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The popularity of Chipotle really says a lot to me. The steak bowls are a little more cost effective, but for the price of one chicken bowl, you seriously coul

The popularity of Chipotle really says a lot to me. The steak bowls are a little more cost effective, but for the price of one chicken bowl, you seriously could make at least 4 chicken bowls if you simply went to the grocery store instead of Chipotle. The time to cook and prepare is quite similar to Chipotle as well, especially if you go to Chipotle instead of delivery. Rice, beans, salsa, lettuce, cheese, chicken. Everything that goes into a burrito/bowl is quite cheap. You could prepare everything in half an hour and then make bowls at the same speed Chipotle does just pulling containers out of the fridge.

nickff 6y ago
I can walk into Chipotle, order a burrito, and be out in less than 5 minutes with a delicious meal and no clean-up (maybe 10 if there's a lineup). It takes me much longer to cook the chicken and rice, even if the 'prep' is done, and I still have to clean up! I have what I'd consider a healthy diet, and I've been avoiding restaurant and prepared meals throughout the pandemic, but cooking everything has been a huge time-sink.
- tartoran 6y ago
  Cook food for a couple of days and time per meal will decrease. It takes a bit of getting used to it but once you find the gist of it it really works out
  - nickff 6y ago
    As mentioned above, I cook every meal I eat these days (averaging take-out once every 6-8 weeks). Chipotle is still much faster. Cooking chicken takes a minimum of ten minutes, rice is longer, even assuming no prep time and no clean-up.
    - ApolloFortyNine 6y ago
      The thing is, you don't have to stare at the rice as it's cooking. Unless you live on top of Chipotle it's very likely the time actually invested cooking will be less than traveling to Chipotle and coming home again. And beyond that, your simply overpaying for a meal that can be made at home. It's a waste of money, you can save it and waste it on something else you couldn't just make at home.
symlinkk 6y ago
That’s not remotely true at all. a) Walk into Chipotle, walk out. $10, 10 minutes. b) Prepare a list of ingredients. Go to the grocery store. Find and select those ingredients. Go home. Cook and prepare ingredients. Clean dishes and cookware. $7, 2 hours. Is your time worth so little that you’d spend hours to save $3?
- the-dude 6y ago
  Decide what I want today : pasta, rice or a steak with mashed potatos. Defrost some fish or meat. Do other stuff while it thawes. Chop some vegetables, cook some water, cook & fry. 30 minutes while I do other stuff. Pasta, rice, beans, potatos, fresh vegetables and meat & fish, I have plenty of stock. And I live really small.
- ApolloFortyNine 6y ago
  I gotta say, I laughed out loud at your "hours to save $3." Its honestly the exact response I expect from people who eat at Chipotle. Even if we assume you never go to the grocery store, making a specific trip to the grocery store instead of Chipotle can likely be assumed to take the same amount of traveling time. And next time you go to Chipotle, think for a moment the complexity of the ingredients your getting. Rice? It's rice. Black beans? You could buy them canned, you won't taste the difference in a bowl. Salsa? You can just buy salsa, it's a dollar or so and lasts ages in the fridge. Cheese is cheese. Lettuce is lettuce. Now all that's left is cooking some chicken breast, your choice how to do it. If it takes you hours to cook chicken... I don't know how to help you. Perhaps Google how to bake chicken, how to pan fry chicken, how to cook chicken in an instant pot. Literally anything.
  - symlinkk 6y ago
    Way to miss the point. Cleaning dishes takes time. Going to the grocery takes time. That’s why people go to Chipotle.
- arrosenberg 6y ago
  If you are preparing in bulk then it's really 10 minutes * # meals, whereas if you cook, you could make 10 at once and the pre-prepped meals are ready in however long it takes to warm things up. Also, many people don't live 10 minutes walking from a Chipotle. If it was a 15-20 minute drive instead of a 10 minute walk, cooking becomes obvious.

nickff 6y ago

I can walk into Chipotle, order a burrito, and be out in less than 5 minutes with a delicious meal and no clean-up (maybe 10 if there's a lineup). It takes me much longer to cook the chicken and rice, even if the 'prep' is done, and I still have to clean up! I have what I'd consider a healthy diet, and I've been avoiding restaurant and prepared meals throughout the pandemic, but cooking everything has been a huge time-sink.

tartoran 6y ago
Cook food for a couple of days and time per meal will decrease. It takes a bit of getting used to it but once you find the gist of it it really works out
- nickff 6y ago
  As mentioned above, I cook every meal I eat these days (averaging take-out once every 6-8 weeks). Chipotle is still much faster. Cooking chicken takes a minimum of ten minutes, rice is longer, even assuming no prep time and no clean-up.
  - ApolloFortyNine 6y ago
    The thing is, you don't have to stare at the rice as it's cooking. Unless you live on top of Chipotle it's very likely the time actually invested cooking will be less than traveling to Chipotle and coming home again. And beyond that, your simply overpaying for a meal that can be made at home. It's a waste of money, you can save it and waste it on something else you couldn't just make at home.

symlinkk 6y ago

That’s not remotely true at all. a) Walk into Chipotle, walk out. $10, 10 minutes. b) Prepare a list of ingredients. Go to the grocery store. Find and select those ingredients. Go home. Cook and prepare ingredients. Clean dishes and cookware. $7, 2 hours. Is your time worth so little that you’d spend hours to save $3?

the-dude 6y ago
Decide what I want today : pasta, rice or a steak with mashed potatos. Defrost some fish or meat. Do other stuff while it thawes. Chop some vegetables, cook some water, cook & fry. 30 minutes while I do other stuff. Pasta, rice, beans, potatos, fresh vegetables and meat & fish, I have plenty of stock. And I live really small.
ApolloFortyNine 6y ago
I gotta say, I laughed out loud at your "hours to save $3." Its honestly the exact response I expect from people who eat at Chipotle. Even if we assume you never go to the grocery store, making a specific trip to the grocery store instead of Chipotle can likely be assumed to take the same amount of traveling time. And next time you go to Chipotle, think for a moment the complexity of the ingredients your getting. Rice? It's rice. Black beans? You could buy them canned, you won't taste the difference in a bowl. Salsa? You can just buy salsa, it's a dollar or so and lasts ages in the fridge. Cheese is cheese. Lettuce is lettuce. Now all that's left is cooking some chicken breast, your choice how to do it. If it takes you hours to cook chicken... I don't know how to help you. Perhaps Google how to bake chicken, how to pan fry chicken, how to cook chicken in an instant pot. Literally anything.
- symlinkk 6y ago
  Way to miss the point. Cleaning dishes takes time. Going to the grocery takes time. That’s why people go to Chipotle.
arrosenberg 6y ago
If you are preparing in bulk then it's really 10 minutes * # meals, whereas if you cook, you could make 10 at once and the pre-prepped meals are ready in however long it takes to warm things up. Also, many people don't live 10 minutes walking from a Chipotle. If it was a 15-20 minute drive instead of a 10 minute walk, cooking becomes obvious.