With the many Hello Fresh reviews and their inconsistency, I had to give my two cents on something we currently are using.
Are home-delivery services worth the money, convenience, and time? Or is it too costly even for the single bachelor/bachelorette?
This review of Hello Fresh will give you a small inside look at how tasty these delivery services are.
Some of these recipes, selection of produce and meats are less than best, while others leave you wanting more.
Background on Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh started back in 2011 and was founded by a few individuals, Dominik Richter, Thomas Griesel, and Jessica Nilsson (Berlin). Most of their services are offered through Western Europe, North America, and even Australia.
Back in 2015, Jamie Oliver (British Celebrity Chef) announced a partnership with Hello Fresh as he is the creator of these famous recipes that many have grown to love.
How it works
Once you’ve decided this type of delivery service is for you or your family, (come on this is a family blog) Hello Fresh offers three different plan types.
- Classic Plan ($9.99 per meal) Variety of meat, fish, and seasonal produce
- Includes Meat and Fish recipes
- Serves 2 or 4 adults
- 8 recipes to choose from
- Veggie Plan ($9.99 per meal) Meat-free proteins and seasonal produce for the vegetarian individuals or families
- Vegetarian recipes ONLY!
- Serves 2 or 4 adults
- Receive 3 hand-picked recipes
- Family Plan ($8.74 per meal) Family-friendly recipes to please adults and (picky) children
- Meat, fish, and vegetarian recipes
- Serves 2 adults and 2 children
- Receive 3 hand-picked recipes
The website offers its customers up to 8 recipes on the Classic plan, while the vegetarian and family plan only offers 3.
Other similar companies offer 10+ recipes to choose from, but these aren’t the most convenient or flexible meal plans, especially if you have diet restrictions in any of the above plans.
Let’s look at some of the plans coming-up next week and see how well they fare against one another.
Classic Plan (Week of May 27th – June 2nd)
Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas with Pico de Gallo and Southwestern Spices (30 mins)
- Melty Monterey Jack Burger with Red Onion Jam and Zucchini Fries (35 mins)
- Sesame Shrimp with Ginger Scallion Rice and Crispy Green Beans (30 mins)
- Shawarma Spiced Pork with Couscous and Peas (30 mins)
- Penne with Sausage, Corn, and Zucchini On (or Off) the Grill (30 mins)
- Strip Steak Béarnaise with Creamed Kale and Rosemary Potatoes (45 mins)
- Asparagus and Prosciutto Tartines with Lemon Pepper Ricotta and a Potato Hash (35 mins)
- Speedy Springtime Pasta with Mint, Pancetta, and Peas (25 mins)
Veggie Plan (Week of May 27th – June 2nd)
- Za’atar-Crusted Grilling Cheese with Sumac Roasted Veggies (30 mins)
- Mega Mushroom Burgers with Avocado, Caramelized Onions, and Spicy Mayo (30 mins)
- Colorful Confetti Salad with Corn, Beans, and Cajun Spices (30 mins)
Family Plan (Week of May 27th – June 2nd)
- Penne with Sausage, Corn, and Zucchini On (or Off) the Grill (30 mins)
- Thai Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Bell Peppers over Rice (30 mins)
- Lighter Fish and Chips with Broccoli and DIY Tarter Sauce (40 mins)
(Btw, it takes longer than 25-45 mins to make some of these meals)
As you can see, some of these are sound great while others may not appeal to every family. Hello Fresh offers its customers to skip a week (or more) if the recipes aren’t enjoyable (back to the grocery shopping it is for those weeks).
Check out the pricing below for Hello Fresh based on 2 or 4 people with their 3, 4, or 5 meals delivered a week.
Those who work full-time, let’s say 2 working and able-bodied parents with a couple of kids (totaling the 4 people) if you want to try this out, you’re still paying $60 per week. Keep in mind this is for ONLY for 1 meal a day!!
How do the meals taste?
I’ll be honest with you and I’ll share with you the recipes we’ve had with Hello Fresh. The ingredients are surprisingly good and maybe not something to write home to mom about, but worth blogging about.
Here’s a few of the recipes we’ve tried, you be the judge.
New York Strip Steak Panzanella with Watercress, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Garlic Croutons
- The steak itself was (pretty) good, tender and juicy and flavorful (all things considered in a home delivery service). Instead of garlic croutons, I would have opted for a vegetable such as potatoes and the sauce that you make is a bit too strong as it was too vinegar-y.
Fun Fajita Day Bar with Southwestern Pork, Tomato Lime Salsa, and Cheddar Cheese (Includes Sour Cream)
- The pork itself wasn’t the best as the pork was quite tough (it wasn’t our cooking) but otherwise everything else was flavorful and seasoned well. The downside (I enjoy sour cream on my tacos) they only provide you with 2 small packets of sour cream.
Berbere Chicken and Zucchini with Cilantro Rice and Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- I was surprisingly shocked by this recipe and did not have many expectations for this, but it was quite delicious. The chicken was full of flavor and juicy along with the rice being perfect and the lemon yogurt sauce.
Pork, Eggplant, and Squash Stir-Fry with Sesame and Ginger over Brown Rice
- This sucked, honestly, the spices and flavor are absolutely missing and struck out in this recipe. The pork overall was mediocre at best and there was no taste, no flavor, definitely could have used some spices and heat here.
Is it Worth it?
Will I buy again? Is it worth it for me and my family? I’ll tell you this much, I had a GREAT deal to try this so we took advantage of it. A friend gave us a free week, which is why we had to dive in.
I don’t know about you, but I know if I’m spending $60 – $100 a week for only 1 meal (btw, it literally makes for 1 meal there aren’t any left-overs) it’s a bit pricey and overboard if you ask me.
Due to how many different companies out there offer this type of service, we could only pick one. We may try out another company that offers similar delivery services such as Marley Spoon (Martha Stewart).
I’ve added a quick chart below for a price difference between both. The pricing reflects 3, 4, or 5 meals with 2 or 4 people under the Classic Plan (this is what we selected).
The cost savings is a slight difference between the two companies, is one better than the other? Time will tell as I’d like to try Marley Spoon or any other competitor just to see if the products are a better quality (it’s Martha Stewart after all), or if they’re both similar in products, recipes, flavor, etc.
Conclusion
Well there you have it!
My Hello Fresh review.
All in all, I think it’s a pretty good service and I would recommend you at least try it as we are all different
Have you tried either one of these companies? What are your opinions on either? Sound off below!
