Blue Apron is more affordable than the majority of popular meal kit services. No matter which meal plan you opt for, you never pay more than $9.99 per serving. This is not expensive for a meal kit, but it could be more than you would spend on a regular homecooked meal. What you may be wondering is whether what you get from Blue Apron is actually worth the money. That is what we have decided to find out.
Join us as we explore Blue Apron’s offer and pricing and discover whether getting a Blue Apron subscription is a wise and budget-friendly choice.
What You Get In A Blue Apron Delivery
With Blue Apron, you can cook for 2 people and get 2 or 3 recipes per week or you can cook for 4 people and receive 2, 3 or 4 recipes per week. In your box, you get fresh ingredients, handpicked and pre-measured in accordance with the recipes you choose and the number of people who are joining you at the table. Everything is individually packed, labeled, and delivered chilled to preserve freshness. In addition to the ingredients, ice packs, and insulation, your box includes recipe cards with impressively detailed and beginner-friendly cooking instructions. What is not included are pantry staples like salt, pepper, and oil.
Blue Apron’s ingredients are sustainable, non-GMO, and often organic. They are primarily sourced from family-owned farms and artisan shops and trusted fisheries whose seafood is recommended by Seafood Watch. Although not always organic, Blue Apron food is of above-average quality and generally sold at shops at above-average prices.
How Much Does Blue Apron Cost
The average price of a Blue Apron meal is $9.53 per serving. The prices range from $7.49 to $9.99 per serving and depend on the meal plan you choose and the number of recipes you get every week.
The meal plans at your disposal include:
- The 2-Serving Signature plan best suited for omnivorous couples;
- The 2-Serving Vegetarian plan particularly designed for veggie lovers;
- The 2-Serving WW Freestyle plan created in cooperation with WW, Weight Watchers reimagined;
- The 4-Serving Signature plan for families.
Let us find out how much your weekly deliveries would cost with each of the plans.
Blue Apron 2-Serving Signature Plan Cost
The 2-Serving Signature plan brings you 2 or 3 recipes per week. Each recipe yields 2 servings. One serving costs $9.99. The total cost of a weekly delivery amounts to:
- $39.96 if you order 2 recipes per week;
- $59.94 if you get 3 recipes per week.
The greatest advantage of the 2-Serving Signature plan is that it provides the greatest variety. It lets you choose from 8 new recipes every time you order.
Blue Apron 2-Serving Vegetarian Plan Cost
Like the previous option, the 2-Serving Vegetarian plan brings you 2 or 3 recipes every week and it is suitable for 1 vegetarian who likes leftovers or 2 veggie lovers. The price is the same as with the Signature plan: $9.99 per serving. Therefore, you pay:
- $39.96 per week if you order 2 recipes;
- $59.94 per week if you receive 3 recipes.
What is great about the 2-Serving Vegetarian plan is that it is 100% vegetarian-friendly and regularly features super-quick recipes. On the downside, its dedicated menu lets you choose from only 3 recipes per week.
Blue Apron 2-Serving WW Freestyle Plan Cost
With the 2-Serving WW Freestyle plan, you pay $9.99 per serving and get 2 or 3 recipes for 2 people every week. Therefore, the pricing is the same as with the 2 previous plans. Your weekly total amounts to:
- $39.96 per week if you order 2 recipes;
- $59.94 per week if you receive 3 recipes.
The 2-Serving WW Freestyle menu features 6 recipes per week. You can enjoy a combination of meaty, seafood, and veggie dishes. For each recipe, the service provides the SmartPoints value that makes choosing easier for people who follow WW’s dietary guidelines.
Blue Apron 4-Serving Signature Plan Cost
The 4-Serving Signature plan works a bit differently. Not only does it cost less than 2-serving plans, but it also lets you enjoy lower prices if you order more recipes per week.
If you order 2 Blue Apron recipes for 4 people, you pay $8.99 per serving. With 3 recipes for 4 people, you pay $7.99 per serving. Finally, the 4-recipe option allows you to cook delicious meals for your family at the price of just $7.49 per serving.
That means that if you are cooking for 4 people, your weekly delivery costs:
- $71.92 if you order 2 recipes per week;
- $95.88 if you order 3 recipes per week;
- $119.84 if you order 4 recipes per week.
The 4-Serving Signature plan lets you choose from 6 fresh recipes every week, including omnivore, pescatarian, and vegetarian options.
Blue Apron Shipping Costs
With Blue Apron, you only pay for shipping if you order 2 recipes for 2 people. For such deliveries, shipping costs amount to $7.99 per delivery. For all other orders, shipping is absolutely free, no matter where in the continental US you live. Compared to other meal kit services, Blue Apron’s shipping pricing policy is rather fair, considering that many services do not offer free shipping at all.
Blue Apron Coupons & Special Offers
If you are thinking about subscribing to Blue Apron, you should know that the company regularly offers special discounts for first-time customers. To save time on searching, you can visit our Blue Apron Coupons page and find all currently active Blue Apron coupons. With these special offers, you can get more than $50 off your orders.
Loyal patrons can earn store credit by referring friends. Referral bonuses vary but typically include free meals for both you and your friend. Keep in mind that you cannot use your referral bonuses after you cancel.
Blue Apron Returns & Refunds
In case you are unhappy with certain products in your shipment, you should reach out to Blue Apron’s support staff via email within 7 days of delivery. You can receive a replacement, a credit or a full or partial refund, depending on the circumstances. To make sure that you qualify for a refund, the service may ask you to return the products you are unsatisfied with or provide photos of the damaged goods.
If you purchase a non-consumable product (like cookware) and it does not meet your expectations, you can return it within 30 days of receipt. After the returned product is safely delivered, the service will issue a full refund. Shipping and handling costs are not refundable.
Is Blue Apron Worth It?
If the price of $7.49-$9.99 per serving fits your budget, all that is left to figure out is whether Blue Apron offers good value for money, whether it is better than its alternatives, and whether it is the right choice for you. No time like the present, so let us get started and find the answers to these important pre-purchase questions.
Blue Apron Vs. Competitors
If you were to explore the pricing policies of all the most popular meal kit services on the market right now, you would notice that the average price per serving is just above $10. However, it should be noted that many services charge more for 2-serving kits, asking couples to shell out about $12 or $13 per portion. This is the case with some of the best meal kit delivery services, including Green Chef, Purple Carrot, and Plated.
In comparison, Blue Apron’s average price of $9.53 is more than reasonable, its 2-serving kits are cheaper than many, and its 4-person kits are actually quite affordable. Of course, there are several meal kit companies that offer lower prices, but they usually provide fewer or lower-quality ingredients and spend less on packaging, recipe cards, and other aspects of their service.
In sum, Blue Apron is more budget-friendly than many but not all meal kit deliveries. The main reasons why numerous meal kit fans prefer it to its competitors include:
- Commitment to sourcing only sustainable ingredients;
- Unusually creative and inspiring recipes;
- Specialized meal plans;
- Flexible subscriptions;
- Availability of extras like wine, pantry items, and kitchen tools;
- Beginner-friendliness;
- Constant innovations and interesting partnerships.
Some experts argue that it is better to opt for sustainable than organic-only food. While organic can be sustainable as well, it often is not. On the other hand, sustainable is not always organic, but it is always ethical and good for the environment. Therefore, Blue Apron’s choice to focus on sustainable rather than specifically organic ingredients is praiseworthy and a good reason to subscribe.
If you like to try out new recipes, explore different cuisines, and experiment with imaginative ingredient combinations, Blue Apron should work really well for you. This service always has at least a few recipes that picky eaters would love, but it is also known for amazingly creative and exciting recipes that adventurous foodies are sure to enjoy.
Not all meal kit fans prefer specialized meal plans, but it is certainly true that people with unique dietary requirements find ordering easier with dedicated plans. Blue Apron offers plans for vegetarians, WW dieters and people who want to eat well and stay fit, couples who like being spoilt for choice, and families. While more distinct dietary needs could be covered, this is still more than many services offer.
What is also good about Blue Apron is that it provides great flexibility. You can switch between different plans, order more or fewer recipes and servings, skip deliveries or end your subscription whenever you want. You are never forced to stick to a subscription that no longer works for you, which is a major advantage.
One of Blue Apron’s unique features is that it offers far more than just meal kits. It has its own wine club and a market filled with high-quality cookware, tools, spice blends, and other useful items you might want to have in your kitchen. With perfect wine pairings and good pots, pans, and spatulas just a click away, making a great dinner can be much easier, so we give Blue Apron bonus points for this feature.
According to experienced meal kit fans and based on our own experience, Blue Apron’s cooking instructions are much more useful and easier to follow than those offered by most of its competitors. All the steps are chronologically ordered and explained, the accompanying photos eliminate guesswork, and bonus information for each recipe makes cooking easy and fun even if you do not have much experience.
Finally, it is important to mention that Blue Apron is always seeking new ways to improve and diversify its offer. Whether it is a new meal plan, a limited-edition, season-inspired kit or partnership with Chrissy Teigen or Beyond Meat, there is always something fresh and interesting to look forward to.
Blue Apron Vs. Takeout
Getting a takeout can be cheaper than cooking with Blue Apron, although not necessarily. On the other hand, Blue Apron is a far better choice for your health. It lets you enjoy fresh food made of sustainable ingredients and it helps you eat right with well-balanced and carefully portioned meals. Of course, it all depends on whether you have the time to cook or not, but as far as we are concerned, freshly made, good-for-you Blue Apron meals beat takeout any day.
Blue Apron Vs. Conventional Cooking
If you love exploring cookbooks and enjoy shopping for groceries on your own, you can stick to conventional cooking and make meals that cost less than Blue Apron meal kits. However, if you are struggling to come up with new dinner ideas, have little time to shop and cook, and want to reduce the amount of time you spend getting meals on the table to 20-30 minutes a day, Blue Apron is certainly worth it. When you factor in the money you save by minimizing food waste with the company’s kits, the difference between conventional and Blue Apron cooking is not that huge price-wise.
Blue Apron Is A Good Choice For…
We do not think that Blue Apron is the best choice for people with food allergies, vegans, and individuals who want to eat organic 100% of the time. On the other hand, Blue Apron can be a great fit for:
- Busy couples;
- People who like trying out new foods and recipes;
- Families who want to eat healthily;
- Individuals who want to maintain their weight;
- Gourmet vegetarians;
- Wine lovers;
- Inexperienced cooks;
- Eco-conscious individuals;
- Both picky and adventurous eaters.
Simply put, Blue Apron can be an excellent choice for virtually all home cooks who enjoy cooking and want to eat well. It is not necessarily better for your budget than takeout or cooking on your own, but it is worth the money you spend.