Thursday, May 22nd
2025 Meal Delivery Company Reviews
Blue Apron
- 50+ recipes to choose from every week
- Menu options include Chef Favorites, Wellness, Family Friendly, Fast and Easy, and Veggies
- Prices start around $7.99/serving
- $9.99 flat-rate shipping per order
- Market add-ons available
- Swap proteins for a more customized experience
- Upgrade meals
- Great for people with cooking skills who are looking to become truly accomplished at-home chefs
- Sustainable and high-quality ingredients
As one of the original modern meal delivery companies, Blue Apron has shipped over 530 million meals. That's a pretty decent accomplishment, but Blue Apron is not just interested in making money - they want to be successful in changing the entire way the food system is grown and distributed. They partner with farmers to raise and grow the highest-quality ingredients and put them together in meal plans to deliver them directly to you. "Simple. Easy. Environmentally responsible.” This will mean better outcomes for everyone, guaranteed markets for small family farms, and better quality ingredients for home chefs. And in our experience trying Blue Apron, we'd have to agree that the quality of the ingredients is spot on. Plus, Blue Apron meals are very satisfying to make because the end result is always a beautifully-plated meal that looks impressive. The flavor profiles are new and adventurous but still appeal to almost any palate.
Great introductory deals
Blue Apron has offered introductory promotions since their inception. At the time of this review, they were offering 50% off the first four boxes with free shipping. While this promotion will eventually be replaced with another one, hometown heroes like teachers, military personnel, medical staff, seniors, and first responders, as well as students, will probably always have a 50% off plus free shipping offer for at least their first box.
See a full month of menu options
You can preview a whole month's worth of Blue Apron's menus before you even place an order. It's easy to get an idea if you are going to be happy with the lower-cost meals or if you'll likely prefer the premium upgraded meals, for example. You can also see if the vegetarian options are a good fit, and you can even see which meals offer protein or side dish swaps. Some of the choices that had us drooling were the yuzu-orange glazed salmon, the one-pan chickpea and curry shakshuka, and the sour cherry Dijon chicken with roasted squash and broccoli.
Amazing holiday meal options
Overwhelmingly, customers love Blue Apron's holiday meal kits (when they can get them to arrive in good condition). People rave about the recipes, ease of preparation, and how stress-free their holiday cooking is with Blue Apron. If they offered this as a one-off option, we might be tempted to try them. Sadly, their shipping problems and customer service practices make it too much of a risk (but more on that later).
Order more, save more
The more Blue Apron meals you order, the more savings you incur. The $7.99 per serving meals are for 4 servings per meal, 5 times per week, whereas the 2 servings per meal, twice a week plan, came in at $11.99 per serving. Also, be aware that many of the meals are premium, which include a per-serving upcharge. In addition, some of the meal swaps will incur an upcharge.
Guaranteed by 8 pm and flexible delivery dates
Once we signed up, we were given a choice of delivery dates, and - wow! This was by far the most flexible, with the first delivery choice being only 8 days from the current date. The dropdown menu included literally any day within the next month, which was nice. Blue Apron is also, to our knowledge, the only service that gives a guarantee for delivery by 8 pm.
BBB rating has declined
Blue Apron had previously earned a "B-” from the Better Business Bureau but that grade sank to a "D-” at the time of this review. We are very concerned with this decline, and upon further research, we realized that many of the responses from Blue Apron were "cut and paste” responses that didn't truly address the issues. This was the same in other places online. For a large company focused on trying to improve how customers get groceries, this is a huge letdown. Canned responses are not what we expect from a company that is trying to better itself and the way we shop.
Recent customer comments are disappointing
In other places, customer experiences and complaints were even worse. Customer service seems to be lukewarm at best, with some customers receiving no response from Blue Apron even with serious issues with quality, missing shipments, and more. Subscribers were also frustrated with the way Blue Apron seems to handle overbilling errors on their end. Instead of offering a refund for a clear billing error, they tend to offer a credit instead. One reviewer had quality issues for over a month and Blue Apron's response was to simply cancel the account with no refund or credit. It's a shame, because the food is delicious (when it arrives correctly). Blue Apron has done nothing to address issues with bad shipping companies. This is a known issue that plagues the meal delivery industry, and as one of the original companies to offer the service, we think Blue Apron has a responsibility to their customers to do better.
Issues are ruining Blue Apron's credibility
Blue Apron has great ideals but sadly does not live up to them. It's ironic that their focus is on changing the way food reaches customers, when that is its biggest problem. It is extremely disappointing that after having shipped over 530 million meals, they can't get it right. In an industry plagued with quality problems due to bad shipping companies (Veho is one that everyone says is problematic), Blue Apron has chosen to bury their head in the sand and ignore its loyal customers. We are afraid these decisions will continue to contribute to a decline in quality, and we recommend going elsewhere for a meal delivery service.
More Meal Delivery Company Reviews
The 15 Best Meal Delivery Companies
Which Meal Delivery Service is the Best?
Like us, our food choices are distinctive and individual. The booming prepared meal delivery services industry is a reflection of that. Choosing a meal kit from all the choices available depends on a lot of factors - the most important of which is the reason why you are looking for an easier way to nourish yourself in the first place.
Perhaps you are dealing with a chronic illness that can be helped by altering your diet. Maybe you need to take a break from cooking because you are going through significant changes in your life. It is possible that your young family is too busy with extracurricular activities, playdates, and obligations to find time for menu planning and grocery shopping.
Meal Delivery Company FAQ
Continued from above...
Perhaps you are a senior who needs a fully prepared meal solution. Maybe you are just tired of takeout and food waste and only want the food you know you will cook. Or you're a rotten cook who wants to learn how to prepare a meal that isn't too dry or undercooked. Meal delivery services can help you and your family's mental and physical health, regardless of your circumstances or motivations.
A meal delivery service can alleviate the burden of preparing entirely different menus for you and your loved ones in cases where families have multiple dietary restrictions. So if you need a diet to deal with the effects of menopause but your partner is weightlifting and needs a high protein diet, a meal delivery service can cover that. You only receive the food you actually eat with these services because everything is pre-portioned. Some kits even do the prep work of chopping, slicing, and cooking grains for you.
Meal delivery services typically keep things simple while still ensuring that your food is tasty and satisfying. Some are kits that take just five or six steps to prepare. There are others who promise 30-minute meal prep time. If you are interested in learning how to cook but are short on time, a meal kit subscription could be a good option. You can even learn new cooking techniques from the gourmet meals that some services provide (sometimes for an upgraded price, but it is worth it). In no time at all, you will be able to confidently claim the title of "home chef." And, for individuals who are mindful of their budget, there are companies that specialize in delivering affordable home-cooked meals.
If you are concerned about the environment, you can find a number of meal delivery options that adhere strictly to regulations regarding responsible fishing and provide only the healthiest ingredients in their prepared meals. Although not certified organic, many businesses are now buying from local farms that follow rigorous standards for the humane treatment of animals and for healthy, delicious produce.
There are meal delivery services that will teach you new skills but will also require you to do some prep work, and there are other services that will deliver meals that only require 15 minutes to make. Incredibly detailed recipe cards and easy-to-follow instructions are provided by most brands, making meal preparation accessible to even the youngest family members. Some people find the recipes on these cards to be so useful that they opt to keep them for when they want to make the same dish on their own.
Our mouths watered while researching today's most popular meal delivery options. Before you choose your ideal service, there are a few things we think are important:
- Options, options, options. Lots of interesting and varied options are offered by these companies. Take stock of your priorities and make a selection based on those. Always keep your must-haves close at hand so you will not give in to the temptation to try something you are probably not going to like. If variety is important to you and you really have an open mind when it comes to trying exotic ingredients or dishes, don't pick a mostly meat and potatoes service. If you love complex dishes and advanced gourmet cooking, don't choose something that is basic or for beginning cooks. If you don't like the taste of microwaved leftovers, you may not be happy with a flash frozen meal delivery service that requires reheating in the microwave. There are so many options - don't be afraid to make your wish list specific and don't compromise. Trust us, you'll find a company with a meal plan that's right for you. And if it's not exactly right, most companies allow you to mix and match plans.
- Cost. You'll almost always get a better deal by subscribing to a service rather than choosing a one-off delivery. Many meal delivery services offer great introductory offers, too. Often, if you are a subscriber, you can receive free shipping or you will get some savings on repeat orders. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck when you sign up for a subscription with a meal delivery provider. Sometimes this includes free shipping, other times it means you may save 10-15%, and sometimes you even get a surprise gift. (One subscription we know of has sometimes surprised customers with delicious chocolate chip cookie dough. Yum!)
- Flexibility. While there are some people who can keep to an extremely strict diet and never bend, most of us need flexibility. Make sure to check how flexible your meal delivery service is. Can you pause your subscription for weeks when you are on vacation? Can you skip a week if none of the recipes are what you are in the mood for? Can you cancel online, or do you have to call in to cancel? Can you swap proteins, customize, or upgrade meals to your liking? Can you order add-ons like breakfast or snacks if you are having friends over for a holiday? These are important things to consider.
- Ingredient quality. Quality is everything in a meal delivery service. There is nothing worse than coming home from a rough day and seeing your meal delivery box and opening it only to discover wilted, rotten produce or bad chicken. Quality control is vital in a meal delivery service. Some people prioritize eating sustainably and buying fresh food from local farms. Services that offer non-GMO, organic food with sustainable sourcing practices are usually going to provide some of the highest-quality meals.
- Reputation. What do other customers say about their experience with the meals from the company you're considering? Are deliveries fresh and on time? Outsourcing to cheaper shipping companies resulting in bad delivery practices is something to look out for in this industry. What are the refund or credit policies when quality is compromised? What do others say about their experiences with customer service? Since most companies deliver weekly, you don't want to have to worry about headaches trying to get credits or refunds if things go wrong.
To give you the most worry-free experience with choosing a meal delivery service, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have spent hours looking at every aspect and facet of the most popular companies on the market today. We hope this helps you find a solution to creating healthy, delicious mealtimes - where you can create loving memories around the common, everyday act of providing a hot, home cooked meal with joy.
Compare Meal Delivery Companies
Select any 2 Meal Delivery Companies to compare them head to head
Trending Meal Delivery News
Related Meal Delivery Company Reviews
Since you're interested in Meal Delivery Companies, here are some other reviews you might find interesting.
Newest Reviews
