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Marley Spoon review: Why it's our No. 1 pick for most sophisticated meal kit delivery service in 2024
So good that it's our No.1 pick for the most sophisticated meal kit delivery service.
A delivered meal kit is a great way to make sure you're getting enough veggies and protein in your diet—and it allows you to skip grocery shopping. One of the most popular meal kit brands is Marley Spoon (from the Martha Stewart team), and if you've been wondering if it’s worth it, you'll want to keep reading to learn why the brand is our favorite sophisticated meal kit delivery service for its beautiful fresh produce and next-level recipes. I tested out all the major meal delivery kits, and Marley Spoon rated quite high at 10/10 for taste, with meals for as low as $9 to $13 per serving with three meals per week for four people ringing up at $126, including shipping.
Let's learn more about this meal delivery kit's basic features, and then we'll get into more specifics about why we recommend Marley Spoon as a top meal kit company.
Cost: $9–$13 per serving, plus $11.99 for shipping| Variety: 100+ weekly menu options | Meal types: Low-carb, low-calorie, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, kid-friendly, one-pot meal, omnivore, pescatarian, Under 30 Minutes, breakfast, appetizers, desserts and family-friendly
We crowned Marley Spoon the Most Sophisticated plan because of its fresh, yummy produce and elevated recipes. For three meals per week for four people, the cost is $126 (including shipping).
Marley Spoon brings delicious recipes, but they're also sophisticated, by which I mean I occasionally had to cut corners on prep since some were too labor-intensive for weeknights. If you have time for that and are a foodie, then this is the meal kit for you. Personally, while I was impressed with the quality of ingredients and elegant recipes, I would prefer to cook Marley Spoon meals on weekends or days when I have more time to get through the numerous steps.
Subscription: $10.49 per serving if you order meals for four people (or less if you use a promo code). Three meals per week for four people costs $126, including shipping.
Ease of use: Some recipes were more complex than others. When I read that a zucchini and a piece of Parmesan would need to be grated at the end of a particularly exhausting day, I quickly diced the zucchini and saved the Parmesan for later while substituting some pregrated Parm from the fridge instead. This kit is best suited to people who cook regularly.
Menu choices: With more than 100 recipes and meal options each week that fall into categories like Health and Diet, Vegetarian and Vegan, Meat and Fish, Under 30 Minutes and Family-Friendly, you can satisfy most dietary restrictions. The weekly menus also feature breakfast options, desserts and party-friendly appetizers. You may order a maximum of four servings per meal and up to six meals per week.
Taste: 10/10. These were the best-tasting meals we tried. The quality and fresh ingredients were noteworthy, as were the portion sizes.
Packaging: Marley Spoon strives for carbon neutrality, which is achieved by offsetting emissions through decreased food waste, mostly via recyclable packaging and supporting carbon offset projects.
- 100+ menu options each week
- Gourmet flavors
- Great for the adventurous
- Multiple steps make this not good for beginner chefs
- Pricey
What is a meal kit delivery service?
A meal kit delivery service contains premeasured ingredients and an accompanying recipe, enabling you to create a fresh-cooked meal at home without having to run to the grocery store or measure your own ingredients.
Most meal kit delivery services offer a variety of meal plans that range both in size (from two to four servings per meal, two to five meals per week) and in food preferences, such as omnivore, vegetarian or plant-based, high-protein or reduced-calorie options.
The story behind Marley Spoon
Launched in 2014, Marley Spoon is a meal kit delivery service featuring fresh, high-quality ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes sourced from Martha Stewart's top-notch culinary team. Each box is personalized to a customer’s unique taste, with the ability to customize recipes with upgrades, protein swaps, gluten-free options and beyond. The company aims to build a sustainable supply chain and curb food waste.
Marley Spoon's plans and pricing
Subscription: $9.49 per serving if you order meals for four people. Three meals per week for four people costs $126, including shipping.
Ease of use: Some recipes were more complex than others, with many feeling better suited to weekends when time is not of the essence. There are just six steps for most recipes, but with significant multitasking. Basic cooks may want to stick with the ones marked under 30 minutes.
Menu choices: There are 100-plus weekly options that range from classics to plant-based to wellness and beyond. This is a brand that caters nicely to those with dietary restrictions. The weekly lineup also includes add-on items like breakfast kits, microwavable meals, à la carte proteins and desserts. You may order a maximum of four servings per meal and up to five meals per week.
Taste: 10/10. These were the best-tasting meals we tried. The quality and fresh ingredients were far superior to other meal kits we tried, as were the portion sizes.
Packaging: Much of Marley Spoon packaging is recyclable, and its website provides easy-to-understand recycling instructions for specific components.
How does Marley Spoon work?
You can browse the Marley Spoon website or download the app, for easy access to order and account info when you're on the go. Once you choose a plan, it's time to select a delivery date and browse the week’s menu for meal planning. When that scheduled delivery day comes, you'll receive a box filled with preportioned fresh ingredients (which helps eliminate food waste) and step-by-step instructions and pictures for each meal.
How we tested Marley Spoon
For this review, I tried all Marley Spoon meal kits at dinner with my family. I’ve been eating for a living for many years now, have a degree from the French Culinary Institute and have worked for various food publications. I’m also a mom with an active teen and tween, whom I cook for daily.
I evaluated Marley Spoon based on the following criteria:
Subscription price, because everyone has different budgets.
Ease of use, because you’re getting a meal kit to make your life easier, so you don’t want anything too complicated or time-consuming.
Menu choices, because you want a good number of meals, a variety of recipes and quality ingredients.
Taste, because above all you want a delicious meal!
Packaging: Is there too much? Too little? Is it putting out excess waste into the world? We factored sustainability into our reviews.
In making the selections, I also considered feedback from other on-staff meal kit testers for a variety of opinions (we got reviews from a family of five, a family with both an infant and a tween, and a family of three with vegetarians and vegans). I also weighed info from Facebook Groups devoted to discussing meal kits that include both calorie-smart members and picky eaters, plus expert advice from Jaclyn London, a New York City–based registered dietitian.
Every one of the best meal delivery services has different strengths and weaknesses. Some are very easy, others offer frequent new recipes and more variety, some are great for families and others are geared toward vegetarian options (and omnivores who love veggies).
Cost: $9–$13 per serving, plus $11.99 for shipping| Variety: 100+ weekly menu options | Meal types: Low-carb, low-calorie, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, kid-friendly, one-pot meal, omnivore, pescatarian, Under 30 Minutes, breakfast, appetizers, desserts and family-friendly
We crowned Marley Spoon the Most Sophisticated plan because of its fresh, yummy produce and elevated recipes. For three meals per week for four people, the cost is $126 (including shipping).
Marley Spoon brings delicious recipes, but they're also sophisticated, by which I mean I occasionally had to cut corners on prep since some were too labor-intensive for weeknights. If you have time for that and are a foodie, then this is the meal kit for you. Personally, while I was impressed with the quality of ingredients and elegant recipes, I would prefer to cook Marley Spoon meals on weekends or days when I have more time to get through the numerous steps.
Subscription: $10.49 per serving if you order meals for four people (or less if you use a promo code). Three meals per week for four people costs $126, including shipping.
Ease of use: Some recipes were more complex than others. When I read that a zucchini and a piece of Parmesan would need to be grated at the end of a particularly exhausting day, I quickly diced the zucchini and saved the Parmesan for later while substituting some pregrated Parm from the fridge instead. This kit is best suited to people who cook regularly.
Menu choices: With more than 100 recipes and meal options each week that fall into categories like Health and Diet, Vegetarian and Vegan, Meat and Fish, Under 30 Minutes and Family-Friendly, you can satisfy most dietary restrictions. The weekly menus also feature breakfast options, desserts and party-friendly appetizers. You may order a maximum of four servings per meal and up to six meals per week.
Taste: 10/10. These were the best-tasting meals we tried. The quality and fresh ingredients were noteworthy, as were the portion sizes.
Packaging: Marley Spoon strives for carbon neutrality, which is achieved by offsetting emissions through decreased food waste, mostly via recyclable packaging and supporting carbon offset projects.
- 100+ menu options each week
- Gourmet flavors
- Great for the adventurous
- Multiple steps make this not good for beginner chefs
- Pricey
Let’s learn a little more about meal kits and answer some commonly asked questions.
What can I expect from a Marley Spoon meal kit?
Cooking dinner is enjoyable, and the plated meals are stunners. With each delivery of preportioned ingredients and recipes that may feed two or four, you won’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. There are options to suit some dietary needs, such as vegetarian, low-calorie, no added gluten and more. You'll choose your desired amount of servings and your delivery day and even add on extras like portions of protein, veggies, breakfast foods, microwavable meals and desserts.
The meals I made and how I liked them
The meals I made included Seared Steak & Garlic Butter with Oven-Fried Brussels Sprouts, Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi with Roasted Corn, Zucchini and Tomato and Vegetarian Pad Thai with Carrots & Peanuts. The steak dish was the clear family favorite for a few reasons — my kids love medium-rare steak, and can anything made with garlic butter be bad? Of note was the premium-quality meat and the super-tasty Parmesan-panko crust on the brussels sprouts. Not a morsel of food was left on anyone's plate.
When choosing the shrimp scampi and pad Thai recipes, I probably should have considered my audience a bit more, but I went straight for the dishes that stuck out as both tasty and a departure from what I generally cook. I admit that I don't often make shrimp at home because they overcook easily and it feels self-indulgent to cook seafood when I'm not sure what the kids will think of it. Unfortunately, the kids were not huge fans of the shrimp dish, which involved a fair amount of prep work with gorgeous produce. I ended up happily eating most of it for lunch throughout the week though. The vegetarian pad Thai was super flavorful (though I skipped the Sriracha because I knew I would get flak for too much spice), though it required more prep work than I'd like on a busy weeknight. Sadly, everyone voiced their disappointment when they looked for the shrimp or chicken or tofu and found none. You can't win 'em all!
Who Marley Spoon meal kits are good for
If you're looking to stretch yourself in the kitchen and truly appreciate high-quality ingredients, this is the meal kit brand for you. Plus, meal kits offer a path by which you can cut your food waste by sending you ingredients in small quantities that may languish and spoil if purchased in their usual quantities. Do you need just a tablespoon of salted peanuts? No need to buy a full container of them when you're cooking from a meal kit.
Who Marley Spoon meal kits are not so good for
People who have a hard time with lots of recipe components. These kits come with preportioned ingredients, but there are still many more moving parts to each dish than one might normally have in a weeknight meal. The prep might be overwhelming for some cooks.
What if I'm nervous about trying Marley Spoon?
Marley Spoon offers major discounts to first-time customers, making it very affordable to try your first box before you commit (or don’t) to any one plan. All you have to do is take advantage of any one of these offers and then mark your calendar with an alert for the date by which you must cancel the subscription.
What if I need to skip a week?
You can use the Marley Spoon app or website to skip a week, pause your membership or cancel anytime if your needs change.
Where can I find the Marley Spoon nutritional information?
On the website, you can view each meal kit's nutritional information, including ingredients, calorie, fat, carbohydrates and protein counts, ingredient lists and allergen information.
How do Marley Spoon ingredients stay fresh during shipping?
All ingredients arrive in a Marley Spoon box with insulated thermal liners and ice packs, so your food stays fresh and cool until you get home.
Can I recycle the Marley Spoon packaging?
Yes. Marley Spoon provides all the information you may want to know about recycling its different forms of packaging.
The final verdict on Marley Spoon
There were so many options to choose from, I was a bit overwhelmed. I enjoyed choosing more intricate dishes that I typically wouldn't have made without the convenience of premeasured ingredients and the ability to skip grocery shopping and meal planning. I would definitely try Marley Spoon again, though I might limit myself to mostly dishes that are ready in under 30 minutes.
