Gousto review: Is it worth the hype?
As someone who loves cooking, I honestly dread the idea of deciding what to make each week.
In these moments, it's so easy to fall back on familiar favourites, but there's only so many times you can cook a spag bol without getting bored.
Save 50% off your first Gousto box with the code TLKSPRT504020
Fortunately, services like Gousto are designed to take the stress out of meal prep, providing extensive options and easy-to-make dishes.
Founded in 2012 by Timo Boldt and James Carter, Gousto is now one of the leading meal delivery services in the UK.
Born out of the need for healthy meals and ways to reduce food waste, this service now delivers to over 380,000 households monthly.
I have previously used HelloFresh and Prep Kitchen, and I can truthfully say that my meal delivery service expectations haven't been met so far.
But can a Gousto subscription change my mind? Keep reading to find out…
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Save 50% off your first Gousto box
TalkSPORT readers can get a huge discount on their first Gousto box.
Use code TLKSPRT504020 at checkout on the to save 50% off your first Gousto box, 40% off your second and 20% off all boxes for two months.
This offer expires on 31 December 2025 and is valid for new UK customers only.
The offer entitles you to 50% off your first box, 40% off your second box, and 20% off all subsequent boxes for the following two months from the date of sign-up.
How I tested the Gousto meal delivery
For my test with , I selected five meals to cover me for an entire working week.
From Monday to Friday, I sampled and created one of the dishes each evening, paying attention to the quality of the produce, cooking time/difficulty, instructions and, of course, the taste.
To make things fair, I selected a diverse range of dishes and cuisines to judge during the test.
Gousto review: Quick summary
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Pros:
- Meals are delicious
- Ingredients taste fresh
- Great for discovering new cuisines and dishes
- Clear and simple instructions
Cons:
- Can be expensive, especially for smaller deliveries
- Missing ingredients
- Ingredients aren't packaged by recipe and instead are all loose
- There might be TOO much choice
Rating: 4.5/5
I have seen and heard good things about from friends and online so I was looking forward to trying it out.
The first step in my journey was slightly more difficult than anticipated, as I had to sift through and decide between 200 different recipes.
While I can see the benefits for frequent users, it was a tad daunting at first.
Recipes aside, my Gousto box arrived quickly and efficiently, but sadly, that's where my second issue occurred.
I expected the ingredients to be packaged by meal, so I was slightly miffed to find a jumble sale of components inside the box, which meant I had to spend the next half an hour portioning things out.
Fortunately for me, when I did start cooking I was thoroughly impressed by just how easy and simple Gousto's recipes were to craft.
Save 50% off your first Gousto box with the code TLKSPRT504020
The recipe cards are very clear and efficient to follow, and I've happily kept a few to use in the future too.
As for the meals, I was delighted by just how delicious they all were.
Out of the five I chose, there wasn't a single one I wouldn't consider eating again.
My highlights included the One Pan Pork and Beef Taco Spiced Pasta and the Lemony Chicken and Mediterranean-Style Veg Bulgur, both were very tasty.
The portions were more than adequate. I have quite an appetite and I can readily say each of Gousto's dishes happily filled me up.
So would I use again? Undoubtedly yes!
As a passionate home cook, I'm happy picking dishes to make and crafting my own recipes.
But should I ever need that extra boost of inspiration, Gousto is exactly where I'll turn.
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Gousto full review
Save 50% off your first Gousto box with the code TLKSPRT504020
As a passionate home cook and someone who willingly spends a great portion of their free time in the kitchen, I've made it my continued quest to whip up some nice scran.
But my creativity only stretches so far, and at times, I've found myself devoid of inspiration, so what better time than the present to try ?
I have previously been unimpressed by other meal delivery services, but I had high hopes for , (and without giving too much away), I'd say my expectations were firmly met.
My journey began with Gousto as I was prompted to select my five initial meals for the week ahead.
Having used delivery services in the past, I was expecting around 30 recipes to pick from, but I was completely shocked (and a little overwhelmed) to see a total of 200.
I couldn't help thinking the huge selection was a tad overkill and making a handful of choices out of 200 recipes was no simple task.
However, I do the extensive library of recipes might be useful for longer-term subscribers who fancy switching things up a bit.
Save 50% off your first Gousto box with the code TLKSPRT504020
After a decisive half an hour, my choices were in the bag (or box, rather) and on the way to be delivered at the start of the week.
The delivery was swift and efficient, but sadly, the same cannot be said about how the meals were packaged.
All of the ingredients were just loosely thrown into the box, so I spent the next thirty minutes working out what items belonged to each recipe.
I also needed to figure out in which order I had to eat them before they expired.
I quickly forgot about the packaging woes when I sampled the first of my five dishes.
The One Pan Pork & Beef Taco Spiced Pasta was an absolute delight, and you could honestly taste each component and flavour.
Moreover, the supplied recipe cards were concise, easy-to-follow and effective.
The rest of the week continued much of the same, with the Lemony Chicken & Mediterranean-style Veg Bulgur and the Melty Greek-style lamb Moussaka dishes being some of my highlights.
Portions weren't an issue either, with each single portion happily filling me up.
But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, I had two minor issues with my King Prawn, Garlic & Chilli Linguine, namely missing ingredients and phaal-levels of spice.
When I came to make the dish I realised the spring onions were missing, but luckily they weren't a key component, so it didn't really affect things.
The other issue I had was the fact that, for some reason, this usually semi-spicy dish was one of the zingiest things I'd eaten in ages, and that's coming from someone who loves a serious kick to their food.
Besides a few minor flaws, I honestly found it very difficult to fault Gousto.
The recipes are delicious and easy to follow, portions aren't skimpy, and the service is good.
Gousto review: My verdict
Among the handful of meal services that I've tried, has easily been the best option.
Having struggled with meal size with others, I can happily say Gousto meals were all sufficient enough for one individual (even if they did skimp on the meat at points).
On top of that, there wasn't one thing I wouldn't eat again, and I've kept each of the recipe cards for future reference.
I would undoubtedly order again, but for now, I'll stick to wracking my brain each week for ideas.
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What do you get in a Gousto box?
Well, that all depends on what you order. Each box will come with all the ingredients required to form all of the dishes and portions you have ordered.
In addition to the ingredients, you'll also receive several recipe cards detailing the ingredients, quantities and step-by-step cooking instructions, so don't throw these away.
Are Gousto recipes easy to follow?
In my experience, recipes are extremely easy to follow.
For best results, I recommend getting each dish's required ingredients ready before you begin preparation and cooking. This way, you won't be distracted by looking for other things.
Another tip is to use the images provided as a rough guide on how to chop each dish's components.
Do Gousto meals taste good?
meals don't just taste good. They taste fantastic!
As someone with plenty of experience in the kitchen, I can wholeheartedly say the Gousto meals I sampled were delicious, and you can really taste each element.
Gousto is certainly a premium service, so dishes will likely cost more than the ingredients in the supermarket.
However, the quality and convenience are both worth paying for.
How much does Gousto cost?
The price of depends on many factors, including how many recipes you choose and how many people you want portions for.
The rule of thumb is the more recipes you order, the less you pay per portion, with £2.99 being the lowest possible price.
On average, getting a box for two people with three recipes costs around £30, while a box for a family of four with three recipes will cost about £43.
But you can snag a big saving using a .
Where to buy Gousto?
The only place to buy is directly from the or app.
Users can select upcoming dishes, choose to skip a week or put their subscription on hold.
If you're also looking to buy with specific health goals in mind, Gousto will tell you all the relevant micro and macronutrients featured in its dishes.
Are there any Gousto discount vouchers?
You'll be glad to know, has offered talkSPORT readers a unique code to get started with the service.
Get 50% off your first Gousto box, 40% off the second and 20% off the rest of your boxes for two months using the code TLKSPRT504020 at the checkout.
Click to now, which is valid until 31 December 2025.
Gousto users can refer up to 20 people a month to get £20 in credit, plus each referral gets a 65% discount on their first box and 25% off for the following two months.
For more sports and fitness deals and buying guides, check out our dedicated Talksport shopping hub.