Plated Review

**UPDATE – Plated was purchases by Albertson’s grocery stores on September 20, 2017. In November of 2019 Albertson’s announced that they would be closing the Plated subscription service and would be selling plated meals in their stores.

You can try one of the current top meal kit services or visit an Albertson’s location to get a Plated meal kit. All information below is our review of the former Plated subscription service.

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Plated has a slightly different spin on the meal kit business; not only do they provide proportioned meal kits like the other services, but they also allow you to choose a dessert.

With this company, you can also indulge your sweet tooth.

But does the company deliver a great plate of food? Check out how the service works in this review.

How Does Plated Work?

The recipes are designed by professional chefs and feature cuisine from around the world. The cherry on top is that you can also select the perfect dessert to make.

Choose your meals from twenty different recipes every week.

Plated encourages clients to review the dishes so that they know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong as a company. Their future menu choices will be influenced by these reviews.

You can choose whatever combination suits you; if you don’t like the upcoming meals, downgrade your order or skip the week.

It’s easy to swap recipes if you change your mind and you only order what you want.

The company requires six days’ notice before the delivery to process changes, however.

You’ll get the full recipe and the ingredients that you need for each meal. You’ll need to have some essentials at home, like olive oil, salt, and pepper.

The ingredients are portioned out beforehand, so there’s no waste.

You do need to order a minimum of two night’s meals per week, and you can opt for meals every night of the week if you like.

There are two, three, or four portions per meal options.

The ingredients are chosen based on what’s in season, the seafood is sustainably sourced, and the rest of the ingredients are farm fresh.

The company also looks for artisanal products that are difficult to source in stores.

Choose between:

• Omnivore
• Vegetarian
• Seafood Lover
• Dessert Seekers

The boxes are well-insulated and keep the food fresh throughout the day. This also means that you don’t have to be around when the delivery man arrives.

Types of Meals Available

The meals depend on what’s locally available, and there’s a good selection from all over the world.

If you’re more adventurous, you’re going to love this service. You might find Italian dishes one day, and Greek the next.

We love that you get to try recipes from around the globe because it makes it a lot more interesting. You can choose which recipes you like, so you don’t have to go too far out of your comfort zone, though.

The recipe cards walk you through each step and are written in simple terms everyone can understand.

Another thing that we like about this service is that they source products locally, and they try to support smaller farmers and local suppliers. This means that you’re also going to get a taste of artisanal products that you might otherwise miss.

All of the food is sustainably sourced and grown responsibly, and as far as possible, the produce is kept organic.

The meat is always free of hormones and antibiotics, and it’s pasture-raised when possible. The seafood is also sustainably sourced.

If you need to get dinner on the table as fast as possible, choose the quick meals; most of the meals can be prepared in less than half an hour.

If you’d like more of a challenge or can spend a little more time in the kitchen, they also have more complicated recipes.

Pricing

• Two servings two nights per week is the minimum order; you’ll pay $47.80 a week for this.
• Three servings, two nights a week will cost $59.70, and three servings, two nights a week will cost $79.60.
• Three nights a week will cost you $71.70 for two servings, $89.55 for three servings, and $119.40 for four servings.
• Four nights a week will cost you $95.60 for two servings, $119.40 for three servings, and $159.20 for four servings.

If you’re feeding a family of four, that’s a fair amount of cash. You do need to factor in that you save time and money by not going into the store to buy groceries, though.

That means fewer impulse buys and less wastage all around.

Company History

The company was founded in 2012 and was subsequently featured on TechStars and Shark Tank.

It made a big splash and was acquired by Albertsons for $300 million in 2017. It’s still rated as one of Shark Tank’s big success stories.

Alternatives

• Blue Apron: Blue Apron provides easy-to-prepare meals and even some Weight Watcher recipes.
• Purple Carrot: Specializes in plant-based meal kits only.
• Hungryroot: Specializes in clean eating and nutrient-dense meals.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• You get quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible
• The meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free
• The seafood is sustainably sourced
• There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing your meal. Choose any combination that suits you
• The recipes are easy to prepare with simple instructions
• The recipes are interesting and sourced from many different cultures worldwide
• It’s very convenient
• You can opt to receive desserts as well
• You can skip your box, or change your order easily
• The portion sizes are generous

Cons

• It can be expensive for larger families
• You need to give six days’ notice when you want to skip a box
• The dessert menu is limited

Plated Review Final Thoughts

The Plated recipes are fairly simple and range in the time needed to prepare them; some can be cooked from scratch and plated within twenty minutes.

The recipes are simple to prepare, but there’s a lot of variety—even a more seasoned chef should enjoy this service.

If you’re looking to improve your skills as a cook, this will prove quite interesting for you. You get to try different cooking styles in a more controlled environment.

Overall, the idea is that the food is as tasty as takeout and almost as simple to make. Most meals can be prepped and served in less time than it would take to drive to the drive-through and order.