If you’ve been following trends, you’ve probably noticed that subscription boxes are all the rage. These services take convenience to a whole new level, bringing things you need right to your doorstep. I’ve reviewed Stitch Fix on this site, and have tried or want to try many others, like Nature Box and BirchBox.

But Blue Apron takes the idea of a subscription service to a whole new level by delivering perfectly-proportioned ingredients to cook delicious meals. Every box contains enough food to make three different meals, each big enough to serve two people.

When Blue Apron offered me a chance to review their product for a week for free, I jumped at the chance. My cooking skills are elementary at best, and I was excited to have a week off from the dreaded, nightly, “What to have for dinner?” question.

I have to admit, I was a little dubious at first. I work away from my house all day; how would the food stay fresh while sitting on my doorstep? Would the instructions be too complicated for me to understand? Would I even like the meals they sent out?

I received my box last week. The ingredients for all three meals were packed into one big, heavy box. When I opened it up, I noticed that the entire thing was packed with an insulated layer and ice packs were dispersed throughout. A little bit of water had leaked out (one corner of the box was a bit wet) but otherwise the ice packs seemed to have held up against the hot afternoon. All the food was still chilled.

Right on top were three recipe cards with pictures (pictures!) of all the techniques described. I’d invited a friend over for dinner, and together we easily whipped up the first meal, pork chops with smashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli. Although it was a relatively straightforward meal, there were unexpected flavors and spices added to everything and all ingredients, even the butter to put in with the sweet potatoes, was provided.

My favorite thing about the service is how it taught me new cooking techniques that I would never take the time to try otherwise. For example, I’ve always cooked broccoli by just throwing it in a pot of boiling water. But when Blue Apron told me to roast it in the oven with olive oil, I listened; and then made brussel sprouts the same way later in the week all on my own.

The other two meals in my box were sweet miso cod with farro (a grain I’ve never cooked with before and really liked) and snap peas, and Thai chicken burgers with potato wedges. Both were fantastic– I especially loved the sauce used on the fish, made of garlic paste, mirin, miso paste and sugar.

Though the food does, technically, come out of a box, the ingredients are all-natural and the ingredient list is short, unlike other packaged foods. Each meal took about forty minutes to make, from when I began to prepare to when I sat down to eat.

Blue Apron is a perfect service for someone who wants to eat interesting, healthy, real food but might not have the creativity, cooking chops, or time to come up with meal plans by themselves. The meals cost $10/person so the “2-person” box I received was $60 total (delivery and tax included). There’s a vegetarian option, and price plans can be set for 2, 4 or 6 people.

Another perk? If you want to forgo the box and just read the recipes, you can sign up for the free weekly newsletter. But boy, is it convenient having all the ingredients in one place when you need them and not having to decide what to eat every night.

Would you try Blue Apron? Would a dinner subscription service fit into your lifestyle?

Written by Liz Wassmann

Liz Wassmann is on the Dot Complicated editorial team and has written for a variety of Bay Area publications over the past several years. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found daydreaming about her next trip and practicing parallel parking.

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