Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

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AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

Aren't their recipes available for free on their website?

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ghostrunner
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by ghostrunner »

I'm thinking about doing this. Probably a year later than I should have. I've come to really hate grocery shopping. I'm the primary food shopper and I feel like I do it all the time. Plus our local store is one of those WalMart Neighborhood Markets. It's actually fine for a basic grocery, but even pre-pandemic it was often understaffed and the lines get ridiculous.

If I don't do this I'm at least going to start doing the grocery pickup more often. I've just had it.

This is kind of a rant.

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thrill
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by thrill »

Quick show of hands, how many of you have done one of these services and stayed with it longer than 6 months?

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G. Keenan
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by G. Keenan »

I have not tried a Blue Apron type service, but back in April I did start doing a CSA/farm produce box and absolutely love it. It's definitely made our home meals healthier and more diverse, and the seasonality of the produce is wonderful. I live that I have no control over what comes in the box and therefore have to find a way to cook it. Gets me out of a rut at the grocery store where I tend to buy what I already know how to make.

Chopping and prepping the contents after work also gives me something analogue to do instead of staring at a screen all day at work, then coming home and staring at a screen all night at home.

It's also nice to know that I'm supporting family farms and other small producers who are all local.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

Getting meat directly from the farmers is awesome.

Cooking is fun.

I wish we had more time to do it.

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ghostrunner
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by ghostrunner »

My wife got a couple Hello Fresh meals on a local swap group last night, which is what prompted the questions. Worked out pretty well, except they were 2 person meals and i had to get the teenager to make most of one while I did the other. Very stressful trying to do that in a small kitchen. Both were really tasty and not like anything we normally make. So a good first impression. I though the packaging was pretty minimal, so no concerns there. One shipment of 2 meals a week seems pretty manageable, so I'm thinking about it.

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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by tlombard »

I've still never tried any of those food delivery services but this thread made me laugh because I've now hauled a few Hello Fresh loads from their distribution center in Irving, TX. Other than their actual distribution center, I love hauling their loads. They are short enough that you can knock them out in one shift and they generally put me right in the meat patch so that I can get a meat load to either coast which is good mileage and sets me up well for the next trip. Plus you can deliver them to UPS as early as you can get there so it's a great way to make a few hundred bucks in a day. You just check in at the guard shack as soon as you can get to the UPS facility, drop your trailer on their yard, grab your paperwork and pick up an empty. I ran one where I didn't have to buy fuel and I cleared $750 for a 500 mile trip and that was before the rates I get paid went up in March. Of course I still paid for that fuel, I just paid for it on the previous trip. Still would have cleared at least $500 for the day. I definitely prefer Hello Fresh over the other services.

The only thing that kind of stinks about those loads is getting in the dock at their distribution center in Irving. There is only one entrance/exit and rarely enough room to get turned around and set up properly so you either have to blindside into the dock or turn right instead of left before you enter the gate and then straight back all the way down to your door. Blindsiding is incredibly easy to make a mess of and hit something so I just take the option with the long back and it's not bad as long as there aren't a bunch of other drivers trying to get in and out which makes it a congested mess with every driver just wanting to get going and being unpredictable. As soon as most truck drivers hit a truck stop parking lot, shipper or receiver... all bets are off and it's a complete free for all. One of the first things I learned about truck stops with my trainer is that there are no rules at a truck stop. Drivers completely lose all patience and regard for posted signs and common courtesy. I'm only kind of joking.

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ghostrunner
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by ghostrunner »

We signed up and have been doing Hello Fresh now for about 6 weeks. One delivery missed so far and that was a bit of a hassle but we’re pretty happy with it

Food- everything’s been really good and I like that there’s some variety. I usually make one of about 12 things on my weeks to cook and it gets old.

Also like not having to grocery shop as much. I remember Michael talking about a maid years ago and how it just took a load off his mind and that’s how I feel about this. Less time spent figuring out what to make and less time shopping.

Cost - We still eat out once a week but I’d say these meals are about halfway between the cost of a home cooked meal and a restaurant meal. So about $70 for two meals. Downside is there’s no leftovers but we probably throw half of our leftovers away due to forgetfulness or there not being enough for a full second meal.

Waste - very little food waste. You get exactly as much as you need for one meal. However there’s a good amount of packaging waste and this bugs me the most.

The boxes are fine. We use those as a cover layer before mulching and we got through a lot of it. There’s some thick insulated cardboard that we can’t recycle. The ice packs are non toxic and you can cut those open and dump the frozen chunks in the trash. The plastic has to be recycled with your grocery bags. There’s often little sauce packs, cream cheese or sour cream packages and plastic bags that toppings or spices will come in. Not to mention meat packaging. All of that goes in the trash. The meat comes like what you might get at Costco. 2 chicken breasts or a pound of ground meat per package.

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Smith Corks One
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Re: Rave: Hello Fresh/Blue Apron

Post by Smith Corks One »

We did Hello Fresh for a while and loved it. Just decided it was a little too expensive once all of the introductory deals ran out. Said that by keeping the recipe cards we could just buy the ingredients cheaper and continue to make them, but really haven't done that. I think they've been sending me some "come back" offers, so I'll have to check it out again.

Tried Blue Apron and weren't very impressed (wife is a vegetarian and I think Hello Fresh does the meatless meals much better). Then tried a really cheap one called Dinnerly and totally meh.

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