Dinner is served, and fast!
We reviewed Dinnerly meal kits back in 2020, but sadly, since they hadn’t yet offered delivery to Minneapolis, I had a colleague test the meals. Now, for the last two years, I have been able to test Dinnerly myself, as it does ship to New York and most other states from one of its three warehouses in New Jersey, Texas, or California (you can check by entering your area code on the site).
I’m thrilled to report that the simplicity of the recipe cards, freshness of the produce and yummy meals all made me fall in love with this meal kit — and my cat did as well, as he fit perfectly in the recyclable cardboard tray that houses the vegetables and other non-meat or fish ingredients (those come on ice, underneath the cardboard tray!)
How Dinnerly works
Dinnerly is a meal kit that sends fresh ingredients and easy to follow recipes to your door. The menu rotates and offers an impressive 100-plus options to choose from each week. There are picks for carnivores and vegetarians alike, so you’re sure to find something you’ll like.
A new offering since I last tried Dinnerly is its Marketplace, which is an added service that allows you to shop for a la carte groceries and household staples that serve as a supplement to your weekly meals.
This service is a great one for families, as many of the recipes if not all of them are family-friendly and take no more than an hour — and those are typically casseroles or other set-it-and-forget-it-type meals.
Dinnerly price
The thing that sets this meal kit apart is the affordability!
Portions start at just $4.99, with options for a two-person box or a family-sized box of four portions. You can choose between two and six meals per week; the more you order per week, the less expensive each portion is.
The most expensive plan starts at $8.49 per portion, which is still less than many other kits. Shipping costs $11.99 unless you use an introductory coupon.
Dinnerly meals
Dinnerly meals are what I personally remember wanting for after-school family dinners, with comfort classics at the forefront. I can bet my parents would have liked these too, as the recipes are easy to cook and have some good nutrients with a balance of veggies, carbs, and proteins.
When signing up for the service, you can choose from a mix of everything, or opt for gluten-free, low calorie, low carb, vegetarian, quick and easy meals and even those dubbed “picky eater approved” with more kid-friendly (aka simple ingredients).
Since moving to New York, I’ve been able to test Dinnerly several times, over the course of two years. During that time I’ve tried:
Our review of Dinnerly
Pros:
- Dinnerly is one of the most affordable meal kits out there, perfect for families and new chefs.
- Vegetarians will rejoice at their meat-free offerings
- Portion sizes are generous, and most meals preserve well for leftovers or second helpings (if eating for one).
- Family-friendly and filling meal choices
- Options for ready-made microwave meals in addition to traditional cooking.
- More sustainable, with less packaging around the ingredients and recyclable boxes and ice packs.
Cons:
- Make sure to check your zip code for delivery, as some areas in the Midwest and others are not eligible as of the time of publication
I loved to see that many meals only required one pot or pan, while others on the weekly menu were listed as 30-minute meals or meals with no knife required — perfect for cooking with the kids and those with no knife skills. Other meals took a bit longer, but those were mainly casseroles or one-pot meals, so I didn’t mind the longer cooking time since I was mainly waiting for a pot of delicious ramen to boil or a timer to go off on my oven for my one-tray pasta bake.
I noticed a few other things when I was cooking up my Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwich — Dinnerly really uses fresh ingredients. I actually found myself admiring the tiny head of butter lettuce and the soft dinner rolls. The fresh ingredients make a meal that much more enjoyable, in my opinion, and Dinnerly hasn’t disappointed me in that department through my years of testing.
This was a 30-minute meal, and it truly was, too! I was able to toss the green beans in the oven and work on the chicken at the same time without feeling stressed or getting too messy.
One change since last year has been the recipe cards. If you recall, they used to be fully digital, requiring you to log on to their site while cooking and perhaps getting your phone, tablet or laptop a bit dirty. Now, they send along the printed cards with the ingredients. I like this more, so I can follow along and keep my screens out of the kitchen. If you prefer digital cards, most of the recipes are also available on the site.
The final verdict
Dinnerly is the comfort classic meal kit I would have wanted as a kid and the one I love to eat as an adult. The recipes are family-friendly but also filling and delicious for adults who like to cook, but may want simpler meals during the work week.
The kit is on the more affordable side of the meal kit spectrum, so this is a great option for those on a budget who want to check out what meal kits can offer. It is also one of the more simple meal kits, easy to understand and cook for beginners.
Plus, the recyclable trays make for great cat homes.
How we tested
- Ease of ordering: When looking at the menu, Dinnerly is simple to set up and order for each week, and I also noted its inclusion of a Marketplace. I always take into consideration how to customize the order, make changes and pause a membership when testing.
- Prep, cook and cleanup time: A major selling point of meal kits is that they save time. Dinnerly takes roughly 15 to 45 minutes per meal, sticking very closely to what the recipe estimates. I still noted how long it took me to have a complete meal from unpacking to cooking, eating and recycling afterward.
- Flavor and fullness: Meal kits are meant to remove all the guesswork from cooking, including seasoning. When testing Dinnerly I took into account if any of the dishes I ordered needed to be seasoned or altered to become more palpable. I also considered how satisfied they left me and for how long.
- Sustainability: Not all meal kits are eco-friendly or use sustainable practices. To determine where Dinnerly stood on the eco-conscious scale, I reviewed its production policy and looked into how it sourced its ingredients. Other things I took into account were its packaging and whether it could be recycled.
- Price: Meal kits typically run between $7 and $15 per serving, and so Dinnerly sits on the affordable end of the spectrum, starting at $4.99 to $8.49 per serving. I also took into account how many meals per week and how many servings I received for the final price.
FAQ: What to look for when choosing a meal kit
Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options each service caters to, from vegetarian and vegan to Keto and paleo.
Household Size: Count the number of people in your family and then account for how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone. Some kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are single-serve only.
Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimum spend. Specialty or health-related plans may cost more.
Time: Think about how long you want to be cooking for each night. Some meals require 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleaning up. Others are microwavable and thus don’t require clean-up time, either.
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