Dinner Review: Affordable meal kits starting at $5 per serving

Dinner is served, and fast!

We reviewed the dinner meal kits in 2020, but alas, since they didn’t offer delivery to Minneapolis yet, I asked a colleague to try the meals. Now, for the past two years, I’ve been able to test Dinnerly myself, as it ships to New York and most other states from one of its three warehouses in New Jersey, Texas, or California (you can check it by logging into in your site code area).

I’m thrilled to report that the simplicity of the recipe cards, the freshness of the produce, and the delicious meals made me fall in love with this meal kit – and so did my cat, as it fits perfectly in the recyclable cardboard tray it houses vegetables and other non-meat or fish ingredients (they come on ice, under the cardboard tray!)

How Dinnerly works

Dinnerly is a meal kit that delivers fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes to your door. The menu rotates and offers over 100 impressive options to choose from each week. There are choices for both carnivores and vegetarians, so you’re sure to find something you’ll like.

A new offering since I last tried Dinnerly is its Marketplace, which is an added service that allows you to purchase a la carte meals and home-cooked meals that serve as supplements to your weekly meals.

This service is great for families, as many, if not all, of the recipes are family-friendly and take no more than an hour – and they’re usually casseroles or other set-it-and-forget-type meals. .

Price for dinner

The thing that sets this meal kit apart is affordability!

Portions start at just $4.99, with options for a two-person box or a four-serving family-size box. You can choose between two and six meals per week; the more you order per week, the less expensive each portion is.

The most expensive plan starts at $8.49 per serving, which is still less than many other kits. Shipping is $11.99 unless you use an introductory coupon.

Dinner meals

Dinner meals are what I personally remember craving for after school family dinners, with comfort classics at the forefront. I bet my parents would have loved these too as the recipes are easy to cook and have some good nutrients with a balance of vegetables, carbs and protein.

When you sign up for the service, you can choose from a mix of everything, or choose gluten-free, low-calorie, low-carb, vegetarian, quick and easy, and even so-called “foodie-approved” meals. selected” with foods more suitable for children (aka simply ingredients).

Since moving to New York, I’ve been able to test out Dinnerly several times over the course of two years. During that time I have tried:

Our review of Dinnerly

I loved seeing that many meals only required one pot or pan, while others on the weekly menu were listed as 30-minute meals or no-knife meals – perfect for cooking with kids and those with no knife skills. Other meals took a little longer, but they were mostly casseroles or one-pot meals, so I didn’t mind the longer cooking time since I was mostly waiting for a pot of delicious ramen to boil or a timer to go off in the oven. for my one-tray pasta bake.

I noticed a few other things when I was making my Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwich – the dinner really uses fresh ingredients. I actually found myself admiring the little head of butter lettuce and the soft dinner rolls. Fresh ingredients make a meal that much more enjoyable, in my opinion, and Dinnerly hasn’t let me down in that department over the years of my testing.

This was a 30-minute meal, and it really was! I was able to throw the green beans in the oven and work on the chicken at the same time without feeling stressed or too messy.

One change from last year has been the recipe cards. If you remember, they used to be completely digital, requiring you to log in to their site while cooking and probably getting your phone, tablet or laptop a little dirty. Now, they send along the printed cards with the ingredients. I like this better so I can follow and keep my screens out of the kitchen. If you prefer digital cards, most recipes are also available on the site.

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Final decision

For dinner it’s the classic comfort food set that I would have loved as a kid and that I enjoy eating as an adult. The recipes are family-friendly, but also filling and delicious for adults who love to cook but may want simpler meals during the work week.

The kit is on the more affordable side of the meal kit spectrum, so this is a great option for those on a budget who want to check out what meal boxes can offer. It is also one of the simplest food kits, easy to understand and cook for beginners.

Plus, recyclable trays make great homes for cats.

How we tested it

• Ease of ordering: When looking at the menu, Dinnerly is simple to set up and order for each week, and I also noted its inclusion of a Marketplace. I always consider how to customize the order, make changes and stop a membership during testing.
• Preparation, cooking and cleaning time: A major selling point of meal kits is that they save time. Dinner takes roughly 15 to 45 minutes per meal, sticking pretty close to what the recipe calls for. I still noticed how long it took me to eat a full meal from unpacking to cooking, eating and recycling afterwards.
• Taste and fullness: Meal kits are meant to take all the guesswork out of cooking, including seasonings. While testing the dinner, I considered whether any of the dishes I ordered needed to be seasoned or changed to make them more palatable. I also thought about how satisfied they left me and for how long.
• Durability: Not all meal kits are eco-friendly or use sustainable practices. To determine where Dinnerly stood on the eco-consciousness scale, I reviewed its manufacturing policy and looked at how it sourced its ingredients. Other things I considered were its packaging and whether it could be recycled.
• Price: Meal kits typically cost between $7 and $15 per serving, and so Dinnerly sits on the affordable end of the spectrum, ranging from $4.99 to $8.49 per serving. I also factored in how many meals per week and how many servings I got for the final price.

FAQ: What to look for when choosing a meal kit

Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options that each service caters for, from vegetarians and vegans to Keto and paleo.

House size: Count the number of people in your family and then calculate how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone. Some of the kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are only for one serving.

Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimal charge. Specialty or health-related plans may cost more.

Time: Think about how long you want to cook each night. Some meals take 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleanup. Others are microwaveable and thus require no cleanup time.

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