Cooking subscription boxes

Who doesn’t love to open a fun package that is filled with all things cooking? The amount of pleasure I derive from a new cookbook or cooking ingredients and tools is unmeasurable. Today, I want to tell you about two subscription cooking services that I enjoy.

HARDCOVER COOK

Monique is a long-time EYB member and avid cookbook lover, like the rest of us. She has launched an ingredient shop and subscription box for passionate home cooks, enthusiastic cookbook collectors, and anyone seeking to add new flavors to their pantry – Hardcover Cook

At the present time, she has several curated boxes on her website, if you sign up for the subscription you’ll get a new box each quarter. There’s one for omnivores and another for vegetarians. The summer 2020 box is all about Japan with the option of either Japanese Home Cooking or Vegan JapanEasy. (These summer boxes have already started shipping but you can reserve your box now to ship in July.) Hardcover Cook also allows the buyer to curate their own box – build your own bundle.

Monique sent me the Autentico box (first picture above) and I truly am impressed. The packaging is fantastic and you receive the cookbook and five full-size ingredients. This box features farro, pasta, anchovies, salt-cured capers, and red wine vinegar! I am excited to try more of Hardcover Cook’s selections and think this service is a wonderful gift for the cook in your life or a splurge for yourself – especially now with restrictions as they are – give yourself the pleasure of creating new dishes every quarter.

To receive 10% off any size order use the promo code EYB10, limit one use per person.


CRATECHEF

I have written about CrateChef in the past: Sunny Side Up and A Common Table and the current crate is all about Chef Einat Admony. I loved this crate because it contained an autographed copy of the Shuk cookbook (one of my favorites) and ingredients and kitchen tools as well! CrateChef ships boxes every other month and I have yet to be disappointed in one of their shipments. I purchased two crates myself (Chef Einat Admony and Chef Zoë François) but for the two promotions I have linked above CrateChef sent me the crates to write about. Not every crate includes a cookbook but each crate includes recipes and great kitchen items and ingredients!

Another example of a CrateChef shipment.

I am fans of both of these boxes and feel there is a tremendous value for your money. If you happen to get a duplicate tool or book – you can always gift those to another cook to brighten their day!

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8 Comments

  • Megoola  on  June 24, 2020

    This is a great variation of the subscription box trend. My interest is fairly specific–whole food plant-based else I’d probably sign up for one.

  • obbigttam  on  June 24, 2020

    Love the idea and it’s great to see “Outside the box” thinking when it comes to cook-at-home packs. Browsing through both sites you can see they’ve both concentrated on quality, so would make amazing gifts for the lovers of cooking in your life (and ourselves of course lol).
    Sadly both USA only when it comes to shipping, but both state on their websites that they are looking into international shipping, although that could possibly increase the pricing of the boxes too high to make it viable for many people. If you are in the USA though jump in, I’m jealous lmao.

  • Mummyjo  on  June 25, 2020

    They all look very interesting. In the UK we don’t seem to have a great selection of these type of boxes. I have tried so many ingredients boxes over the years . The only one I can really recommend is http://www.thekariclub.com a month subscription (or one off box) of fresh ingredients to cook amazingly different curries. No hardcover book, but s super recipe card and everything weighed out and ready to use.

  • averythingcooks  on  June 25, 2020

    I immediately went to check out the Hardcover Cook (before reading the comments below) and was very sad to see that they do not ship to Canada. However, maybe this is for the best because I could definitely see myself spending “some” money!!

  • Jenny  on  June 25, 2020

    Megoola – HCC has a plant-based option see above.

    Others – would you pay additional shipping if the vendor could acquire discounted international shipping?

  • SACarlson  on  June 26, 2020

    I live in France and I would pay additional shipping to get some of these boxes sent to me. I don’t necessarily need the books (I tend to buy all my cookbooks as e-book versions these days), but some of the ingredients pictured that come from outside of Europe are challenging to find here.

  • averythingcooks  on  June 26, 2020

    I guess “shipping is shipping”. You can choose to order and pay however much or ….not order. I live in “somewhat rural” Ontario and shipping is always based on my postal code. As an additional shipping issue…..my mailing address is a post office box located inside the Canada Post post office in town and many companies STILL refuse to ship to a PObox – frustrating.

  • SheilaS  on  July 8, 2020

    I love the option of buying these for gifts. Whenever I give a cookbook, I like to include some tools or ingredients to make it easy to start cooking. I generally enjoy choosing and shopping for the items but it’s not so easy these days!

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