Gobble

Gobble delivers dinner kits that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less. Unlike traditional meal kits requiring 30-45 minutes, Gobble's sous chefs handle all prep work, chopping, marinating, and sauce-making, before shipping. You just cook and assemble. Choose from 15+ weekly recipes for 2 or 4 people.

Gobble solves the biggest meal kit complaint: they take too long to cook. Founded in 2012 by Stanford graduate Ooshma Garg, Gobble pioneered the “15-minute dinner” concept by moving prep work from your kitchen to theirs. Their sous chefs chop vegetables, marinate proteins, and prepare house-made sauces before shipping, leaving you with simple assembly and cooking.

The company’s insight was that meal kit prep time, not cooking time, creates friction for busy families. While HelloFresh and Blue Apron emphasize culinary education and technique, Gobble prioritizes speed without sacrificing flavor. The pre-prepared ingredients arrive vacuum-sealed, and most recipes require just a single pan, minimizing both active cooking time and cleanup.

The service targets busy professionals and parents who want home-cooked meals without sacrificing limited evening hours. With a 4.1 Trustpilot rating across 2,700+ reviews, Gobble has built a loyal customer base who value the genuine time savings, though some note the premium pricing and occasional delivery issues.

About Gobble

Ooshma Garg founded Gobble after recognizing a gap in the meal kit market. Traditional services like Blue Apron required 30-45 minutes of active cooking, fine for weekend dinner projects but impractical for Tuesday nights after work. The 15-minute promise required rethinking the entire supply chain.

Gobble’s California-based facility employs sous chefs who handle all preparation before shipping. Vegetables arrive chopped to recipe specifications. Proteins are marinated in house-made sauces. Garnishes are prepped. The customer’s role becomes final assembly and cooking, tasks that genuinely take 15 minutes or less.

This approach creates trade-offs. Gobble’s per-serving cost runs $2-3 higher than competitors because labor-intensive preparation happens at their facility rather than your kitchen. The convenience premium makes sense for time-strapped households where an extra $6-9 per meal buys back 30+ minutes of evening time.

The company has also expanded beyond basic dinners to address specific dietary preferences. The Lean & Clean line keeps meals under 600 calories without sacrificing flavor. Gobble Jr. offers kid-friendly options designed for family appeal. While vegetarian selection remains limited compared to larger services, the available options maintain the same preparation philosophy.

Pricing Plans

Plan	Servings	Price/Serving	Weekly Total
Classic 2-Person	6 meals	$13.99	$83.94
Classic 4-Person	12 meals	$11.99	$143.88
Lean & Clean	6 meals	$13.99	$83.94

First box discounts typically available. Shipping is $6.99 per delivery.

Gobble’s pricing runs higher than HelloFresh or Blue Apron, reflecting the additional labor for pre-preparation. The value proposition is time, not cost savings.

What’s Included

Pre-Prepped Ingredients: Unlike competitors where you chop and measure, Gobble sends:

• Vacuum-sealed, marinated proteins
• Pre-chopped vegetables
• House-made sauces and dressings
• Pre-measured spices and seasonings

Recipe Cards: Step-by-step instructions designed for speed. Most recipes use a single pan and require minimal technique.

Meal Options: Choose from 15+ weekly recipes including:

• Classic dinner options (proteins, grains, vegetables)
• Lean & Clean (under 600 calories)
• Gobble Jr. (kid-friendly options)

How It Works

1. Choose Your Plan: Select 2-person or 4-person boxes with 2, 3, or 4 dinners per week
2. Pick Your Recipes: Browse weekly menus and select your meals by cutoff day (usually Wednesday for following week delivery)
3. Receive Your Box: Insulated box arrives on your selected delivery day
4. Cook in 15 Minutes: Follow simple recipe cards, most require just one pan
5. Manage Flexibly: Skip weeks or modify selections through your account

Featured Recipes

Gobble’s menu rotates weekly with globally-inspired options:

• Proteins: Steak, chicken, pork, salmon, shrimp
• Cuisines: Italian, Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, American comfort
• Styles: Stir-fries, pasta dishes, grain bowls, tacos, sheet-pan dinners

Vegetarian options are limited compared to competitors, typically 2-3 per week. Vegan and specialty diet support is minimal.

The 15-Minute Promise

Gobble’s signature claim deserves examination. The 15-minute timeline assumes:

• Ingredients are at room temperature (remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before cooking)
• You have basic equipment ready (one pan, standard utensils)
• You follow the recipe without improvisation
• Your stovetop heats efficiently

Under these conditions, most Gobble recipes genuinely achieve the 15-minute target. The key is that prep time, typically 10-20 minutes in traditional meal kits, is eliminated. You’re not chopping onions, mincing garlic, or measuring seasonings. Those tasks happened in California before your box shipped.

Some recipes stretch toward 20 minutes, particularly those involving grain cooking or multiple components. However, the time savings compared to traditional meal kits (30-45 minutes) or restaurant-quality home cooking (45-60 minutes) remains substantial.

Comparison with Competitors

vs. HelloFresh/Blue Apron: These services emphasize cooking education and technique. You’ll learn to julienne vegetables and build pan sauces from scratch, valuable skills, but time-consuming. Gobble assumes you want dinner, not a cooking class.

vs. Factor/Tovala: These provide fully prepared meals requiring only reheating. They’re faster than Gobble but offer less cooking involvement and often less fresh results.

vs. Sun Basket/Green Chef: These focus on organic/specialty ingredients with 30-40 minute cook times. They’re positioned between traditional meal kits and Gobble’s speed priority.

Gobble’s niche is clear: maximum speed without going fully prepared. You’re still cooking, using heat, combining ingredients, creating something, but the labor-intensive prep happens elsewhere.

Who It’s For

Perfect For:

• Working professionals with limited weeknight time
• Parents who want family dinners without extensive prep
• Anyone who finds traditional meal kits too time-consuming
• Competent home cooks seeking convenience, not culinary education
• Households where 15 minutes is the realistic cooking window

Consider Alternatives If:

• You want the lowest per-serving cost (try HelloFresh or EveryPlate)
• You have specific dietary restrictions (limited options)
• You enjoy the cooking process and learning new techniques
• You want fully prepared meals with no cooking (try Factor)
• Portion sizes are important, some find Gobble servings modest

The 4.1 Trustpilot rating reflects genuine appreciation for the time-saving proposition. Gobble delivers on its core promise: restaurant-quality dinners in 15 minutes. The premium pricing and occasional service issues are the trade-offs for that convenience.