Tested and Reviewer: Selvia Widodo, FUNMC In-A-Pinch Coordinator

There are a lot of subscription box offers these days, from beauty products, snacks, clothes, kid’s crafts, teenager’s crafts, pet food, and many others. I came across Blue Apron on Groupon with 30% discount that time. I had to get it and gave it a try.

Blue Apron is a nationwide delivery service (for most states) that sends you a box of pre-portioned meal ingredients, with recipes. I was curious whether this was a truly helpful innovation in grocery shopping and meal prep for moms, or simply the worst of both worlds — expensive take-out food and you still had to cook yourself.

The box contained all the ingredients needed to cook three meals, each for 2 servings, complete with recipes and step-by-step photos. Blue Apron also offers plans for 4 servings, as well as a choice between the meat and seafood or vegetarian meal plans. My box came neatly packaged in a cardboard box lined with a cooler bag and ice packs to keep the all the contents fresh for a few hours. Each recipe was well explained and every single ingredient except for olive oil, salt, and pepper was included. A little bottle of soy sauce? Check. One tablespoon of chili powder in a tiny bag? Check.

The first meal I cook was Pan-Roasted Hake and Romesco Sauce. Although it took me longer than I anticipated, the dish came out very nice, I could say it is gourmet food on a weekday. The most important thing was my husband was so impressed with the dish. For this recipes and cooking tips, visit: blueapron.com/recipes/452

The second meal I cook and I think was the best taste for my palate was Chicken Katsu with Miso Roasted Japanese Eggplant & Savoy Cabbage. I still had to do longer prep but it was really worth it. My husband and kids loved this dish. I feel this version of Chicken Katsu is healthier and very delicious. For this recipes and cooking tips, visit: blueapron.com/recipes/451

The last meal I cooked from this box is Southern-Style Burgers with Green Tomatoes Chow Chow & Roasted Old Bay Potatoes. It is a burger with updated Southern Style complete with all the fixings. It was really hearty and taste fresh gourmet food. I could not believe that I made that myself. I learn a few tricks to make the fixings. For this recipes and cooking tips, visit: Blueapron.com/recipes/450

Blue Apron automatically enrolls customers in a weekly delivery plan with the option of skipping as many deliveries as desired at no charge. While I thought I would want to just try the service once and cancel, I’ve kept with it, skipping any weeks with unappealing dishes or when it doesn’t fit my schedule. I often skip the week, but I know it’s available when I’m in a pinch or a menu looks particularly delicious. Also, the recipes are free to anyone browsing Blue Apron’s website and aren’t restricted to paying customers.

Overall, Blue Apron impressed me with its organized packaging, clear recipes, and menus. While I won’t be using it in a weekly basis, I enjoy checking out what’s on the menu, browsing the recipes, and occasionally ordering.

If you want to try Blue Apron, here is a promo code link: https://bluepromocode.com/blueapron/coupon/first-2-meals-free-5033/

Tested and Reviewer: Selvia Widodo

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf.