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How I Learned to Cook: One Meal Kit at a Time
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How I Learned to Cook: One Meal Kit at a Time

CNET · Jun 19, 2026, 12:15 AM

Key takeaways

  • The first time I bought a meal kit was during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • I remember making a chicken dish with a homemade white sauce, but I dried it out, because I was worried it wasn't cooked all the way through.
  • I loved not having to brave grocery stores (which, if you remember, were not enjoyable), and the kit gave me each ingredient I needed, since my kitchen cabinets were pretty bare with only a few takeout sauces in sight.

The first time I bought a meal kit was during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was living alone in my first solo apartment and my job at a local magazine had gone temporarily remote. Restaurants in the area were starting to shift to takeout-only, so I thought, "Well, I guess I should learn how to cook."

I remember making a chicken dish with a homemade white sauce, but I dried it out, because I was worried it wasn't cooked all the way through. Later in the week, though, I nailed a super-simple stuffed ravioli dish and made my way through a handful of other tasty meals.

I loved not having to brave grocery stores (which, if you remember, were not enjoyable), and the kit gave me each ingredient I needed, since my kitchen cabinets were pretty bare with only a few takeout sauces in sight.

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