Cook It Review

Cook it claims to be the world’s best ready-to-cook meal kit service. While they may be a tad biased, they did declare that 40% of their customers consider Cook it to be life-changing.

That got us intrigued. Any life-changing service is worth exploring; if it’s doing it for 40% of customers, that’s worth investigating.

So we did some digging and found out what 2 out of every 5 customers are raving about. And in the process, we uncovered a few areas where they have room to improve.

We go through the highs and lows of being a Cook it customer below.

Cook it Buys Miss Fresh

In early December 2019, Cook it bought out one of it’s largest competitors, Miss Fresh. In expanding their operations to serve Miss Fresh’s existing customers, Cook it grew their production facilities by over 24,000 square feet. MissFresh employees combined with Cook it’s workforce which brought the total staff count to 260 employees.

According to Cook it, the Miss Fresh acquisition means:

• More recipes
• More ready-to-eat meals
• More pantry products
• Over 50% local products in each box

Although the companies shared a mission to reduce food waste and simplify everyday life, some Miss Fresh customers would argue that their first-hand experience with both companies revealed the stark contrast between the two. Google Reviews show that Miss Fresh users are disappointed in Cook it’s delivery service.

While the transition may not have been the smoothest, in the beginning, it could have been due to growing pains.

Recipe Quality and Taste

Cook it recipes are created by a chef and a nutritionist. Together they create 12 new recipes every week so that the menu is always interesting and mealtimes never get boring.

While recipes are creative and high quality, they are designed to be foolproof, accommodating cooks of all levels. Beginners can also get extra help from the Cook it Academy, an online resource with new cooking tutorials added weekly.

One week of recipes featured a fusion of ethnic influences from the following regions:

• Vietnam
• Italy
• China
• Mexico
• Korea
• Hawaii
• France

In that same week, the menu included the following protein sources:

• Tuna
• Sausage
• Lentils
• Pork
• Bacon
• Chicken

Perhaps the most unique and exciting feature on the menu is their weekly brunch item! I don’t know about you but blueberry jam pancakes with lemon zest ricotta would make me jump out of bed on a Sunday morning.

Quality of Ingredients

Cook it sources ingredients that are from smaller local suppliers to ensure freshness and great taste. Although they weren’t able to share exactly how they source, we it appears to be from largely eastern Canada. As their website points out, “The shorter its journey, the better it tastes”.

Customer Experience

Pros

Easy-To-Scan Recipes: On the Cook it website, the menu is outfitted with icons on each recipe that allow you to easily identify meals that accommodate your preferences. Cooking duration and key ingredients are also easy to determine when scanning the menu. Individual recipes display all the key information using images and minimal words. And if you’re curious about the actual cooking instructions involved, that is accessible as well.

Flexible Subscriptions: Cook it customers can skip deliveries 3 months ahead of time. You can add extra portions to meals. And you can cancel your subscription no cancellation fees.

Sizable Portions: One adult serving is enough for 2 kids under 13 years.

Kid-friendly Recipes: The majority of recipes on the menu are designed to be kid-friendly, flavourful and nutritious.

Cons

Bilingual Branding: While Cook it is based in French-speaking Quebec, they also serve Ontario and the Maritime Provinces where English is more common. Oddly enough, the English version of their website has plenty of content written in French. Even the customer support chat bot defaults to the french language. Some english-speaking customers might find this odd and confusing.

Customer Support: On Google Reviews, unhappy customers are met with defensiveness and half-hearted accountability for company mistakes.

Quality Control: Like many meal kit delivery companies, Cook it has had it’s fair share of delivery hiccups. From delivering missing ingredients, the wrong ingredients, rotten produce, spilled sauces and late deliveries. Some customers definitely haven’t had the best experience. For those looking for consistent and reliable meal deliveries, this one may not be at the top of everyone’s list.

Dietary Accommodations

Cook it offers weekly vegetarian recipes – up to five weekly..

The same week offered 5 gluten-free options although Cook it doesn’t offer an official gluten-free menu.

As far as low-carb, keto or paleo diets go, Cook it has zero options.

All in all, like most meal kit services, Cook it is probably not a viable option for those who have dietary restrictions. But it is a contender for plant-based eaters and those who are looking to reduce their weekly gluten intake.

Plan Descriptions

Cook it subscription plans are organized into 2 menu categories: Regular and Vegetarian. Customers can choose between 2 servings, 3 servings or 4 servings per week and between 2-7 meals per week. The sample prices below for each plan include 4 servings with 2 recipes per week.

Regular Menu

The Regular menu comes with pre-portioned ingredients for recipes that take 20 min – 35 minutes to cook. Recipes include one brunch option, ready-to-eat options and vegetarian recipes. You can choose from 12 new recipes every week.

Cost per serving: $10.25
Cost per week: $82.00

Vegetarian Menu

The Vegetarian menu is cheaper but it doesn’t offer as many options. You can expect around 5 recipes a week, including a ready-to-eat option and a brunch recipe.

Cost per serving: $9.63

Cost per week: $77.00

Cook it also offers an impressive number of healthy pantry products including fruits, breakfasts, lunches and snacks made by Quebec brands.

Cook it’s Goat Cheese & Pumpkin Seeds Pizza

Delivery & Shipping

Cook it currently delivers to Eastern Canada including Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes. Delivery is free.

Delivery boxes include recipe cards with step-by-step cooking instruction plus all the raw ingredients you need in exact portions. Cook it does not include these items: salt, pepper, milk, butter, oils and vinegars.

Delivery boxes are insulated and come with several ice-packs to keep meats, seafood and dairy products at the right temperature. So if you’re not home at the time of delivery, the food should be fine for a few hours. The driver leaves your box at the door.

You get to choose your delivery schedule. Delivery time options differ depending on your area.

Sustainability

Cook it’s sustainability efforts are unique. Through their eco-conscious practices, they aim to reduce food waste, packaging and emissions. Cook it also prioritizes relationships with local producers and artisans.

Their Sustainable Kit program contains zero cardboard and plastic. Instead, the kit comes with 100% reusable dishes. In addition, kits are delivered by bike.

The Sustainable Kit is currently available for Montreal residents. Cook it had planned to launch the program throughout Quebec and Ontario by spring 2020, so stay tuned.

Read More About Cook It

• The 8 Best Meal Kits To Try In Ottawa
• London, Ontario’s Best Meal Kit Delivery Services In 2022
• The 8 Best Meal Kit Delivery Services In Montreal 2022
• The Best Meal Kit Delivery Services In Toronto

Recap: Is Cook It Worth Trying?

Cook it is a proudly Canadian, forward-thinking meal kit service. But whether or not it’s the right fit for you depends on your mealtime requirements,

For people with ever-changing schedules and needs, Cook it’s flexible subscription comes in handy. With ready-to-eat options and a fully-loaded pantry, busy families can simplify their everyday lives with Cook it. If you’re a french-speaking family, even better.

Besides vegetarians and the gluten-free folk, Cook it won’t work for those who have dietary restrictions.

If you’d like to try Cook it, get $40 off your order by using code “COMPARISONCOOKIT” at checkout.

And make sure you leave your own review to let us know what you think of their meal kit service.