I remember the first time I purchased a meal kit. It was during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was living alone in my first solo apartment after moving out of a cushy home that I rented with roommates.
My job at a local magazine had gone temporarily remote, and restaurants in the area were starting to shift to a takeout-only model. At this time, I did what I always do in times of stress: I picked up several new hobbies that kept me busy at home. Then I decided, "Well, I guess I should learn how to cook, too." And so I ordered my first HelloFresh box.
I remember making a chicken dish with a homemade white sauce, but I dried it out, because I was worried it wasn't cooked all the way through. Later in the week, though, I nailed a super simple stuffed ravioli pasta dish and made my way through a handful of other tasty meals. At this time, I loved not having to brave a grocery store (which, if you remember, were absolutely insane) and that the kit gave me each ingredient I needed, since my kitchen cabinets were pretty bare.
Plus, the introductory box prices were impossible to beat. I ordered a few more around that time and always kept the recipe cards in case I wanted to recreate the dishes in the future. Although I had dabbled with Crockpot and Instant Pot meals before trying HelloFresh, I really didn't cook much.
At the time, I was living in a bit of a foodie town so eating out was always welcomed, but I did feel a sense of pride after cooking dinner. I occasionally ordered meal kits again, but I still wasn't a regular cook by any means. That is, until last year.
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Testing meal kits at CNET
These beef empanadas from Marley Spoon were fun to make from scratch and a new experience for me. Corin Cesaric/CNET
Fast forward five years, and now I enjoy reviewing meal kits for a living at CNET. Along with testing kitchen gear and digging into everything related to home, health and the kitchen, meal kits have become a huge part of my job, and one of the most fun parts, too.
Read more: How We Test Meal Kits at CNET
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