In the beginning of “meal kit delivery services,” I was disgusted. I thought that there was no way these meals could be fresh or anywhere near tasty. I also believed that it was ridiculous to buy a pre-planned, pre-portioned “kit” when it is so easy to just cook for yourself.
And then I realized that meal kits were a wave of the next generation. Friends and family of mine started swearing by these services. It started to make sense to me: these services are perfect for people that hate cooking and have no desire to do so. I also realized how many companies had emerged- each with their own beliefs, values, offerings, and prices. That being said, I definitely do not think all of those companies are made equally. I started hearing a lot of negative feedback and complaints about particular services, which made me think….. “How cool would it be for me to review the “best-rated” services, for anyone following me that is interested in this trend?”
So, keep checking back as I continue to review and share my discoveries for what are known to be the best meal kit delivery services on the market!
Chef’d
As my first meal kit delivery attempt, I was extremely impressed with the actual service of Chef’d. If you are non-commital, or are just looking to order a meal (or 10) here and there, this is the service for you! The great thing about Chef’d is that it is like grocery shopping- you can go to the website, browse around, then go home with 10 things… or nothing! And you can do it any day! Simply pick and chose what you want, when you want it, and where it should be delivered. Super simple.
Another cool thing about Chef’d is that there is every recipe you could dream of (most likely). From simple things, like a side of baked sweet potato fries, to filet mignon with truffle butter; and even a wide variety of desserts! Not to mention the tons of breakfast kits! The recipes all come from different partners and chefs; along with, of course, actual Chef’d recipes. For example, you can get Duff Goldman cakes, PF Chang’s “Firecracker Chicken,” Campbell’s Kitchens “Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders,”…..the list goes on! I personally thought this was very neat!
When my box arrived, I was impressed with the quality of packaging. I didn’t get home until around 5 pm (it arrived around 11 am), and everything was still cold inside- due to the several ice packs and insulated box. Inside, I found my 2 kits labeled and each in their own bag: Fiesta Shredded Chicken Sandwiches and Arugula Salad with 
Gorgonzola Vinaigrette. I was tickled to find an extra surprise : Black Bean Hummus and Pita Bread from one of the Chef’d partners! This was such a treat!
Each kit/meal comes with an easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction sheet. My sous-chef for the meal was my mom, and I am thankful she was there to help me. It took us a little over an hour to prepare both kits, although I assume most people would typically just
make one kit. However, from these 2 recipes, I do see Chef’d as an all-hands-on-deck meal: perfect for families with kids that like to cook, or couples for a date night!
The sauces/condiments/liquids all came pre-measured- which was so helpful! The vegetables do need cutting, however. All of the ingredients were impressively fresh- there is no denying that Chef’d provides the best of the best! Their website does inform you that, because of this, you may not receive exactly what is listed in terms of ingredients due to availability. For example, I received feta instead of gorgonzola for my Arugula Salad. This worked in my favor, because I LOVE feta, but did make the title of the item a bit deceptive.
Overall, the recipes were easy to follow, and the great thing is that their difficulty level and time are listed online to see while you shop around. The Fiesta Shredded Chicken Sandwiches were rated as “Hard” and a time of 1 hour. For an amateur or new chef, I think this is very accurate. 
Personally, I enjoyed the sandwich, and REALLY loved the salad! The only feedback I have….:
- For the sandwiches, the recipe does not say to spray the aluminum foil that you bake the sweet potato fries. Against my intuition, I followed the recipe and did not spray the foil. I was able to savage less than half of the fries- which were really yummy! My mom, however, did not like them, and said they tasted like the cornstarch you coat them in.
- The avocado sauce for the sandwiches was flavorless, and completely wasted. Nobody here liked it, unfortunately.
Overall? I would order from Chef’d again, for sure! There are SO many recipes I am interested in trying- including desserts! The portions were very accurate (coming from someone who eats a lot!) and even generous. I had ordered the salad for 2, figuring I would be the only one eating it (I am the salad-addict of the family), but it was definitely enough for 4! As far as pricing goes, I think that Chef’d is a great value for what you are getting. Could I have gone to the store and put together a similar meal for cheaper? Yes, but with a meal kit delivery service, you are paying not only for the ingredients, but for 
the convenience. With these two factors combined, I think that $44 for sandwiches and baked sweet potato fries for 4 people is very reasonable, same with $27 for the large (and filling!) salad for 2: especially because of the high-quality ingredients!
Highlights of Chef’d :
- Hundreds of recipes to chose from – no subscription, no weekly minimum… Order what you want, when you want!
- Diverse recipes from different partners/companies/chefs!
- Very reasonable prices & high-quality ingredients
- Easy to follow recipes
- Pre-portioned/measured ingredients!
- Generous Portions
Use this link for your first order! :
https://www.chefd.com/collections/all?sort_by=best-selling?utm_source=Shelby&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=meals&utm_term=20180307
Martha & Marley Spoon
“Cook Martha Stewart’s best recipes. We’ll deliver the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients directly to your door.” Sounds amazing for foodies like myself, right?
I was extremely pleased to confirm this hypothesis. “Marley Spoon” was an easy alternative to cooking from scratch, and it scored double-thumbs-up from the whole family. Unlike Chef’d, however, it is “flexible subscription” based- but this is not something I personally would mind. I will definitely be considering keeping a subscription with Marley Spoon, especially since you have the flexibility of canceling from week-to-week.
Subscriptions can be for either 2-portion or 3-4 portion meals. The minimum weekly box is four portions. Delivery available Monday-Friday, based on your zip code, and… FREE!
On the website, there are ten “current recipes” listed for each of the upcoming 4 weeks. I had a lot of fun browsing the variety of recipes: they aren’t your typical dishes, but they also aren’t unapproachable. I settled for the “Roasted Chicken and Broccoli with Cheddar
Rice” and “Spiced Cauliflower Wedge Salad.” Again- I don’t assume most people would make two kits at once, but I thought these went well together: and we had leftovers!My box was delivered early in the morning, and stayed cold literally ALL day, due to the intense insulation. The chicken breast was stored completely engulfed by cold packs on the bottom of the box, and the rest of the ingredients each in their own labeled bag for the 2 separate kits. All of the ingredients were impressively fresh! Both recipes had a minimal amount of steps and ingredients- which I appreciated. The only work I really had to do was a little bit of cutting, seasoning, sautéing, and baking: which is not bad at all, and actually made for a quick prep. I was shocked at how delicious both recipes turned out, and how much the family agreed! The chicken and broccoli paired so well together, and that rice? Definitely going to make this on my own- such a simple way of giving plain, ol’ rice a cheesy (but not too heavy) twist. I 
especially LOVED the Spiced Cauliflower Wedge Salad kit: so unique and nothing I would have casually thought about making. I would totally recommend it for a vegetarian meal for two!
Overall? I particularly encourage foodies to check out Marley Spoon! I also think that it is a perfect option for couples/parents looking to easily step up their cooking
game… Elevated, fresh, and many healthy options for the cooking-dummy! Great portion sizes for the two-portion meal kits!
Pricing for Marley Spoon is NOT based on particular recipes- it is a flat rate per box, varying on number of meals and portions. As seen below, it is cheaper to get more portions/per meal!
Highlights of Marley Spoon :
- Great variety of 10, unique, creative, elevated meal options per week.
- “Flexible” Subscription – can be cancelled anytime.
- Easy to follow recipes with minimal steps.
- Fresh, well-packaged, pre-portioned ingredients.
- Generous Portions
- Free shipping!
Sauce Boss Shelby 