Hello, Fresh!!
Let me start by saying this is not an ad. I know how to cook, and I am pretty darn good at it. People closest to me can attest to that fact. But after my experience last night, I have to write about it to let people know @hellofreshusa is my new best friend! I’m super excited to continue with not only Hello Fresh, but perhaps other similar companies.
To start my story: March is my busy season at the office, and I tend to veer very far from eating well or eating at all because I simply forget and/or just do not have the time (legit). I have gotten better throughout the years, but this year I decided to try something different to help myself!
With an excellent coupon code, I couldn’t turn down the great deal of receiving 2 meals (feeds 2 people exactly) for $20! And here’s the even better news: there are TONS of coupons out there. And $20 to remove the stress of me having to think of at least 2 weeknight meals and skip the trips to the grocery store (yes i said “tripS”), done deal.
I took so long to try these boxes because I have always said: “No, you’re just going to waste money because you can just go to the grocery store and get it yourself”. And it’s true; I could go to the grocery store and get everything myself, spend around $50 on two meals AND have ingredients leftover for future culinary adventures. But that’s not the point of these boxes/services. The point of this box is convenience and creativity.
I have always been genuinely curious as to how these services work; how large are the portion sizes? Are the directions user friendly? What level of kitchen experience is required (if any), etc. And I’m sure I’m not alone. Which is why I’m here! Taking the time to write this out for you: the curious consumer.
If you’re wondering: the answer to all of the above questions, are: “perfect portion sized”, “yes”, and “you can choose your level of cooking difficulty”.
Hello Fresh offers (literally) DOZENS of meals. I haven’t seen a repeat option yet. The system allows flexibility to change your meals, skip weeks if you’re a little short on cash or just don’t want it that week, and you can cancel your membership at any time. The system automatically selects two of the “crowd favorites” but you can go through each option to pick which meals tickle your fancy (choosing the meal also shows you the level of difficulty).
When I received the box, it was on my doorstep. Removing everything from the box, everything was still super cold to the touch (it’s also like below freezing outside too, so I’m sure that helped). Every item was individually packaged, and vacuum sealed for the proteins and veggies. A few stems of my scallions were a little wilted, but it’s the furthest thing from a con because its produce, and the same thing happens in the markets. It also didn’t matter because I still had extra scallions at the end of the meal to use. But my point is: wilted greens happen, it’s life. Deal with it.
Now…the instructions...WERE INCREDIBLY DETAILED, but not confusing, and very easy. Being kitchen savvy, there were one or two notes I took, that would probably be useful for building flavor to people who don’t have food network on repeat 24/7 such as myself. I would definitely suggest at least glancing over the recipe/instructions before beginning so you have a feel for what happens, at what time and set out all of your ingredients ahead of time. The meal cooks quickly and you’re literally doing something every step of the way, there is almost little to no down time. Follow the instructions and you should come to a perfectly portioned, tender, flavorful meal.
This box is perfect for the single parent, the family, the around the clock busy bee, the adventurous home chef, the finicky foodie, the rookies, the “want to learn how to cook but don’t know where to start” people, and literally everyone else all around and in between! This experience was certainly a pleasant surprise and left a fantastic first impression. I’m hoping the rest of the meals are this enjoyable! If anyone wants to try, here’s a promo code: LHLRAY. Have fun and eat well!