EveryPlate Meals Review: Affordable Meal Kits, But Can You Freeze Them?

In today‘s busy world, getting a healthy, home-cooked dinner on the table can feel next to impossible some nights. Enter meal kit delivery services – a convenient way to make mealtime easier by delivering pre-portioned ingredients and chef-designed recipes right to your doorstep.

One of the most budget-friendly meal kit options on the market is EveryPlate. Starting at just $4.99 per serving, EveryPlate aims to make home cooking accessible to everyone. But does a lower price mean you have to sacrifice quality and flavor? And more importantly, can EveryPlate meals be frozen for even more convenience?

I gave EveryPlate a try to find out. Read on for my detailed and honest EveryPlate review.

What is EveryPlate?

EveryPlate is a meal kit delivery service owned by HelloFresh, the largest meal kit provider in the United States. While HelloFresh focuses more on gourmet recipes and premium ingredients, EveryPlate‘s mission is to provide simple, filling, and flavorful meals at an unbeatable price point.

With EveryPlate, you can choose to receive ingredients and recipes for either 3, 4 or 5 meals per week, each with 2 or 4 servings. All the ingredients arrive labeled and pre-measured, ready to turn into tasty meals in 6 easy steps. The weekly menu features 17 different recipes, including customer favorites, premium meals, veggie options, and quick one-pan dinners.

Unlike some other meal delivery services, EveryPlate doesn‘t cater to specific dietary preferences like vegan, keto, or gluten-free. The focus is on crowd-pleasing, home-style meals that satisfy a variety of taste buds.

EveryPlate Pricing

One of the biggest draws of EveryPlate is the highly affordable pricing. Meals start at just $4.99 per serving, making it one of the lowest cost meal kit services available. Shipping is a flat fee of $9.99 per box.

Here‘s a price breakdown:

• 3 meals with 2 servings each: $38.93 + $9.99 shipping = $48.92/week
• 3 meals with 4 servings each: $68.87 + $9.99 shipping = $78.86/week
• 4 meals with 2 servings each: $48.91 + $9.99 shipping = $58.90/week
• 4 meals with 4 servings each: $88.83 + $9.99 shipping = $98.82/week
• 5 meals with 2 servings each: $58.89 + $9.99 shipping = $68.88/week
• 5 meals with 4 servings each: $109.79 + $9.99 shipping = $119.78/week

While $4.99/serving is the base price, some premium meal options cost an additional $2.99 per serving. Still, compared to eating out or even shopping for all the ingredients yourself, EveryPlate is an incredibly affordable option.

Unboxing and Cooking Process

My EveryPlate box arrived well-packed, with ingredients grouped by recipe into individual bags. Produce was fresh and proteins were cold over ice packs. Recipe cards for each meal were also included, with easy-to-follow instructions and full-color photos.

The cards helpfully noted items I needed to provide myself like oil, butter and salt and pepper. Many dishes called for a "pinch" of some ingredients without an exact measurement.

Cooking times were accurate on the recipe cards, averaging 30-35 minutes. Most meals came together in 6 main steps, with pictures illustrating the process. Though straightforward to prepare, I wouldn‘t necessarily call the recipes simple – many used cooking techniques like searing, roasting, and sautéing all in one meal. Beginner cooks may struggle with timing and execution.

EveryPlate Menu and Meal Quality

EveryPlate‘s menu offers good variety, with 17 recipes that change weekly. Categories include:

• Customer Faves: Popular dishes that are frequently featured
• Premium: Higher-end offerings that cost an additional $2.99/serving
• Veggie: Meat-free meals that are still hearty and satisfying
• One-Pan / Oven-Ready: Meals with faster cleanup and prep

I found the flavors of EveryPlate meals to be well-developed and enjoyable. Some standouts were the Loaded Pork Tostadas with sour cream and tomato salsa, Garlic Rosemary Chicken with roasted carrots and potatoes, and a Greek Feta Flatbread with cucumber tomato salad.

Portion sizes were generous without being overwhelming. Most meals kept me full and satisfied. However, a few of the vegetarian options were lacking in protein and left me snacking later in the evening. Adding a side of beans or lentils from my pantry helped round out those meals.

Quality of ingredients was good, especially for the price point. Proteins were tender and flavorful, vegetables tasted fresh, and starches like rice and pasta cooked up well. Occasionally there were small imperfections like a bruised tomato or wilted herb, but nothing that ruined a dish.

Can You Freeze EveryPlate Meals?

One question many people have about meal kits is whether you can freeze the ingredients or cooked meals for later. Freezing can help cut down on food waste if you don‘t have time to cook one week, or let you stock up on your favorite recipes.

I reached out to EveryPlate customer service about the freezability of their meal kits and ingredients. Here is their response:

"The ingredients in our meal kits are sourced to be high-quality and fresh, and are not specifically packaged for freezing. We don‘t recommend trying to freeze full kits. If stored properly in the fridge, proteins should last 5 days from delivery and produce should last a week.

That said, many of the individual ingredients, especially the meats, poultry, and seafood, can be frozen if desired. Just make sure they are tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn. We don‘t advise freezing produce, dairy, or starches.

In terms of leftovers, cooked EveryPlate meals should freeze similarly to leftovers of the same type of dish. Soups, stews, casseroles and rice bowls freeze well, but meals with lots of fresh veggies, creamy sauces, or fried components may not reheat well after being frozen."

In testing it out myself, I found the customer service advice to be accurate. Freezing ingredients in EveryPlate kits was hit or miss. Proteins worked fine, but vegetables ended up soggy after defrosting. With the cooked meals, stews and saucy dishes held up the best. Fried foods and salads didn‘t fare as well.

My recommendation is to only order EveryPlate when you know you‘ll have time to cook the kits soon after arrival for best quality. Consider having a backup plan for the proteins, like throwing chicken in the freezer, if you end up with an unexpectedly busy week.

How EveryPlate Compares to Other Meal Kits

According to a recent survey by Statista, more than 17% of Americans have tried a meal kit service. With so many options on the market, how does EveryPlate stack up? Let‘s compare it to a few other popular services:

EveryPlate vs. HelloFresh:

• Price: EveryPlate is 30% cheaper ($4.99/serving vs. $7.49/serving)
• Variety: HelloFresh offers more recipes and options for special diets
• Quality: HelloFresh uses more organic and gourmet ingredients
• Verdict: Choose EveryPlate for affordability, HelloFresh for premium meals

EveryPlate vs. Blue Apron:

• Price: EveryPlate is slightly cheaper ($4.99/serving vs. $5.74/serving)
• Variety: Similar number of weekly recipes; Blue Apron has more global flavors
• Quality: Comparable, though Blue Apron has more organic produce
• Verdict: Choose based on specific weekly menu offerings

EveryPlate vs. HomeChef:

• Price: EveryPlate is cheaper ($4.99/serving vs. $6.99/serving)
• Variety: HomeChef has more weekly choices and customization options
• Quality: HomeChef uses more brand-name, organic, and antibiotic-free ingredients
• Verdict: Choose HomeChef for flexibility and higher-end ingredients

In summary, EveryPlate is one of the most affordable meal kits you can buy. You may sacrifice a bit in terms of ingredient sourcing and recipe variety, but the meals are still filling, flavorful, and easy to prepare.

My EveryPlate Experience: The Final Verdict

After cooking a variety of meals for my EveryPlate review, my overall impression is largely positive. The pros outweighed the cons for me:

EveryPlate Pros

• Extremely affordable price point with large portions
• Wide variety of tasty, filling, family-friendly meal options
• High-quality, tender meats and fresh seasonal produce
• Recipes are fairly easy to follow, even for less experienced cooks
• Saves significant time on meal planning and grocery shopping

EveryPlate Cons

• No options for special dietary needs like vegan, low-carb, or allergen-free
• Relatively basic recipes and ingredients compared to other meal kits
• Requires you to have some pantry staples on hand
• Meals are not specifically designed for freezing

If you‘re looking for affordable, crowd-pleasing meals that are a step up from your usual dinner rotation, I recommend giving EveryPlate a try. The recipes may not be gourmet, but they deliver big time on flavor and value. And though it‘s not the ideal choice for freezer cooking, having an EveryPlate box in your fridge definitely beats another night of takeout.

Plus, EveryPlate frequently offers special coupon codes for new customers, like free shipping or a certain number of free meals in your first box. Keep an eye out for promotions to save even more on your subscription.

Final Recommendation

In this busy season of life, EveryPlate meal kits have earned a regular spot in my meal planning rotation. The convenience, affordability, and consistently tasty meals are a winning combo.

I recommend EveryPlate for anyone looking to make mealtime easier without breaking the bank. Just don‘t count on stocking your freezer with them. Have you tried EveryPlate? Let me know about your experience in the comments below!