Plated

I found the concept of pre-​proportioned meal subscription services like Plated and Blue Apron as creepy and asinine as those classes where everyone gets tipsy on wine and paints the exact same thing.
Then a friend sent his subscription my way for almost two months, and it was pretty great. I can’t avoid the Millennial in me, I guess.
2 meals to feed 2 people each, delivered once per week. You choose your preferred delivery day and which meals you want on the website, up to a few weeks in advance. Everything can be changed in seconds.
The ingredients are not magical farmer’s market goodies, but still not bad. The meals are moderately interesting (though you can tell after a few deliveries that they understandably need to create recipes around the same ingredients/​techniques). The only things you’re expected to have already are oil, salt & pepper, eggs, and basic cooking implements.
Everything inside is packed securely and with AMPLE ice packs — I never had a box delayed or with spoilage/​damage of any kind, even though I was receiving them during the heat of summer. The worst cook could make these meals work. The plating, ironically, may require a bit more babying.
I love cooking. I love supermarket visits. I hate wasteful packaging. Plated stripped me of the joy of the two former, and saddled me with the guilt of the latter. Still, it was a fun thing to try out for awhile.

**** Message me your email and Ill send you an offer to try it for a discount.****
I am really enjoying all these food delivery services! I have tried Plated 4 or so times now and think its great. Its a little different from the others in that they have varying costs to each meal, so be sure to check those out as you scroll through your options.
We have tried only the dinner entrees they offer. However, they offer desserts too.
The ingredients arrive well packaged, and they deliver a few days a week, and allow you to make choices later into the week as well. So Plated offers more flexibility than some of the other services. However, I have noticed that many of the meal choices sell out, so if you think you want it, better to lock it in then.
A few of the things we ordered we have gone on to remake at home. We liked them that much. A few others were more complicated, so I encourage you to read through the recipe online to see if you think you want to try it. For example, we picked the poussin a few weeks ago, and while we liked the outcome, the actual making of it was far more complex than I had realized, even having reviewed the recipe beforehand.
The almond trout we had another time was fantastic. Easy to make and very repeatable. Gotta love that.
I’m going with 4 stars here as I find some of the meals in the $ 18 – 24 a plate area are a little higher price wise than I would expect given the proteins involved. But I review the menu when we think we may have time for a box the following week.

I’ve done trials of A LOT of these companies already (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Gobble, SunBasket, Din, Blue Apron, Purple Carrot) and think Plated is pretty good! Their boxes are $ 72/​week, which is on the high end (I’ve paid between $ 59-​$ 72/​wk for veggie meals). The quality seems decent though, and delivery has been timely.
After signing up, I would recommend «pausing» future deliveries right away so you don’t get stuck purchasing meals you may not want. You can also easily cancel at anytime. I’ve kept my accounts open at all the different companies, and I order from whichever has the most appealing menu that particular week.
I have a few extra free/​discounted trials to give out for some of the above mentioned companies (hello fresh, green chef, gobble, din), so if you are interested in trying any of them, message me.

Tried a plated meal for the first time today. I made the chicken hoisin buns. They were delicious. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. The directions are easy to follow, and everything was pre-​portioned
2. The meal was delicious
3. My delivery arrived one day early. Imagine my excitement at opening this mystery box!
4. The meat is antibiotic free and fresh
5. The veggies are fresh
6. The food seems to be of good quality, especially the meat
Cons:
1. Just like every restaurant and meal service, they tend to put less of the protein and veggies and more of the cheap carbs. I got 2 chicken thighs for 2 people. This should have been at least 3 chicken thighs for how much 2 people eat. The recipe included cucumber slices. We got a mini cucumber, which wasn’t enough for 2 people. So overall, it seems as if plated suffers from this deficiency so far. I will update as I continue to order and cook meals.
2. the portions seem a little small for how much 2 people can eat in terms of the veggies and meats (and at 105 pounds, i don’t eat a lot). So, if you like to eat, you will probably find that the veggie and protein portions can be somewhat small. For instance, I have extra buns (4) and i ran out of cucumber about halfway through our meal. I like my veggies!

I love Plated! I was spending upwards of $ 200/​week at the grocery store just for two people. Now, I’ve significantly cut down on my food costs and waste from spoiled veggies.
As for the flavors and recipes, Plated makes you feel like a chef. All the recipes are printed on high quality card stock with beautiful step-​by-​step photography (it’s the little things that count). The flavor profiles on their dishes are restaurant-​grade and perfectly balanced. The best part is that they take me ~30 minutes to make, which is perfect for weeknight meals.
My biggest concern was the waste from all of the packaging but it honestly isn’t different from the plastic and carbon footprint major grocery stores leave behind. They’ve made Eco-​friendly improvements and use 100% recycled insulation that you can add to your compost. I believe everything else is recyclable.

**BUYER BEWARE** — due to a Dr. Laura radio promotion for 2 free meals, I went online to give Plated a try. I signed up but could not locate a «promo» button to apply my promo code to secure my 2 free meals hence I canceled my order in the same transaction deciding I would call later to get additional information.
SURPRISE — three weeks later a $ 72 charge to my credit card AND a Plated box on my doorstep. I called immediately to report the error. I did reach a courteous customer service rep but it went down hill from there. They acknowledged that yes, they did see that I attempted to place an order and then immediately canceled it, but explained that I didn’t CANCEL THE SUBSCRIPTION!!! What??? I CANCELED IT, period.
The next twenty minutes went something like this:
«We will immediately credit you the promotional $ 24 «AS THERE WAS NO SPACE FOR YOU TO ENTER THE CODE THE EVENING YOU TRIED TO ORDER» (see, I wasn’t crazy), and, we would like to extend a $ 72 «credit» toward another Plated order, but we will NOT refund your original order as you were notified via email that the order was processing and a shipment was on its way.
Let’s look at this logic for a second:
1. Their financial loss is the same whether they give me a $ 72 credit NOW, or later! Give me my $ 72 now, and they are out one Plated box meal OR give me $ 72 later, they are out one Plated box meal. Either way, they are willing to make a $ 72 sacrifice in the sake of good customer relations — WHY NOT GIVE ME THE CREDIT NOW AND MAKE ME AN ECSTATIC customer vs. creating a disgruntled one.
2. Emails — I have yet to purchase ANYTHING without being automatically signed up (though every time I purposely do NOT check the box to receive newsletters or special promotional offers) for their annoying emails. Naturally, with the 1 billion emails I receive daily, most spam, I delete them (because as we recall, this could only be spam AS I CANCELED THE MINUTED I ORDERED IT)! I didn’t read them as I don’t read the daily 200+ spam emails, I just delete as does 99.9% of the wired human race.
3. After bringing this to their attention, and was only granted access to their two tier customer service representatives who ultimately claims this is the best that they can offer, that they will take up my case with their customer service team leaders and will get back to me, this is where it still stands. In the era of customer service, where leaders like
and other like minded vendors that have earned our loyal business and make the customer king, and in the light of emerging and growing field of competitors like Blue Apron, I am floored Plated took more than 20 seconds to credit my account and wish me well with the hopes of me coming back soon to try their service again.
4. To their credit, and my doubts, apparently my case was brought up to a panel of peers (you are kidding me), and it was again denied for the immediate credit, and their original restitution is standing and the most they are willing to offer.
I will grant that they remained professional through this process but I am absolutely stunned at their best and final. Stunned. When you are dealing with a company, that is so blind to doing the right thing, especially when the outcome financially is the same either way, and what lays in the balance is creating an «exceptional» FIRST TIME customer experience or willing to risk creating a DISGRUNTLED first time customer experience — then I don’t think I will be rewarding Plated with the pleasure of my business.
Buyer beware — I challenge you to think before you purchase to see if you want to support a company that treats its first time customers with this kind of «opposite» of customer retention practices. Who knows, next time it could be you.

My husband and I love Plated! The ingredients are fresh and beautiful. We love trying new foods and cooking techniques. Plated’s concept is so fun and interesting. When we start making the food, it reminds us of the play kits you can buy, like paint by numbers, build an airplane, or build your meal. so cute!
We like trying new foods and recreating them at home, but running out to buy the exotic items, takes time, is a little stressful finding the correct one with no MSG and in the long run is wasteful. I made a Chinese hot and spicy soup with Sichuan peppers and while it was tasty, now I have a bag full of peppers that will be sitting in my cupboards, until i toss it. Plated sends you exactly what you need and none of it is wasted. Same with fresh herbs, i have 3 containers of fresh herbs in my fridge and i watch them rot before I toss them too, Plated sends you exactly what you need.
Plated, if you are reading this, I would really love a Plated tee!

I have been a Plated customer for a while now, and it has not been without downright frustration. This company can not seem to get the actual delivery to your house! Yet, they’re happy to keep taking your money.
1. Not Getting The Box to Your Home
This company has a serious problem with actually delivering the product they’re selling.
I’ve ordered a multitude of times, and maybe 1 – 2 boxes were received without incident.
Today, I was expecting my box with (6) plates in it to have for dinner this week.
Once again, not delivered correctly, even after having delivery instructions printed on the box!
2. Worthless Customer Service
This company provides very poor (if any) customer service to it’s customers (victims).
I call to inform them that my food was not delivered correctly and of course, they’re CLOSED.
No help whatsoever, who knows where my PERISHABLE meals are!
3. Absolutely NO REFUNDS
The many times I’ve had to call due to a missing box, just ends up as a «credit».
If you want to get a refund, think again. They will only offer a credit to your account.
So let me get this right. you can’t even use that credit since they can’t deliver you food in the first place. The only reason I ordered again was to use up that credit. I’m sure when they deicide to open tomorrow all I will get tomorrow is a useless, worthless credit. Boy, will they be sick of me after that call.
4. They seem to think eating un-​refrigerated food after 72-​hours is okay and legal.
The times they found out where the heck the shipment was they would tell me it was okay to eat as they have «ice packs» and «insulation» in the box. WRONG! I would never consume unrefrigerated meats and seafood after sitting who knows where for three days + .
I’m DONE with Plated and will get a refund! I will call my CC company and file a complaint with the BBB. Plated is not who you want to spend your money with, I assure you.
I will be trying Blue Apron and Hello Fresh and will leave a Unilocal for them after I try their service.
BYE PLATED!

I’ve been with Plated for about 5 months now and could not be happier!!! I considered Blue Apron briefly, but my friend and her husband tried it and they said it was terrible (just like mass-​markety and bad quality and didn’t taste good). I also don’t trust meat that isn’t antibiotic and hormone-​free so it was kind of a no-​brainer when I compared the two.
Since then, my boyfriend and I have been ordering 2x a week (whenever we’re in town; when we aren’t we just cancel it via the app and it’s really easy) and it’s so much fun. I always get excited when that sexy rustic-​red package arrives at my doorstep… it feels so luxurious and I always immediately rip it open to see what’s inside (although those little cooler packs will keep it cold all day). Sometimes I make it, sometimes he makes it, but usually we make it together!
Last night we did the Caribbean Banana Leaf-​Steamed Fish with Pineapple Ginger Salsa… it was awesome! I wouldn’t know where to begin looking for a banana leaf in Manhattan, let alone know how to cook with it. And it was so easy!!! Took us maybe like 20 – 25 minutes to do the whole thing.
Some other ones we did recently (reading off the menu cards because I like to save them)…Korean Bee Tacos with Bell Peppers, Gochujang (had no idea what the heck that was but it was amazing) and Kimchi — BOMB… Cod en Papillote with Herb Butter, Farro, and Lemon Roasted Asparagus… YES! … what else… Pink Peppercorn-​Crusted Pork Chops with Pearl Onions and Polenta… Blueberry hand pies… OMG.
What I love about it is they include so many ingredients that I would never think to buy or spend hours standing at the store Googling in order to get right. Like I’m not normally going to normally make a Blueberry hand pie on a Tuesday… but this week I did! In like 10 minutes! And it was DELICIOUS! And you learn new techniques and recipes so it gets to be a pretty fun hobby.
Anyway — I love it; I’ve turned a lot of friends onto it; if you haven’t checked it out, you should definitely try it!!!

Updated review: I have changed my rices from a 4 star to a 5 star because of the deliciousness of the meals I have received. I enjoy getting ingredients that I wouldn’t normally purchase, delivered to my door. The Chicken Tikka Masala was outstanding! I wish this were one they’d repeat. I have had good experience with my deliveries and would recommend Plated to any friend.

I have been ordering Plated since 2014 and can’t say enough about it. I am a single, professional working 40+ hours per week with barely any time to go to go food shopping. It is so nice to come home and have a great meal already measured out for you to make in less than an hour.
It’s easy! Review the menu choices for the week, make your selection and voila! It arrives at your doorstep. They have a wide variety of different options each week to choose from. If you don’t want anything on a particular week, you have that option too, you are not forced into anything. The dessert option is good too in case you have a sweet tooth.
The quality of the food I have received is top notch. Everything is fresh and the meat is high quality. It comes well packaged and maintains a cold temperature. All of the packaging is recyclable pretty much and I throw the ice packs in my freezer and reuse them.
Not to mention the taste. I have not had something I did not like yet and I must admit I am somewhat of a picky eater.
Keep up the good work Plated! If I had to change anything, it would be offer breakfast or lunch plates too!

A little bit of background to lay the foundation of this review. I am a serial food waster. I am not proud of it, but I’m not embarrassed either because this is a common issue for us bachelors. We buy a bunch of groceries with intentions to cook for a few days. End up cooking one meal then proceed to have things «come up» which prevent us from using the rest of the goods then having to google «how to tell when chicken is spoiled.»
Enter plated. The claims are simple. «You pay us. We deliver to your doorstep a recipe and everything you need to make it happen. Nothing more, nothing less.»
I decided to give it a go. Ordering was easy, flip through the handful of recipes then pick when and where you want them delivered. I ordered two meals: the «Soy Beef Bowls» and the «Japanese Chicken Meatballs.» I had my order delivered to my office because I do not have the luxury of a doorman. It came mid afternoon in a box a little more that a foot cubed. Took it home and started unpacking. All the goods were packed in an insulated bag with a reusable ice pack (bonus!) to keep it all fresh.
As a self proclaimed OCD sufferer or rather a perfectionist, prep usually takes me a long time (yes, every thin slice of scallion needs to be a quarter of an inch). I think both recipes called for 30 – 45 minutes cook time; I probably doubled that. I will say though, it would have taken me longer if everything wasn’t portioned out for me so that’s a plus. The meals were quite good, I’m not Jean Georges or anything so I wasn’t expecting a five star culinary experience but if you’re a decent cook you should be able to yield an above average meal using plated. Each recipe makes enough for two people. I wasn’t into sharing so I had the second plate as leftovers. Still good.
In conclusion, plated offers a remarkable remedy for serial food wasters. The process is easy as you would expect an online service to be and the results (though they may vary) are good enough for me to recommend.

I freely admit to being lured in by their Facebook-​ad discounts. The site is very image-​heavy with great visuals, but the pages load slowly and I was frequently logged out when trying to place (and then edit) my first order. Not a good sign! Emails are automatically sent when orders are edited and on their way, so you know what to expect and when. First box arrived without issues, and all ingredients for the three meals I’d selected were packed inside carefully with ice packs and foam insulation.
Meal 1: Crispy Fish with Coconut Bok Choy, Tatsoi, and Rice. Medium difficulty, minor issues with my «large pan» not being large enough for the amount of greens (not a bad thing!) and the coconut milk being a solid instead of a liquid (I’ve never cooked with it before), but results were a very tasty dinner. Portion was surprisingly filling, with three fillets per person and an ample amount of both rice and greens. The sauce was great, would use the recipe to guide future dishes!
*This ended up being the favorite meal of the three.*
Meal 2: Seared Steak with Garlicky Potatoes and Greek Salad. This was simple to cook, and I’ve made similar on my own. But this version was tastier. I’ll be cooking potatoes like this again, now that I know how. Meat portion was small and on the tough side (grass-​fed beef), but salad was enormous, so it balanced out.
Meal 3: Homemade Chorizo with Paella-​style Rice. This meal was the most fun to make, and visually the most attractive, but the least favorite– didn’t taste as good as it looked, flavors were underwhelming. Portion was, again, surprisingly generous, so much so that I saved some rice and a chorizo patty from my meal for lunch the next day. But I wouldn’t make this again.
Overall, I would probably get a box from here once a month, if that were an option. BF is a fan, but he’s not paying for or cooking the meals, just eating them. I like that it makes mealtime a little more adventurous, but I already grocery shop and cook dinner about 75% of the time and the value isn’t really there. Plated takes the guess work out of menu selection (since options are limited each week) and eliminates the irritation of not being able to buy just the amount of ingredient I need for one specific meal (certain spices, just a cup of rice, ¾ cup peas, etc). Overall, a solid 3.5 but rounding down because I can’t see myself paying full price.
Feel free to use the following discount referral code for your first box:

After finding an online coupon for Plated (4 plates for the price of two) I decided to give them a try. In NYC Blue Apron has been advertising heavily in the subway, but I could not find any deals for them, so «destiny lead me to Plated.» I cook a lot, so Plated is more of a fun way to experiment and try new dishes without needing to leave the house.
My order came as scheduled on Friday, May 16^th. All ingredients were fresh, one of the outside leaves on bok choy was mushy, so I tore it off. Otherwise all looked well. We decided to try the tilapia with jasmine rice, bok choy, Swiss chard and tatsoi mix first. It was a fairly easy dish to cook, but then again, I cook a lot. On a scale of 1 to 10 we’d give it an 8.5. Cornmeal on tilapia does not really make the fish crispy, as per the name of the dish; I felt that using Japanese breadcrumbs may have been more appropriate.
The second dish I got was a pasta with a very original sauce (made with tahini paste and maple syrup) and roasted peppers and onions. Also very easy to whip up. We give it 7 out of 10. It was a very light dish, which we appreciated, but it felt like it was missing something (sweet Italian sausage, may be?).
Some notes on ingredients: I got an entire can of coconut milk, although the first dish called for just ¼ cup. Other ingredients were portioned, so I think one can put a coconut milk in a container similar to those used by travelers to transport liquids on planes. I found use for coconut milk, but others may not. Also, both recipes called for ½ lemon. So, you’d think I’d get one lemon and use it up for both recipes. But no, I got one lemon for each recipe. When life (or Plated) gives you lemons… I now have a nice pitcher of lemonade in the fridge.
Overall, a good experience. I am skipping the next few weeks of deliveries but will definitely use the service again.

My experience with
has been that…
1) the receipes are easy;
2) the produce and meat are fresh;
3) the menu options are varied;
4) the «deals» given to new Plated customers are great; and
5) the «live person» customer service has always been top notch.
I hope your experience is the same!
This review is based on my personal experience and all statements made herein reflect my personal opinion only. Your experience may be completely different.

I just made cannoli. $ 4 dessert add ons are a great feature. Ordered and prepared some steak with compound butter and spinach salad with pear, walnuts and Gorgonzola. Simply delish.
It’s dropdead simple and worth every penny. If you don’t get the idea, well that’s fine, keep going to the supermarket. I love this thing. I’ll keep using played it as long as they’re around.

Fun experience if you enjoy trying new recipes! All the ingredients were delivered fresh and straight to my door. Since the items are portioned out it makes cooking a lot easier and prevents wasted produce. Great if you don’t have many people to cook for and don’t like wasting food!
I tried out 4 plates for my first week (2 of each) and I recommend both —
Indonesian Beef Rendang: very simple recipe and packed with flavor. Great quality beef. Cooking tips — I would recommend cooking the rice in a rice cooker. Also, simmer the beef on a lower heat to prevent overcooking.
Wild Mushroom Pappadelle with Mascarpone — loved that this recipe had 3 types of mushrooms (Oyster, Cremini and Shitake I think?). The pasta was freshly made as well. The amount was enough for 3 meals which was nice!
Cons — This can get pricey so I wish they had a few more deals. Shipping can be a lot as well but if you spend more than $ 50 you can get free shipping. Also, they should send you a text or e-​mail notification when the food is delivered at your door. I’m not sure how long mine was left outside but thankfully they put plenty of ice in there to keep it cold but a notification would be nice!
Overall, loved it but unfortunately can’t afford it as often as I would like. I see this working in places where groceries are a lot more expensive. In Texas, this isn’t much of an issue. I heard they have a truck in NYC? That might encourage this in other areas if you eliminate the shipping fee.

I’ve tried several of these food delivery companies and this is the worst by far. The food is not very good and the service is terrible. I cancelled in November and last week they started charging my credit card again (with no delivery, so I didn’t catch it till my Visa bill came this week) and this week a box came that I never ordered. Plus it had pork in it and I’m a vegetarian!
As many have already noted, the customer service is horrible. When you call their number you are on hold for 15 minutes and then the phone disconnects and they don’t answer emails. Avoid this company like the plague!

I read an article on how millennials are ditching food delivery for this concept. It offered 4 free plates with the purchase of 2 so I figured I would give it a shot. I love to cook and the meals looked pretty good. I’m still on my first box and, boy, what a neat concept!!! I love getting all of the ingredients already portioned out, with the recipe, and no extra food that would go to waste if I didn’t cook something else with it.
So you fill out your own taste profile; whether you want chicken, beef, pork, fish/​shellfish, veggie, or not, or no gluten, soy or dairy, if you want spicy or not, and nuts or not. I think they take into consideration just about any food allergy that someone may have. Plus you can also tell them about any allergens, taste aversions or dietary restrictions you may have. I had missed checking the «don’t send me fish» option and my first order included a fish dish. YIPES! I ordered on a Wednesday and delivery was set for Friday so I emailed the customer service. I didn’t hear back so I called. By then my order was already on its way. Okay, yes, that was my fault. But the very nice man I spoke to said he would credit my account for the fish dishes toward my next order.
My box was delivered on Friday, as scheduled, and my plates were Vietnamese caramel fish with vermicelli and bok choy, meatloaf with parmesan roasted broccoli, and Thai peanut curry chicken with sticky rice. The recipes are labeled with a difficulty of easy, medium or challenging. The Vietnamese fish was labeled challenging but the others were easy. Everything comes portioned and bundled together, labeled very well which items go with which recipe. And they give you 8.5×11 recipe/​info cards with all the instructions you need as well as the list of ingredients in case you want to go out and get the ingredients to make it again sometime.
Even though I’m not a big fish person, and I did receive the credit for the plates, I still wanted to cook it because I have a friend that loves fish and I couldn’t just throw the food away. Plus it was supposed to be «challenging» and I took that as a personal challenge. Hee hee Cooked it like a champ and my friend LOVED it!!! YAY! But one thing I’ve discovered is I do NOT like cooking with fish sauce. PEW!
Last night was the meatloaf with parmesan roasted broccoli. Magnifique!!! I did alter it just a tad (as I tend to do with everything I cook!!) by keeping the rest of the bbq sauce — recipe said to discard — and combining it with the ketchup and adding my own Dijon mustard to put on top of the meatloaf. YUM YUM YUM!
I haven’t cooked the Thai chicken curry yet but I’m so excited and looking forward to it! I’ve already placed my next order and anxious to get on those recipes too!
See pics:-)

The food and recipes are good, when the delivery actually makes it to you. My last box, that I paid $ 88 for actually came with only broccoli and spinach in it.
I wasn’t too upset, even though it was the second time this happened, until I haven’t been able to contact anyone in customer service to get the situation corrected in over 4 days now. Really? The phones play a recording saying they’re closed, all day long. No one returns my emails.
When I post reviews online, or especially social media, someone responds within seconds saying they’re going to contact me right away, but they haven’t. Plated has proven to me to be completely unprofessional at best, and probably even a bit of a scam is what I’m suspecting now. Stay clear of Plated.
Don’t waste your time or money. Use someone else, anyone else.