Dinner is in the mail: Ready-to-cook dinner kits that cost less than takeout
Posted August 21, 2013 8:19 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NEW YORK – Sarah Michaelson no longer wonders what she’ll be having for dinner. Her meals are delivered to her door.
She signed up with Blue Apron, a company that ships ready-to-cook dinner kits last fall. Michaelson and her husband, Phil, pay $59.94 a week to have six uncooked meals sent to their home every week. Blue Apron’s kits are filled with everything needed to whip up a meal, from the raw meat and fish to spices and vegetables. Recipes, with step-by-step instructions and pictures, are included.
“It saves us a lot of money,” says Michaelson, a marketing manager at Betterment.com, an online investment management company.
She now eats dinner at home at least three times a week. Before, she would order takeout while at work, or head to a restaurant. Takeout can cost as much as $35 for the New York couple, and dinner at a restaurant starts at $40 for the two of them Michaelson says.
Ready-to-cook dinner kits are the latest concept in online grocery delivery.
Blue Apron, and fellow startups HelloFresh and Plated, are targeting busy consumers who want to cook at home, but don’t have the time hit the grocery store every week. The companies are new, all three have launched within the last year, but are growing quickly and have plans to reach more customers in more states soon.
The kits make cooking at home easier. Since all the ingredients are included and measured, you don’t have to buy six onions when all you need is one or a bottle of a spice you’ll only use a sprinkle of.
The kits can sometimes be cheaper than dining out or ordering in, costing between $10 and $15 a meal. But some of the companies require a subscription or buying a minimum amount of meals a week.
They all work differently, but they all aim to give even the most inexperienced cook the ingredients to cook a gourmet meal.
Subscribers are able to choose dishes they want to cook. A box is sent with that week’s meals. The boxes are packed with ice packs and insulated to keep the items fresh. All three services use seasonal vegetables and fruits, and recipes change every week. Subscribers benefit from variety so they’re not repeating the same meals week in and week out.
But be aware that these services cater to couples and families. Single subscribers may end up with more food than they know what to do with.
