Mummy Review: Hello Fresh has been along for a long time in the meal subscription service, so I had to try it when I found a great discount voucher and followed my CashRewards in hopes that I may even get cashback using this!
Disclosure: The following products have been obtained through discount vouchers and cashback incentives to review and feature (it was basically free). However, all the opinions and recommendations are my own. I never recommend something I haven’t tried or wouldn’t purchase myself. See the full disclosure policy for details, or why I disclose, here.
Hello Fresh is a long time competitor in the Meal Subscriptions world, so it would seem essential to check out what they had to offer. Once I had discovered a voucher that more than paid for a meal, I decided to give it a go. I have heard both positive and negative reviews on this service, so I was curious to see how they rated in comparison to other companies out there.
They are a well known brand, and though my experience obviously isn’t the only one out there, I would like to weigh in on how this subscription service fared for our family.
Where to buy: Hello Fresh Website (click “View Our Meal Plans”)
How it arrives: Cardboard box packed with ice packs and paper bags with designated recipes inside each bag.
What you need: Fridge space and designated pantry basics not included with meals. (They are on the recipe card, too)
What is in the box? Pre-sorted and portioned ingredients for each meal. Some vegetables and fruits are loose in the bag and some are packed in labeled packs. Meat was packaged.
How long it is good for? It should be good until indicated. See website for further details.
Sizes Available? 2 & 4 person serves of the Classic and Vegetarian Boxes, and 2 adult+2-3kids serve with the Family Box
Delivery Area: Areas in the states and territories of NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, and NT. Check website for delivery enquiries.
How far in advance to order: See website for details on when to place your order
Pickup delivery available? No, delivery only.
Specific dietary plans available? Vegetarian and family options are available. The family option offers kid friendly meals.
Cost? Price Per Serve? Meals range from $69.95 (2ppl/3meals) to $189.95/wk (4ppl/5 meals)
Two person box: 3 meals, $69.95; 4 meals $91.95; 5 meals $109.95 (from $11/serve)
Four person box: 3 meals, $124.95; 4 meals $154.95; 5 meals $189.95 (from $9.50/serve)
Two & Four person Veggie Box with 3 meals: Two person- $64.95; Four person- $109.95 ($9.16/serve)
Family box (2 adults & 2-3kids): 4 people, 4 meals: $139.95 (kid friendly meals)
Plans available? Subscription only. Two, four, vegetarian and family boxes all available along with fruit box and juicebox options. Vegetarian options only have three meals a week available. The family box offers kid friendly meals.
Frequency? Weekly.
Self-renewing or manual? Self-renewing until you skip weeks or opt-out.
Delivery days range? Big or small? Dependant on delivery area.
Variety of food? Weekly rotating meals to choose from.
Groceries/Fruit available as well? Yes, fruit box (from $24.95) and juicebox (from $19.95) available in addition to meal subscription boxes.
Coupons available? Hello Fresh often has discounts for new customers.
Need to be home for delivery? No, you can indicate where to drop your delivery and it should be good for a little while.
Hello Fresh Website//Facebook//Instagram
My Experience
Price (4/5)
Hello Fresh is in the middle range for prices in this subscription service category. They are fresh ingredients, and the convenience offered brings up the cost of the product. It does get pricey ordering the larger quantities of this service, but that is to be expected.
Delivery: (5/5)
My delivery was fine, and the box provided was actually the thickest cardboard box, so it was well insulated. The ice packs kept it cool (though I received it early morning hours, so I was find to just put it away straight off the bat). No complaints about how it was delivered at all, and it was in the designated delivery date and hours.
Storage: (5/5)
You can choose to store the ingredients in the bags designated for each recipe, or separate them. I separated the meat and vegetables just to keep them a bit easier. They are no more difficult to store than your average grocery trip, so no complaints.
Preparation: (4/5)
Obviously, you have to do some preparation with this meal, and it took slightly longer than indicated on the recipe card (but that’s because I have assistants in my kitchen). The recipe was fairly easy to follow, so no issues with that. I didn’t expect it to be any different and how the food was sorted and packed made it easier to prep for meal time. I do like that I can choose to not put certain ingredients in my meal if desired,too.
Portion/Size: (3/5)
As with all of these subscriptions, the portion size was small. Two potatoes for two people isn’t enough. and two carrots again, small. My husband was still hungry after this, so I would recommend getting a bigger box for hungrier families.
Taste: (5/5)
As you can choose what to put into your recipe, it’s great. The fruit and vegetables were fresh, as was the meat. No complaints about the ingredients as far as taste goes! Everything is packed nicely to keep it fresh, which also helps. Very tasty!
Leftovers: (2.5/5)
This was probably the smallest portions we were given, and there were absolutely no leftovers. Even when I stretched the food by adding more ingredients from home, it was still demolished. Again, order larger amounts if you want leftovers.
Disposal/Removal of Packaging: (5/5)
Easy to dispose of everything by recycling designated items. No issues with disposal and less plastics to dispose with them, too.
Overall: (4/5)
Hello Fresh overall was how they pitch, fresh! The meals were tasty but not very filling (my only issue with them). As I’ve said before, I’m sure if I order a larger meal box, it may work better. I liked the variety of meals and the fact that they offer a fruit box and a juicebox in addition to their variety of classic, vegetarian and family boxes makes it a one stop for many groceries. The ingredients were fresh and the meal as a whole was great and appreciated by my family. I love how they open my family to trying new things and it’s a little easier to get the ingredients sorted.
Return to Meal Subscription Feature by clicking here
