Trying to cut down on your Deliveroo habit? Consider investing in a recipe box scheme. The conveniently portioned ingredients and recipe cards delivered to your door can take all the hassle out of cooking, so you can enjoy homemade, nutritious food, without the headache of meal planning or stepping foot in a supermarket.
Recipe boxes can be adjusted to your household’s size, dietary requirements, and weekly needs, but they’re not without their downsides. While recipe boxes address the issue of food waste, as they only send the ingredients you need, some pack the ingredients in plastic that can’t be recycled. So, it’s worth looking out for companies that use compostable packaging.
There’s also the issue of cost – convenience comes at a price, but pricier options (specialist seafood or premium restaurant dishes) can prove better value for money, particularly when you consider the cost of dining at top-quality restaurants.
To help you decide if a recipe box is right for you, I put a range of popular boxes to the test.
How I tested
I picked a range of recipe boxes to test. From one-off, special occasion boxes to prepaid subscription services and weekly farm-to-table deliveries, I ordered a wide selection of meals, covering different cuisines and prices. I included vegetarian, vegan, meat, and fish options to cover all bases.
When testing, I looked for the quality of the produce supplied, how easy the recipes were to follow, how the produce was packaged, how healthy the meal was (if applicable), and how inspiring and tasty the resulting food was, with one eye on value for money. After cooking about 30 different dishes over the course of a month, the verdict is in.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Joanne Gould is a food writer who has reviewed everything from mixers and blenders to coffee machines and meat thermometers for IndyBest. In each of her reviews, Joanne provides her honest opinions and will only recommend products and services she believes are worth your money.
