EveryPlate Review: Affordable Meal Kits That Deliver Big on Flavor Without Breaking the Bank

In an era where convenience often comes with a hefty price tag, EveryPlate has emerged as a game-changer in the meal kit delivery space. This budget-friendly service promises to deliver delicious, home-cooked meals without the premium price point that typically accompanies such services. But does it deliver on its promises? I spent a week testing EveryPlate to find out if this affordable option can truly compete with its more expensive counterparts.

The Menu: Variety Meets Practicality

EveryPlate offers an impressive selection of 36 different meals each week, giving subscribers plenty of options to choose from. Among these weekly offerings, approximately 10 are vegetarian options, though it’s worth noting that these vegetarian meals tend to rely heavily on cheese and butter—something to consider if you’re strictly following a plant-based diet. While I temporarily abandoned my vegan lifestyle for the week to properly test the service, I did notice that vegetarians might find the options somewhat limited in terms of truly plant-forward meals.

The platform allows you to preview upcoming menus three weeks in advance, which is incredibly helpful for meal planning. Each recipe comes with helpful labels that make selection easier: “calorie-smart,” “sodium-smart,” “carb-smart” for those watching their nutritional intake, “quick prep” and “25 minutes or less” for time-conscious cooks, and “veggie” for plant-based options. While recipes do repeat over time—which is standard in the meal kit industry—EveryPlate consistently introduces new meals to keep things interesting and prevent menu fatigue.

Customization and Flexibility

EveryPlate offers remarkable flexibility in terms of portion sizes and meal quantities. You can choose between three, four, or five meals per week, with serving sizes available for two, four, or six people. This range makes it suitable for everything from single individuals to large families. Interestingly, as a single person, I found that the two-person meals often stretched to three or even four meals for me, providing excellent value and reducing food waste.

For those who like to customize their meals, EveryPlate offers a “CustomPlate” option that allows you to add or swap ingredients. This feature is particularly useful if you want to add protein to vegetarian dishes—for instance, adding chicken breast or ground beef to a pasta or rice dish that’s otherwise vegetarian. This level of customization helps accommodate different dietary preferences within the same household.

The Ordering Process: Straightforward and User-Friendly

Setting up your EveryPlate subscription is a streamlined process. After selecting your meal preferences, you’ll create an account, provide shipping information, and choose your delivery date. One thing to note is that the earliest available delivery date was four days after placing my order, which is something to keep in mind if you’re looking for immediate gratification.

Delivery options are extensive, with availability every day for the first 15 days following your order, between 8 am and 8 pm. This wide delivery window makes it easy to find a time that works with your schedule. However, you’ll need to input payment details to reserve your first box, and charges occur four days before your scheduled delivery.

Like most meal kit services, EveryPlate operates on an auto-renewing subscription model. The good news is that you can skip, cancel, or pause your subscription without penalty, as long as you do so by 11:59 pm Pacific time five days before your next scheduled order. This flexibility is crucial for those who might travel or simply want to take a break without the hassle of complicated cancellation processes.

Unboxing Experience: Minimalist and Practical

When my EveryPlate box arrived, I immediately noticed the company’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic. Unlike some competitors that individually package each ingredient, EveryPlate takes a more minimalist approach, with all ingredients arriving together in one refrigerated box. This eco-conscious packaging choice is refreshing in an industry often criticized for excessive waste.

Inside the box, you’ll find a one-sheet page for each recipe, but you’ll need to do some work yourself. Ingredients aren’t pre-portioned or separated by meal—you’ll need to parcel them out and match them to each recipe yourself. This approach keeps costs down but requires a bit more organization on your part.

Cooking Experience: Back to Basics

The recipe cards are refreshingly straightforward, with ingredients listed on one side and prep and cooking directions on the other. This no-frills approach is part of what keeps EveryPlate affordable, but it might be challenging for complete beginners. Under each ingredient picture, parentheses show two amounts indicating how much you’ll need for each serving size, which is helpful for scaling recipes.

However, there are some quirks to be aware of. Many recipes require you to provide pantry staples yourself, including basics like salt and pepper, sugar, flour, butter, oil, mayonnaise, and eggs. This is a significant departure from premium meal kits that include everything you need. Additionally, when recipes call for specific amounts of spices, they often come in sachets without measurement information, requiring you to measure them out yourself.

These factors contribute to EveryPlate’s lower price point, but they also mean you’ll need a decently stocked pantry and some basic cooking knowledge to make the most of the service.

The Verdict: Affordable Quality with Some Trade-offs

After a week of testing EveryPlate, it’s clear that this service delivers on its promise of affordable, convenient meals. The recipes are straightforward, the ingredients are fresh, and the portions are generous. For budget-conscious consumers or those new to meal kits, EveryPlate offers an excellent entry point into the world of subscription cooking services.

However, the minimalist approach means you’ll need to be comfortable with some additional prep work and have basic pantry items on hand. If you’re looking for a completely hands-off experience where everything is pre-measured and ready to go, you might find EveryPlate’s approach somewhat labor-intensive.

Ultimately, EveryPlate succeeds by finding the sweet spot between affordability and convenience. While it may not offer the premium experience of more expensive competitors, it provides a practical solution for those looking to enjoy home-cooked meals without the planning, shopping, and excessive cost typically associated with meal kit services.

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