Cooking boxes are trendy: delicious things to cook at home

Created: 07/18/2022Updated: 07/28/2022 10:31 am

A cooking box offers many advantages.

The ingredients come fresh and directly to your home and are only delivered in the required quantity.

© pexels.com

Cooking boxes are more popular than ever.

But how much does a cooking box cost and how does it all work?

How good are offers from HelloFresh & Co.?

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The queue at the supermarket is long.

It looks like you'll have to wait a little while before it's your turn.

You would much rather be at home on the sofa and watch TV.

Of course you could also have the groceries delivered to your home from the supermarket.

Unfortunately, you forget almost half of the ingredients you need for cooking every time.

Fortunately, there is a way out of the misery.

The solution is called Kochbox. 

In a cooking box you will find all the ingredients you need to cook a specific recipe or a specific type of cuisine.

If you want it to be Asian today, Italian tomorrow and French the day after that, that's no problem.

But you can also put together cooking boxes based on your individual preferences - for example vegetarian or low-carb.

There are cooking boxes for singles, couples and families.

Here we explain what cooking boxes are all about, which variants are available and how you can order a cooking box.

What is a cook box?

In recent years, awareness of a fresh, healthy and, above all, sustainable diet has increased enormously.

Cooking has become a hobby for many people - but shopping is even less so.

This is where cook boxes come into play.

Instead of wandering around between the shelves in the supermarket, you can order a cooking box and have fresh ingredients delivered directly to your home.

You decide what you want to eat. 

A typical cook box contains all the ingredients you need to cook a certain number of meals.

The individual foods are only delivered to the extent required for the preparation of the recipes.

In this way, kitchen waste can be minimized.

Ingredients such as garlic or onions, which are usually only available online in supermarkets, are delivered piece by piece in a cooking box.

A cooking box usually includes main ingredients such as pasta, potatoes, rice, meat, fish and vegetables.

Spices are also included - so you don't have to bother hunting for exotic spices.

Since basics such as salt, pepper and oil are already available in most households, these ingredients are usually not included.

If you wish, you can also have basic groceries delivered for a surcharge.

The price of a cooking box depends primarily on its size.

Depending on the provider, the cost of the box, which offers three meals for two people, varies between 20 and 40 euros.

Cooking boxes are suitable for all those who want to save time but do not always want to order their food from delivery services.

However, a certain level of organization is required to order a meal kit.

Because ordering is not quite as spontaneous as with a delivery service.

Some providers only deliver on certain days. 

For others, the delivery date depends on your address.

The providers also rely on customers using the service over a longer period of time and ordering a box at regular intervals.

That's why most of the cooking boxes - with the exception of the tasting boxes - are only available as a subscription.

Advantages of cooking boxes

You can buy potatoes and vegetables in the supermarket, the best meat is in the organic shop, and exotic spices can only be found in the oriental delicatessen at the other end of town.

If you order a cooking box, you save yourself running around because all the ingredients are in the cooking box.

These are the differences between Kochbox vs. supermarket at a glance:

Different providers

The origins of the cooking box are said to be in Sweden.

However, the concept only became really well known through the German provider HelloFresh, which was founded in 2011.

In addition to HelloFresh, there are now a large number of other cooking box services.

HelloFresh is the best-known provider of meal kits.

Vegetarians and vegans will find what they are looking for here, as will meat lovers.

© HelloFresh

HelloFresh

is the original, so to speak.

With the provider based in Berlin, you can choose from eight different boxes in a relatively high price category.

There are offers for vegetarians, families, connoisseurs and those with a sweet tooth.

A special feature are the boxes, which are specially tailored to Thermomix users.

When you order a meal box from HelloFresh, you choose the number of people and meals.

Students also get their money's worth here, because HelloFresh offers a student discount.

Try HelloFresh

Marley Spoon offers a large selection of different cooking boxes.

© Marley Spoon

Marley Spoon

is also a German provider.

The selection of cooking boxes is particularly large - there is a suitable cooking box for every taste.

You can choose the recipes you like best from a variety of recipes.

You can also order a vegetarian meal kit from Marley Spoon.

Watch Marley Spoon

Anyone who relies on simple cuisine and affordable prices should take a closer look at Dinnerly's cooking boxes.

© Dinnerly

Dinnerly

is a subsidiary of Marley Spoon and presents itself as the affordable counterpart to the more expensive Marley Spoon meal kit.

In fact, you pay about half as much with this provider as with others.

This is mainly due to the fact that the meals are very simple and therefore fewer ingredients are required.

This is an absolute advantage, especially for people who don't like to cook.

Test Dinnerly

Tischline offers you full flexibility – with or without a subscription.

© Tischline

Tischline

is particularly flexible.

This cooking box service also offers suitable boxes for vegetarians and vegans.

Here you can either take out a subscription, whereby the meals are fixed.

However, you have the opportunity to choose from various recipes or to order a cooking box only occasionally - without a subscription.

Cooking boxes from TV chefs

Hardly anyone can afford to dine regularly in starred restaurants.

But the so-called haute cuisine exerts a great attraction on all of us.

We would be only too happy to be initiated into the secrets of star chefs.

This is especially the case if you live in an area without award-winning restaurants.

A gourmet cooking box can help here.

Unlike conventional providers, there is no subscription here.

You order a cooking box whenever you want.

A gourmet cooking box can be a great surprise for a special occasion - for example a birthday or Valentine's Day.

Alexander Herrmann, StarchefBox

The Bavarian star chef Alexander Herrmann has received several awards for his culinary skills.

With his Starchef boxes, the likeable TV chef brings the gourmet experience straight into your living room.

You pay 99 euros for a 3-course meal for two people.

Benjamin and Christian Maerz, Maerz@Home

Star chef Benjamin Maerz runs the restaurant "Maerz und Maerz" in Bietigheim-Bissingen together with his brother Christian.

Now you can bring the celebrity chef's exquisite and innovative meals home.

A box for two people costs between 69 euros for a burger box and 189 euros for a 6-course surprise menu with bread.

If you order a cooking box from “Maerz und Maerz”, you can count on local ingredients.

Steffen Henssler, Henssler's cooking box

The Hamburg star chef Steffen Henssler relies primarily on Japanese cuisine, which is also reflected in his cooking boxes.

Discover the great grill box, a cooking box with Japanese delicacies.

Steffen Henssler's cooking box is designed for four people and costs 129 euros.

How can I order a cooking box?

Ordering a cooking box couldn't be easier.

Visit the provider's website and see what's on offer.

Some Kochbox services offer seasonal menus.

Meatless options are now available from most vendors.

You indicate which ingredients and for how many people you would like to order the cooking box.

With some providers you can specify the desired kitchen direction.

Others offer special cooking boxes with organic food or gluten-free, vegan and low-carb ingredients.

Types of cooking boxes

More and more people swear by a low-carb diet.

Now you can also order the matching cooking box.

Vendors like Buntr allow you to narrow down the amount of carbs you eat.

contain foods like meat, fish, cheese, and legumes.

If you want to order a vegan meal kit, you don't have to look far.

You will find what you are looking for at Tischline, as well as with numerous providers who have specialized in vegan cooking boxes.

Vegetables, fresh herbs, legumes and tofu belong

in a

Vegetarian meal kits

are very popular and are therefore offered by most services.

They include all the necessary ingredients to prepare delicious and meatless meals.

In addition to vegetables and legumes, this also includes herbs, spices, cheese and other dairy products.

While some consciously opt for a gluten-free diet, others have to stick to it due to gluten intolerance.

So far there are no

.

However, you can put together such a cooking box yourself.

In addition, most suppliers always have gluten-free recipes.

Cooking boxes in your region

If you want to order a cooking box, you don't necessarily have to live in a big city.

Providers such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, Dinnerly and Tischline deliver throughout Germany.

It only becomes a problem if you live on an island that can only be reached by ferry.

Gourmet boxes are also usually delivered to any address within Germany.

On which occasions are cooking boxes particularly worthwhile?

Public holidays such as Christmas, Easter or New Year's require a feast.

Now, not all of us are willing to find the necessary ingredients and try out complicated recipes.

That's where a cooking box comes in handy.

It can be worth ordering a cooking box, especially for singles, couples or small groups of up to four people. 

Choose a traditional provider or treat yourself to a celebratory meal kit put together by your favorite chef.

Both cooking box services and star chefs offer unusual cooking boxes with exquisite ingredients for Christmas and New Year's Eve.