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You're paying money to be sent recipes. I guess that's not as bad as paying money to get a potato?
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Dec 9, 2016 18:20
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Ranter posted:You're paying money to be sent recipes. It seems to function just fine in the free version. You paid money to post on a hilarious forum. You could have spent the same amount to literally send someone else a potato, http://www.mailaspud.com/ Take your money management judgement to BFC.
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Dec 9, 2016 19:00
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Ranter posted:You're paying money to be sent recipes. That's literally anyone who's bought a cookbook online. If you bought one at a store, you paid someone for the privilege of walking there to pick up some recipes.
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Dec 9, 2016 19:23
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I paid even more money for this handsome avatar, but this is beside the point I was making. Paying money to be sent ingredients and a recipe? Bad (according to some). Paying money to be sent a recipe? Good (according to some others). The silliness of it is relative. Some people can use google/youtube/10 buck internet forums and learn how to cook. Some people will pay money to be sent recipes and ingredients to learn how to cook. Some people will cook in their crock pots. Let's not be jerks and agree that it's all better than Hamburger helper and McDonalds. Never bought a cookbook. Though I am paying for my internet access so I guess that means I paid for getting recipes online?
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Dec 9, 2016 19:23
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Oh sorry, I thought you were mocking all paid online cooking services, didn't realize you were defending one against the other
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Dec 9, 2016 19:29
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You're paying someone else to save you time/effort/stress, with better results than randomly looking things up on allrecipes.com. This is true for both, I just think one does a better job than the other.
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Dec 9, 2016 19:29
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We pay $50 a month to our CSA to get a huge box full of veggies + herbs + fruits every other week, and it comes with an online newsletter with recipe guides if you are so inclined. Blue Apron doesn't sound any different at all except that 1) it's more expensive and 2) you have to buy the pasta/meat separate basically.
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Dec 9, 2016 20:55
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exquisite tea posted:We pay $50 a month to our CSA to get a huge box full of veggies + herbs + fruits every other week, and it comes with an online newsletter with recipe guides if you are so inclined. Blue Apron doesn't sound any different at all except that 1) it's more expensive and 2) you have to buy the pasta/meat separate basically. Where the hell are you getting a CSA share for $50/month? All the ones around here, even though I'm surrounded by farms, are priced in the hundreds of dollars.
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Dec 9, 2016 21:28
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You guys get free potatoes?!
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Dec 10, 2016 00:56
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Questions about Mealime since it was brought up (and I'm at work so can't really check for myself). - Everything seems to default to making either two or four servings, how configurable is that? One "serving" tends to go for two meals for me, I tend to eat smaller portions than most - I assume the paid version is just more recipes, right? - Is it configurable for available time, e.g. "poo poo I gotta leave for work in 30 minutes and have nothing ready (not even oatmeal)"? - Is there a way to say "I can't do the recipe you sent exactly because the store doesn't have creme fraiche or whatever, give me something else"? (guess that only really applies if I'm subscribing) - Does it make allowances for alternate cooking methods like having a sous vide circulator/tub?
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Dec 10, 2016 01:39
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I've been trying Blue Apron for a few weeks, and so far one of the things I like most has been the variety that it allows. Like, yes, I can easily cook "meals" for less that  a serving, but I can't easily cook *these specific dishes* for that much. Especially given the local grocery options where I live; it's nice that if a recipe calls for 2 tbsp of curry paste, I don't have to drive an hour to the nearest big city to buy a giant jar that I'll never use 90% of (well, maybe not that specific example - curry is delicious). And I don't have to buy a full tub of creme fraiche just to garnish some latkes. Now, if there's a similar service out there that just mails you recipes and a little bag of the hard-to-get small stuff, and lets you procure the chicken breasts and potatoes and whatnot, I would be very interested. I don't know if I'll stick with it long term, because there are still some aspects to it that offend my frugal, tree-hugging side, but at least for now it's been a fun way to get some exposure to different types of recipes that I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with.
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Dec 19, 2016 02:12
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the littlest prince posted:
If I ate main meals of that size regularly, I would look like I just stepped out of a death camp in short order. Do they expect you to drink litres of coke or beer or wine, or am I missing something?
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Dec 19, 2016 19:27
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1800 a day is more than enough for Blue Apron's demographic
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Dec 19, 2016 19:52
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Oh whoa, I didn't know this thread existed here. I was thinking about creating a thread about this all and am more than happy to because... I work at Plated, one of the original meal-kit companies. Along with Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, we started over 4 years ago and have grown along with the industry. I'm more than happy to chat more about it all (from an industry insider and not just preferring Plated as each service tends to provide a different need for people) in this thread or another. I think there's a lot to talk about in terms of how technology and advancements in fulfillment and delivery are changing the food space.
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Dec 19, 2016 21:03
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Submarine Sandpaper posted:1800 a day is more than enough for Blue Apron's demographic Sedentary tiny people? I'm not a giant, nor do I work a very physical job, and I need significantly more than that. And who would have three equal meals through the day? The main meal of the day is always larger, no matter which one it is. It just sounds like a questionable concept for the average person. EDIT: And I guess I'm a little frustrated with how difficult it is to hit my calorie requirements without loading up on carbs or huge amounts of fat. Back when I was drinking daily it was much easier, but now that I've cut alcohol down significantly, I have to make up that deficit and it's difficult without loading up on starches or junk food. But perhaps this isn't the thread to discuss that. PT6A fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Dec 19, 2016 |
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Dec 19, 2016 21:33
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PT6A posted:Sedentary tiny people? I'm not a giant, nor do I work a very physical job, and I need significantly more than that. And who would have three equal meals through the day? The main meal of the day is always larger, no matter which one it is. The average person is too fat FYI.  Stereotypically "healthy" calorie dense foods are stuff like nuts & nut butters  , avocados, olive oil, fatty fish, 100% whole grain bread/pasta/crackers/etc.
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Dec 19, 2016 23:40
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sean10mm posted:The average person is too fat FYI. Yeah, well, I'm guessing the average person didn't get too fat (or even to a healthy weight, assuming they weren't overweight to begin with) having 600 calories for their main meal of the day. Maybe there could be a balance between "not enough" and "far too much"?
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Dec 20, 2016 00:15
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Doh004 posted:Oh whoa, I didn't know this thread existed here. I was thinking about creating a thread about this all and am more than happy to because... I tried Plated head to head with Blue Apron and while I do like the variety with Plated I ultimately went with Blue Apron because I like their business model better and I think the quality of their food is slightly better. Do you have any info on the carbon footprint of doing direct food delivery vs buying things at the store? I imagine that your food waste is way lower than a grocery store's because you know exactly how much of whatever food item you need to order. What's the behind the scenes at Plated look like? How do y'all keep up with logistics? For that matter, how do logistics WORK? Do you have a bunch of chilled warehouses with people packing boxes of food every week? How do you come up with recipes?
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Dec 20, 2016 01:02
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PT6A posted:Yeah, well, I'm guessing the average person didn't get too fat (or even to a healthy weight, assuming they weren't overweight to begin with) having 600 calories for their main meal of the day. Maybe there could be a balance between "not enough" and "far too much"? Why do you think this isn't enough? Do you expect to not feel full after 600 calories?
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Dec 20, 2016 06:00
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Is 2400 calories a day no longer the bare minimum for a sedentary western male? 600 is not a lot for a meal unless you're snacking and drinking soda?
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Dec 20, 2016 06:11
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the littlest prince posted:Why do you think this isn't enough? Do you expect to not feel full after 600 calories? I feel like that isn't enough because I eat more than triple that and I'm 6'2" and under 160 pounds if I don't consciously up my calorie intake. I work out a few days a week, and walk to and from the grocery store every few days. I'm not some body builder or marathon runner, and I don't work a physical job. 600 calories is a lunch-sized meal for me, not a main meal of the day.
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Dec 20, 2016 07:10
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600 calories is about what I snack on between second breakfast and thirdmeal.
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Dec 20, 2016 12:42
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Ranter posted:Is 2400 calories a day no longer the bare minimum for a sedentary western male? 600 is not a lot for a meal unless you're snacking and drinking soda? 2000 has been the recommended target as far back as I remember. Most men will be just fine with this number. Tall people and people who are not sedentary can be exceptions. PT6A posted:I feel like that isn't enough because I eat more than triple that and I'm 6'2" and under 160 pounds if I don't consciously up my calorie intake. You sound more active than most people. Not a lot more, but more. In any case I think most meal services probably have similar recipes. How you solve the shortfall is up to you, but at least with Mealime (and maybe others, I don't know) you can buy extra ingredients without an extra trip. It won't necessarily be obvious how much to buy at first though. I'd probably try 50% more of everything and see how it goes. You could also just eat bigger breakfasts or lunches, or snack more often. Eat dessert more often, drink a tall glass of milk or wine with dinner, etc.
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Dec 20, 2016 13:36
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30 Goddamned Dicks posted:I tried Plated head to head with Blue Apron and while I do like the variety with Plated I ultimately went with Blue Apron because I like their business model better and I think the quality of their food is slightly better. May I ask what about the model you preferred? If you used Plated over a year ago, we made the switch from what was an a la carte model to a weekly subscription - this made things a lot easier for folks. If it had to do with the price difference (~$3 a meal), then I hear ya  30 Goddamned Dicks posted:Do you have any info on the carbon footprint of doing direct food delivery vs buying things at the store? I imagine that your food waste is way lower than a grocery store's because you know exactly how much of whatever food item you need to order. You're 100% right about us reducing food waste. We are much more able to accurately forecast demand of specific ingerdients and materials which helps us order only as much as we need to deliver to our customers. If you compare that to a traditional grocery store which tends to waste large percentages of their food, we're in a much better spot. While I personally don't have that specific data on the carbon footprint (I know we as a company could do a lot better about making this information available), I do believe it's much better overall. If we reduce the number of car trips required to cook and eat a meal, it's a win in my book. That said, I'm a software engineer and this is by no means an official policy or position! One area that is constantly being improved is our packaging materials. We know it's an issue that we have to send liquids in indvidual plastic containers and recipes are grouped together in (recyclable) plastic bags. Over the past two years that I've been here, we've been constantly changing and improving our packaging materials to be much more eco-friendly and sustainable. It's a constant battle that I don't believe we'll ever get 100% right. 30 Goddamned Dicks posted:What's the behind the scenes at Plated look like? How do y'all keep up with logistics? For that matter, how do logistics WORK? Do you have a bunch of chilled warehouses with people packing boxes of food every week? Plated has 4 fulfillment centers across the continental US: NYC, Chicago, Miami and Oakland. These fulfillment centers are where our suppliers send the ingredients and where we employ (the majority) of our staff. Our Operations team is huge and the lifeblood of the company - they're the ones in the refrigerated building preparing the ingerdients, packaging them all up and delivering them to our carriers. Our HQ is in NYC which houses the rest of our departments. It's just like every other "TECH STARTUP" around. 30 Goddamned Dicks posted:How do you come up with recipes? We have our own in-house culinary team! Elana is our head chef and her team has grown out over the years (almost all of them are classically trained). They have their own process for coming up with recipes and they test them in the office (our test kitchen is here) which means I get to eat a lot of really tasty food at work.
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Dec 20, 2016 16:25
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2000 for men, 1800 for women, generally those with a low to moderate level of activity (office jobs). For comparison, if you're out in a war zone doing heavy fighting away from any kind of field kitchen, it's figured that you'll need to consume 3500-4000 calories a day. Also for reference, a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger with a small fries and soda is 830 calories. 1240 if you go large. So 600 sensible calories from a fresh cooked meal if you're not doing much exercise beyond walking to and from your car, around the office or store is going to be a good baseline. They gotta figure you'll be doing your own snacking between meals or pairing with soda, wine or beer at dinner (80-150 calories a serving). I also figure they don't want to get in trouble from the one person who's going to follow this diet and sue/complain because they gained weight.
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Dec 20, 2016 16:28
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I think the 600 cal portions are important as most people don't realize that American restaurant portions are absolutely massive and people learning to cook are likely going to be using that as their base. I wish I had your issue with needing to eat more, even when active I maintain weight around 2k.
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Dec 20, 2016 16:33
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Blue Apron just seems like the terrible spot between "food comes to my door" and "I cook what I want." Even leaving fresh direct aside I can shop once a week or pick up little things on the way home -- if I order in, it's not because shopping is the hard part, it's because I'm too tired or too pressed for time to even stand in my kitchen for fifteen minutes. With FreshDirect available, Blue Apron and its siblings would literally do nothing but cost me money and annoy me by telling me what to cook.
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Dec 20, 2016 17:02
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the littlest prince posted:2000 has been the recommended target as far back as I remember. Most men will be just fine with this number. Tall people and people who are not sedentary can be exceptions. Milk is a good idea, I hadn't thought of that. Ever since I cut beer and wine down from "a lot every day" to "a little, two or three times per week" I haven't replaced those calories with much (although I've bumped up portion size a bit; if I'm making a pasta dish, I'll usually use 120g to 150g of pasta, which is itself just short of 600 calories). Turns out booze has a lot of calories! EDIT: The whole point being, these services seem to have a considerable weakness if it doesn't account for the fact that some people need more or fewer calories than average, often by considerable margins. Now, a system that could take into account your calories goals and target macronutrient split, and spit out recipes accordingly with amounts automatically adjusted? That'd be interesting... PT6A fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Dec 20, 2016 |
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Dec 20, 2016 17:16
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Is there a reason you can't cook 2 portions and just save what you don't eat for leftovers? I'm not sure how portion size is really an issue. If you want more food order more food and eat more food.
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Dec 21, 2016 01:20
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There's only so much a meal service can do without compromising other features. People like you are in the vast minority and it might not ever be profitable to cater to such a small niche. You know the solution is just to eat more food, and there are a hundred ways to do it. Trying to decide how is not that hard, try something and if it works, stick with it. Else try something else. Back when I was at the gym every other day I would make a chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie every week, and have a slice of it every night (along with a massive brinner). Good problem to have.
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Dec 21, 2016 01:34
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Inspector 34 posted:Is there a reason you can't cook 2 portions and just save what you don't eat for leftovers? I'm not sure how portion size is really an issue. If you want more food order more food and eat more food. Well, there's no reason I can't just go to the grocery store and buy whatever I need to eat and then cook it as I see fit, of course. I'm just saying it's a big flaw in the system if you still have to go the grocery store to buy whatever -- I thought the point of these services was to avoid that as much as possible. the littlest prince posted:There's only so much a meal service can do without compromising other features. People like you are in the vast minority and it might not ever be profitable to cater to such a small niche. You know the solution is just to eat more food, and there are a hundred ways to do it. Trying to decide how is not that hard, try something and if it works, stick with it. Else try something else. I dunno, I mean maybe I'm a freak of nature, but I don't think a 6'2" guy who works out a few days a week is really that far outside the norm. Yes, it's not average, but I'd guess it's still within one standard deviation of the average -- I mean, imagine people who actually have physically demanding jobs. And likewise I'm sure there are many people who need as many fewer calories as I need more, compared with the average. If I still need to buy groceries and prepare multiple extra meals per week, then there's zero value to this service. What's another 10 pounds of groceries if I'm already going to the grocery store?
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Dec 21, 2016 03:12
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No, what I meant was there are options for the # of portions you order. If 1 isn't enough, order 2 portions and save the leftovers. There's no need to go to the grocery store if that's an unwanted hassle. I do think you're right that this is not necessarily a 1 size fits all kind of service though. I don't really pay much attention to how many calories I eat, but I'd guess I top 1800 between breakfast, lunch, and dinner too. I'm just saying there's a built in solution to the issue you're presenting: order more food.
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Dec 21, 2016 06:18
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I consider myself to be a pretty adept home cook. I got a couple of Blue Apron boxes as a gift, and I enjoyed the service. The meat and produce wasn't anything amazing, although it certainly wasn't bad. I mostly trashed the recipes and just used the ingredients in whatever way struck my fancy. I thought it was fun getting a bunch of things that I normally wouldn't buy, plus a ton of tiny two-meal size portions of various sauces and whatnot.
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Dec 22, 2016 22:56
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Blue Apron is like the "Chopped" show on Food Network, but none of the ingredients are scary and they all go together well. Also every meal takes exactly 42 minutes to make if you don't include commercials.
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Jan 4, 2017 00:55
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Blue Apron was good for me because I would always find a reason to cook one of the 10 to 15 meals I had learned already rather than trying something new. Now I have a bunch of combinations of things that I can cook where, otherwise, I would have likely just made pasta/curry again. Prior to BA I cooked practically vegetarian, it really helped me run out of excuses to never cook chicken/fish/pork/steak. Seconding that you should double any spice they give you.
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Jan 4, 2017 17:26
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My wife and I do it every week. We used to spend about 120 on food a week anyway, and now half our meals are set and taken care of (we go out once a week). I've been cooking professionally at an upscale casual level for about 9 years, and most of the recipes are solid. The ingredients are always high quality, and some of the best things I've eaten outside of Michelin restaurants come out of this box. They always offer a wine pairing, and we just buy our own wine to go with it, and they always work well.
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Apr 29, 2017 18:44
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Some grocery stores do a thing now where you can order your stuff online and when you come to pick it up they'll load it for you and everything. If you're using blue apron because you're hard-up for time, this might be a good alternative that would probably save you a shitload of money.
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Apr 30, 2017 22:53
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theres a will theres moe posted:Some grocery stores do a thing now where you can order your stuff online and when you come to pick it up they'll load it for you and everything. If you're using blue apron because you're hard-up for time, this might be a good alternative that would probably save you a shitload of money. It isn't a time thing. We had the problem of buying groceries that would end up rotting because they weren't eaten, and it's annoying to search for good ingredients. We did the math on it, and we might be spending something like 10 bux extra a week, but losing the problems of food spoilage and waste, and we get to eat interesting meals. It's always something new, and it really is great. It isn't for everyone of course, especially if you're miserly with your money and view it as a waste.
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May 1, 2017 02:37
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Yeah, not trying to crap on anybody's dinner. Just suggesting. Mail meals definitely don't make sense in my situation, but to each his own. Please recycle all that cardboard and stuff though.
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May 1, 2017 02:43
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theres a will theres moe posted:Yeah, not trying to crap on anybody's dinner. Just suggesting. Mail meals definitely don't make sense in my situation, but to each his own. Please recycle all that cardboard and stuff though. We do. In fact, you can mail it back to them in the same box and they will recycle it for you if you don't have facilities.
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May 1, 2017 03:04
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