Having a new baby in the house is a lot of work, and by the end of the day, Kyle and I are overwhelmed by the thought of cooking a meal. Our food delivery bill quickly reached unsustainable amounts. So when I spotted Cook Unity on Grace Atwood’s Instagram, I decided to give it a try. Would it live up to the hype?
Cook Unity is a meal delivery service that send chef-crafted meals that you reheat and eat. No chopping. No prepping. No mess.
Each week, you choose from dozens of meals from Hanger Steak with Forbidden Rice to Thyme Roasted Chicken with Carrot Mash, and they’re delivered on the day of your choosing. Meal costs run from $10-$20 each depending on how many you buy, and if you upgrade to a premium meal. The first week, we used Cook Unity’s 50% off code to lower the price.
First, let’s talk about the food. I did not have high hopes for reheated meals. There seemed to be a strong potential that these turned into fancy, expensive TV dinners. But both Kyle and I were surprised at how good the flavors were. Also, you would think reheated chicken would be dry and unappetizing, but the meals reheat near perfectly (the steak is not quite fresh off the grill, but it’s wedding food at a nice resort quality).
As for the selection, there are lots of meals to choose from each month. We haven’t had a single one we didn’t like. And the selection rotates enough to keep the choices fresh.
Second, let’s talk about the price. Yes, 50% off is deceptively affordable the first week. The second week, I cut our subscription back to just 6 meals (3 dinners x 2 people) to keep it within our budget. We pay around $80 for the six meals. Where we live, that can be one dinner delivery order. Plus, the Cook Unity meals are healthier and ready in minutes, instead of waiting around for food delivery or having food cancelled because the restaurant is busy.
Bottom line, we liked the food, we loved the convenience, and the price works for us because it saves us money over delivery. The service also allows us to try new items we might not make it home, like Forbidden Rice or Jap Chae. And compared to a Hello Fresh or Blue Apron, it’s nice not to have to cook at the end of the day.
Will we keep it up after we adjust to Sloane being here? I don’t know. But for right now, it’s a big, big help. Every night this week, we’ve gotten to eat a hot meal, on demand, that tasted great, for minimal effort.
If you want to try Cook Unity, I have a handful of referral discounts left. Otherwise, definitely take advantage of the 50% off the first week option. And definitely get the Birria-Style Tacos.
Saw It On Social is a column about the products that get sold to us via social media. No freebies, sponsorships, or payment is accepted for placement. Every product is purchased with my own money and tested by me.
Second the recommendation. We are using this service while we renovate our kitchen and we are delightfully surprised by the quality. I have tried about 8 dishes so far and they’ve all been hits!
This is very timely! I’m a happy Factor75 subscriber (similar thing – heat and eat, chicken is actually good), but relief in the budget is also attractive – so I might give Cook Unity a shot.
If you end up wanting to try Factor75, I have codes to either 1) knock a ludicrous amount off much like Cook Unity’s intro offer or 2) can email a free box of 6 meals (you do have to sign up, but you can cancel before any future shipments).
I’d love a code!
These decent, ready-to-go meals were so clutch with a newborn. It was the only way I could eat for awhile there. It was easy enough to reheat them with one hand and allowed me to have at least one balanced meal- better than the meal skipping or spoonful of peanut butter I’d call dinner. They are also super helpful if someone needs to be dairy-free for the baby for any reason. I used Freshly and it got a little redundant because of my dietary limitations but 10/10 suggest for new parts (and could be a gift idea as well, or an easy way to help a friend after the meal deliveries dry up).
I hadn’t heard of this and had sworn off these meal kits after too many Blue Apron 45 min chopping/zesting lemon sessions! I will check this out — appreciate your honest recs, as always!
Thanks for a solid recommendation! We just did a week of cook unity and we were impressed. It made life (4 year old and 3 month old twins; currently prepping house to sell) easier this week and was tasty!
I’m glad you liked it.