Meal kits can help reduce waste, since they only send the necessary ingredients. They’re also a good way to refine your cooking skills and learn new recipes. And they’re far more budget-friendly than when they launched.
According to a recent CNET survey, the biggest drawback for most is the subscription element. Our favorite meal kit company, out of more than a dozen we tested, just dropped its subscription requirement, allowing customers to order boxes of meals without the recurring charge.
Blue Apron no longer requires a subscription to buy its top-rated meal kits.
Blue Apron revamped its menu, pricing and subscription model earlier this month. Along with more recipes, such as the Pesto Gnocchi Bake and Curry-Coconut Roasted Salmon, customers are no longer locked into a monthly meal payment.
Here’s the latest on Blue Apron’s changes and what our meal kit experts think.
Read more: Make Cooking Simpler With CNET’s Exclusive 25% Off Blue Apron Code
All about Blue Apron’s revamp
There are more than 100 meals per week, more than twice the previous amount. Most of those meals can be customized, like choosing beef, chicken or pork for enchiladas. There are also vegetarian options.
Blue Apron offers two revamped meal categories and traditional meal kits: Dish, Assemble and Bake. Dish is a selection of 40 rotating premade meals with nutritional promises, like a minimum of 20 grams of protein and fiber, which are ready in five minutes.
Blue Apron’s more than 50 meal kits can be purchased a la carte.
Its other new option is Assemble and Bake. It offers 15 rotating options and 10 always-available meal options. It comes with prechopped and prepared ingredients to make the meal in five minutes or less. Most of these are also one-pan recipes, making them easy to make and clean up after. Blue Apron still offers meal kits.
Other changes include meals delivered to most ZIP codes in three days, now available on the Wonder app and significant changes to its subscription model.
Blue Apron no longer requires a subscription
Blue Apron won’t require a monthly subscription anymore. Instead, there are two service options.
- Autoship & Save: A service for recurring Blue Apron deliveries. You’ll save 5% on every order and can cancel any time. You won’t be charged if you cancel before your order’s cutoff time. There’s no monthly charge or commitment.
- Blue Apron Plus: Blue Apron’s membership service that offers unlimited shipping, a Tastemade Plus subscription and other deals for $10 a month.
CNET’s meal kit expert, David Watsky, thinks Blue Apron’s subscription-free model is a smart move.
“Consumers have clear hesitation about subscriptions,” says Watsky. “Blue Apron’s new model positions the brand to reach those averse to subscriptions but open to trying meal kits, even in a short-term or trial capacity. More options and freedom for the consumer are always a good thing.”
Do the math before choosing a meal kit
It’s all about balancing convenience and cost when planning your meals. Do the math first. If you find that you’re spending too much on food delivery or groceries are becoming expensive, this could be a way to save time and money.
I wouldn’t recommend a meal delivery service for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily because the cost can easily exceed the average family’s budget. But because Blue Apron no longer requires a subscription, I’m planning to try the meals commitment-free without breaking the bank.
