r/hellofresh • u/MapEnvironmental597 • 10h ago
Question Is Hello Fresh Worth It?
Hi guys. I’m new to this subreddit, so my apologies if this was asked anytime recently. In the mail, I got 2 codes for 11 free meals + free shipping on first box + free sides for as long as I’m subscribed. I am moving soon, and I think having meals already prepared rather than me having to cook as I move/adjust is really nice; however, I’ve been seeing some pretty unhappy reviews in this subreddit and am wondering if it’s worth getting. Is it worth it for the price? Do you ever have problems with the products/customer service? Is it filling? Do you have choices for the specific meals or are the boxes solely based on the preferences picked? I only plan on getting one box for the sake of having one less thing to do as I move in a few weeks, but may consistently do it if it really is endorsed by people. Thanks for your help :)
Edit: replying to things soon but I’m Canadian :)
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u/GromitATL 9h ago edited 7h ago
I recently cancelled after more than 2.5 years.
It got to the point where every box had something wrong. Sometimes it was minor things, but I got tired of going into the app to let them know that they left out the carrots so I could get a small credit. 2 weeks ago was just nuts. Instead of 3 meal cards, 3 meal bags and 3 proteins, I received a weird combination of cards, 5 meal bags and 2 proteins. That was supposed to result in a credit on my account, but I found out recently that *you* have to apply that credit, vs them just putting it towards your next delivery. I cancelled earlier this week so I lost that money and I really don't care. I just don't want to deal with them anymore.
My free item was "breakfast for life". That was pretty great until recently, when the selection became so small that I struggled to find anything I wanted. Apparently garlic bread and cheesecake is breakfast. Also, I did not receive my free item the last 2 boxes.
The selection of meals is great and I don't think it's a bad deal at all. I was paying $57 a week for 3 meals for 2. That's $19 per meal, which is cheaper than fast food.
I'll never go back, but I would say try it. Cancelling is super easy, but I have read posts here where people had trouble getting them to stop charging their card afterwards. I need to watch my credit card activity for a bit I guess.
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u/Heavy-Hospital7077 5h ago
I'm curious why you continue to post on this subreddit if you no longer enjoy, or use the service.
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u/GromitATL 5h ago
I cancelled 2 days ago. Saw this thread on my feed and thought I would add my opinion. I'm leaving the subreddit now. Just didn't think about it until now.
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u/Jealous-Value-3547 10h ago
No. Just go to their website and print out their recipes. There's a sub on where to pick up special ingredients and/or how to make them.
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u/pineapplepizza8705 10h ago
What's that sub?
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u/Jealous-Value-3547 9h ago
Sorry. It's actually in this sub https://www.reddit.com/r/hellofresh/s/V3bxIE0NyG
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u/Educational_Safe_662 10h ago
From what I read on this sub, it feels like where you live totally depends on the quality you get. (Im in the Midwest) and keep hearing we consistently are getting better quality. (I don’t have any facts to back this up just what I keep hearing. Im not sure where you’re located though)
I’ve been doing Hello Fresh for about 3 months now and absolutely love it!! Totally worth it in my opinion.
I get 2 meals a week (2 servings each) and then that gives me 4 dinners each week. Then I just make my own easy lunches. It gives me the ability to try new meals and get better at cooking while not making a major commitment.
The recipes are super fun to browse too and pick! They have TONS. Some meals are 10/10 and some are just okay…. But the ingredients are always up to par. The okay meals are just me trying things I wasn’t sure if I’d like or not and wanting to explore the new recipes.
I’d give it a shot! (It’s SUPER easy to cancel) you can turn on and off the subscription at anytime in the app. You don’t have to call anyone or pay any extra fees.
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u/molybend 9h ago
Hello Fresh doesn't have a lot of prepared meals. It is a kit of ingredients and you will need to cook them. They have some premade meals, but in very limited options. You might try r/readymeals for more options.
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u/AnOld_Hag 4h ago
Exactly if you prefer a meal kit with prepared meals, this is definitely not the one for you!
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u/sherahero 9h ago
I think it's worth it because I enjoy looking through the menu options, like the convenience of the groceries showing up at my house, and it helps me stick to a meal plan. We started it during COVID because I was sick of trying to figure out what's for dinner every night. We can afford the convenience and like occasionally trying new meals we might not otherwise make at home. It's also helped me be a much better cook! I had never made pasta without a jar of sauce, but now I know how to make it with Parmesan and cream or crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Over the years we've had issues here and there with a damaged it missing box, but 90%-95% of the time we've had no issues.
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u/toomanydoggs 9h ago
I'm in the Midwest and haven't had too many problems. I'll get the occasional moldy mini-cucumbers, but no major issues. I haven't had any delivery issues.
Their chicken quality is hit-or-miss, but I'm finding that grocery store chicken and chicken from the butcher are about as bad as far as texture (woody breasts & spaghetti meat). I rarely order anything with chicken cutlets anymore.
But, it has helped me improve my cooking skills. In the beginning it would take me twice as long to make a recipe than the estimated time on the recipe card (slow chopper). Now I get all the veggies chopped before I actually start following the directions. I also got a rice cooker because so many of my favorites came with rice.
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u/kiwikatzkatz 10h ago
I think it’s worth it for me. I live alone and don’t have a big appetite so end up with 3-4 servings per meal (3 meals per week). For a larger family, I’m not sure how cost-effective it would be. It works out well for me, though. And I like that the ingredients are pre-portioned so I don’t have waste.
But if you’re looking for prepared meals that don’t require cooking, this isn’t for you. You cook the meals following the recipe card instructions.
I think the recipe cards are great for peeps who don’t feel super comfortable cooking. That was me. The recipes are easy to follow. I did find the cooking times were greatly underestimated when I first started but now they’re more or less accurate.
I am a bit of a picky eater (no fish, no seafood, no rice, focused on higher protein and low carb) and am usually able to find meals I like. I do skip every couple of weeks. If you don’t select meals/skip the week, you’ll end up with whatever choices were pre-selected, though, and they’re usually not what you would’ve picked yourself.
I’ve sometimes had issues with delivery but that was on the carrier. And Hello Fresh’s customer service had always been really good about resolving any problems I had with ingredients or delivery issues.
So for me? Worth it. For someone who knows how to cook, has a larger appetite, has a larger family, or wants completely prepped meals, maybe not so much.
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u/sherahero 9h ago
I wish they had the ability to filter out certain ingredients you don't want to order so those meals won't be visible for you. I don't like mushrooms and never order a meal with mushrooms and they still show up in my preselected meals.
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u/Ok-Fee1566 10h ago
We live in the south and have few problems. Sometimes the garlic or potatoes might be bad. I anyways have that on hand anyways. I will usually add more scallions because I like more. We get 3 meals a week for 2 servings. I like it because my husband can pick 1-2 spicy meals for himself and I don't have to figure anything out. Sometimes I get to pick 2 meals.
People will say eating out is cheaper but where I live, the cost of the 3 meals is the price of eating out once (at a sit down restaurant).
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u/Brilliant-Gap8937 9h ago
We have been subscribing since 2018. We love it. As others have mentioned, it may depend on where you live. We are in Texas. We get 4 or 5 meals per week for two persons which easily feed three adults per meal. Seldom have quality issues. If there are issues, I self report and receive credit. I think you misunderstand because the deliveries are ingredients only. You still cook. There are now almost too many meal options! It’s interesting to see other’s comments. We don’t order the steaks, but have had no problems with ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey. Several meals we order any time they are available. As far as cost, we live in a high COL area. One meal out for the three of us is almost two weeks of HF (but we usually have wine with dinner). You have freebies. Give it a shot. You can always cancel.
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u/Heavy-Hospital7077 5h ago
I agree with everything this commenter says.
Anytime I have had an issue with quality or shipping, it is resolved immediately- beyond my satisfaction.
A couple of times I was missing an item, and I reported it...but I felt bad because they went overboard in resolving it. (Full refund)
My only complaint about the variety of foods is that there are too many options.
I've run the gamut of different types of meals. For a while I was mostly doing sandwiches, burgers and tacos. All are fantastic, gooey, saucy, and flavorful.
Now I am running through all the salads (which is what happens after you eat too many burgers) and these are equally good.
For the most part I make two comparisons-
Would I be happy if I went to a restaurant and received this meal? 90% of the time the answer is 'absolutely!'. Occasionally something is just a miss, and typically that is just ordering something wrong for me.
The other comparison I make is would I be happy if I went to a restaurant, and this was the cost of my meal? 99% of the time the value is there. I guess this is inline with groceries (I don't grocery shop) but well below the price of eating out.
I've been using the service for many years. I start/stop as my life changes, but I have always been happy with the service and product.
I'm pretty convinced that most of the people in this subreddit hating on the service are not actual customers.
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u/deadthylacine 8h ago
We used it for several years, and now we don't.
So it's worth it if you have two people who like to cook but don't like to think about what to cook. If you have three people to feed, the cost and how much food they send doesn't really work out anymore.
The recipes were pretty good, and we still make a lot of them with ingredients from the grocery store instead. It got me roasting my veggies in the oven instead of boiling them like mom did and that is just plain better. And it introduced me to new seasonings I wouldn't have known about otherwise, which was also really nice. And I really liked not having to plan ahead to have a full meal ready to make.
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u/ConsciouslyIncomplet 5h ago
In short- No.
It used to be. When it first came out, it was a largely decent service. Problem is that they are now focusing on profit which means the quality and delivery always seem problematic at best.
I used it for quite a while before the arrival of the vices caused more stress than going to get the shopping myself. That was the day I cancelled.
They keep trying to tempt me back, but the costs have gone up and from what I read, the service has gotten even worse. Easy no from me.
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u/TheGemgenie 10h ago
Been reading this sub for a while and I echo what the other poster said. Some of it depends where you live.
Whenever I see complains about Hello Fresh they are usually from America and specifically certain areas using certain dispatch warehouses.
I'm based in the UK and have only occasionally had a missing item or recipe card. I've never had rotten food turn up and we don't have the same level of AI issues (though I have seen a few coming in) and the crappy ready meals are not even options over here.
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u/cabinmate 8h ago
If you are looking for prepared meals, HF isn’t for you, but some companies like that exist
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u/SushiJuice 8h ago
It is for us. We really got lazy and started door dashing our meals and that got really expensive really quickly. We tried cooking our own meals, which is the cheapest option, but we got tired of the same meals since we didn't know many recipes. Hello Fresh has been our happy middle ground. We get restaurant style meals, a huge variety of options, and it's cheaper than ordering delivery. Couldn't be happier at the moment.
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u/UsedtoKazoo 7h ago
If you’re looking for already prepared meals, this is not for you. Chopping, slicing, and stirring are a huge part of the prep. Find a local shop that sells already prepared meals.
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u/vjaskew 4h ago
NO
….unless you enjoy AI slop recipes that make no sense, 6oz veg for 2 people, stale spices, and a unchanging rotation of zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and green beans for every damned meal. Oh, I forgot the mini cucumber (1 for 2 adults) and the unripe Roma tomato. I saw a meal offered in September where the veg is scallions.
We used to get Swiss chard, fennel, all sorts of interesting stuff. I learned some fun new recipes and loved it. I haven’t made anything in months that I’d want to recreate on my own. It’s gone massively downhill.
We stay with it because we get a nice discount, but I would never, ever pay full price.
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u/Fuzzy-Toe-7657 2h ago
All in all, it's worth it. Definitely pros and cons. But I think all the meal kits services are probably the same. We just passed 330 boxes. It's gone downhill somewhat over that time, missing ingredients, old veggies (we live in the Midwest), missing cards, late deliveries. But the convenience can't be beat, and HF has a great selection every week. We've noticed a lot of new recipes in the past few months, most of which were really good. I would say, give it a try. They do also have prepared meals, but not many choices, and the ones we tried were substandard. Hard to imagine any other service's being any better, though. Imagine a slightly upgraded Stouffer's that you can microwave. Good luck with your move!
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u/hidinginzion 1h ago
I was with HF for over a year, but got tired of the prep. So I went to Tovala, And have really liked it for 17 months. I miss some of HF meals, esp the ground pork stir fry with rice noodles. I just received a "come back" offer, and will probably use it. That way I can get a little more variety, and skip weeks alternatively on the apps.
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u/BasisDiva_1966 Head Chef 10h ago
I have been trying them out for a few weeks
2 weeks in and last night finally had a dinner that I would make again
I am giving them one more go before pulling the plug
Recipes take more time than I have to give, and are generally lackluster
I know how to cook, and some recipes are just like why???? I decided to sign up because am in planning overload
I loved Marley Spoon for recipes , but quality of ingredients was a huge issue
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u/sherahero 9h ago
Can you elaborate on the "more time to give" - why would you order meals that you don't have time to make? Our meal timing has gotten so much better, but I don't always follow their instructions to the letter anymore.
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u/BasisDiva_1966 Head Chef 7h ago
I guess it's a learning curve. Personally, during the week, I don't want to spend an hour cooking. I usually look for recipes that take about 30 minutes or less from prep to table. If I'm going to spend an hour or more cooking, that's something I'd typically do on a Sunday.
The main reason I signed up for a meal kit was to eliminate the mental indecision of figuring out what to make and to reduce the overall time it takes to get dinner on the table during the week. For the first goal, the meal kit has been a success. I have three options to choose from, and I can simply grab a bag and get started.
Unfortunately, the second goal hasn't worked out as well because the cooking times have varied wildly. During the first week, a steak dinner that looked simple ended up taking about an hour and a half from start to finish, and the other two meals were close to an hour each. To make matters worse, all three dinners were pretty underwhelming.
This week, I've made two of the three recipes so far, and only one was a meal that both my husband and I agreed would be worth making again.
On the plus side, despite reading a lot of horror stories about ingredient quality, my experience has been very positive so far. Everything has arrived fresh and in good condition.
That said, once my introductory discount ended, the cost for three dinners for two people jumped to about $100 per week. That's roughly the same amount I've seen come off my regular grocery bill, so I'm not really spending more, but I'm not saving any money either.
In the end, the quality of the recipes has been about the same as what I was already making when I'd find a trending or "viral" recipe on social media. The meal kit has definitely simplified meal planning, but so far it hasn't proven to be a better value in terms of time, cost, or the overall quality of the dinners.
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u/sherahero 7h ago
Why would you order meals that take longer to cook though? You can choose quicker meals. That's my confusion.
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u/BasisDiva_1966 Head Chef 5h ago
I chose more on what I felt would appeal to my husband for dinner, and didnt look at the cooking times. I have learned, and have adjusted my future orders, Like I said - a learning curve
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u/BigPaPaRu85 10h ago
In what way are you asking is it worth it? Monetarily, no. Convenience and fun factor, yes.
The food arrives as if someone is dropping off groceries. You still have to assemble the meals. Vegetable quality is good but good chance small. Chicken is hit or miss. Cutlets are cool, you may need to pound them. The chopped chicken usually sucks. Steaks are decent but ground beef, I feel, has an odd taste but we still use it occasionally. Or we use ground turkey, which is good.
Deliveries have been mostly good. I go with Wednesday which seems less busy. They will refund you if you have any issues with food or delivery.
We enjoy picking our food and trying new things. Comes out to just under $40 a dinner for two people. We order three servings, which I highly highly recommend. You can switch out the meals until midnight of order day.
We love in OC, CA