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15
A Frank Critique of Home Chef - Part I
There was a time in my life I would never have dreamed of ordering my meals all prepped in a little box, with bits and pieces diced and sliced in packages. I'm too snooty about my cooking which, quite frankly, is pretty darn good (if I do say so myself). A really good meal takes time and thought; it's a gift, lovingly prepared, to those for whom you prepare it.
But that was back in the good ol' days, when life was somehow less insanely busy than it is now. I don't know what happened to those days. I keep waiting for life to get back to "normal," but have slowly succumbed to the realization this harried state of frenetic activity is the new norm. I find myself standing in front of an empty refrigerator night after night (often having skipped lunch) because, once again, I didn't have time to make it to the grocery store. I keep hoping the maid will have supper ready when I get home. Then I remember I don't have a maid and stand over the sink eating a bowl of cereal.
Enter: Home Chef. 
So, I'd been seeing all these ads for companies like Home Chef, Blue Apron, and Family Chef, which prep everything for you and send it to you in a nifty little refrigerated box with purportedly fool-proof recipe cards. I sniffed at them haughtily, dismissing them as gimmicky and beneath me. Until, one more night in front of an empty fridge brought them back to mind. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if someone went shopping for me and dropped everything on my doorstep. I'd still be the one cooking it."
Rationalization: it's a slippery slope.
Then I saw this news clip in which they rated the various companies, comparing their cost to how much you'd spend for the same food if you went to the store and bought it yourself. They claimed one, Home Chef, was cheaper than going to the store and buying all the ingredients yourself. I was dubious, but the happy, unharried couple touting it said everything was fresh and delicious and cheaper than if they'd bought it themselves. I saw it on the Internet, so I knew it had to be true.
Facebook (which sees all and knows all) must have been spying on me because, the next thing you know, there's Home Chef in my feed offering me $30 off my first order. And – BAM – just like that, they reeled me in. What can I say, I was tired and hungry and having cereal for supper again.
I followed the link to www.homechef.com and easily, but somewhat suspiciously, created an account. Next, I tweaked my "taste profile," indicating how many meals per week I wanted (three), how many people I'm feeding (myself and a persnickety college kid), and my dietary preferences, including the option of selecting whether or not I want meat (yep), seafood (yep), or veggies (yep for me, nope for college boy). You can also tell them you want to avoid certain things like shellfish, pork, red meat, nuts, dairy, or gluten, none of which applied to me. But I did opt in for the low-cal and low-carb meals. The site also offers cutlery and cookware which, though perused, I didn't need.
I realized, somewhat grudgingly, this online meal shopping was kinda fun!
There were "add-ons" available, too, including breakfast meals, smoothies, fruit baskets, and "premium" meals, which I didn't opt in for. Finally, you pick whether you want your meals to arrive on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday (Thursday sounded good for some reason), and – voilà – they drop your suggested meals into an appetizing-looking shopping cart for you! I didn't even have to park the car at Wal-Mart!
Once Home Chef has compiled your week's menu based on your preferences, you can still take a look at what's on offer and add, delete, or switch meals around. There were quite a few additional options from which to choose, not including the premium meals, add-ons, or breakfast selections. Three standard meals for two people runs you $59.70 ($9.95 per person, per meal).
My first Home Chef-generated menu selection offered me a veggie/mushroom/sesame noodle meal which I knew college boy wouldn't touch. I swapped it out for Maple Cranberry Pork Chop with roasted veggies, a "Staff Pick".
You can further explore each menu option, including a peek at the recipe card, calorie count, carbs, protein sodium, etc. The recipes are rated for ease and time of preparation, how spicy they are, and how many days you have in which cook it from the time you receive your package. Each recipe also has additional tips, and what you'll need from your pantry; in the case of the pork chops, just olive oil, salt and pepper. The site was easy to use, with clear instructions and pleasant photos clearly depicting the meals.
Also in my basket were Black Bean Enchiladas and Black Pepper Salmon. Checkout was easy, and they had already deducted my $30 coupon, so I only paid $29.70 for
three, two-person meals (shipping is always free). Plus, I received an additional credit of $10 toward my next order.
Will there be a next order? Stay tuned, I'll let you know when my box arrives on Thursday!
Bill Porter, Broker
(304) 612-3746207 Aurora Dr
Morgantown, WV 26508
WEST VIRGINIA LICENSES BROKER WVB240300963
AGENCY 010271-00
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