Dinnerly Review
About Dinnerly
Meal kits are becoming more and more popular, but there are so many options to choose from, you’re almost better off trying to grocery shop. Introducing Dinnerly, one of the least expensive meal delivery services available.
Dinnerly meals are designed to keep you and your wallet full. With fast and easily prepared ingredients delivered every week, you can have tasty meals at a low cost.
The brand’s recipes usually only have six or seven ingredients, saving you time and energy when it comes to preparing meals. With 14.1k followers on Instagram and features in TechCrunch, kitchn, and CMBC, they’re a rapidly burgeoning food delivery subscription service.
This Dinnerly review will take you through all the details about the brand, including customer ratings, promotions, FAQs, and more so you can figure out if the brand is to your taste.
Overview of Dinnerly
Dinnerly is a relatively new brand that launched in 2017. Forbes calls Dinnerly “the budget-conscious spinoff of Marley Spoon.”
Fabian Siegel, the CEO and co-founder of Marley Spoon, started the Dinnerly cheap meal delivery service as an inexpensive way to bring easy-to-make foods straight to your door for a fraction of the typical food subscription price.
Before this Dinnerly review gets into all the details about the brand, let’s look at some of their pros and cons:
Pros
- The brand’s variety of meals are affordable, typically costing around $5 a plate
- Meal kits contain fresh ingredients, despite the low cost
- Dinnerly recipes are simple and family-friendly
- Meals are easy and quick to prepare
Cons
- Limited shipping areas outside of the US
- Does not offer many allergy-friendly and diet options
How Healthy Is Dinnerly?
Instead of buying fast food, Dinnerly’s easy-to-prepare meals and fresh ingredients fill you up without excess fats and calories.
This Dinnerly review found that the meals try to be balanced, including vegetables, protein, and carbs in every meal. It is important to keep in mind that the brand clearly focuses on cost above all. For higher-quality ingredients, you can look to Marley Spoon.
That is to say, Dinnerly is more cost-friendly than healthy. Even then, while their main focus is on affordability, their ingredients make the service a better alternative than takeout.
Can I Lose Weight With Dinnerly?
Since the brand’s service is not designed for weight loss, you may not be able to easily lose weight with a Dinnerly subscription.
They do provide low carb, low calories, dairy-free, and vegetarian items you can choose when selecting your menu, but you cannot input your dietary restrictions at the beginning of signing up.
Also, if you allow the company to randomly select your items, you might not get recipes that fit your diet. There is no automatic filter available as with some other meal subscription brands. Dinnerly also does not specifically cater to diets like keto or paleo.
Dinnerly recipes are typically between 800-900 calories per meal, a big portion of the recommended 2,000-2,500 calories per day.
It’s important to note that at the end of the day, weight loss is not solely dependent on your caloric intake. It includes exercising and lifestyle habits too.
Does Dinnerly Have Keto Meals?
Dinnerly may have options that can count as keto meals but they are not designed for low-carb diets or any specific dietary patterns. to keep costs low, Dinnerly provides a limited range of ingredients and recipes.
This Dinnerly review also found that meals might not be safe for individuals with severe food allergies because preparation facilities might have cross-contamination.
How Does Dinnerly Work?
Dinnerly meal delivery services are easy and fast. You sign up by choosing if you want the 2-person or family meal option, the number of meals you’d like to receive per week, and then input your ZIP code and email.
After that, simply pick your delivery day and select your meals from that week’s rotation of recipes.
You can expect your ingredients to arrive in an insulated box, ready to immediately go into the pan or store in your fridge for later use.
The Dinnerly weekly menu includes a variety of options for you to choose from, but you need to carefully check the ingredients to make sure they are suitable for you.
In the next section, this Dinnerly review will look at their different products, customer reviews, and answer the big question: is Dinnerly any good?
Dinnerly Meal Kit Review
Dinnerly meal kit delivery has two main options: the two-person box ($5.29 to $4.89 per portion) and the family box ($4.99 to $4.69 per portion).
You can choose between 3-6 meals per week, and the more meals you choose, the cheaper the cost per meal. Both plans also have an additional shipping cost of $9.
After selecting your plan and inputting your delivery information, you can choose from the weekly menu for up to two months in advance. If that is too much hassle and you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you can also tell the brand to make the choices for you.
This Dinnerly review will now take you on a tour of some of our favorite items that the brand offers.
Dinnerly Menu Review
There are many options offered by the Dinnerly weeks recipes, but there are a few that stand out. We’ll focus on our 4 faves so you can see what all the fuss is about.
Low-carb Seared Steak & Roasted Broccoli
Get ready for a classic and nutritious meal: the Low-carb Seared Steak & Roasted Broccoli. This dish is an upscale treat available for the same cost as other meals.
At 570 kcal, this dinner can be easily prepared in under 30 minutes and all you need is a rimmed baking sheet, Microplane or grater, and a medium skillet.
The cooking instructions are all on the brand’s website to save on packaging waste and are accessible anywhere with an internet connection. This Dinnerly review loves a brand that’s tasty and eco-conscious at the same time.
With half a pound of ranch steak smothered in pastrami-spiced butter and roasted broccoli, you will easily get your protein and vegetable content from this easy-to-prepare dish. Need a little more zest? The brand has also included lemon and red onion for some tantalizing flavor.
Chicken Tacos
Next on the Dinnerly menu are the Chicken Tacos. Easy and fast, this dinner is fun and delicious to eat. Like the previous dish, you can prepare the tacos in less than 30 minutes and enjoy all 630 kcals they provide.
This meal comes with 2 oz of a shredded cheddar-jack blend; half a pound of boneless, skinless chicken strips; taco seasoning; 6, 6 flour tortillas; one plum tomato; garlic; and one head of little gem lettuce.
With neutral oil, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and ground pepper, you’ll definitely end up with a flavourful meal. There are only 5 simple steps to follow and all you need is a medium nonstick skillet for an exquisite taste journey.
Fried Fish Sandwich
This Dinnerly review found that the Fried Fish Sandwich is a popular dairy-free option. While you might spend more time preparing this dinner (between 30 – 40 minutes), it is only 580 kcal per serving and easy to prepare.
The ingredients for the Fried Fish Sandwich include two potato buns, one packet of panko breadcrumbs, one packet of seafood seasoning, 10 oz of tilapia, one head of little gem lettuce, one package of mayonnaise, and garlic.
As long as you have salt and pepper, all-purpose flour, and one large egg, you can easily cook a delicious fish sandwich in 5 easy steps. Unfortunately, if you do not have those ingredients, this meal may not be a feasible option.
Sheet-pan Eggplant Parm
Finally, this Dinnerly review will look at a delicious vegetarian option: the Sheet-pan Eggplant Parm. Eggplant parm usually is a prep-heavy dish, from salting and draining the eggplant to layering in the casserole dish, it has a lot of steps and takes time to make.
Fortunately, Dinnerly has a ready-made solution. Taking only 30-40 minutes for a 710 kcal dish, you are given most of the ingredients for a quick and tasty meal.
If you order this dinner, you will find 3 oz of baby spinach, one can of tomato sauce, one package of mozzarella, garlic, one package of grated Parmesan, 2 packets of panko, and one pound of eggplant.
Unfortunately, similar to the previous dish, you need to have some ingredients already on hand. Without two large eggs, red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, you won’t be able to make this dish properly.
How Much is Dinnerly?
The prices for each Dinnerly dish depend completely on your plan and how many meals you’d like to receive each week. They do not differ based on the type of meal ordered, so you can select whatever you want without worrying about extra costs.
For a 2-person box, 3 meals per week cost $5.29 per portion, 4 and 5 meals come to $4.99 per portion, and 6 meals are $4.89 per portion. For a family box, 3 and 4 meals per week costs $4.99, 5 meals cost $4.89 each, and 6 meals cost $4.69 per portion.
Dinnerly Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Dinnerly does not have any customer reviews on their website, but several independent blogs have commented on the brand. While most customers agree that Dinnerly does live up to their promise of being the most affordable meal kit, the food items often leave more to be desired.
As Danielle Centoni from The Spruce Eats wrote in their Dinnerly review, “Dinnerly would work for people on a tight budget who want to put a non-takeout dinner on the table but can’t plan and shop for quick meals.”
The brand does succeed in providing a healthier alternative to fast food, and they do have a cheaper meal-kit option than many alternatives.
Jill Duffy at PC Mag expanded on this, saying, “Dinnerly’s exceedingly low price and family-friendly menu makes it an attractive meal-kit service for feeding a household. Its cost-cutting measures lower the overall quality of the experience, however.”
Now for some more robust customer ratings. Over 2,000 TrustPilot users awarded the brand a score of 3.5/5 stars.
Dinnerly has a better score of 4.1/5 stars out of nearly 600 reviews on productreview.com. Where many praise the brand for their delicious meals.
Is Dinnerly Worth It?
Dinnerly succeeds as a cheap meal delivery service. As an inexpensive food delivery service that intends to reach a wider audience, they are a hit with their pricing.
Ultimately, this Dinnerly review finds that the company’s service would suit individuals who do not have dietary restrictions or preferences and just need a quick and cheap meal instead of constant takeout. If you fit into this category then Dinnerly is worth a try.
Dinnerly Promotions & Discounts
At the time of this review, there are no Dinnerly promo codes available, but sometimes the brand has a free trial when you sign up.
If you sign up for their newsletter, you’ll stay in the loop on all their latest news and potentially receive a Dinnerly coupon code.
Sign up for Dinnerly
To sign up for a Dinnerly subscription, simply follows these steps:
- Pick your delivery kit and indicate how many meals you want to receive per week, ranging between 3-6
You can choose from the Two-Person Box or Family Box, and both come with the option to make them vegetarian meals
- Input your delivery time slot and payment information
- Dinnerly will then ship your ingredients to you in an insulated box
- Cook and enjoy your food!
FAQ
Is Dinnerly owned by Marley Spoon?
Yes! This Dinnerly review found that the brand and Marley Spoon are both meal kit delivery services, but the former is owned by the latter.
While Marley Spoon uses higher-quality ingredients, Dinnerly is much more affordable and more accessible.
Does Dinnerly do paleo?
Unfortunately, Dinnerly does not cater to paleo or any specialty diets. They only have a vegetarian option and the choice to have dishes without added gluten. The company does not include many dinners for individuals with dietary restrictions or food allergies.
Can you choose your meals with Dinnerly?
Each week has a variation of 14 different dinners, including vegetarian and fish options. You can choose your meals up to two months in advance, but you can also let Dinnerly choose the meals for you. Just be careful because you can’t indicate food preferences when you sign up.
How do I skip Dinnerly week?
You can easily skip deliveries from within your Dinnerly account page:
- Go to your account and click on “orders”
- Underneath the order you want to skip, click “skip order”
If you want to skip multiple deliveries:
- Go to “settings”
- Choose “Edit delivery days”
- Change when you want your deliveries
You can skip orders for up to 4 weeks in advance and 5-6 days before delivery. Always remember to save your changes after you are done!
Can I cancel Dinnerly at any time?
While you can cancel your subscription at any time, orders can only be canceled up to the 5th or 6th day before the delivery day, depending on your shipping location. If you cancel after that, you might not get a guaranteed cancellation.
How long do Dinnerly meals last?
Dinnerly’s ingredients will keep for a time when stored below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. The brand recommends that you store the meat and fish at the bottom of the fridge because it is colder there.
Store your herbs, except for basil, in the fridge too. They should be at the front, so not too close to the cooling unit, or they will wilt.
Dinnerly promises that your vegetables will stay fresh for at least 4 days after delivery if stored properly and all your ingredients should last to the end of your best before date.
How do I cancel my Dinnerly subscription?
To cancel your subscription:
- Go to the Dinnerly login page
- Go to “Settings” in “My Account”
- Click on “Stop Subscription”
- Click “Confirm” and fill out the survey
If you successfully canceled your account, you should receive a confirmation email.
How much is shipping for Dinnerly?
Dinnerly delivers to most of the contiguous US states, shipping from New Jersey, Texas, and California. When you sign up, you need to enter your ZIP code and email address to see what days are available in your area for delivery. Shipping comes at a flat rate of $9.
While Dinnerly does not do international shipping to most countries, they are expanding to have international facilities. Recently, the brand has begun delivering in Germany.
Dinnerly Australia also delivers to, you guessed it, Australia. They currently ship to most of NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, NT, TAS, ACT, and WA for $9.
What is Dinnerly’s Return Policy?
Not satisfied with your Dinnerly Shrimp and Mashed Potatoes? The brand promises customer satisfaction and food quality for 4 days after the receipt of your box.
If you are not satisfied with your meal’s ingredients, you can call or contact Dinnerly within 7 days of the delivery of your box.
The company may issue credits for meal ingredients that would be applied to further deliveries, or, at their discretion, Dinnerly will provide you with a full or partial refund.
The brand may need a return or photo documentation of the product before they give you a substitute, credit voucher, or refund.
How to Contact Dinnerly
You can easily contact Dinnerly by calling at 1-888-267-2950 or emailing hi@dinnerly.com. You can also fill out their online email form on their website.
If you are looking for more ways to get meals delivered to your home, here are a few other options to consider:
