Meal Kit Monday: A Review Of EveryPlate

Meal kit services have been around for years, but there are so many options that it can be overwhelming to figure out which one to choose. To help cut through the noise, I tried nine different meal kits that cater to various types of home chefs so you don't have to. I'll be posting an honest review about my experience with a different meal kit every Monday.

People sign up for meal kit services for a plethora of reasons: to improve their cooking skills, cut down their grocery bill, or simply because cooking dinner every night gets old. But no matter the reason, it's not always easy to find the right one for you. If you're looking for a kit that balances affordability with easy to make recipes, consider EveryPlate. The meal kit service prides itself on being budget friendly and fuss-free. EveryPlate sends ingredients and recipes straight to your door for a weekly cost and you can cancel at any time. I recently tried one week's worth of EveryPlate's meals; this is what I thought. 

EveryPlate Details

Like Dinnerly, EveryPlate prides itself on its affordability. By using less packaging and simple ingredients, the service starts its meal kit prices at $38.92. That price includes shipping and three recipes that serve two people each week. Customers can also choose to receive as many as five recipes and each plan has a four-person serving size.

Customers choose from a selection of about 14 to 16 recipes each week. Anecdotally, about three of those options are vegetarian but EveryPlate doesn't have specific meal plans for different diets or lifestyles.

EveryPlate Experience

EveryPlate's menu options are pretty standard and may cater to picky eaters. You'll see the usual suspects like pasta, burgers, chicken and pork chops. These are simple recipes with minimal ingredients.

After browsing the week's options, I decided on the moo shu beef bowls, Korean chicken bibimbap and apricot sriracha pork chops.

The box arrived in good condition, and its contents were still cold upon opening. To limit packaging, the ingredients for each recipe were placed in the box together, rather than in separate bags.

Unlike Dinnerly, EveryPlate sends recipe cards with its meal kits. Although the cards are on the small side, they come with photos of the ingredients so that nothing gets confused during the cooking process.

To make each recipe, I needed to provide my own olive oil, salt and pepper, which is customary for most meal kits. But be advised that you'll also need to provide your own butter for certain recipes. In terms of kitchen appliances, nothing was out of the ordinary, but if you select any of the rice-based recipes, you'll need a fine mesh sieve to rinse off the rice before getting started.

I found the cooking process to be simple enough for beginner cooks to follow. Because EveryPlate is so affordable, there are limited ingredients, which keeps involved techniques and chopping to a minimum. The sauces were also pre-made, so I didn't need to dirty extra dishes and spend time whisking up dressings and glazes. Overall, the prep and cook times were in line with what was listed.

The final product of each recipe was underwhelming. The flavor profiles were simple. Even recipes from cultures known for bold flavors, like the Korean chicken bibimbap and moo shu beef bowls, lacked dimension. Additions like soy sauce and sriracha were basic.

EveryPlate is a fine option for someone looking to try out an affordable meal kit and for people who admire classic comfort foods. But if you value creative dishes and you're interested in eating organic or adhering to a particular diet, EveryPlate might not be the best meal kit for you.

For more meal kit inspiration, also see my reviews of Home Chef, Hello Fresh, Dinnerly, Blue Apron and Green Chef.

Disclosure: The meal kit was provided by the company, but all opinions are honest and belong solely to the reviewer.