Blue Apron Review

Written by: Natalia S

 I’m a Vancouver-based mom and writer who loves to cook. Hope you enjoy!

When most people hear the term ‘meal kits’, Blue Apron is one of the first brands that comes to mind. Founded in 2012, Blue Apron is the front-runner that started the phenomenon that many people are becoming a part of. Everyone can now have simple, healthy meals without having to put in too much effort. Since its popularity started to rise, many other choices for meal kits have been put on the market and many are wondering if Blue Apron measures up to them. But is it worth it? Are the meals complicated? Are the meals delicious and realistic? What if I have allergies? Don’t worry, that is all explained in this honest review.

Meal Plans

Let’s take a look at ordering and what the meals actually look like.

When you visit their website, you can choose different types of plans. You can do a 2 meal plan, 3 meal plan, and they even have a family plan for those who have more than themselves to think about. The 2 or 3 meal plan serves 2 people, and the family plan serves 4 people.  Each week, you can select meals you like among a variety of recipes. If nothing matches your tastes, then you have complete freedom to skip it.

When you order, the meals come delivered to your house in a cooler box to keep the food fresh. Inside, you’ll find the recipes, pictures, and all the ingredients packaged separately from each other. Everything is labeled and perfectly portioned for what each recipe requires. The meat is vacuum sealed in a bag to preserve it, and the vegetables are crisp and fresh. Blue Apron even boasts a freshness guarantee. The only thing they do not include is oil, salt, and pepper, which most people typically have in their kitchens. Their promise is that you don’t need to go to the store for anything.

And the real kicker is that you can also order wine. You order it for the month, which includes 6 bottles you can choose from. You can go all red, all white, or even mix it up for some variety.

Blue Apron Pricing

Menu and Recipes

So now you may be wondering what the menu looks like.

They offer 8-10 meals per week, and you can choose whichever ones you want within your meal plan. Each meal comes with a protein, vegetable, and carb. They are all healthy, fresh, and cater to many tastes. You can stay safe with seared steak and potatoes, or get a little adventurous with spicy quinoa-stuffed poblano peppers. They rotate the recipes each week to ensure you have variety in your diet and don’t get bored with cooking the same things each week.

You are in total control. And since they include all the directions and ingredients, any beginner or chef extraordinaire can prepare them. Also, if you love the spices you are using, or need a special kitchen tool you don’t already have, you can buy them in their online marketplace.

Dietary Options

One thing Blue Apron nails is diet variety. When you are creating your account, you can choose to leave things out. For examples, if you don’t like seafood, you can make that note and they won’t give you seafood options.

Simple as that. They also have vegetarian menus to choose from, though there are not as many options. Also, the vegetarian options are not available in the 4 serving “family” plan. Because the menus are so varied each week, there really is something for everyone. One thing they do not cater to is allergies. So that is something you need to consider before ordering and choose recipes that do not have those items in them.

Beginner Friendliness

Ok. So how easy are the meals to prepare?

Blue Apron literally takes care of everything for you. The recipes are laid out step-by-step, with pictures to help you. Each ingredient, including spices, are there for you. They have instructions for each meal, and they all include cooking times for each step. They have created it to be as simple as possible for everyone. So if you are a parent with kids running around, or if you are 20-something and finally stepping out of the ramen game, don’t worry because they have you covered.

Blue Apron’s Vegetarian Meal

Cost and Delivery

One thing you may be considering now is cost. How much will you have to fork out for you to eat healthy and not have to grocery shop?

Well, that depends on your plan. It is $9.99 per serving, per meal. Let’s break it down:

• Signature, Freestyle OR Vegetarian Plan 2 meals/ 3 meals: $47.95/ $59.94
• 4 serving (family) 2 meals/3 meals/ 4 meals: $71.92/ $95.88/ $119.84
• Wine: $65.99

Shipping: Free and straight to your door.

Sustainability and Recycling

Waste. Let’s talk about that for a minute.

Remember when I said everything is packed separately? Well, yes, that causes a lot of waste. Blue Apron is not yet the best at improving this, instead opting for the self-serve method. In your account online, they have a section dedicated to giving you recycling ideas and options. If you go with Blue Apron, it might be the time you get to tell all your friends that your hours of Pinterest browsing are finally coming in handy.

Read More About Blue Apron

• Home Chef vs Blue Apron – Which Meal Kit Is Better?
• Plated vs Blue Apron – Which Meal Kit Should You Pick?
• HelloFresh vs Blue Apron: Which Meal Kit Should You Pick?
• The Best Meal Kit For One Person
• Blue Apron Competitors: 7 Services Like Blue Apron

Conclusion: Is Blue Apron worth it?

To sum it up, Blue Apron really is. Although they lose some points on sustainability, and some of the recipes are standard fare, they make up for it with a wide range of recipes and plans.

But deciding whether or not you want to try it is up to you. Ask yourself how much you are willing to pay for taste and simplicity. Are you willing to throw caution to the wind and try new flavors?  With Blue Apron, you are pretty safe making the switch. And if it isn’t your thing, you can easily switch to something else more to your liking. When you do make the switch, let us all know your review so we can make that decision for ourselves as well.