Recipe & spice kits compared
Recipe and spice kits are the budget-friendly cousin of the meal kit. Instead of fresh ingredients, the box sends the flavours - spice blends, pastes, stocks and recipe cards - and you buy the fresh food yourself. That keeps the box price low, but you need to add your own grocery shop when comparing the true cost.
| Box | Type | Our rating | Value | Subscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SimplyCook | Recipe Kit | 7.5/10 | from £9.99 | Subscription only | Read review |
Ratings are our own editorial scores. Value shows price per portion where a box is priced that way, or the cheapest full-price box otherwise. Prices were checked in June 2026 and exclude introductory offers.
How recipe and spice kits work
Instead of fresh ingredients, a recipe kit posts you the flavour base - spice blends, pastes, stocks and a recipe card - through the letterbox. You buy the fresh ingredients (the meat, veg, rice or pasta) yourself and cook the dish. Because there is no fresh food in the box, there is no cold chain, no missed delivery and a long shelf life.
What they really cost
This is where recipe kits are misunderstood. SimplyCook's box of four kits is £9.99, which looks far cheaper than a meal kit - but that price does not include the fresh ingredients you still have to buy, typically £3 to £6 per person per meal. So the true cost of a SimplyCook dinner for two is closer to £8 to £14 all in: still usually cheaper than a full meal kit, but not the £2.50-a-recipe the box price suggests.
Who they suit
Recipe kits are ideal if you already shop for fresh food regularly and just want more variety, better flavour and less "what shall we cook tonight". They suit reasonably confident cooks who do not mind a little shopping and prep. They are not for you if you want everything delivered and the cooking made foolproof - that is what a meal kit is for.
What to check before you subscribe
- The real cost - always add your grocery spend to the box price.
- Effort - you are doing the shopping and most of the prep yourself.
- Auto-renewal - these are subscriptions, so set your frequency and manage it to avoid unwanted boxes.
The main UK option is SimplyCook, which posts four flavour kits at a time with more than a hundred recipes to choose from.
Frequently asked questions
Is SimplyCook actually a meal kit?
Not in the usual sense. It sends only the flavourings and recipe cards; you buy and prepare the fresh ingredients yourself. That makes it cheaper than a true meal kit, but it is more effort and more shopping.
How much does a recipe kit really cost?
The SimplyCook box is £9.99 for four recipes, but budget another £3 to £6 per person per meal for the fresh ingredients you buy yourself - so the real cost of a dinner for two is closer to £8 to £14.
Do recipe kits need refrigerating?
No. The flavour pots are shelf-stable and arrive through the letterbox, so there is no fridge or freezer delivery and no missed-delivery problem.
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