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Hello Fresh Subscription Box Review + Coupon – August 2016

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseSep 1, 2016 | 5 comments

HelloFresh-July-2016-Box

HelloFresh
3.9 overall rating
44 Ratings | 29 Reviews

Hello Fresh is a weekly meal delivery subscription that sends healthy recipes and the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home. 

HelloFresh-July-2016-Inside

It’s easy to skip deliveries using the Hello Fresh website, and you can skip as many weeks as you like.

Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!

My Subscription Addiction pays for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

HelloFresh-July-2016-Contents

The Subscription Box: Hello Fresh

The Cost: The Classic Food Box (for omnivores) starts at $9.90 per person per meal. The Veggie Box (for herbivores) starts at $9.08 per person per meal. The Family Box (for families) costs $8.75 per person per meal.

ACTIVE DEAL: 16 Free Meals (Offer is for new subscriptions only across 9 boxes and varies by plan) + First Box Ships Free + 3 Surprise Gifts
CODE: MSA16HF

The Products: Healthy recipes and pre-portioned fresh ingredients.

Ships to: The contiguous US

Check out all our Hello Fresh reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory for more meal boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

HelloFresh-July-2016-BoxedIngredients

The ingredients for each recipe come packed in a brown box.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Booklet

Hello Fresh includes a booklet that spotlights seasonal ingredients and includes your recipes for the week.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Perks

I also received an envelope filled with “curated offers.”

Summer Corn and Chicken Pizza with Tomatoes, Scallions, and Adobo Sauce

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Calories per Serving: 886

HelloFresh-July-2016-PizzaRecipe1

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, so I can rarely resist adding it to my weekly meal box whenever it pops up on the menu.

HelloFresh-July-2016-PizzaPrep

Interestingly, I’ve tried pizza recipes from several different meal boxes (Blue ApronPlated, and Hello Fresh), and they all recommend using slightly different techniques. For this reason, I always make sure to carefully read the instruction card before I start cooking.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Pizza1

For this recipe, I started by stretching out the provided dough and par-baking it.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Pizza2

When it was no longer doughy and starting to brown around the edges, I took it out of the oven and topped it with chicken, corn salsa (made from fresh corn, tomato, scallion whites, jalapeno, oil, and lime juice), cheddar, and adobo sauce.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Pizza3

I then returned the pizza to the oven to melt the cheese. When it was ready, I topped the pizza with scallions.

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This pizza was pretty tasty. Full disclosure: I prefer traditional mozzarella/tomato sauce pizza, but I still enjoyed this version. It would have been even better, in my opinion, with a little ranch dipping sauce.

Steak Fajitas with Kiwi Salsa and Crispy Beans

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Calories per Serving: 774

HelloFresh-July-2016-TacoCard

I took a bit of a leap of faith with this meal selection. I love tacos and a I love kiwi, but tacos with kiwi salsa? I had some doubts whether or not I’d like this dish.

HelloFresh-July-2016-TacoPrep

Regardless, I set to work prepping my ingredients.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Taco1

These tacos had quite a few different components. First, I seared the steak and then set it aside. Then, in the same pan, I charred a bell pepper and an onion in a little oil.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Taco2

I made the kiwi salsa by combining kiwi, tomato, diced onion, lime juice, and lime zest. (I snuck a taste of the salsa at this point, and I started to get really excited. It was tasty!)

HelloFresh-July-2016-Taco3

Finally, I heated red kidney beans in a little olive oil with some scallions. The instructions claimed that this would crisp the beans, but mine remained soft.

When everything was ready, I assembled the tacos and plated them with a wedge of lime.

HelloFresh-July-2016-Taco4

At first, I was seriously uncertain about putting kiwi salsa on these tacos, but it was surprisingly delicious! The tangy lime flavor cut through the beef really well, and the hint of sweetness was a nice addition. I also enjoyed the subtle crunch from the kiwi seeds!

Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Cucumber

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Calories per Serving: 568

HelloFresh-July-2016-SaladCard

This was the final meal I picked for the week, and I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it. When I opened up the box, I found that the included container of yogurt had burst open (probably while in transit), and the provided ingredients were all a mess. If I’d discovered the problem right after receiving the box, I might have been able to salvage the ingredients, but by day four everything was looking pretty gross. (I reached out to Hello Fresh to let them know about this problem, and I received a $15 credit.)

Verdict: I enjoyed both the pizza and tacos I received in this box from Hello Fresh. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to make the salad, but I understand that sometimes things can get damaged while in transit. I’ve received yogurt from Hello Fresh without problems before, so I think this is just a bit of bad luck. Value-wise, Hello Fresh is competitively priced in the subscription meal box market. Meals start at $9.90 per serving, which is on par with Blue Apron ($9.99 per serving) and Home Chef ($9.95 per serving) and less than Plated ($12 per serving).

Do you subscribe to Hello Fresh?

Starting at $56.95
Active Deal
16 Free Meals (Offer is for new subscriptions only across 9 boxes and varies by plan) + First Box Ships Free + 3 Surprise Gifts
Use Coupon Code MSA16HF
Subscribe Now

HelloFresh is a popular meal kit delivery service and subscription that takes the guesswork out of planning and prepping home-cooked meals. Feed your family or just yourself with quality pre-portioned and fresh ingredients, and easy-to-follow recipes that you can choose week by week. No grocery s... read more.

Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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5 comments

nursermk

After that amazing Plated review–everything looked positively fresh and wonderful, another HF review with a problem… A co-worker tried this subscription after she got a good deal and had some trouble with every shipment; some small and minor (missing a common ingredient such as scallions) or major (missing main ingredient, spilled contents, spoiled items, etc.) so she cancelled. After many months in business, many of these problems should be ironed out!

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Brittany

I’m done with hello fresh! I’ve received boxes with rotten potatoes, the wrong meat or missing items. At first I figured honest mistake but it kept happening. I’ve mentioned the “problems” before but never received a discount or refund.
I’m trying blue apron now, I get my first box Saturday!

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Heather

I would also recommend Plated. Every time they have sent an ingredient that is past its prime, less than the recipe called for, or missing all together, they have provided a full or partial refund of the dish! Their customer service and meal selection are both phenomenal.

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AC

you were given a $15 credit for a meal that cost you essentially $19.80?

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anna

I was thinking the same thing!

Thinking the chicken would have been okay so it can be cooked for another use. But you have the big disappointment & inconvenience of not being able to cook this meal.

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