Gourmet Delivery At Your Door

We live in an age of ultra-convenience. Between apps like Lyft and the instant gratification of online ordering, we are used to getting our way. But sometimes we crave a cozier experience. Meal delivery services, like Blue Apron, take the hassle out of shopping and make cooking a breeze.

Essentially, the service allows you to select a meal from a predetermined list and delivers everything you’ll need to prepare it to your doorstep, on ice. While this kind of service might be good for by-the-book cooks, it seems awfully confining for creative chefs out there. These services have gotten mixed reviews from busy people who alternately love and hate the lack of choice. Still, there’s nothing stopping you from throwing in a few spices from your own kitchen.

Price is another sticking point. Blue Apron meals cost $59.99 for three meals for two people. While these services can be cheaper than a fancy night out, you’re still stuck with the dishes at the end of the meal. Although the pre-packaged ingredients make clean-up easy, they generate a large amount of waste — every spice has its own plastic pouch and each ingredient is plastic-wrapped.

Meal delivery services seem to be a compromise between eating out and eating in — they take the hassle out of grocery shopping and some of the work out of cooking. After all, what’s cozier than eating out?