Food of the month clubs offer a unique combination of convenience, utility, and enjoyment, making them a thoughtful gift option for discovering new flavors. These subscriptions cater to various preferences, from sweet to savory, and provide high-quality treats and snacks.
Goldbelly: A World of Flavors Delivered
For those seeking variety, Goldbelly stands out as a top recommendation. This platform features a wide array of options, including famous foods like JFK’s wedding cake, Shake Shack burgers, Ina Garten’s coconut cake, and rare tropical produce from Miami Fruit. The Goldbelly monthly club offers a delightful experience, blending historical and trendy items, seasonal treats, and mainstays. Testers have enjoyed items like Piecakens, world-famous barbecue, pies, peaches, and classic deli sandwiches. Goldbelly offers several subscription boxes, from pizzas to sandwiches to ice cream-but our favorite is definitely their classic box. You can choose from sweet or savory (or a mix of both).
Verdant Tea: An Exploration for Tea Lovers
Tea clubs provide an excellent opportunity to explore new brew methods and flavors. Verdant Tea caters to true tea enthusiasts, connecting them with small tea farmers and unique blends. The box includes up to 10 bespoke teas, each hyper-seasonal or from fresh, limited harvests chosen by individual farmers to showcase their family’s work. Partnering with small tea farmers, Verdant’s mission is to connect tea lovers with brands and blends that expand their horizons and support small growers.
Bake Eat Love: Expanding Baking Horizons
A baking club is a fun way to expand your baking horizons or give the baker in your life an unexpected new way to explore their hobby. Typically, they come with a new recipe each month, pre-portioned ingredients and sometimes even a new baking tool. Bake Eat Love’s monthly shipment offers an exciting way to enjoy new treats each month, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced baker. Recipes like s’mores baked Alaska, birthday cake macarons, and lavender panna cotta are included. One tester received a box with a recipe for banana Foster sticky buns, complete with pre-portioned ingredients and a small wooden rolling pin. Each instruction sheet includes a QR code with video tutorials, and the recipe even has actual measurements for the ingredients in case I want to make these again (believe me, I will).
Beer Club: A Brew Enthusiast's Delight
For those who enjoy beer, a beer club simplifies the process of discovering new brews. These clubs come in various forms, catering to IPA fans or offering customizable shipments with sours, lights, and fruity options. Each box arrives with 12 beers from bespoke breweries across the nation, with the option to upgrade to a 24-pack. Subscribers receive a monthly shipment of three servings of four different beers, with types and tastes varying each month. One tester noted a good amount of variety, ranging from a super light summer ale to a heavier, hoppier mountain ale. The included newsletter provides tasting notes, brewery descriptions, and interesting beer facts. “The 12-pack was perfect for entertaining. I invited some friends over to help taste test. The group enjoyed the UFO White Ale the best as it tasted like a fancier Blue Moon-light with hints of orange peel. “I was definitely tickled by the old-school printed newsletter that came with the box. It was full of tasting notes, descriptions of the breweries and interesting facts about beer. It was really fun to read as we drank through the box.
Read also: Keto Bar Taste Test
Atlas Coffee Club: A Global Coffee Journey
Coffee clubs offer a way to secure bespoke beans when local options are limited. Atlas Coffee Club provides a journey to popular coffee destinations worldwide. Each subscription begins by offering the recipient a coffee type preference quiz, which includes grind type, roast preference, number of bags and delivery cadence. You can also choose from whole beans, ground or even K-Cups for your monthly fix. One delivery included coffee from the Yunnan region of China, packaged with a postcard featuring facts about Chinese culture. “Each bag was carefully packaged in its box and came with a postcard featuring facts about Chinese culture,” Camryn says. “The coffee bag itself was absolutely beautiful. It featured a vibrant yellow and blue print with a dragon tail, red flowers and Chinese lanterns. It would jump off the shelf at you, but you’d never find these particular coffee beans at the store.
Fruit Club: A Sweet Treat for All
Fruit clubs offer a way to enjoy sweet treats each month, even with dietary restrictions. These services source quality produce from across the country, package it up and ship it directly to your door. For those who have dietary restrictions, there’s still a way to enjoy a sweet treat each month with a fruit club. At under $50 per month, it’s one of the most budget-friendly options. Every four weeks, enjoy a shipment containing up to 30 pieces of two different types of fruit, picked fresh and shipped directly from one of the brand’s farms across the globe. Each box also includes a copy of the monthly Fruit Expeditions newsletter, which contains valuable information on the produce, fun facts and other insights. One tester appreciated the inclusion of three different types of pears. “I appreciate that my shipment included three different types of pears,” says Senior Shopping Editor Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, who tested the box. “It allowed me to find which variety I like best. I didn’t dislike any of the varieties, but if I did, at least I would have others to snack on, and the whole box wouldn’t be a wash.
Winc: Discovering New Wines
Wine clubs, like Winc, offer a way to explore new wines without the hassle of repeated shopping trips for the same bottles. Winc is one of the best rated wine clubs that has it all. Recipients can select wines themselves or fill out a survey to have bottles specially curated for them-no additional shopping is required. You can even rate wines you’ve already received for even more customization. If you don’t like a bottle, they’ll also send you a different option as a replacement-no questions asked.
Murray's Cheese: Elevating Charcuterie Boards
Cheese of the month clubs provide an opportunity to shake up the usual cheese boards. Murray’s cheese of the month club stands out for its bold, outside-the-box cheeses from domestic and global cheesemakers. This box doesn’t boast any bells or whistles-just consistently excellent (and sometimes surprising) cheese picks. One tester received three herby Vermont Creamery Goat Cheeses in the first box, followed by a more varied selection in the second month. Each box arrived completely chilled, ensuring the cheese's quality. “The cheese was sent in an insulated cardboard box with reusable ice packs.
Bokksu: An Elevated Japanese Snack Experience
Snack clubs offer a classic food of the month club experience. Bokksu, a Japanese snack subscription, provides an elevated look and feel with a culture guide detailing the contents and highlighting each snack’s region of origin. Each box is built around the included culture guide, which details the contents and highlights each snack’s region of origin. It also details valuable information on each snack, including its history, significance and noted allergens. What really stands out to me about this food of the month club is the sheer variety included in the box. Testers have enjoyed the Yokohama butter cookie and the Iburigakko smoky chips. Each inclusion tastes fresh and feels cohesive, and there’s a good balance between familiar flavors and more bespoke inclusions. You also get a great mix of savory and sweet, so each box has something for every palate.
Read also: Keto Chocolate Clusters: An In-Depth Look
Cheryl's Flavor of the Month: Cookie Comfort Delivered
Cookie clubs, like Cheryl’s Flavor of the Month club, offer a comforting and delightful experience. Each month includes 12 cookies in one of the brand’s famous, true-to-life flavors. “I was so impressed by how pronounced and true-to-life the flavors were, especially in the maple, butter pecan and candy cane cookies,” says Annamarie in her Cheryl’s review. The candy cane cookie reminded me of Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s-a holiday staple in my household. And the butter pecan cookie was reminiscent of the iconic ice cream flavor in the very best way. I’d have to say this nutty cookie was my top pick. And for those who feel less adventurous, they also offer a buttercream-frosted cookie club that contains 24 of their classic vanilla-frosted sugar cookies. “Cheryl’s most famous cookies are cutout sugar cookies with buttercream frosting of various flavors,” says Annamarie. “Some examples are s’mores, maple, cookie dough, cinnamon roll, triple chocolate and key lime. Additionally, Cheryl’s also sells unfrosted favorites such as oatmeal raisin, red velvet, snickerdoodle and classic chocolate chip.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Food of the Month Club
Food of the month clubs often arrive expertly curated for gifting, boasting premier packaging and care towards the included literature and overall feel. When choosing a food of the month club as a gift, consider the recipient’s tastes, allergies, and preferences. It’s important because someone might be deathly allergic to nuts, so make sure you know this ahead of time and let that recipient know you thought about it! Look for a club that offers high-quality, artisanal products and flexibility in subscription options. A variety of foods, treats and snacks can really increase the value of the overall box.
Additional Food Subscription Boxes
- European Gourmet Mystery Box: Delight your favorite foodie with a half-year culinary adventure through our six-month subscription of the European Gourmet Mystery Box. Over the course of six months, recipients will unwrap a treasure trove of 4-7 rare and hard-to-find delicacies each month. Imagine the joy of savoring enchanting lavender sweets from the picturesque fields of Provence, succulent canned fish from the rugged coasts of Northern Spain, indulgent Belgian chocolates, vibrant aperitivo bites from the sun-drenched landscapes of Italy, and traditional biscuits from the charming countryside of the UK. With each delivery, the contents of the box remain a closely guarded secret, enhancing anticipation and excitement.
- NatureBox: All of NatureBox's snacks are made from wholesome ingredients and minimally processed - no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. NatureBox changed to a membership/club model at the end of 2016. Membership is $30 a year, which gets you access to buy snacks at members-only prices. You'll get $5/month credited towards your first snack purchase every month. You can cancel your membership at any time, and can subscribe to your favorite individual products if you like.
- Vegancuts: Each Vegancuts Snack Box includes 10 or more vegan snacks, such as healthy treats, sweets, sodas, teas, and more. According to their site, "typically about 80% of the snacks are gluten free. The Vegancuts team tests out all the products that end up in the box, too!
- Mantry: Mantry helps you create "The Modern Man's Pantry". This bi-monthly food subscription box contains 5-6 full-size premium food products from artisans across the US.
- Taste Trunk: Each "gourmet" trunk includes an assortment of unique, hard-to-find products that complement one another. Sending this subscription as a gift? There's a free folded greeting card in the box that you can customize with the message of your choice! Each box will include 4-5 confections, from brownies and cookies to sauces and baking ingredients. Yum!
- Love With Food: Love with Food has three subscription levels to choose from, including this Tasting Box, their Deluxe Box, and a Gluten-Free version of the Deluxe box. The Tasting Box sends you 8+ new and surprise snacks each month. According to their site, their products "do not contain artificial flavoring, coloring, preservatives, or sweeteners, no MSG, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and no high fructose corn syrup. In addition to being free of these additives, many of the snacks are also labeled Non-GMO Project Verified, but not all of them." Love with Food also donates a portion of their proceeds to fighting childhood hunger.
- Tasterie: In each TasterieBox, you will find 6-8 healthy and safe foods that might include delightful ideas for Sunday morning breakfast, a quick lunch at work or a relaxed meal at the end of the day. You will find some great recipe ideas and, as always, something to satisfy that sweet tooth!
- Turntable Kitchen Pairings Box: Every month, you’ll receive a hand-assembled box of goodies to create a unique food and music pairing of your own. Each box includes a dry ingredient, recipe cards, 7-inch vinyl single, and a digital mixtape.
Meal Kit Delivery Services
The best meal kits offer the combined powers of mixing things up in the kitchen and accomplishing personal goals, from wanting to eat healthier to saving money.
- Home Chef: Thanks to its variety of recipes and customization options (it's particularly great at catering to dietary restrictions), Home Chef is sure to please most palates-and lifestyles. One of our testers appreciated that she could select the proteins, number of deliveries, and portion amounts on a week-to-week basis. “This flexibility makes Home Chef a fit for households where one or more people might not be home each night for dinner,” she said.
- HelloFresh: HelloFresh is likely the brand most people think of when they think “meal kit"-in fact, it claims a whopping 74% of the category’s market share. It’s aimed at a wide audience but allows you to choose plans geared toward different requirements: meat and veggie, veggie, family-friendly, fit and wholesome, under 20 minutes, and pescatarian. “It's worth noting the sheer number of delicious-sounding dinners to choose from. There are over 100, with dishes like coconut shrimp and cabbage curry, smashed black bean tostadas, and bavette steak with creamy truffle polenta,” writes contributor Betty Gold Kider, who recently tested the service.
- Marley Spoon: In a sea of similar meal delivery services, Marley Spoon’s “thing” is its partnership with Martha Stewart. Its weekly offerings revolve around Stewart’s most popular recipes, but there’s a lot to love about this kit beyond that if you aren’t a full-on Martha stan.
- CookUnity: CookUnity’s chef-crafted, ready-to-heat frozen meals give me the opportunity to try innovative, restaurant-worthy dishes I might not always feel like making myself.
- Dinnerly: Dinnerly is marketed as a budget-friendly meal kit service.
BistroMD: Medical-Grade Nutrition with Convenience
BistroMD was created by bariatric specialist Dr. Caroline Cederquist to take the guesswork out of healthy eating. The program combines medical-grade nutrition with the convenience of chef-prepared frozen meals that are delivered weekly to your door. Unlike traditional meal kits, BistroMD’s offerings require zero chopping, mixing, or cooking. You simply heat the meal in the microwave or oven and it’s ready within minutes. With menus curated by registered dietitians and chefs, the service caters to a wide range of needs, from diabetic and heart-healthy to gluten-free and keto-friendly diets.
EveryPlate: Affordable and Convenient Meal Kits
For less cash than any fast food meal, the options are also healthier. The ingredients for my meal came pre-packaged and easy to use, with minimal chopping needed and no measuring of spices. This soup was such an easy one-pot meal, perfect for lunch and again for dinner. This meat loaf was one of the most comforting meals I’ve made, and it only took 30 minutes. Each week, choose from 16 different meals ranging from chicken, pork, and beef to fish and veggie-based. The plans are customizable for your household’s needs, allowing you to order for two, four or six people, at three, at four or five meals per week. The best part is that no matter the combination, each standard meal is $5.99 per serving and even less with a coupon. Plus, this is one of the only meal kits that allows for a six-person serving - perfect for larger families.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Factor: Health-Conscious Meals in a Snap
That’s why Factor is a great meal kit option for those who want health-conscious, pre-portioned meals in a snap. The meals arrive on ice and can be immediately eaten or refrigerated for later. They come pre-portioned and shrink-wrapped on top, which is also great for packing for work or school. I also loved that Factor made room for drinks and dessert, with delicious smoothies, shakes and desserts like cheesecake that keep things interesting - and who doesn’t like a little sweet treat?
Blue Apron: Bistro-Inspired Recipes with Variety
One of the best things about Blue Apron is the variety, as after four years, I’m still not sick of any of the recipe offerings - they rotate the menu every week and have options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks - and even desserts. I made sure to review options for beef, chicken, pork, fish, and vegetables. Each was perfect for a lunch or dinner portion, and there was enough for leftovers.
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