person Plan, which includes ingredients for three unique meals every week. All for a total of $59.94, with no shipping cost. They also have larger family plans. Meals work out to be about $9-10 each.
I received ingredients and step-by-step instructions for meals like Nashville-Style Hot Catfish, Tandoori Style Chicken and Rice, Roasted Pork & Mustard Pan Sauce, Chicken & Sweet Pepper Tostadas and Mozzarella & Arugula Paninis. All of the ingredients were labeled and packaged up nicely so that you can get organized and store what you're not ready for in your fridge.
What I Loved
My first impression of Blue Apron is that the food is delicious! I really appreciate the fact that I was working with fresh ingredients. The quality of everything was great.
The meals that I made were very unique and not your every day, go to recipes. That alone is probably the best benefit I found from the service. I mean, I had had Nashville hot-chicken before, but I never considered taking that style and making hot-catfish. I think BA also has a thing for fresh salads and slaws. I got at least one in every delivery. Super easy stuff like mixing vinegar, salt, mayo, sugar, etc. over chopped cabbage. Delicious, but again, not something I would normally put on the menu. My favorite meal was probably the Chicken & Sweet Pepper Tostada. Really simple and repeatable, but packed a lot of flavor.
I also really loved the fact that after I gave the recipes a try, I was able to remix and recreate them on my own. Each kit comes with recipe cards that you can save for future reference (they are also available online). I spruced up the already yummy panini with my own blend of Italian spices and sautéed shrimp. Brownie points for impressing my taste-tester/boyfriend, who is not easily impressed.
loved this tostada, definitely making it again.
What Could Have Been Better
So at this point, you're probably wondering why I cancelled my Blue Apron plan. As much I enjoyed the recipes, there were a few things that I could not get past.
The portion size was just too small. Listen, now I understand that not every meal needs to be a buffet. But my family is from the south, and we don't cook "small". It's just how I'm wired. I also like having left overs to take for lunch the next day, because that saves me time and money. That ain't gonna happen with Blue Apron.
The instructions were convoluted and extra AF. With every new recipe you learn in life, you can expect a bit of a learning curve before you can just whip everything together. But I was honestly flabbergasted by the complexity of some of the instructions. It's like they were written without wanting you to know the end goal, so that you could be surprised at the end. Don't have me "place mozzarella on a 9x9 square inch cutting board and slice into fine pieces, setting aside in a Pyrex mixing bowl for later use", when really you could have just said, "cut up some cheese and put it on the bread." All of this hoopla also led to lots of dirty dishes. I just...I don't have time.
It's too expensive (for what it is). Now I admit, BA can be a convenient way to make sure you have options for dinner. It's cheaper than dinning out, so if you need ways to cut back, this could be a great option. However, if you are someone that already has a decent cooking ability and don't mind going to the grocery store, it's not your best option. I really see BA as a treat. Something fun to try here and there, but not practical for my everyday lifestyle. You can get more bang for you buck by shopping and prepping yourself.
So tell me, have you tried Blue Apron or any other meal delivery kits? Do you think they are worth it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Also, be on the lookout for more food photography from me soon!