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I never thought meal kit delivery services were for me. To be honest, I used to turn my nose up at them, thinking I had enough culinary know-how to come up with recipes on my own. I was sure anything I’d make would be much better than whatever could come out of a cardboard box delivered to my doorstep. But. But! After recently testing 10 of the most popular meal kits, I saw just how wrong that assumption was.
During this two-week meal-kit cook-off I quickly realized there were a plethora of reasons why someone (ahem, I) would want to sign up for a meal kit service: Once I choose my meals, the planning and shopping are done for me. Ingredients are pre-portioned, so I’m less likely to have residual herbs or wilting produce I need to use up. Plus, the recipes are good. Like, really good.
I ended up liking several of the services I tried, but there was one in particular that really changed my mind about these meal kits. In addition to having some really great, simple recipes, having a certain celebrity chef endorse them certainly didn’t hurt either!
What You Should Know About Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon
This meal delivery kit got its start in Berlin in 2014, then known simply as Marley Spoon, and became one of the biggest meal services in Europe within a few years. In 2016, the brand crossed the ocean and, with the help of the food and lifestyle trailblazer Martha Stewart, made weeknight cooking quicker and easier, but without sacrificing any flavor.
Much like other meal subscription services, you can choose the number of meals (between two to six) and portions (two or four) for the week. The more meals you order, the further your dollars stretch. For example, if you were to order two meals per week with two portions per meal (the smallest subscription available), the price per serving would start at $5.90. But if you were to order six meals for the week at four portions per meal, portions would start at $3.95 each (plus shipping).
There are more than 100 recipes to choose from and the options change every week, which means you can go months without ever repeating a single meal. The recipes are inspired by Stewart’s own collection, and include a range of dietary preferences, like meat, seafood, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, and more. Some recipes require you to have extra items on hand, like eggs or ketchup (more on that below). Select recipes are also labeled “under 30 minutes” or “one pot meal” (or both!), so you can seek out the ones with minimal prep, cook time, and cleanup. Unlike other meal kit brands, you’ll also find breakfast and even dessert options.
My Honest Review of Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon
One of the hardest parts was deciding between the menu of options for the week. Recipes like ground turkey kofta and couscous, feta burgers with onion jam, and warm bacon and lentil salad felt like more elevated options than other meal kits, with every recipe inspired by Stewart’s own personal repertoire. I narrowed it down to Beef Ravioli in Mushroom Brodo and Apple-Cheddar Chicken Meatloaf because I wanted the two recipes to be distinct from one another and, more importantly, they looked and sounded amazing.
Days later, a large insulated cardboard box arrived with the ingredients separated by meal, each in individual bags. A flat tray made all the produce look as if it came fresh from a farmshare. (Though having a cardboard flat inside of a cardboard box might be a bit of overkill with the packaging, it added to the experience in a way other services didn’t.)
I made the ravioli first, which came together in about 20 minutes and only required one pot, which meant less cleanup. There was some prep work to make the brodo — slicing and sautéing mushrooms — but nothing overly complicated or challenging. And the pre-packaged ravioli (filled with a beef and red wine ragù) required little more than boiling. For the minimal effort, it still felt like a dish I’d order at an upscale restaurant. Can’t beat that cook time even with delivery.
What really clinched the deal for me, however, was the apple-cheddar chicken meatloaf — it made both my partner and I swoon. It’s admittedly a more laborious recipe; there was more grating and slicing and mixing involved, the cook time alone was 35 minutes, and I needed to supply seven ingredients, including an egg, butter, ketchup, and vinegar. The bulk of the cooking time was inactive, though, so it was still relatively easy. And the flavor really made up for any extra effort. The sharp cheddar and sweet apple mingled so well into the meatloaves, it felt elevated — like you’d expect from Martha Stewart, but still tasted familiar and cozy like a meatloaf should.
The service is definitely for a slightly more experienced home cook with a well-stocked pantry. (The beef ravioli also required my own vinegar and butter, in addition to the usual salt, pepper, and olive oil.) But if you’re like me, and know your way around a kitchen, and are looking for a little more inspiration in your weeknight meals, Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon is worth checking out.
Have you tried Martha’s meal kit? Tell us about it in the comments below.
