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Thursday, January 23rd
Eli's Cheesecake is a Chicago-based company that started out in a restaurant kitchen. It has now grown into a third-generation (still family-owned) bakery with a specialization in cheesecake. The company focuses on Chicago-style cheesecake specifically. The difference? Chicago-style cheesecake is baked hot and fast with no water bath. The crusts are made with all-butter shortbread cookies, plus you can expect hand-decorated designs and locally-sourced ingredients with every cheesecake.
Pick your commitment and enjoy
To sign up for the club at Eli's Cheesecake, you just need to choose from one of the four prepaid plans. Eli's Cheesecake offers a 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month club. The fourth club is a Dessert of the Month Club, which is 12 months long, but includes other treats (though the selection is 50% cheesecake still). Each shipment includes 1 cheesecake per month with enough to serve 14-16 people. You get to choose your delivery week (which will recur on each subsequent shipment period), and Eli's Cheesecake does tell you which cheesecakes are coming up for future orders. However, each club frequency has set flavors that don't change. For example, the 3-month plan offers Original Plain Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, and Strawberry Cheesecake for set months of the year. Plain cheesecake is offered for January, April, July, and October, Chocolate chip is offered in February, May, August, and November, and Strawberry is offered in March, June, September, and December. It's unclear if this changes each year, but if you decide to get a 3-month plan multiple times, you'll start seeing repeats of the same cheesecakes right away.
Get selections from 14 different flavors
There are plenty of ways to get a taste of Chicago from Eli's Cheesecake. You'll find a total of 14 different flavors available. There are 6 original flavors, 5 holiday flavors, and 3 fall-themed flavors too. Some of the standouts include Eggnog Cheesecake, Cranberry Crumble, Cinnamon Roll, and Hot Chocolate. There are enough flavors and fun to go through an entire calendar year of cheesecake and still get something new (as long as you choose the right subscription).
Pricing from $165 to $639
Each of the cheesecake club plans is priced on a prepay-style membership. You are charged once for the entire period. The 3-month cheesecake club is $165, the 6-month plan is $329, and the 12-month plan costs $639. If you want to go with a few other treats in your shipment, you'll get a mix of cake, cheesecake, chocolates, and more for 12 months at $549. Notably, shipping is not free from Eli's Cheesecake, and for our area, shipping for one 6-month plan costs $50.85 (but since you prepay, the cost of shipping isn't recurring).
15-day window for refund or replacement
Eli's Cheesecake offers a return policy of 15 days from the date you receive your cheesecake. You won't need to return your cheesecake if you're unhappy, but you may need to provide a photo before you can get a replacement sent or a refund for your order. To start the process, you'll need to call or email Eli's Cheesecake to get the ball rolling.
Mixed reviews, but praise for flavor
Eli's Cheesecake could have a better reputation overall. First, it shows a below-average "C+” rating on the Better Business Bureau, though there are no reviews on the BBB to back up this score, and only 1 complaint closed in the last 12 months. There isn't any buzz for Eli's Cheesecake on Trustpilot or Sitejabber, but we did find some reviews on Yelp that show a more balanced 4.1-star average rating for this cheesecake club. Reviews praised the flavor and the "silky” texture of the cheesecake. While we'd like to see more buzz overall for the cheesecake club itself, customers generally agree that Eli's Chicago-style cheesecake is worth the cost.
Fun flavors, but needs to work on its reputation
There's no denying the flavor quality at Eli's Cheesecake, and while the 15-day refund policy is customer-friendly, there are a few drawbacks to consider. The cheesecake clubs appear to have a limited menu that repeats every cycle, so you may not get to try as many cheesecakes if you don't pay for the 12-month plan. Further, the prices are a little high compared to some competitors. With mixed reviews and a "C+” rating from the BBB, Eli's Cheesecake comes in with a mid-tier rating due mainly to the costliness. However, it's still worth checking out if you're a fan of Chicago-style cheesecake or unique holiday flavors.
Ever look through your goodies at home and feel you don't have the right special something for your evening sweet tooth? While you can get some tasty treats from your local grocery store or go out for something special, it's harder to find truly delicious cheesecake unless you find a specialty bakery or dessert shop.
But sometimes, you don't have time to run to The Cheesecake Factory when you're craving the sweet, creamy texture of professionally-baked cheesecake. Don't worry, you don't need culinary school training just to have a delectable dessert at home; you can join a cheesecake club instead.
Cheesecake has a fascinating history. Technically a form of baked custard, the first cheesecake was created by the Greeks in the 5th century. It wasn't until the English added cheesecake to the dinner table of King Richard II (in the medieval period) that cheesecake started to look more like our modern version. Today, there are four different types of cheesecake: Italian, German, New York, and French. The Italian version uses curd cheese, or cottage cheese as the base. Germany uses quark (not the elementary particle but the dairy product), New York uses cream cheese, and French is an unbaked variety.
From classic vanilla to peanut butter, to raspberry swirl or Oreo-flavored, there are thousands of cheesecakes to add to your "must-try” list. If you want a specific style or you just want to get more cheesecakes on your table, a cheesecake club is the way to go. These subscription-based services send you regular shipments of cheesecake right to the comfort of your home. Most services include a variety of cheesecake flavors and styles, so you can feel like a true gourmet diner (or like Richard the Second, if you prefer a Shakespearean evening).
Each month, you'll get a delivery of cheesecake to try, and no matter if you're sharing with friends, buying a gift, or picking out cheesecakes just for you, there are plenty of online services and clubs to join to get as much cheesecake as your heart desires. With cheesecake clubs, you can score treats from America's best bakeries, international tastes, or just try as many chocolate cheesecakes as you can in the next few months.
If you're ready to get that sweet creamy goodness in your fridge but aren't sure where to start, we've sifted through all the best cheesecake clubs to help you find the best picks. Here are some factors to consider:
Ready to satisfy your sweet tooth? Nothing is stopping you from joining a top-tier cheesecake club today. To help you get your next well-deserved sweet treat, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top cheesecake clubs out there today. This way you can enjoy all your favorite flavors, and even find some new ones too. Bon Appetit!
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