It seems that just about every blog and YouTube video these days is sponsored by a recipe box company. Yes, you know the one. The initials are HF, and they are just about everywhere. Yet despite their huge advertising budget, their review scores are steadily sinking. At the time of writing, their score on Trustpilot is sitting at a distinctly average 3.3 out of 5—nearly a quarter of their reviews rate them 1 or 2 stars. And I get it. I’m not a fan of recipe boxes, either.
Recipe boxes have exploded in popularity in the last few years. They promise convenience, variety, and a solution to the age-old question: “What’s for dinner?” ” Yet, despite the buzz and the beautifully curated Instagram posts, I’m not entirely convinced. Here’s what I think is wrong with recipe boxes.
The Illusion of Convenience
At first glance, recipe boxes seem like the epitome of convenience. All the ingredients are pre-measured and delivered right to your door. You get easy-to-follow recipes. However, the reality can be somewhat different. Many of the gripes that customers have with recipe box companies mention missing ingredients or ingredients that have gone bad. Having to run out to the shops at the last minute to replace a missing ingredient is the opposite of convenience.
Preparation and cooking time can take longer than advertised, especially if you’re not an experienced cook. And some boxes have arrived without recipe cards at all. Whilst the company are quick to remedy this, it is still inconvenient to have to chase this up.
Environmental Concerns
Whilst many recipe box companies strive to use recyclable materials and minimise their impact, recipe boxes still have a major environmental impact. Food miles, excess packaging, plastic containers, insulation, and cardboard all contribute to the carbon footprint. Also, as it is not possible to live off recipe boxes alone, you will still need to do additional shopping for the rest of the week. So why not just pick up the ingredients for healthy meals at the same time?
Recipe Boxes are not Cost-Effective.
It goes without saying that recipe boxes market themselves on their convenience factor and not their value for money. Searching for how cost-effective these boxes are just brings up page after page of sponsored reviews and links. So, it is impossible to say exactly how much more you are paying for the convenience. I estimate it to be at least 30% and maybe more like 50% for some meals.
Whilst they are probably still more cost-effective than takeaway or eating out, recipe boxes are far more expensive than cooking for yourself. And even if you are not a fan of cooking, you can buy supermarket meal kits, which have taken most of the hassle of preparation away and are often better value for money.
Lack of Flexibility
One of the joys of cooking is the freedom to experiment and adjust recipes to your taste. With recipe boxes, you’re bound to the provided ingredients, instructions, and portion sizes! Because the contents of the box often have to be used within a couple of days, you are stuck to that week’s menu and schedule.
Questionable Quality and Freshness
Despite the promise of fresh, high-quality ingredients, the reality can sometimes fall short. There have been instances where the produce is way past its peak or has leaked or spilt in the box, contaminating other ingredients. Some customers have complained about their boxes being left outside all day in the hot sun or pouring rain if they are not home to receive delivery.
You have no control over the use-by dates of the food that arrives in recipe boxes. When you select the produce yourself in a shop you can choose long-dated items which minimises the chance they will spoil before they are used.
Sponsored Reviews and Content
I touched on it earlier, but HF absolutely blankets the internet with advertising and promotions. They have numerous partnerships with influencers, bloggers, and food writers, as well as so many sponsored reviews that it is difficult to get a real perspective from an impartial source.
If you take a trial box, you will be told that you can cancel at any time. But the money for the next box is often deducted from your bank account before you have fully trialled the offer. It’s in the small print but it’s no consolation for people who try to cancel only to find out there next weeks payment has been taken already.
I’m a great advocate of preventing food waste, and recipe boxes often tout this as a major selling point. Yet recipe boxes are no more effective at reducing food waste than careful meal planning and shopping accordingly. Recipe boxes create more packaging waste than buying the ingredients directly in the supermarket.
There are so many free recipe sites online offering healthy and fresh meals that can be cooked from scratch. Many of these also include shopping lists so you can buy exactly what you need. This cuts down on waste and unnecessary packaging. It also allows you to tailor your recipes to suit you and your family’s needs. And you will keep more pounds in your pocket.
Think you can change my mind about recipe boxes? Leave your comments below and let me know what you think.
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