Martha & Marley Spoon Review [Pros, Cons & More]

Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon is a popular choice among meal delivery kits. This subscription-based service offers a curated selection of meals approved by the TV personality.

It’s a great choice if you’re looking to save time on meal planning and grocery shopping. Better yet, the flavorful recipes could be a welcome change if you’ve been stuck in a dinner rut.

Our Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon review shares what you need to know about this service before you try it.

What is Martha and Marley Spoon?

Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon is a meal kit company that offers recipes from Martha Stewart’s personal collection that have either been developed or curated by her as well as a nutritionist.

The service offers a wide variety of recipes that you can choose from each week.

Each box you receive contains the recipes along with all of the pre-portioned ingredients you need to create every meal. This can save valuable time on meal planning and grocery shopping.

Marley Spoon also owns the meal delivery service Dinnerly, which specializes in low-cost meals.

How Does the Service Work?

To sign up for Marley Spoon, select the “Choose your meal kit” button on the site’s homepage. This will take you to a page where you can choose your household size and how many recipes per week you’d like to receive.

Marley Spoon offers boxes for two or four people, and you can select between two and six meals each week.

After moving through the checkout process and paying, you’ll be able to make your meal selections for your first week.

When you choose your meals, you can view all the available options or filter by Health & Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan, Meat & Fish, Under 30 Minutes, or Family-Friendly.

Marley Spoon offers over 30 different recipes each week, including holiday specialties, desserts, and add-ons like extra meat.

They also feature some ready-made selections that come in individually-portioned trays and can be heated in the microwave. Read our guide on one person meal kits if you’re looking for a better fit for your needs.

Since this is a subscription-based service, you’ll receive a weekly box unless you skip a week or cancel.

You can skip as many weeks as you’d like, although you can also cancel your subscription directly on the website without contacting customer service.

If you plan to continue your Marley Spoon subscription, make sure to note your weekly deadline to choose meals. If you forget to customize your box, Marley Spoon will select your recipes for you.

Finally, be sure to contact the help team if your box is missing ingredients or arrives late. They may be able to credit your account or offer a refund.

How Much is a Box of Marley Spoon?

Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon meals range in price from $8.49 per serving for the largest box to $11.99 per serving for the smallest box. Shipping is a flat $8.99 per week.

You also have the option to add extra meals or desserts to your box each week as add-ons for an additional fee.

Right now, new users can get $40 off of their first order.

*Related: Are you looking for a more affordable meal delivery service? Take our free quiz to find the best option for your needs.

My Experience Using the Service

I enjoyed my experience with Marley Spoon’s recipes. In fact, I thought so many of the recipes sounded delicious that I had a hard time deciding what to choose.

Ultimately, my meal choices were the ready-made READY TO HEAT! Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, the Brazilian Stewed Beef Feijoada with Collard Greens and Rice, and the Bourride Provencal Fish Stew with Aioli and Crispy Croutons.

The box arrived in good condition. All of the ingredients for the meals were placed in the box together and were not separated by meal.

While some meal kits pack the ingredients in large separate bags for each meal, I find that it’s easier to store individual ingredients rather than bulky bags.

The packaging was also eco-friendly, featuring recyclable materials and minimizing plastic use.

I found that all three meals were delicious and had generous portion sizes.

We received four trays of the chicken enchiladas, so we could have used them for a full family dinner. However, I heated a tray up for a quick lunch one day.

It was tasty, had a nice texture, and would have looked great on an actual plate.

I also enjoyed the fish stew, although it was a really complicated recipe that may have been overwhelming for a new cook. The end result reminded me of a seafood chowder.

Finally, I loved the beef feijoada. It was simple but delicious. The dish featured fresh orange juice squeezed on top, which added some excellent flavor that I never would have thought to add on my own.

How Easy are Marley Spoon Meal Kits to Prepare?

Depending on the recipes you choose, the ease of preparing Marley Spoon meals can vary.

For instance, the ready-made meals simply need to be reheated. They even come in microwaveable trays if you need an extra-quick and simple meal.

On the other hand, the Bourride Provencal Fish Stew was quite complicated, with multiple steps occurring simultaneously. It took roughly an hour to make, including prep time.

Fortunately, Marley Spoon provides detailed recipe cards for each meal with step-by-step photos.

Additionally, you can choose meals from the Under 30 Minutes category to ensure that they’re quick and easy to prepare.

Are Marley Spoon Meals Healthy?

The Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon menu was developed with the assistance of an in-house nutritionist, and all of the recipes feature fresh ingredients and veggies.

Healthy recipes can be found in the Health & Diet category on the Marley Spoon menu.

Marley Spoon also has a variety of recipes for healthy living and different dietary needs. You can filter recipes using the following options:

• Low-calorie
• Vegetarian
• Low-carb
• No added gluten
• Dairy-free

However, it may not provide enough of these options each week for people who follow these diets.

Who Should Use Marley Spoon?

Marley Spoon could be a good fit for you if you’re a skilled cook, foodie or you’re looking for family-friendly meals.

Skilled Cooks

Marley Spoon offers exciting recipes with minimally prepared ingredients. This provides a chance for skilled cooks to enjoy the cooking process while trying something new.

Foodies

Foodies will appreciate this recipe box because it contains a wide variety of recipes developed and curated by Martha Stewart.

*Related: Are you looking for a company that offers farm-fresh meat? Read our Good Chop meat review to learn if the service works for your needs.

It also features unique flavors and seasonings, like Turkish Beef Lahmajoun Flatbread with Red Pepper & Walnut Muhammara or Vegetarian Borscht with Poppy Seed Butter & Warm Baguette.

Families

Marley Spoon offers several meals that appeal to families, including families with young children. Their family plan offers four servings per recipe.

You can view their family-oriented weekly menu options by filtering the menu to the Family-Friendly category.

Read our guide on the top meal delivery services for families if Marley Spoon doesn’t work for you.

Who Shouldn’t Use the Service?

However, Marley Spoon may not be the best fit for picky eaters or beginner cooks.

Picky Eaters

Picky eaters may find that many Marley Spoon meals aren’t suitable to their tastes because they feature unique flavors that may be unfamiliar.

Nevertheless, at least one or two recipes per week will appeal to picky eaters, like Tortilla Chicken Soup or Skillet Spaghetti & Meat Sauce.

Beginner Cooks

Additionally, beginner cooks may find Marley Spoon challenging because of the prep time required. Some of the more veggie-heavy recipes can require extensive preparation.

Fortunately, the recipe cards are extremely detailed. Any beginning cook who chooses a Marley Spoon box would likely find their skills in the kitchen improving quickly.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of the Martha Stewart meal kit.

Pros:

• Several unique menu options each week
• Ready-made meals available
• Martha Stewart recipes
• Healthy options available
• Suitable for families as well as foodies

Cons:

• More expensive than some other meal kits
• May not be suitable for picky eaters
• Not ideal for special diets
• Shipping is $8.99 per box

Overall, Marley Spoon is worth considering if you’re an experienced cook who likes adventurous meals.

The Competition

Here’s how Marley Spoon compares to other popular meal delivery kits.

Gobble

Gobble specializes in easy-to-prepare meals using high-quality ingredients. Many of their recipes can be prepared quickly thanks to the use of pre-prepped ingredients and sauces.

They are a good fit for families who don’t have a lot of time for making dinner but still want to enjoy home-cooked meals.

However, their meals are pretty expensive and cost a flat rate of $11.99 per serving.

Read our Gobble review to learn more.

Green Chef

Green Chef offers weekly meal options that are made with high-quality, organic ingredients.

They offer a regular menu, a paleo/keto menu, and a vegetarian/vegan menu. This makes Green Chef a great fit for people who follow special diets.

Their meals start at $10.49 per serving, so they’re a bit more expensive than Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon.

Read our review of the Green Chef menu to learn more.

Sunbasket

Sunbasket caters to individuals with dietary restrictions and favors the use of high-quality, organic ingredients.

It’s a good fit for people who follow paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, or vegetarian diets. The service also offers simple recipes using unique ingredients that are a great fit for people who like to cook.

They are slightly more expensive than Marley Spoon, with meals starting at $8.99 per serving.

Read our review of the Sunbasket menu to learn more.

Is Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon Good?

Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon offers traditional meal kits, ready-made meals, foods for special occasions, and desserts. Every recipe is expertly curated by Martha Stewart.

This meal kit company could be a perfect fit for your household if you enjoy unique and flavorful meals.

What’s one thing you look for in a meal delivery service?

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