ButcherBox is currently one of the most popular monthly meat subscriptions in America. With the price per pound ranging from about $10 to $15, it does not constitute the cheapest option available. Still, it has managed to attract legions of satisfied customers by combining high-quality, all-natural meat with perfect convenience.
In this article, we will provide an honest analysis of the company’s offer and pricing in order to help you determine whether ButcherBox is the right choice for your household.
What You Get In A ButcherBox Delivery
Focusing on the most popular types of meat, ButcherBox has decided to include beef, pork, and chicken into its standard offer. To make sure it never disappoints, it is careful about the kind of meat it features on its virtual shelves. Namely, it only provides:
- 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef;
- USDA certified organic chicken that is free-range, humanely raised, and free from antibiotics, added hormones, and GMOs;
- Heritage breed pork that is never given any antibiotics or added hormones.
In other words, the quality is always high and there are about 60 different meat cuts and products available at all times. These include everything from burgers to filet mignon and from boneless pork chops to chicken drumsticks. In addition to meat, the company’s product selection frequently features sustainably sourced, wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon.
All products ship frozen for optimal safety, freshness, and flavor.
Unlike many other meat delivery services that let you buy whatever you want, whenever you need it, ButcherBox exclusively offers subscription boxes of pre-determined sizes. You can decide whether you want to get the Curated box and let the ButcherBox team choose the cuts for you or build your order on your own with the Custom box. You can choose between 2 box sizes depending on how many people you cook for and opt for monthly or bimonthly deliveries.
ButcherBox Curated Box
If you opt for the Curated box, you get pre-selected cuts, but you can decide whether you want to receive:
- Beef and pork;
- Beef and chicken;
- Beef, pork, and chicken;
- Beef only.
The selection of cuts in your box is always different and depends on availability.
There are 2 box sizes available:
- Classic, which includes 8.5 to 11 pounds of meat;
- Big, which contains 16 to 22 pounds of meat.
With both box sizes, you can customize your order by choosing add-ons that you want to be included together with the cuts handpicked by the company’s butchers.
To help you get a better sense of what you can expect to get in your ButcherBox delivery, here is an example of a Classic-sized Curated box featuring beef and pork:
- 2 New York strip steaks;
- 4 top sirloin steaks;
- 2 pounds of ground beef;
- 4 boneless pork chops;
- 2 pounds of whole pork tenderloin.
According to ButcherBox’s calculations, this should be enough for about 24 single-portion meals. The Big box contains twice as much meat, allowing you to make about 48 meat-filled meals. If you need more food, you can enrich your box with add-ons such as burgers, chicken thighs, and sugar-free bacon.
ButcherBox Custom Box
The Custom box gives you full control over your order. You can handpick every item in your box and choose between 2 box sizes:
- Classic, featuring 6 different products of your choice, weighing a total of 9-14 pounds;
- Big, containing 12 different products of your choice, weighting between 18 and 26 pounds.
As you can see, Custom boxes are larger than Curated boxes by about 20 percent. They can contain beef, pork, and/or chicken. You get to freely build your box by choosing from over 2 dozen items available.
For example, if you were to go with the Classic-sized box, your delivery could include:
- 6 burgers (5.3 ounces each);
- 2 New York strip steaks (10 ounces each);
- 2 ribeye steaks (10 ounces each);
- 1 whole chicken (3.5 pounds);
- 4 boneless pork chops (8 ounces each);
- 1 rack of baby back ribs (2.5 pounds).
Of course, this is just an illustration and you can pick anything that suits your taste. The amount of meat you get with the Classic box should be enough for about 30 individual meals. The Big box would bring you twice as much meat, which should be enough for about 60 meals.
Just like with the Curated box, you can grab a couple of add-ons, such as ground beef or breakfast sausage. You get your add-ons in every box unless you decide otherwise. You can change your add-on preferences anytime.
How Much Does ButcherBox Cost
ButcherBox has a rather simple pricing scheme. The price per box ranges from $129 to $270 and depends on both the box type and the box size. Of course, if you opt for add-ons, they inevitably increase the total cost of your monthly or bi-monthly delivery. Add-ons normally cost between $7 and $25 per pack, depending on product type.
ButcherBox Curated Box Cost
If you go with the Curated box, the price is always the same no matter which meat type you choose to receive. It exclusively depends on the size of the box. You can expect to pay:
- $129 for the Classic-sized box (8.5 to 11 pounds);
- $238 for the Big box (16 to 22 pounds).
You have surely noticed that the prices are always the same while the amount of meat per box can vary immensely. In the case of the Big box, you can get 16 pounds of meat with one delivery and up to 6 pounds more with the next monthly box. This is because different meat products come at different prices, so if you get filet mignon, you receive a smaller amount of meat than you would if you got chicken drumsticks.
In any case, keeping in mind that the Classic-sized Curated box should yield 24 meals, you get your meat at the price of $5.38 per meal. With the Big box, the price per meal can go down to $4.96.
ButcherBox Custom Box Cost
Since the Custom box includes around 20% more meat than the Curated box, it costs a bit more. The price per delivery amounts to:
- $149 with the Classic-sized box (9 to 14 pounds);
- $270 with the Big box (18 to 26 pounds).
Since the Classic box should allow you to prepare 30 meals, the price per meal amounts to $4.97. The Big box should contain enough meat for around 60 meals, which would mean that you pay $4.50 per meal.
ButcherBox Shipping Costs
One of the greatest advantages of shopping at ButcherBox is that shipping is always free. If you often buy meat online, you probably already know that some meat delivery services charge rather high shipping fees. Quite often, the shipping fee goes up as you buy more meat, so you may end up paying as much as $100 for shipping alone. Therefore, ButcherBox can help you save tons of cash in shipping costs.
ButcherBox Coupons & Special Offers
ButcherBox is known for its special offers that allow you to get a lot of high-quality meat completely free of charge. Its past special deals included free bacon for life, free sockeye salmon, free Thanksgiving turkey, and many other excellent offers for new customers. You can view the currently available deals on our ButcherBox Coupons page.
As a ButcherBox customer, you can also make use of the regular promos. You can view them in the Monthly Specials section of your account.
ButcherBox Returns & Refunds
Due to the perishable nature of its products, ButcherBox does not accept returns. However, if you receive items that are damaged or completely defrosted due to a late delivery or if there is something missing from your shipment, be sure to contact ButcherBox’s customer support immediately upon receipt.
Depending on the issue you are reporting, you may receive a replacement, a store credit or a full or partial refund. Still, you should keep in mind that if the issues you report are the result of a mistake you made, ButcherBox cannot make up for the damage. For example, if you provide an incorrect address or let your box sit on your porch for more than a day, you do not qualify for a refund.
Is ButcherBox Worth It?
Now that you know all about the company’s offer and pricing, it is time to figure out if it is a good fit for you and if getting meat from this service can make you happier than shopping elsewhere. The truth is that whether ButcherBox is worth the cash depends on what you look for in a meat delivery service, that is, whether your primary concern is affordability, quality or convenience.
To help you make an informed decision, we will now compare ButcherBox to its various alternatives and see whether its prices are justified by the quality of meat and service provided.
ButcherBox Vs. Competitors
ButcherBox exclusively offers organic and grass-fed meat, so it only makes sense to see how it stacks up against other meat delivery services that provide meat of comparable quality. At the moment, the best organic and grass-fed meat delivery services other than ButcherBox include Greensbury, Meat The Butchers, US Wellness Meats, and Moink.
ButcherBox Vs. Moink
Out of all these services, Moink most closely resembles ButcherBox. It offers grass-fed beef and lamb and pasture-raised pork and chicken available within monthly subscription boxes weighing 13 to 16 pounds. Moink subscription boxes always cost $159, which translates to about $10 to $12 per pound. Compared to ButcherBox’s price range of $10 to $15 per pound, this is quite similar although slightly more affordable.
However, the reason why Moink boxes can be cheaper than certain deliveries from ButcherBox is because of the difference in meat selection and quality. Unlike ButcherBox, Moink does not provide certified organic chicken and its boxes rarely include premium cuts like filet mignon. Therefore, while Moink is definitely a good choice, it is still not superior to ButcherBox when it comes to quality. Plus, when you compare the prices, it turns out that you can get higher-quality meat from ButcherBox at the same price.
ButcherBox Vs. Greensbury
Greensbury is not a subscription-based service, but it does allow you to subscribe if you want to and it offers grass-fed and organic meat, which makes it one of the top ButcherBox competitors. Quality-wise, the companies are quite similar. However, a pound of beef at Greensbury can cost anywhere between $16.49 and $37.50, which is much more expensive compared to the price of $10 to $15 per pound at ButcherBox.
To be fair, Greensbury’s meat is always organic while ButcherBox’s meat is not. However, the price difference is so huge that we cannot say for sure that it is justified. Especially since ButcherBox does offer organic chicken and premium-quality, grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork. Therefore, the prices at Greensbury are significantly higher while the difference in quality is relatively small.
ButcherBox Vs. Meat The Butchers
Meat The Butchers specializes in premium meats that you cannot find just anywhere, like Japanese Wagyu and USDA Prime steaks dry-aged for 28 days. ButcherBox does not offer such products, so if you are looking for exclusive cuts, Meat The Butchers is obviously the better choice.
However, the prices of Meat The Butchers products are significantly higher than those of ButcherBox products. At Meat The Butchers, the prices of beef items range from about $22 to $190 per pound, depending on type and quality. While meat lovers are sure to testify that Meat The Butcher luxury cuts are definitely worth it, they are generally not something everyone can afford and they can be up to 19 times more expensive than ButcherBox meat.
ButcherBox Vs. US Wellness Meats
US Wellness Meats offers grass-fed meat that is organically grown but not certified organic. Therefore, it is highly similar to ButcherBox in terms of quality. What makes it superior to ButcherBox is the range of products it offers. Its product selection does not only include beef, pork, and chicken but also bison, lamb, rabbit, duck, and much more. On top of that, it allows you to get everything from beef pemmican and organs to filet mignon. That is, it offers virtually every meat cut and product possible.
On the other hand, it is pricier than ButcherBox. Its beef steaks generally cost between $18 and $34 per pound while more affordable items like ground beef cost about $8 per pound. Therefore, an order from US Wellness Meats is more than likely to cost you more than the same product combination at ButcherBox. Considering that the companies are pretty similar quality-wise and that ButcherBox even offers certified organic meat, we can conclude that ButcherBox is more affordable.
Therefore, which company you choose depends on the variety you seek and the amount of money you are willing to spend.
ButcherBox Vs. Supermarkets
Shopping for meat at a supermarket can easily be more affordable than ordering from ButcherBox. However, if you are shopping for the kind of meat ButcherBox offers, that is, free-range, certified organic chicken, grass-fed and grass-finished beef, and pasture-raised, heritage breed pork, then the situation changes significantly. First of all, you cannot find that kind of meat at just any supermarket. Second, even if you do, it is not guaranteed to be cheaper.
For example, if you shop at Whole Foods, you can get grass-fed ground beef for about $8 per pound, grass-fed flank steak for $17 per pound, and grass-fed tenderloin steak for around $30 per pound. Since these are all items you can find in your ButcherBox delivery and they cost more than $18 per pound on average, it turns out that shopping at a supermarket does not necessarily save you cash.
Of course, if you are a skillful shopper, you can find these products at lower prices at a supermarket. However, you should keep in mind that ButcherBox delivers meat straight to your doorstep, free of charge. On top of that, it sources meat straight from trusted farms and its products are always fresher than supermarket meat, not to mention that they are normally of higher quality as well. Therefore, there are many reasons why ButcherBox can be a far better solution than shopping at a supermarket.
ButcherBox Vs. Butcher Shops
Butcher shops vastly differ when it comes to pricing as well as product selection. Depending on where you live, what kind of meat you are looking for, and how many friendly butchers there are in your area, the prices you pay at a butcher shop may be higher, lower or the same as the ones you pay at ButcherBox.
Having a trusted local butcher is wonderful and if you do, by all means, remain a loyal customer. As avid meat lovers, we always advocate shopping for meat locally, if possible. That way, you can get the freshest meat and handpick the cuts on the spot. Unfortunately, this option is not available to everyone.
ButcherBox describes itself as the neighborhood butcher for modern America. That means that it caters to people across the country who do not have a trusted local butcher but really need one. Therefore, if there are no good butcher shops in your area, ButcherBox is an excellent alternative that can help you get fresh, high-quality meat on a regular basis with zero effort and for a reasonable price.
ButcherBox Is A Good Choice For…
Based on everything we have said so far, we can conclude that ButcherBox provides a better price-to-value ratio than many of its alternatives. In our mind, it is definitely worth the cash and it can work extremely well for meat lovers who:
- Cannot buy fresh, high-quality meat locally;
- Prefer regular meat deliveries to frequent trips to the store;
- Want to avoid hormone-filled and grain-fed meat;
- Only eat organic chicken;
- Enjoy having plenty of high-quality meat in their freezers at all times;
- Like pleasant surprises like free meat gifts;
- Appreciate free shipping;
- Seek a reliable source of invariably fresh and natural meat products;
- Never compromise on quality but do not want to overpay for their meat.
In other words, ButcherBox is worth it if you love your meat fresh from the farm, healthy, and properly grown and do not seek the cheapest solution but the one that offers the best value for your money.