Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Amazon could be making a meal-kit service to rival Blue Apron

Amazon could be exploring meal kits and a refrigeration-free food option

Lulu Chang
By

amazon
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Hot off the heels of the revelation that Amazon might be unveiling a new messaging app, the online retail giant is making headlines yet again. This time, it’s with food. The Seattle-based company proved that you can never have your hand in too many cookie jars by filing a trademark application for “prepared food kits composed of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, fruit and/or vegetables” that would come ready for you to cook and serve as a meal. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s another meal-kit service.

Clearly, Amazon’s potential entrance into the already crowded space has made waves throughout the market. Following the announcement, Blue Apron’s shares dropped by 11 percent, underscoring just how powerful Amazon has become in the food industry. After all, this is the same company behind grocery delivery service AmazonFresh, which launched in 2013, restaurant delivery service Amazon Restaurants, which launched in 2014, and its recently announced Whole Foods acquisition (which could help with meal kit preparation).

Recommended Videos

Amazon’s description for the service is rather straightforward. These prepared food kits are said to include “sauces or seasonings, ready for cooking and assembly as a meal; frozen, prepared, and packaged meals consisting of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, fruit and/or vegetables; fruit salads and vegetable salads; soups and preparations for making soups.” While it’s not a novel idea, it aims to cut a slice out of a very large pie. In March, Bloomberg reported that the grocery market is worth $800 billion.

Related

And now, it would appear that Amazon has another plan for entering the grocery market. In addition to the meal kit service, new reports suggest that Amazon is looking into a technology originally developed for the U.S. military to produce meals that don’t require refrigeration. So instead of a meal kit, you’ll just get a meal. From beef stew to vegetable frittata, these meals could be a real game changer. They would be easy to both store and ship as they don’t require a specific temperature to stay safe.

So how do you create such a meal? According to 915 Labs, the company behind the new meal format, you simply place a sealed package of food within pressurized water, and then heat it up in a microwave for several minutes. This, the company promises, allows dishes to “retain their natural flavor and texture,” all while being safe to eat for up to a year.

Update: Added information on Amazon’s latest plan for entering the grocery market, which avoids the needs for refrigeration. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
This Wi-Fi robot vacuum is discounted from $199 to $79
The iHome AutoVac Juno robot vacuum cleaning the floor.

Robot vacuum deals are consistently getting cheaper it seems, with it now possible to buy a robot vacuum for just $79. That’s the case at Walmart with the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum down to $79 for a limited time. It usually costs $199 so you’re saving a huge $120 off the regular price making now the perfect time to upgrade to all the convenience that comes from having a robot vacuum. Keen to learn more? Let’s take a look.

Why you should buy the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum
You won’t see iHome feature in our look at the best robot vacuums but that’s not to say that there aren’t benefits to buying such a cheap robot vacuum today. With the iHome AutoVac Juno Robot Vacuum, you get up to 2,000pa of strong suction power with up to 100 minutes of runtime ensuring that plenty can be accomplished.

Read more
The Narwal Freo X Plus is an entry-level robot vacuum loaded with premium features
The Freo X Plus vacuuming pet hair.

Narwal launched the Freo X Ultra earlier this year, and we found it to be an exceptional robot vacuum and mop combo -- though its $1,400 price tag made it a luxury item for most shoppers. Thankfully, many of the Freo X Ultra's best features can be found on the newly launched Narwal Freo X Plus, which offers an affordable alternative to the flagship vacuum and mop combo.

The Freo X Plus should be much more appealing to frugal shoppers, as it clocks in at just $400. That's a full $1,000 cheaper than the Ultra, yet it still holds up to seven weeks of dust, can lift its mopping plate when traveling on carpet, and produces up to 7,800 Pa of suction to pull out dirt and debris from your carpets. It can even apply 6 Newton units of downward pressure while mopping, allowing it to tackle tough stains with ease.

Read more
Samsung’s new Smart Refrigerators are already discounted
samsung smart refrigerator deal may 2022 last chance bespoke 4 door french feature

For great refrigerator deals, go straight to the source and buy Samsung’s latest Smart Refrigerators for a great discount. As part of its Spring Black Friday sale, Samsung has discounted six different smart refrigerators with up to $1,200 off some of them. If you’ve been waiting to buy a new refrigerator and you want to invest in a high-end smart refrigerator, this is your chance to do so while saving substantial sums of money. The best thing to do is click the button below to see for yourself what’s on sale. Alternatively, read on and we’ll take you through what we know.

What to shop for in the Samsung smart refrigerator sale
Samsung easily makes some of the best smart refrigerators around so you simply can’t go wrong with whatever you buy. One immediately tempting option is the . It usually costs $4,214 but it’s down to $3,199 as part of this sale. It has changeable door panels which feature the Beverage Zone with two temperature settings which are perfect for drinks and desserts. There’s a choice of an internal dispenser or a built-in AutoFill Water Pitcher. The fridge has a modern design which blends into any kitchen while its automatically opening doors work through a simple, light touch of the sensor, saving you from needing to juggle too much at once. You can also customize the lower-right storage space to be a refrigerator or freezer with five adjustable temperature settings.

Read more