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7.4

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: October 30th, 2023

Blue Apron sends you farm fresh ingredients and original recipes to cook 2-4 meals in your home each week. Here's how it works: You select the meals you want to eat for the week. Blue Apron then sends you perfectly portioned ingredients to make those meals. They also include step-by-step recipes that utilize foods that are in season. Customers can choose when the meals are delivered each week. Blue Apron was founded in 2012 in New York by Matt Salzberg, a former computer engineer. Salzberg believes that the best food is made at home, and that his company empowers people to make their own delicious meals. Today, they have grown to 501-1000 employees. Their goal is to help eliminate food waste by sending you exact ingredient amounts. At the same time, they also want to save consumers time by eliminating trips to the grocery store and meal planning.

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The Good

  • No hidden fees
  • Low-calorie meals
  • Variety

There are no hidden prices with Blue Apron. The price you see for meals includes everything - even shipping. Most companies that offer weight loss meal plans will charge consumers for their food and shipping (and they may throw in a few extra fees for a membership and consultant). But Blue Apron is different. Even though there is no guarantee of weight loss, Blue Apron's healthy meals are sure to help anyone struggling to eat healthy (and in turn, perhaps lose a few pounds). On their blog, Blue Apron shares the story of one person trying to learn to cook with healthy ingredients in order to lose weight and then keep on top of her goal weight. She used Blue Apron to do this, stating that their clean food made her food good again. Each meal from Blue Apron is around 500-700 calories. When you go to select your meals for the upcoming week, you'll be able to choose from six options (options change each week, so you aren't stuck eating the same foods). The options you get to choose from show the meal's calories, ingredients, cooking instructions, and cooking time. We like the the transparency all this information provides. You always know what you are getting yourself into. While TBC cannot provide unique commentary on the taste of Blue Apron's food, there are many positive reviews about the taste. They use traditional and unique recipes each week. Most people report the meals tasting healthy and light, but still filling. Another thing to note about Blue Apron is their variety of meals. While you may only have 6 to choose from each week (and most people buy 2-4 meals per week), the meals are always seasonal and always changing. Here is a sample menu for a week in July:

  • Vadouvan-Spiced Lamb Burgers
  • Chicken Milanese
  • Cod & Miso Soba Noodles
  • Summer Bean & Mushroom Pasta
  • Summer Corn & Vegetable Chowder
  • Crispy Eggplant Pitas
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The Bad

  • Pricing
  • Weight loss
  • Experience

It is difficult to compare the price of meal services, like Blue Apron, that only provide customers with one meal a day, with full on diet food meals. Most of the meal plans that we have reviewed on TBC are for meal plans designed to help people lose weight. Because of this design, weight loss companies provide food for every meal of the day (some may only provide for 2 meals a day, while others include multiple snacks). Because Blue Apron's focus is on providing healthy, seasonal meals, weight loss is a possible secondary benefit. The company does not say anything about weight loss on their site, nor to they make any guarantees. For those interested in losing weight with a meal plan product, Blue Apron may not have the idea meals for them, In general, Blue Apron seems more expensive than direct competitors. If you look at the price of one meal (a little under $10), it's a much more expensive meal than other meal plans. However, it just depends on what you are looking for in a meal plan. Blue Apron has only been around for 3 years (since 2012), and was founded by a computer engineer. Many of the other companies in the meal planning industry were founded by chefs, dieticians, and people in business. This might be the only one that was founded by someone with experience in a completely different industry. We wonder what credentials Blue Apron's founder has and what experience he had in meal planning, if any, before starting his business. Even though the 2-person plan has 6 options to choose 3 from, the family plan only gives you 4 options to choose from each week. If you select the 2-meals per week plan, this may leave you with some variety. However, if you select the 4-meals per week plan, there is no room to leave out meals you don't like. We wish the family meal plan came with more options.

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The Bottom Line

Overall, there are a lot of things to love about Blue Apron:

  • Fresh, seasonal ingredients
  • Local ingredients (you can even see some of the farms your foods come from)
  • Perfectly portioned ingredients (no waste from buying pre-packaged food at the grocery store)
  • Easy meal planning

If you are a busy person, who doesn't have time to meal plan and shop at the grocery store, but you are still someone who loves to cook, Blue Apron is a good meal service for you. They may be a little more expensive than their competitors, but their interesting recipes could be worth it. We recommend looking at them and a few of their competitors (HelloFresh and Plated) to see which meal options look more enticing to you. Either way, you can't go wrong with fresh ingredients and a home cooked meal.

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Star Rating

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4.1

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111 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

45%

4 grade

34%

3 grade

11%

2 grade

6%

1 grade

4%

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Vanessa Call Lehi, UT

I tried BlueApron first, out of all of the meal delivery services, and was not disappointed. each time there were new meals that I never would have put together on my own, but that my husband and I genuinely enjoyed. They are now part of our regular rotation! I struggled with the need to update my account each week, or I was sent items that really did not interest us - this, and the cost, were ultimately why I decided to cancel. I will say that the customer service is phenomenal. I failed to cancel in time, and rather than tell me I was out of luck, the amount was credited, my account cancelled, and still I received that week's meals. Overall a great product for those who do not enjoy meal planning, and like to try new meals!

6 years ago

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William J. Foley

We started Blue Apron because my fiancé wants to learn how to cook. As a chef myself, I could only teach him so much. On our first order had originally called for Purple Daikon Radish, when I opened the box I saw Red Radishes. My first thought was "Wow, either they ran out or no one cared enough to double check the recipe" but then I saw a little card with a note instead which apologized for not having that ingredient because they wanted only the freshest ingredient possible. My standards for customer service is extremely high and i thought that little note was extremely classy! Blue Apron is now our new "date night" and the best part is even I get to play with some really unique items such as Eureka Lemona and Lebneh. Finally, something else fun to do except sitting and watching Netflix. Keep it up Blue Apron ! As for Robin, I know he will be the next great chef ! Thank you! William and Robin.

7 years ago

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Kaila Repman

I love blue apron, I'll be a customer for a long time. Each week we get excited for our box delivery, we are practically tracking it until it's at the front door. I love that everything is packaged in little bags and the recipe cards make it easy to prepare the meals. I'm also impressed by the quality of meats. I love that everything is locally sourced. We have enjoyed every meal, some better than others, but none that have disappointed. I have even used the recipe cards to get the supplies to remake a recipe we loved!

7 years ago

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Abby Layton, UT

Blue Apron is amazing! I've learned about so many different kinds of foods and different cooking techniques from doing their recipes. I've never had a recipe from them that I didn't like. The food is always really good, and it's fun because the ingredients are often things that I wouldn't think to try on my own. The portions are also very generous, so it feels worth the money. The only downside is that after doing it for a few months, the recipes that are offered can start to get a little bit repetitive. However, I noticed in the past year when I was ordering from them that they started to offer more variety, so that seems like something that they are changing!

3 years ago

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julie roberts

I want to love blue apron but I think it’s just not for me. All of the prepackaging and small portions to cook creates as much waste, and mess as cooking from the grocery store. Plus, you still have to do the work of chopping everything up. The meals come out good and are things I wouldn’t normally cook for myself. But i don’t know that it’s worth the price and the work.

1 year ago

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Jess Root Gilbert, AZ

The recipes are amazing. The directions are clear and if you want a way to have restaurant type food at home, it is perfect. It is a tad on the pricey side. But if variety is what you want and you don't want to have to plan too much and research ingredients, it is perfect.

6 years ago

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Hannah Pleasant Grove, UT

We love Blue Apron! Cooking our meals together has been a blast and we still have the recipe to one of our favorite meals on hand. It's so awesome to have the exact portions given to you. The recipes are DELICIOUS. I'd always recommend it, if you're willing to pay for it.

6 years ago

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Jenna Holt Davison, MI

I got a free week from a friend for BlueApron and I am hooked!! The food is fresh and comes so neatly packaged and easy to store once it arrives. The recipes are amazing and I consider healthy compared to a lot of other services! You can skip as many times as you want or if you are out of town. The BlueApron app is awesome too! Thanks BA❤️

7 years ago

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Jennifer Cetoute Lumberton, NC

My husband and I truly love Blue Apron. The produce and protein are always fresh. It's a different experience in every box, with a taste that is out of this world! It's a way to save on spending money in the supermarket or ordering take-out. Finally, it gives my husband and I a chance to spend some quality time together.

7 years ago

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Shameka Johnson Washington, DC

I received a family kit free from my aunt. I was very skeptical at first because I bake but don't cook, lol. This was so easy and I was able to follow the directions and video well. It was a hit in my household. I had the Crispy Cod sandwich & Salsa Verde with Roasted potatoes and Piquillo Pepper Aioli!

7 years ago

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Jacki Howland

Absolutely Love BA so far, has opened our eyes to cooking in a whole new way. 2 months now and have not been disappointed in one meal yet. No longer as resistant to trying something new. Fresh and intriguing ingredients that are seasonal as well as organic!! Company also has great customer service. Only cons we have are the limited options per week, and more packaging waste than necessary.

7 years ago

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Brandie Rudy West Jordan, UT

Blue Apron is a life saver. We love everything about it. The meals are amazing they are easy to prepare, the 20-30 minute meals are our favorite. We can prepare them as a family and then eat together. Having all the needed ingredients is definitely my favorite part. We order 3-4 meals per week and save so much money over regular meal planning or eating out. The website is user friendly and has so many helpful tips as well.

5 years ago

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Reb R

I’ve tried a couple different meal kit services in the past. This one was not one of my favorites. The app did not have many meals to choose from which left me skipping weeks more often than not. The ingredient quality was good. Many of the recipes were super repetitive, A lot of similar ingredients in everything. I don’t feel it was worth the cost.

1 year ago

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Frances lorenzo

I absolutely love the Blue Apron concept and honestly the ingredients are always perfect and fresh. It has conpletely changed for the better the way my boyfriend and I eat . That said, the delivery is amost never on time but their customer service department is always on top of everything to make it the best experience. I am considering similar services to try but for now I'm sticking to Blue Apron

7 years ago

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Xena Zeit-Geist Houston, TX

Blue Apron is awesome! It's made my and my partner's life much easier. The meals are delicious and have made us feel like pro chefs when before we didn't know how to cook at all.

7 years ago

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Joan M Moore Smithtown, NY

I received three meals from Blue Apron. I tried to cancel the service before it arrived as there are no low carb or gluten free options. Due to a late response from BA, the shipment was in process. I was very kindly given the shipment for free, so great customer service, but a few days late. As the food was here, we decided to use it. We did not need to plan or shop, so that's a plus. The three meals were tacos suiza, cod and a pasta dish. Everything was clearly labeled with huge recipe cards that are easy to follow. The prep time was a bit long. LOTS of chopping of veg, which were very fresh. Lots of pots and pans. These meals were free to us, so I wanted to like them, despite not being gluten free or low carb. They were awful. Pretty much tasteless and time intensive. I am a pretty good cook, and honestly, can make much tastier, far less time intensive meals on my own. If you are looking to save time, this will cut out shopping and planning. Unfortunately at the expense of taste and lots of prep time and clean up.

8 years ago

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Jaci Rhoades Irving, TX

I am in love with this company! All I had to do was give them some information about my food preferences. No longer do I have to think about what's for dinner. It's delivered with step by step instructions, very little prep time, and it tastes wonderful.

4 years ago

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Luis Diaz Norcross, GA

Order process isn’t hard and you don’t waste any food because it’s portioned out perfectly. What’s super cool about it is if you don’t want any of the meal options for that week you can just choose to not get something that week.

4 years ago

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Alyssa Hansel Tallahassee, FL

Super great and yummy food selections. I used this product while living in my college dorm and it was so worth it! The meals are easy to follow and everything is measured out for you! I impressed all my freshman friends with my "expert" cooking skills!

4 years ago

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Sarah Marfo Tallahassee, FL

College student who do not have a meal plan this is for YOU! After my freshmen year I got off my universities meal plan and began looking for food options. I ran into bluapron upon my search and Im glad I did. The food all comes in a book and is ready for a week of cooking. I was able to meal prep and make dinner for me and my roomate. Also the food has great variation and taste!

4 years ago

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Adrianne murray Brigham City, UT

I ordered this for 6 weeks and I’d say I like it better than the others I tried. But cost was a huge factor with a large family. Somehow me eating an awesome meal with a ton of kids watching seemed mean. And I couldn’t afford the it for everyone. So I really couldn’t justify it but when my adorable kids move out I would buy it again. Of course given that they are only a few months it’s going to be a while. My mom on the other hand loves it and it’s perfect for twin people. Especially someone who has cooked her whole life and I bored with the same stuff

4 years ago

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Katie Salt Lake City, UT

When I was a nanny, the family I worked for ordered Blue Apron and it was such a wonderful service that helped me make dinner each night for this wonderful family. The instructions of making the meal are clear and concise. The food is delicious and healthy. Plus I felt all the items were very fresh each time the box arrived.

5 years ago

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Erika American Fork, UT

Really like Blue Apron. They have great promotions if it is your first time trying out their service. So that helps with the price. After those though it is a little expensive for a family . The meals are also a little different than what my kids normally will actually end up eating. So for my family they worked ok. The adults did really enjoy the meals.

5 years ago

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Lindsay Fritts San Diego, CA

Tried out Blue Apron the other month and really liked it. I liked that it included all of the ingredients (other than salt and pepper) and you can make a meal in a shortish amount of time. Sometimes I felt like the recipes were a little intricate for a simple meal for 2 people, but I ended up trying random things I never wouldve normally. I ended up not subscribing due to my schedule- I am not home often enough or at the same time as my fiance to cook a meal.

5 years ago

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Kristin G Pleasant Grove, UT

We tried blue apron through a Groupon and loved the food. It is a little expensive but I feel I eat more healthy with blue apron than quickly trying to find a fast food to feed my family. It is very convenient to have it mailed to you.

6 years ago

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Scott Fairfax, VA

Blue Apron is for those that want the cooking experience without shopping for ingredients. It will not save you time or money compared to eating out. It definitely doesn't save time compared to cooking other meals at home but the time savings of not going to the grocery store may be worth it for some people. Best for date nights or being introduced to new types of food.

6 years ago

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Thomas Hullinger Pleasant Grove, UT

This is a great way to get gourmet meals that you don't have to go to a gourmet restaurant to get. You can make them in the comfort of your own home with everything that you need and it is actually fun and inspiring.

6 years ago

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Cassidy Gundersen Orem, UT

Blue Apron has some good and creative meals for a decent price. I didn’t think they were amazing by any means, but it was good. The price isn’t terrible, but the portions were fairly small and each recipe took upward of 30-45 minutes to make. Overall I felt that it wasn’t worth the money.

6 years ago

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Breanna Jones Salt Lake City, UT

We received a $40 off coupon so we gave it a try. I would never pay full price for this service or subscribe. It is too expensive. I like the convenience of not having to meal plan though. I wish you could choose what meals they send you. Two of the three meals they sent us were really good. If it was cheaper, I would consider subscribing.

7 years ago

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Jenna LeStarge Lehi, UT

We tried the family plan with Blue Apron for 3 weeks. It was ok. Two out of the three weeks one or more ingredients were damaged beyond repair during delivery, there isn't any margin for error, so the recipe had to be made without. The recipes themselves were decent, although options were lacking and they didn't seem particularly suited to children.

7 years ago

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Erica

Fast delivery and the food tastes delicious! Not sure why I have heard all the negative feedback about nutrisystem. I just got my boyfriend interested as well!

7 years ago

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Andrew Schnelly Harrisburg, PA

Well... I just cancelled my Blue Apron Subscription because it was horrible. I love the concept, and they have a good thing going and lots of other people seem to love them. So perhaps my experience was the exception? My first delivery was mediocre, the box was mostly crushed, some of the produce was rotten and the "fresh herbs" were wilted and heavily oxidized (also rotten). My chicken and my lamb were cool, and the chicken smelled border line usable (hey I work in a meat processing plant, so I know questionable chicken). I took this in stride, used my own supplies to replace the rotted ones and the meals were ok. My second shipment arrived... The carton was in good condition but leaking... The flimsy bubble wrap bag they pack stuff in was ripped (but the box was intact, do not look like it was caused in transit but at the source) the freezer packs were thawed out and some had ruptured and my food stuffs (many unwrapped) were soaked in freezer pack gel, this order was ground pork and fish, and it was pretty obvious it was not safe to use... So I contact their customer service.... No response! So I contact customer service again... No Response! By now I'm upset, so I contact pretty much every email on their site.... No response! So I go to cancel my subscription, oh that was a treat! Its not as easy as joining, that's for sure. I had to search the FAQ's to locate an email address, then email them, then fill out a brief survey, then wait for another email with instructions to be sent to me, then log into my account and do as instructed in the email they sent me... Through all that, no one from customer service or any other department ever contacted me about my unsafe and unusable spoiled order I received and what to do about it... I'm thinking I should just mail the rotten, smelly mess back to them!

8 years ago

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Simone Harris Tallahassee, FL

There was a decent variety of recipe types available, however, I wish that they will expand it. It made the entire cooking process more streamlined and convenient. The recipes are simple and can be slightly altered based on preference.

3 years ago

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Rhona Leffler Olney, MD

Blue Apron delivers everything you need to make a delicious, healthy meal right to your door step. It's so convenient! They also send a recipe card that you can keep to replicate any meals that you particularly enjoyed.

3 years ago

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Mary Talladega, AL

I did a short stint with Blue Apron. I sent it to my mom and son to try out. Well, my mom worked most of her life in a cafeteria at the elementary school. She is very particular about the temps of foods when cooking etc. Lets just say she was not too happy with what we got from Blue Apron. She refused to eat the meals. My son did enjoy the recipes as he likes some of the more exotic dishes they sent. But he would eat both meals because his grandma said she wasn't interested. Now, i can't say if my mother was legit in being concerned. She swore that some of the meals (that included meat) was shipped to our house and she felt the meat was not cold enough when it arrived. This was the problem. She also was not happy with the condition of some of the vegetables also (it was summer in the deep south)

3 years ago

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Jennifer Alonso Asbury Park, NJ

Unlike plated that offers a wide variety of cultural recipes and plenty of options to choose from every week, blue apron had a limited number of selections, that often repeat or are very similar. Ive also noticed a majority of their recipes are Asian so if you like diffent types of asian food such ad korean, vietnamese, or chinese this is the perfect meal delivery service for you.

4 years ago

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Jakob barre Norcross, GA

I have had a subscription to Blue Apron for almost a year now. I find it's easy to skip weeks and months when I need to. Haven’t had any issues with missing ingredients or freshness.

4 years ago

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take7 Sandy, UT

Great food plan choices. Cute and detailed instruction cards for making the meals. Don't think it's worth it for me though because of the number of members in my family per serving sizes. The food was tasty. Delivery is safe and secure. I still enjoy having it when I need it for busy nights or when the kids aren't around.

4 years ago

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Seth Boudoin Baton Rouge, LA

Blue apron has provided me with great food recipes and they’re absolutely delicious. It’s hard to believe how healthy they can be as well. A company I plan on staying with for a long time.

4 years ago

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Amy Christian Sandy, UT

Meals got weird. Too much time and effort spent on making an insignificant sauce that would top a piece of meat. This should be marketed to people that enjoy cooking weird small meals, rather than feeding a hungry family quickly. Also, way too expensive. Customer service was frustrating, wanted to keep charging me because I didn’t give a large enough notice to cancel. Something weird like, you’ll get the next 4 weeks still because you need to give us a 3 week notice. Huh?!

4 years ago

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Janice Genes Hurricane, UT

When I lived in NC I ordered blue apron . Loved the food and recipes they gave. The food was always good and was chilled even on the hardest days in the summer when I receive the box.

4 years ago

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Connor Farmington, UT

Blue Apron is easy to order, follow recipes, and especially eat!! They had great food options, but I just wish they had more specialized allergen options. The recipes were so fun and yummy to cook!

4 years ago

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Lauren Jorgensen Salt Lake City, UT

I have tried a different food delivery service. This on was my favorite. The meals are so good and easy recipes. I am not a good cook and Blue Apron makes me feel like a gourmet chef.

5 years ago

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Chelsea Horrocks Salt Lake City, UT

My favorite thing about Blue Apron is even though I don’t pay for the service any longer, I still have access to their app and all the wonderful recipes! It always gets me to try new delicious food instead of my usual boring go to’s

5 years ago

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janalee sanders Valley Center, CA

we have used this company, but only once. we had a great experience and it sure was nice have food options delivered right to me! it was helpful to have a great coupon to use as well. the food seemed fresh and the meal options were great. the coupon made it more affordable to use the service.

5 years ago

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MaKayla Christiansen Provo, UT

I have always received amazing quality products from blue apron. I have been able to cook meals I would never imagine making because of blue apron. They ship fast and easy and have easy instructions so you always make the perfect dish.

5 years ago

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Jorden Laird Front Royal, VA

I got 3 months as a gift for christmas, and I was skeptical at first, but this has taught me so much about food and cooking and I've tried things and combinations I would have never tried before and it has all been amazing.

5 years ago

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Mia Hernandez Tempe, AZ

recvd my blue apron package and it was delightful it had everything i needed and the helpful cooking tips were great saved me a trip to the store and it was nice trying something new

5 years ago

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Samantha Avondale, AZ

I received a voucher from my work for this awesome site and I’ve got to say, the recipes provided did not disappointment. I love the healthy choices and the convenience of this site. It has definitely opened my tastebuds to a variety of flavors they were not exposed to before and now love.

5 years ago

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Lesa Burgess Pleasant Grove, UT

I mostly loved the food from Glue Apron and I also thought it was quite simple. My husband loved the meals. The downsides are all the garage you get when you order. There is so much material that comes in every package. I also don't like how they don't have a larger family option. To feed my whole family I would need to order 2 family sized orders and that's just too crazy expensive.

6 years ago