Simply Cook Unboxing & First Impressions

Last week an exciting little brown package came through my letter box. It happened to be my first Simply Cook box*, which I have wanted to try for ages. I excitedly opened the package to see what four meals we would be eating over the next week. Our selection included Italian beef ragu, chicken makhani, Vietnamese pork and Japanese seared steak. These were perfect for us as they are things we wouldn’t normally eat during the week. Extremely curious, I decided to head to Asda bright and early the next morning to pick up the fresh ingredients we needed for the Italian beef ragu and put the process to the test.

What is Simply Cook?

In a nutshell it’s a recipe kit subscription service. Their little brown boxes fit perfectly through the letter box, so there is no need to hang around indoors waiting for the postman. Each box normally contains 4 recipe kits each for meals picked out by yourself. This means you can pick and choose what style of food you enjoy and you can also single out things such as only gluten free  or vegetarian meals. You then just add the fresh ingredients, follow the recipe card and enjoy some delicious food.

Each recipe card contains a tear off section with a shopping list that you can take to the supermarket with you. Simply Cook also have their own app that you can download to use whilst you are out shopping to make it even easier. The card then has a section listing information such as how the items should be prepared, how hot the meal is and how long it takes to cook etc. The last part of the recipe card has easy step by step instructions on how to make the meal, meaning that practically anyone can make their meals.

It would be easy to describe the pots as just herbs and spices, however the flavour blends can contain up to 18 different ingredients! Each of which have been created by chefs to create the perfect flavour. The kit may contain oils, rubs, stock pots and herb mixes, which cannot be bought from your supermarket. The service is designed for 2-4 people; however, it also works for single people if you are someone who batch cooks or likes to save leftovers for another day.

How Much Does Simply Cook Cost?

A standard box contains 4 recipe kits for £9.99. All you will need to purchase in addition to that are the fresh ingredients, which is normally around 4-6 items per recipe. Subscriptions services can make me a little nervous sometimes, but this one can be easily cancelled at any time if it doesn’t suit you and you are also able to pause the deliveries too. You can also buy gift packages with 3, 6 or 12 boxes if you are looking for something a little different to buy someone. There is a discount code for 50% off your first trial box below, if you would like yo try Simply Cook.

What Did I Think?

The recipe kits are the perfect addition to your kitchen cupboard if you are fed up of eating the same old dinners every week. It’s so easy to get in a rut with our meals and it was great to break it up with some different recipes. The process was really simple, the recipe cards are easy to follow, and the meal tasted amazing. You could not deny that it was fresh and rich in flavour.

The only thing we did notice, was the meal that we had was a little salty. I think this is due to the last stock pot and in hindsight I am wondering if I mixed enough water in. (If I am completely honest, I didn’t actually use a measuring jug, I did it by eye so that could completely be my own fault, but still something to bear in mind.) I love that you still get to pick your own fresh ingredients as it means you can still use your favourite products from the supermarket. Personally, for us this is probably something that we would only use every 1-2 months as I am someone who likes to experiment in the kitchen myself (you can find some of my recipes here). That being said, it still gave us meals that we don’t normally eat. However, if you are someone who needs a little dinner inspiration, or you want to experiment more in the kitchen with a little bit of guidance then this would be ideal for a more regular basis!

50% off your first trial box

Transform Your Mid-week Meals using SimplyCook Flavour Kits

Have you tried Simply Cook before or would you like to? I would love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment below!

*Thank you to Simply Cook for kindly gifting me with my box. However, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.