Trialling recipe boxes: Conclusion

Between 3 July and 31 August I have been trialling 7 different recipe box services, i.e. I cooked 42 portions of meals (7 services × 3 meals × 2 portions = 42). I generally consider this experiment a full success.
I was super-excited every time a new box came, I learned something new with every single recipe, I ate healthier and tastier food than usual and I especially loved the experience of each first bite of a new meal.

Unless you already have the time, skill and motivation to cook yourself, any of these 7 services will be an enhancement in your life. Even the ones I don’t particularly recommend are still better than ready-made meals.

When I weigh all my criteria (choice, convenience, eco-friendliness, transparency and food) neutrally against each other, this is my personal order (from best to worst). (The recommendations don’t seem to fully match as food and eco-friendliness play a bigger role for me personally than convenience and choice.)

  1. Riverford (highly recommended)
  2. Gousto (recommended)
  3. HelloFresh (recommended with reservations)
  4. Marley Spoon (not recommended)
  5. Abel & Cole (recommended with reservations)
  6. Mindful Chef (not yet recommended)
  7. The Original Supper Box (not recommended)

Although I liked Riverford best, their inflexible delivery times meant that I opted for the second best in the end. I now regularly get Gousto boxes every Saturday. (I just had my 11th box.) I cook every Saturday and Sunday and microwave the second portions on Monday and Tuesday at work. And I still love it!
I plan to get Riverford boxes irregularly whenever I’d be home on a Thursday. And I’d like to try Abel & Cole and HelloFresh at least one more time to prove or disprove my reservations.

I started a comparison of recipe boxes on SocialCompare.com to provide a quick overview of all the recipe boxes I tried:

Now I would love to have recipe boxes for cakes and deserts as well! 🙂


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