Meal preparation services experiences?

[Pilot2013]

I would love to try Chef'D, but I eat meat, and wife usually no meat, and occasional fish. Since you order dinners for 2, I would eat 1 for 1 evening, and then the 2nd one another evening. Wife would order "her" type of meals and would have to do the same.

I just wonder how well the food would "last" for 2 days.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I don't mind shopping for groceries and I have lots of recipes I've developed over the years. It's the in season or available ingredients that inspire new recipes. If I have to do the food prep I'm not interested in buying from a meal service.

This is my thinking. I believe that they service that is provided is just too darn expensive. I am not saying that it's not a good choice for some folks, but for me, it would be an enormous waste of money. I have heard that many of the (maybe all) of the Blue Apron recipes are available online FOR FREE.

As far as I am concerned, if I wanted to try these "new fancy" recipes then I could figure out what ingredients I need and add them to the grocery store list...after all, aren't most of us *still* going to the grocery store once a week for stuff? I don't think it would really add that much time getting the additional items at the store.

One other thought about "not being a cook". Well, I think this is baloney. I told myself for a long time that I couldn't cook. I could grill, but hey...who can't do that? Well, in retirement I thought I would give it a try. After all, I have recipes from several members of the family as well as my DW's family...hell, enough to have a different meal, everyday for the next 5 years. And you know what? There just isn't too much to it. You gather ingredients, put them together as instructed, and viola! Home cooked meal!!!

Anyway...back to the original topic.

 

[Moemg]

I can see using it for exotic recipes but seriously do they really sell grilled cheese kits ?

 

[Meadbh]

One other thought about "not being a cook". Well, I think this is baloney. I told myself for a long time that I couldn't cook. I could grill, but hey...who can't do that? Well, in retirement I thought I would give it a try. After all, I have recipes from several members of the family as well as my DW's family...hell, enough to have a different meal, everyday for the next 5 years. And you know what? There just isn't too much to it. You gather ingredients, put them together as instructed, and viola! Home cooked meal!!

If I can learn to cook, anybody can. Here's what I've eaten today:

Breakfast: omelette* with free range eggs, cayenne pepper, basil and cheddar cheese, coffee

Lunch: zoodles with homemade pesto, jubilee tomatoes and Andouilli sausage, garnished with Parmiggiana-Romano**. Grapefruit juice.

Dessert: rhubarb crisp*** with Greek yogurt.

I'm not having supper.

* Jamie Oliver has a good tutorial on how to make a great omelette
** My idea, based on what's in season at the Farmers Market
*** Laura Vitale (Laura in the Kitchen) has over 1000 great simple recipes and communicates them very clearly. They always work out well.

I suppose I might have spent $10 on these ingredients, but they are all fresh and most are locally grown or made, and I haven't used them all. Everything has been beyond delicious.

 

[audreyh1]

One of the joys of retirement is having plenty of time to cook and to shop for primo ingredients to make the effort worthwhile. We eat so well, and so healthy at home, that few restaurants can touch what we do. We rarely eat out unless traveling.

 

[audreyh1]

One other thought about "not being a cook". Well, I think this is baloney. I told myself for a long time that I couldn't cook. I could grill, but hey...who can't do that? Well, in retirement I thought I would give it a try. After all, I have recipes from several members of the family as well as my DW's family...hell, enough to have a different meal, everyday for the next 5 years. And you know what? There just isn't too much to it. You gather ingredients, put them together as instructed, and viola! Home cooked meal!!!

Anyway...back to the original topic.

I know plenty of folks who do a lousy job at grilling - otherwise known as "let's burn that meat" - so I don't think just anyone can grill well.

I taught myself to grill after many years as an experienced cook. DH had other things to do, so I took up the art when we started RVing, and really enjoyed mastering it.

 

[nash031]

At least one other poster has commented that the meals were adequate or a little on the small side with no leftovers. Maybe it depends on which meal is ordered.

I believe Hello Fresh meals are a little bit bigger than BA, but wouldn't call either one skimpy. Granted, I'm average sized and my wife is petite.

 

[NW-Bound]

I like that Chefd has an entire collection of 10 minute meals, that you don't have to subscribe, and that it delivers to every zip code in the country.

...

Really? My 2nd home in the high-country boondocks is 50 miles from the nearest incorporated town. The US Postal does not deliver mail, and I have to go to their office to get mail from a P.O. box.

When I opened this P.O. box 10 years ago after buying the home (newly built), the Post Master was not sure what Zip Code I belonged in, and said it did not matter anyway.

 

[W2R]

Really? My 2nd home in the high-country boondocks is 50 miles from the nearest incorporated town. The US Postal does not deliver mail, and I have to go to their office to get mail from a P.O. box.

When I opened this P.O. box 10 years ago after buying the home (newly built), the Post Master was not sure what Zip Code I belonged in, and said it did not matter anyway.

Well, if I was in your location, then I'd doublecheck with your postmaster to see if you have been assigned a zip code yet, and then I'd doublecheck with ChefD to make sure they can deliver. Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.


Here's the page where they say,

We currently delivery to all zip codes located in the Contiguous Unites States.

https://care.chefd.com/hc/en-us/articles/203724149-Where-does-Chef-d-deliver-

 

[Katsmeow]

This is my thinking. I believe that they service that is provided is just too darn expensive. I am not saying that it's not a good choice for some folks, but for me, it would be an enormous waste of money. I have heard that many of the (maybe all) of the Blue Apron recipes are available online FOR FREE.

As far as I am concerned, if I wanted to try these "new fancy" recipes then I could figure out what ingredients I need and add them to the grocery store list...after all, aren't most of us *still* going to the grocery store once a week for stuff? I don't think it would really add that much time getting the additional items at the store.

For me, a big draw to this kind of service is threefold. This is pretty much in order of priority from least to first.

First, there are so many recipes out there, it can be overwhelming to decide what to try and to then plan it out. I like the idea of having a number of recipes to pick from. Chefd has more than most places. It is not too many, but gives good variety.

Second, yes, I find shopping for ingredients for recipes with a lot of ingredients to be off putting. Periodically I make some bean/chicken wraps with quite a few ingredients. Whenever I go to the grocery store I have to go find the recipe and make a list of everything I need. it isn't just get beans but X number of Y size cans of black beans, for example. This isn't something I can carry in my head. I need to take the list and go find things at the store that I don't usually buy. So, it ends up being a pain. Can I do it? Yes. Do I do it when I really want to? Yes. But, the bottom line is that there are some foods that I would make more often if the ingredients were delivered to my house and I didn't have to go buy them.

Third, and most importantly. I like the idea of these services because you get the amount of ingredients that you need to for the meal without a lot of wastage. With some recipes, they call for ingredients that I don't usually eat. I have to buy a jar to use a tablespoon for example. I am then stuck with the jar that I have no use for. If I end up eventually throwing it out then the cost of my meal is higher than originally thought because I spent to buy the entire container but only used a small amount of it. Some recipes have things, also, that I just don't find in stores or are very expensive for even a small quantity. I really love the idea of not having to buy more than I will use.

 

[W2R]

Don't bother with ChefD.

So far I am not too thrilled with ChefD. I ordered my meals on 7/6, they got the money ($45) from my Visa card on 7/7, and the meals were scheduled to be delivered today. I saved a screen capture of the order confirmation that said the delivery date, so I know it's not just poor memory.

But, when I log into my account and look at this order, it just says "processing", not shipped. The website FAQs say they will send me an e-mail when it ships, with tracking info. Well, I have received 7 e-mails from them (mostly describing newly available meals), but none with tracking info or telling me if it was shipped. I checked my e-mail folders for new mail, old mail, deleted, and spam. I am waiting before I call them, in case maybe it will appear on my doorstep later today despite the mixup.

Either way, I'm never ordering from them again. I don't like this way of doing business.

I looked online at their Yelp reviews, and noticed that they had entirely good reviews for orders from California (where they are located), but some negative reviews of their delivery, missing items, etc, from orders sent to other states. Might be that they just haven't "got it together" for nationwide interactions.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

So far I am not too thrilled with ChefD. I ordered my meals on 7/6, they got the money ($45) from my Visa card on 7/7, and the meals were scheduled to be delivered today. I saved a screen capture of the order confirmation that said the delivery date, so I know it's not just poor memory.

But, when I log into my account and look at this order, it just says "processing", not shipped. The website FAQs say they will send me an e-mail when it ships, with tracking info. Well, I have received 7 e-mails from them (mostly describing newly available meals), but none with tracking info or telling me if it was shipped. I checked my e-mail folders for new mail, old mail, deleted, and spam. I am waiting before I call them, in case maybe it will appear on my doorstep later today despite the mixup.

Either way, I'm never ordering from them again. I don't like this way of doing business.

I looked online at their Yelp reviews, and noticed that they had entirely good reviews for orders from California (where they are located), but some negative reviews of their delivery, missing items, etc, from orders sent to other states. Might be that they just haven't "got it together" for nationwide interactions.

Wow, it didnt take long to lose you as a repeat customer.

 

[Walt34]

Either way, I'm never ordering from them again. I don't like this way of doing business.

Thanks for the update, I had been thinking of ordering from them but will pass on it now. Being in WV I'm about as far as one could get from them without going to FL or ME.

 

[aja8888]

Wow, it didnt take long to lose you as a repeat customer.

Maybe they subcontract the delivery task out to the post office?

 

[Chuckanut]

Maybe they subcontract the delivery task out to the post office?

I hope so. Our local USPS office does a great job. In fact, under bad weather conditions when the private companies stop delivering, the USPS somehow manages to deliver.

 

[W2R]

Maybe they subcontract the delivery task out to the post office?

Maybe so. It would be nice if I knew instead of having to wonder.

I think they should have at least sent me an e-mail before the scheduled delivery date saying that it has, or hasn't, shipped yet... no matter what service they are using. To me, that would be a more professional way of handling things.

Still not here, but the day isn't over yet.

 

[W2R]

AHA!!! It arrived just this second, via FedEx. Whew. That's a relief.


ETA: OK, I cooked the Cajun Pasta dish. It is probably possible to finish cooking it in 10 minutes, as they claim. I took my time, and as always cleaned up the kitchen and washed the utensils before I considered the cooking to be "done", plus I didn't want to put my non-stick saute pan on "high" and leave it without watching while doing other things, as they suggested... so it took me over twice as long as claimed. But that was my doing, not theirs. It was easy enough for anyone who can tie their shoes, to cook. The hardest instruction was to stir everything together.


The 2-portion meal is easily 4 (little) "granny-sized" portions, so that makes it $5.25 per meal for me.


It smells really good, but even so I doubt I will ever order from ChefD again because of the issues I discussed above.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Ok , so it went from processing to delivered in 1 step! Now to the kitchen for the final destination.

 

[aja8888]

I hope so. Our local USPS office does a great job. In fact, under bad weather conditions when the private companies stop delivering, the USPS somehow manages to deliver.

You are lucky. We get to deliver neighbor's mail around here. Sometimes, not even in our subdivision. Most people here quit having prescriptions sent to them through the mail due to lost ones.

 

[fred1]

the hello fresh boxes are ridiculously overpriced and tend to be thrown around and crushed by the courier service! my friend had one delivered, it looked like a smoothie when she opened it!

 

[RobbieB]

Fed Ex delivered my half pound of caviar this morning. Today's supper;

Appetizer - Paddle fish caviar on saltines topped with creme fraiche and followed with icy cold vodka

Entree - Charcoal grilled wagyu tenderloin with a skewer of brown crimini mushrooms soaked in olive oil and garlic

 

[cathy63]

AHA!!! It arrived just this second, via FedEx. Whew. That's a relief.

If you sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager, which is totally free, they will send you an email or text every time a package is on the way, which is really nice in this situation.

Our next door neighbor has mild Alzheimers and tends to forget when he's picked up a package "to help out", so I signed up for the similar services provided by UPS and USPS also.

I'll be interested to hear how the meals taste once you've had a chance to try them.

 

[Bestwifeever]

AHA!!! It arrived just this second, via FedEx. Whew. That's a relief.

Can't wait to hear your report! They're obviously not good on entering shipping data but let's hope the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

 

[W2R]

If you sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager, which is totally free, they will send you an email or text every time a package is on the way, which is really nice in this situation.

No, not nice at all, IMO, because I had no idea that a package had ever been sent and besides, I think it's extremely unprofessional for ChefD to have not figured out how to notify me that it was sent, by which carrier, the FedEx number, and so on. For all I knew, the intent was to send it by a crippled carrier pigeon in 2018 but instead it was eaten by the stock boy for lunch while the boss was on his way to file for bankruptcy. Just joking (halfway), but to me this was totally unacceptable. I will never order from them again.

Can't wait to hear your report! They're obviously not good on entering shipping data but let's hope the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

I thought of adding extra Cajun spices, but didn't and actually it was pretty well spiced as is. I thought it was pretty good. Ingredients seemed fresh to me and cold to the touch, as the ice packs were only half melted even in our 90+ degree heat. The box was sturdy and not dented or crushed. I am thrilled that each type of meal was enough for 4 small portions, as I had hoped. The portions are about "restaurant sized" (and thus twice as big as I need - - so a 2 portion meal was really 4 portions, for me). Overall, the product seems fine - - they just need to get their act together when it comes to shipping, website updates, sending promised emails, correcting the FAQ, and so on.

 

[Bigdawg]

Fed Ex delivered my half pound of caviar this morning. Today's supper;

Appetizer - Paddle fish caviar on saltines topped with creme fraiche and followed with icy cold vodka

Entree - Charcoal grilled wagyu tenderloin with a skewer of brown crimini mushrooms soaked in olive oil and garlic

Here's hoping that Robbie caters the first annual ER picnic/cook out. Haven't seen my invite yet. I can dream.