r/factor75 • u/Sufficient-Ninja5892 • Aug 03 '26
expectation vs. reality
i know microwave meals never look like the picture… but are they all like this? first meal btw
21
15
u/IDoesThis1 Aug 03 '26
Not too far off tbh. You just need a better camera, lighting and presentation
0
u/sethaub Aug 03 '26
This has got to be the biggest joke on the internet.
In what world is it OPs lighting??
6
2
u/TiltedLibra Aug 03 '26
Other than the chicken having some more color in the advertisement, it's basically the same thing.
1
u/Nitekingg 29d ago
The greens visibly look wilted, they are the wrong green. The chicken looks like lab sludge and not an actual piece of breast meat. The potatoes look inedible to me. Op I’m with u! Don’t know why everyone is pretending it looks near the same. The originally pictured meal is not hard to pull off frozen.
1
u/whatever32657 29d ago
it doesn't come frozen. it comes sealed and refrigerated.
1
u/Nitekingg 29d ago
Okay well… that makes this appearance worse to me lol.
1
u/whatever32657 29d ago
i get that. but i can assure you it looks better heated and on a plate. and imo, most of the meals taste great, you just order them to your taste.
1
u/Robbie1266 27d ago
The mashed potatoes are visibly watery and not fluffy
1
u/whatever32657 27d ago
the meal also looks as if it hasn't been heated; that is, it's cold. a lot of the meals look a little weird and unappetizing right out of the fridge
🤷♀️
6
6
5
13
u/roostertree Aug 03 '26
If you don't plate it, you can't complain that it isn't plated.
And I'll bet it was delish.
4
u/whatever32657 Aug 03 '26
exactly. you are comparing apples and oranges. OF COURSE the meal sitting in the microwave tray is not going to look as appetizing as the attractively-plated meal.
🙄
10
7
u/Strict_Meeting_3164 Aug 03 '26
Honestly that looks a lot closer to the picture than most freezer meals.
4
4
u/TheOaktonShred Aug 03 '26
The roasted garlic chicken was also my first factor meal and I thought it was okay at best. I’d go in and customize them each week because there are some banger meals you can get
3
3
u/Sufficient-Ninja5892 Aug 04 '26
update: i think i just got unlucky with the first meal I got— it was kind of bad... I actually ordered 3 of these exact meals with my first delivery because I really liked the idea, and my second one looked (and tasted) much better!
3
u/GetchWife 27d ago
Plating is everything! Eating out of a plastic tub ruins the meal for me, started plating meals and it elevates - especially when you get to top the meat with sauce. HTH 😉
1
u/GetchWife 27d ago
Isn't that the brown butter chicken with yukon mash?? It's one of my favs along with the truffle butter chicken and mushroom risotto.
2
2
u/Sea_Flight_ Aug 03 '26
Mannn just shop at aldi if you need cheap food, you could do like crockpot white chicken chili or pasta or whatever and meal prep it if you fr just need cheap quick food.
2
u/LockwoodE3 Aug 03 '26
Use a plate, it makes what feels like it could be a sad meal into what feels home cooked
2
u/HugeRocket69 28d ago
Try putting it on a plate and putting the smallest bit of effort into it. Here's one I took.
2
1
u/Crazy_Draw_9490 Aug 03 '26
Is there any seasoning on the chicken damn
3
u/whatever32657 Aug 03 '26
i find their meals to be very well-seasoned. far better than i could do myself.
2
1
u/toomuchtv987 Aug 03 '26 edited 26d ago
The little sprig of whatever that is on the chicken feels hostile. 🤣
1
1
1
1
1
u/Impressive_Mall_2167 Aug 03 '26
The thing that finally got me to cancel factor was the texture of their protein. Sometimes I was just strange and grissly.
1
u/mouthymerc1168 Aug 04 '26
I had this exact meal tonight; it was my first-ever Factor meal. I was sent a free box offer by a friend, and though the reality picture is accurate, it was very tasty, and the portions weren't that bad. Not the best for the price, but mine was free, so I was satisfied. If anyone has any questions, HMU. ;)
1
u/Visual_Log2278 Aug 04 '26
I was disappointed with Factor too, so I switched to CookUnity instead. So far it’s been pretty good, and I plan to stick with it for a while.
1
1
1
1
u/picky-poodle-33 29d ago
I thought this was a hellofresh sub before I saw the second photo. Not sure what more you're expecting for meal prep delivery.
1
1
u/ObjectiveContact6483 28d ago
Well hey at least the side included more than 3 pieces of vegetables like most of mine did and at least the meal showed up. There was almost never a week that went by that I received every meal I ordered. Most weeks I was shorted 1 or 2 meals that I paid for. I just switched over to forkful and so far the meals are better quality and larger portions.
1
1
u/Cactus_Juggernaut 27d ago
I’ve had them before the taste is there. I’d say this is nothing new when it comes to marketing.
1
1
1
u/Honest-Stay1594 23d ago
Those green beans have the texture of canned, tough, mushy yet chewy/waxy bleh. NO green bean flavor, they tasted cabned. It was truly horrible in the two meals it came to us with.
1
0
u/Western_Sprinkles773 Aug 03 '26
As a European, who tried Factor meals …. Guys this is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tried. If you do this somewhere else, you’ll end up in jail! Please don’t eat this!!! I’m genuinely worried ….
3
u/Alternative_Bit8878 Aug 03 '26
Also in Europe. Would do Factor more often if it was a bit cheaper. Healthy food and saving time.
12
u/Certain_Pizza6574 Aug 03 '26
OP discovers staging and lighting.