With car payment and saving up for a house, Budget is the name of the game. I’ve been using every plate for almost a month now and have saved roughly 300 or so dollars in groceries per month. I love being able to try new recipes without having to go online and find a recipe then head to the grocery store and pick up all the ingredients which usually you can’t get in the correct portions and end up wasting some. Every plate has reduced the number of times to go to the grocery store significantly and saved us quite a bit. Pro tip I would recommend getting a couple of extra sides at the grocery store along with your meal kits. Like if they have potato wedges as a side for you then plan to hit the grocery store and get a couple of extra potatoes same thing with broccoli green beans whatever side you have I generally find it’s not quite enough to fill me up all the way. However, with just one or two additional portions of the side, it can generally make up the difference. Yes I could increase the number of portions I order but then it would definitely be too much food. I’ve found just grabbing one or two extra portions of sides for the meals during the week is a perfect compromise.

First, we had an issue, not receiving our first box. They did fix the issue and give us a free box but then when we did receive our first box, and it doesn’t seem to be very high-quality fresh produce and some of it went bad with an only a couple days like our cucumber, tomatoes and potatoes. Yes that’s right the potatoes!!! we just started getting this and if the produce continues to be low quality we’re going to cancel. They send you food that’s going bad it’s kind of sad when you get potatoes. Something that usually takes quite some time to go bad but you find they are mushy and leaking everywhere within three days and your cucumber and tomatoes Are molding and then you have to go to the grocery store to replace the items anyways just not worth it and they really don’t give you very much quantity wise so not only is it low quality it’s also low quantity, we are getting ready to switch over to hungry root instead, which is more of a grocery and meal plan that seems to be a little bit cheaper so we’ll see how this goes first and decide if we want to switch after a couple more boxes and see how it turns out and hopefully the bad produce isn’t a common occurrence because I understand sometimes even grocery stores to a certain type of food or item in quality condition even though it was three different produce items maybe just because they were in contact with the potatoes could be a reason and if things change, I will come change my review.

Deciding to take an offer from my job for a full time position while also earning my Master’s degree, and being the only person who cooks in my house during the week was probably crazy, but EveryPlate has made it easier. I had to make this little gift to myself to get through it. Just getting the meal kits and refraining from extra trips to the store I am able to save money and cut down on food waste. It has saved me a lot of time and stress. The downside for me is that there are not always many vegetarian options, and some of the ones I just don’t like so I’ll end up getting a recipe with meat and substituting it myself. The plastic waste makes me sad, but it is probably not that much of an issue. I also find it confusing sometimes when the pre-packaged amounts are not labeled by standard cooking amounts, so I would find it helpful to have the measurements adjusted to either always fit with cups/tsp or always half a packet/two of the limes kind of thing. I do also find that I use more pans, cooking sheets, and cooking materials when making these, so sometimes I feel frustrated with the amount of clean up, but I am able to adjust that myself some of the time. I also think the flavor profile can be a little bland for many people, but that is also adjustable on a case by case basis. Overall, it’s a great purchase if you find dinner to be a huge stress at the end of your long work day.

I’ve been using EveryPlate for 2-3 yrs and I’ve consistently faced issues with delivery, food quality, and what’s advertised vs reality. At my old house the boxes would often be delivered to god knows where, even though I put instructions on the box and through the FedEx company. The food quality is subpar at times with the garlic sprouting too soon (also why do I need a full bulb of garlic in EVERY box) or the produce browning- probably because all the ingredients are thrown in a brown paper bag getting tossed around in delivery. Sometimes I receive a box and the meat packet has burst juices over all of the ingredients (the meat is separate from the produce but I digress) and I obviously throw the whole thing away. Also it’s advertised that the box can last 48hrs on your porch “so don’t worry if you can’t get to it right away!”, yet after 24hrs (I can’t always get to the package right away) the ice is fully melted, and the ice is only at the bottom- cold seeps down so what about the produce on top?? Only reason I’m giving three stars is because customer service is very good about refunding for their mishaps, and when I can cook the food it’s simple to follow, easy to add your own flare, and tastes pretty darn good. I wish they would improve their shipping methods and add a rewards program for loyal customers, possibly after every eight boxes you get one meal (two servings) for free. I hope someone at EveryPlate reads this and takes it into full consideration.