5 Things I Liked About Home Chef

by | Sep 26, 2016 | General Health, Healthy Eating, Helps, Lifestyle

So we finished up with Blue Apron and now we are on to our second food delivery company, Home Chef.  I have to admit that I am more impressed than I thought I would be with these companies! I definitely believe they could be a valuable resource for some of you out there.

Just to recap-There are several things I loved right away with Blue Apron that are true with Home Chef, as well. I think these points will be true for every company I try, because I think it is actually the intention behind the idea.

  • I love the time saved, not having to shop
  • I love that planning is limited-you just choose the recipes from the list they supply
  • I love the guess-work being taken away, as they supply almost every ingredient
  • I love the money saved, not having to buy a bottle of spices I may never use again, they send just the right amount for my recipe, so I can try before I buy
  • I love the portion control, again, they send just the right amount of each ingredient

So, let’s get to it!

Here are 5 things I liked about Home Chef:

  1. The Recipes-they were fabulous! We tried a total of 7 recipes-we had to skip one-see below. I especially liked the added info within the recipe that would let you know that an ingredient may finish cooking at a later step.
  2. The Ingredients-almost all were super fresh AND the recipe included info about how long the ingredients would be fresh-very helpful in planning for the week. We missed out on one recipe because I failed to cook it within the suggested freshness (the meat in particular, I used the other ingredients for other dishes)

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    Best pork chop I have EVER prepared-Perfect!!

  3. The Recipe Cards-included helpful pictures, as well as info about the difficulty level of the recipe, the spice level and the period of freshness, as well as the list of ingredients included in the box. It also listed the things you need from your own kitchen, like the types of cooking containers and basic ingredients like salt/pepper and olive oil
  4. The Timing-the prep and cooking times were pretty accurate and the recipe laid the steps out in an efficient way. They also included additional tips concerning things like ‘before you cook’ and ‘while you cook’ for the best use of time and best cooking results-like ‘caramelizing onions slowly brings out the natural sugars and deep, caramel-y flavors’
  5. The Novelty-this company combined more familiar choices with lesser known choices, which made them seem a little more down to earth and less intimidating

A couple of things I did not like so much 

  1. The Recipes-Most were a good balance of protein, healthy carbs and fat, but a few had more calories than I would normally recommend.
  2. The Ingredients-Most were very fresh, and, as mentioned above, the recipe cards included “cook within” time guides. However, in full disclosure, I have to admit that a few ingredients did not hold their freshness-for example, we had two packets of arugula for a dish and one was definitely not fresh, it was mushy within 2 days of receiving my box.

I will save my final judgement for after my experience with the next (and probably final) company, Plated, but I found Home Chef to outshine Blue Apron in several ways.  Stay tuned for Plated-we had our first selection and will have three others this week before I am finished.  I hope you stick around for the overall comparison and see if any of my findings fit yours, or if it peaks your interest in trying this type of service out for yourself!!

Until next time, Be well and choose healthy! Your Bff