Blue Apron will feed you dinner tonight

by Alison Green on June 13, 2016
Potato & English Pea Samosas

Potato & English Pea Samosas witih Saag and Cilantro Chutney

And now a break to talk about a sponsor…

I like to cook and I love to eat, but I hate, hate, hate figuring out what to make for dinner night after night after night. I’ve long felt that if I can’t have a live-in chef on hand to cook me meals to order (which would obviously be the right solution, if one were able to pull it off), the next best thing would to have someone do all the work of figuring out dinner and obtaining the ingredients, so that all I had to do was cook it. (And eat it!)

Blue Apron is basically exactly that. They’re a delivery service that delivers farm-fresh ingredients for delicious, chef-designed recipes directly to your doorstep. You don’t need to make a trip to the store, and you’ll receive in everything you need in precisely the right amounts, along with instructions for preparing it. So this is basically my dream – someone else is doing all the work that I don’t want to do, and leaving me the parts I enjoy.

Fresh Soba Noodle Salad

Fresh Soba Noodle Salad with Asparagus and Cucumber

Blue Apron gives you the option of order a two-person plan (one delivery a week, with three meals for two) or a family plan (one or two deliveries a week, with two or four meals for four). Each meal is less than $10 per person, with free shipping. And you can input all your dietary restrictions and food preferences so that you don’t get meals you don’t like or can’t eat. Everything shows up at your door in a temperature-controlled box so it will stay fresh even if you’re not home when it arrives.

Muffuletta-Style Grilled Cheese

Muffuletta-Style Grilled Cheese with Baby Romaine and Pistachio Salad

The coolest thing about Blue Apron is that it gets me cooking things that I wouldn’t have made otherwise, so I actually learn new ways of cooking things that I can then incorporate into my repertoire going forward. They actually got me to make samosas (see photo to left), which aren’t nearly as difficult as I’d assumed they would be. And the samosas had an accompanying cilantro chutney which I’m considering making by the vat and possibly just drinking straight.

They also have some pretty great kitchen equipment in their marketplace, including the large maple cutting board and super helpful set of tiny bowls pictured below. Those bowls have made my cooking prep look like I am a pro.

If you’re interested in trying it out, Blue Apron is offering two free meals on your first order; just sign up here. And there’s no commitment – you can skip or cancel the service at any time, so give them a try!

Look at these tiny bowls!

Look at these tiny bowls!

This large maple cutting board is quite luxurious.

This large maple cutting board is quite luxurious.


Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Blue Apron. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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{ 10 comments }

{ 10 comments… read them below }

  1. Victoria Nonprofit (USA)*

    Yum. Love Blue Apron.

    I’ve recently been using another meal kit service because Blue Apron makes it hard for me to get all the recipes I’m interested in (they offer six recipes a week, but you can’t order every combination of recipes). But Blue Apron is SO much better! This post inspired me to switch back, at least for a little while. :)

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      I don’t for sure, but I read somewhere that they’re going to experiment with letting you pick any of the six options, at least in some regions.

  2. Click*

    I bounce around between 3 different services (indecisive much?) but I think I use Blue Apron the most too. They always seem to be the most hearty and hubby friendly menus. Glad they work with you!

    1. Becky O.*

      We tried Blue Apron’s wine pairings box and we were totally disappointed. :( The wine is not very good and you don’t get full bottles (500ML versus 750ML). Initially, we thought it would be a good way to try new types of wine, but none of them were very good and all were rather cheap tasting. We cancelled after 3 boxes (ended up with a 3rd box by accident b/c we forgot to cancel in time).

    2. Mabel*

      My partner and I have really been enjoying the wine pairings! It’s not a full sized bottle, but it’s enough, and I have liked all of the white wines (I don’t drink red wine).

  4. Bowserkitty*

    A friend of mine swears by this now; I helped cook some sort of fish/soba dish with him one night and it was AMAHZING.

    Once I move I’m going to sign up for the trial! :)

  5. Mabel*

    The samosas look delicious, but we ate them this week with rice (which was delicious!) because we made a funny mistake with the dough that was meant to be used as the wrapping. We though it was the provolone cheese that came as part of a sandwich recipe, and when it tasted “funny” and not at all like cheese, we put it down the garbage disposal. The next day when we started making the samosas, we discovered what the “cheese” actually was, and we had to use rice. When we were trying the “cheese,” I gave a little piece to the dog, and she spit it out. She saw me eat a little piece, so she kept picking it up and trying to chew it and spitting it out. Eventually she swallowed it, but now I know why she wasn’t excited about the weird “cheese.” :)

  7. Jen*

    I use Hello Fresh which is very similar. I have been using them for over 6 months now and I just love it. Seems like the same concept, but I am sure that the selection is different. It is very convenient for busy people who want to eat healthy and try new recipes.

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