Meal Kits

Quote: rxwine

If you have enough assets to eat at a fine dining facility 5 days a week, I'd skip going out an hire a chef.

Google says
The average cost to hire a personal chef is between $30 to $40 per hour

Lots of times the "chef" is just a cook making basic meals. Limbaugh had a personal chef and he said people did not get what it really was. He needed meals that kept him on his diet, said sometimes the guy just made him a plate similar to when a family member is working late so the put a plate aside for them. Said the meals were not fancy like fine dining, just on his plan.

Quote: gamerfreak

The grocery store is definitely cheaper. But especially as a single person or even 2 people, it takes a lot of planning to cook and not have any waste. I also hate leftovers.

The convenience of having the exact ingredients/amounts delivered is worth it for me. The portion sizes are usually on the smaller side, but I’ve lost a good bit of weight after doing meal kits because the portions are controlled.

It’s definitely cheaper than takeout.

You are saying exactly what I am thinking. The hard part about cooking for one is that for some things you need to make a larger quantity to get it right. For example, if making a sauce you need enough that it fills the pan. For soup you need to make a whole pot so it all blends together. And even with planning as EB suggests if you make something with several ingredients you still have all of them to use and you need to eat them before they go bad.

Perhaps I will try the AP gag of rotating thru the onboarding offers, eat cheaper, and give some reports.

Quote: AZDuffman

Lots of times the "chef" is just a cook making basic meals. Limbaugh had a personal chef and he said people did not get what it really was. He needed meals that kept him on his diet, said sometimes the guy just made him a plate similar to when a family member is working late so the put a plate aside for them. Said the meals were not fancy like fine dining, just on his plan.

Of course, Limbaugh money offers pretty much any choice he would like which is even beyond the level I'm talking. If he ate "plain" it was certainly his choice, not due to finances.

Oprah sometimes cooks for herself, but she's had two fancy chefs working for her also from what I found.

Here is a breakdown of all the services I’ve tried. All prices include shipping and are for three 2-portion recipes (6 portions total). I always pay $5-$20 lower than the listed prices with discounts.

$$$
Gobble 7/10 - $71.94
Ingredients are more pre-prepped than other boxes. Veggies usually come pre chopped, sauces and sides like mashed potatoes are completely premade. All of the meals take less than 15 minutes to cook. I liked all the recipes and overall this is the most convenient option. However it’s the most expensive and they are the most stingy with discounts. Portions were also very small.


Marley Spoon 3/10 - $71.93
Overpriced Martha Stewart owned garbage. I hated all the recipes.

$$
Blue Apron 7/10 - $60
Recipes are a way more fancy than the other services, sometimes too much so. There were a few things I didn’t like, but overall pretty good and definitely the most variety/interesting options compared to other kits.

Home Chef 8/10 - $61.93
Very similar to Hello Fresh, but the recipes are maybe a little more fancy. I’ve only ever ordered one box but I’m looking forward to trying again.

Hello Fresh 8/10 - $63.11
Consistently my favorite kit. Every single thing I’ve made from Hello Fresh has been fantastic. The only negative thing I have to say is that steak is usually an upcharge.


$
Every Plate 8/10 - $38.93
Owned by Hello Fresh. Recipes are a little more basic and not a lot of variety, but really good for the price. I have probably ordered the most boxes from this service.

Dinnerly 5/10 - $35.94
Owned by Marley Spoon and just as bad. I’m not a fan, even at the low price point.

Quote: rxwine

Of course, Limbaugh money offers pretty much any choice he would like which is even beyond the level I'm talking. If he ate "plain" it was certainly his choice, not due to finances.

Oprah sometimes cooks for herself, but she's had two fancy chefs working for her also from what I found.

The point is that people think these kind of people eat fancy 5-star level for dinner nightly. They don't, they probably eat more like you and I than not like us.

Quote: AZDuffman

The point is that people think these kind of people eat fancy 5-star level for dinner nightly. They don't, they probably eat more like you and I than not like us.

I remember being in Caesars in the 70's. At that time our schedule was to play until the wee small hours of the morning, eat breakfast and go to bed. One early morning while we were having our early breakfast Redd Foxx (Sanford and Son TV series) to have something to eat after his late show (he was doing a stand-up gig at Caesars). He sat pretty much beside us and the server and he chatted some and she then asked him 'your regular'. His regular was mac and cheese and it wasn't even on the menu.

Quote: kenarman

I remember being in Caesars in the 70's. At that time our schedule was to play until the wee small hours of the morning, eat breakfast and go to bed. One early morning while we were having our early breakfast Redd Foxx (Sanford and Son TV series) to have something to eat after his late show (he was doing a stand-up gig at Caesars). He sat pretty much beside us and the server and he chatted some and she then asked him 'your regular'. His regular was mac and cheese and it wasn't even on the menu.

Did he call you a big dummy? lol

Lee Iacocca said Henry Ford II almost always had a hamburger for lunch. This in an executive dining room when Detroit ruled the world, inflation adjusted they were probably paying $90+ per exec lunch. Supposedly if an exec wanted something they figured out how to make it there. The guy had a burger, albeit one from the best beef cuts.

Nah he had a heart attack before he could call me a dummy -;)

Quote: AZDuffman

The point is that people think these kind of people eat fancy 5-star level for dinner nightly. They don't, they probably eat more like you and I than not like us.

Who says I can’t enjoy a $40 hamburger?