Brutally Honest Review of Dinnerly. Some Deep Insights

Are you a busy bee? Are you caught up with work all the time? Don’t you have time to purchase grocery items or cook an elaborate meal? Is money tight for you? If so, you should consider subscribing for Dinnerly meal (dinner) packages.

What is Dinnerly?

Dinnerly is the cheapest meal kit delivery service in the US. People who do not have time to cook elaborate meals, people who are new to cooking or people who do not have time for grocery shopping usually subscribe to Dinnerly meal packages. 

This reminds me so much of my life and I’m sure many of you can relate to this as well. 

Dinnerly sends the raw ingredients in a box (ice preserved) and the recipe is emailed to the customer to reduce paper consumption, printing cost and the weight of the package. Now that’s what I call being environment-friendly.  

To gain a hands-on customer review on Dinnerly, watch this video.

The customer can look at the recipe and cook the meal accordingly. Dinnerly recipes are very simple and time-saving. 

All the dinnerly recipes, save the premium ones, have only six ingredients and six steps to prepare them. Despite this, they are unique. Now that is quite a feat.

How does Dinnerly work?

Dinnerly works in a very systematic and neat manner. Customers have to first subscribe to Dinnerly’s services via its app or website and then they are able to modify or unsubscribe their plan. Dinnerly is known to provide fresh ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. It also charges very nominally for its services.

Subscription

To get dinnerly meal boxes, customers need to subscribe to dinnerly services first. 

Dinnerly is, however, very flexible with its subscription plan. Customers can pause deliveries (up to 2 months) any time they want in case of emergencies (like if they have gone out of town) and resume it at any point in time (within 2 months from pausing).

My cousin in the US is a person who goes on business tours frequently and he finds this facility of Dinnerly very convenient.  

They can also cancel their subscription at any point in time, in case they are not satisfied with its meals or its services.

Dinnerly meals

Dinnerly gives the ingredients for 14 different dishes every week. Five of them are always vegetarian dishes, one of them is always a fish-based recipe and the rest are non-veg (red meat) recipes. 

At last, vegetarians in the US can breathe a sigh of relief. My cousin in the US is a vegetarian too and he is glad Dinnerly serves vegetarian dishes.

Freshness of food

Customers can let Dinnerly send them any meal package it wants or they can custom choose the recipes they like. Customers of Dinnerly have stated that its ingredients are always delivered fresh as they are kept on top of ice packets for preservation. 

They are also low in calories and quick to cook (under 30 minutes of cooking time).

Dinnerly Recipes

Dinnerly has 25 or more recipes in all. Some of them are:

1. Chicken Quinoa Grain Bowl
2. Tomato Soup
3. Grass-Fed Beef Burger
4. Crispy Honey Pork Stir Fry
5. Chickpea Shawarma Lettuce cups with Tomato and Garlic Yoghurt
6. Oven-Fried Ravioli
7. Greek Meatballs

Dinnerly Packaging

Dinnerly packages its ingredients with the utmost care and hygiene. The inside of their cardboard boxes are lined with recycled newspapers, which act as a cushion for the ingredients and cardboard boxes themselves are recyclable. 

The usage of plastic is minimal and is used to pack ingredients only when necessary. Perishable ingredients are preserved by ice packets kept at the bottom of the boxes. 

To conclude, dinnerly packages its ingredients in a safe, hygienic and recyclable manner. To see Dinnerly’s packages, watch this video.

My relatives in the US are very hygiene conscious and they would find this facility very convenient if they were to subscribe for Dinnerly.

Ease of cooking

Dinnerly’s recipes are so simple that they don’t have step-by-step photos. They only have large serial numbers (in the email) to indicate the steps to follow in sequence. 

They are an excellent start for people who are new to cooking. Only a few ingredients in every meal need chopping or slicing or grating. The cooking time is under 30 minutes, which many office goers and students find useful.

My mom is a person who always cribs about having to spend so many hours in front of the stove. If she were to subscribe to Dinnerly, she would bless that company for reducing her time and effort in cooking meals.

What makes dinnerly different?

Dinnerly is the cheapest meal kit service provider in the US. They are available in a wide range of countries and states. Customers find dinnerly meals quite tasty. 

Dinnerly is not like your average take away where you get ready-made meals delivered to your home.

Dinnerly gives you the ingredients and recipes. You have to make yourself. The recipes are simple and can be made in a short time. Dinnerly boxes are also eco-friendly, which is unique.

How does Dinnerly taste?

Dinnerly has gotten mixed customer reviews. Some customers have said that it tastes great. Some customers have said that it tastes average and some customers have unsubscribed from Dinnerly due to lack of variety and taste. 

The vast majority of customers’ reviews state that food from dinnerly tastes average. They eat without cribbing but the food doesn’t taste so great that they want to order it again. To get an idea of how Dinnerly’s meals taste, kindly watch this video.

Dinnerly’s food is healthy though. They are low in calories and fat and do not contain gluten. I would find this very relieving because I am very conscious of my body fat. I always eat low or negative calorie food. 

I don’t like to hog up, put on fat and weight and be called the Bobby Man or the Fat Controller. I am sure that you people are very calorie conscious as well so you would find Dinnerly’s meal kits useful in maintaining your shape and nutritional levels.

How much does Dinnerly cost?

Dinnerly is the cheapest meal delivery service in the US. They charge only US $4.99 per person’s meal and the US $8.99 as the shipping charge per delivery. The price of the meals depends on what package you have subscribed to.

The packages and their pricing are as follows:

The prices, even with all the shipping costs and taxes, seem very reasonable to me. It is ideal for middle-class people. One can order many ever meal per day depending on one’s family size.

Where does Dinnerly deliver?

Dinnerly serves in the US and Australia. In the US, they serve in states like California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Georgia, Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, D.C., and Florida! 

In Australia, they serve in states like New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory. 

I am sure that this pocket-friendly company would spread its wings even further out in the world. After all, there is nobody in this world who hates pocket-friendly meals.

Pros and Cons of Dinnerly

Dinnerly has many pros and only a few cons. It’s a meal kit delivery service known for the freshness of ingredients provided and eco-friendly materials used in packaging. It is also known for its cost-effective services.  

Pros

• They have 24/7 and friendly customer support.
• There are vegetarian dishes available.
• They are the cheapest meal delivery service in the US.
• They are very flexible with their subscription service.
• Their meals are healthy. They are low in calories and gluten-free.
• The ingredients are packed in a safe, hygienic and environment-friendly manner. 
• Their app is very simple and easy to use.
• They have only six ingredients and six steps per recipe.

Cons

• The ingredients are not sorted according to the recipes. It has to be done manually by the customer.
• Their meal packages do not take into account, people who have allergies. 

How does Dinnerly compare to other meal kit services?

Dinnerly is the cheapest and the most hygienic meal kit service in the US. It falls in the category of Low-Cost Meal Kit Services. Dinnerly has only one competitor in its niche, which is Every Plate. 

Dinnerly is funded by the food-tech giant, Marley Spoon, and Every Plate is funded by the food-tech giant, Hello Fresh. 

Dinnerly and Every plate can be compared on many different parameters. They are:

Menu

Dinnerly allows its customers to choose up to six different meals per week. That is 5 regular meals and one premium meal in case they opt for it. Every Plate allows its customers to choose only 5 different meals per week. 

However, if customers choose recipes that include steak and/or seafood, they will be charged the only US $3.00 per person’s meal. I wonder why this discrimination?!

Quality of ingredients and taste

Both Dinnerly and Every Plate deliver fresh ingredients and delicious recipes to their customers. Both the companies’ recipes are very simple to execute and they taste delicious. 

The only difference is that Dinnerly offers a slightly bigger portion size than Every Plate.

It’s Packaging

Both Dinnerly and Every Plate employ hygienic methods to package their meals. Their meals come in recyclable cardboard boxes, which are lined with recycled newspapers. 

Perishable ingredients are kept on top of ice packets by both companies so that they arrive fresh at the customer’s location. 

The only differences are that Dinnerly’s cardboard boxes are slightly bigger than that of Every Plate’s boxes and unlike Every Plate, Dinnerly does not send printed recipes to its customers. They are emailed to them. 

Customer support and mobile app

Both their mobile apps are very simple to use. Once you register, you can subscribe to a plan, change your subscription plan, change your weekly meal choices (in advance), etcetera.

Both the companies have a 24/7 customer support. The only advantage of Dinnerly is that you can pause deliveries for up to two months and resume. With Every Plate, you can only pause deliveries for 5 days before resuming. 

Judging by all the above parameters, I would say that Dinnerly is slightly better than Every Plate. The only parameter in which Every Plate is marginally better than Dinnerly is the variety in its menu. Every Plate has a few more dishes in its menu than Dinnerly.

Conclusion

Most of the Dinnerly Reviews are positive. Most of Dinnerly’s customers are satisfied with its delivery time, packaging, quality of ingredients, and the taste of its recipes. They find its services good value for their money. 

If you don’t have time to cook elaborate meals or if you are new to cooking or if you don’t have time to shop for groceries, you can subscribe to Dinnerly’s meal packages. They are the cheapest in the market and very delicious. 

Its recipes are very simple (only six ingredients and six steps) and healthy. They are low in calories and contain no gluten. It is great for people who are health-conscious and who are tight on their budget.

FAQs

1. Can you cancel Dinnerly’s meals?

Yes, you can cancel Dinnerly’s meals at any point in time.

2. Does dinnerly include the Keto option?

Yes, Dinnerly has recently incorporated keto, paleo, vegan, and gluten-free meal plans.

3. What are Dinnerly’s shipping charges?

Dinnerly charges the US $8.99 as a shipping charge. 

4. Which is the parent company of Dinnerly?

Marley Spoons is the parent company of Dinnerly.

Have you ever tried Dinnerly’s meals before? What was your experience with them? Please let us know in the comment