The New Future of Meat: A Non-Affiliated Crowd Cow Review in 2022
You love meat, you've heard of Crowd Cow, and it finally piqued your interest.
But you're here, still wondering if it's worth it. What's with all the hype? Let our
team introduce Crowd Cow's main highlights.
Well, the "hype" is:
- Knowing and Supporting Your Source: Removing middlemen means directly supporting independent farms and eliminating mass production and inhumane slaughter of animals.
- High-Quality Meat: Like a domino of good effects, direct sourcing from independent farmers ensures better meat quality. Because you know, they take proper care of their animals.
- Convenience: Saves you several trips to the local grocery store. That's a plus, especially as we've been widely observing social distancing lately and with everything shifting online.
After understanding Crowd Cow as more than a meat subscription service or a mere online meat store, we don't really like calling these benefits, "hype".
It's rather a necessity and an innovation that's a step closer to sustainability, to a better environment, and to healthier food options.
And we're all for that.
How Crowd Cow Works
In case you're still wondering... YES, there is a huge quality difference between commercial meat you find in a grocery store and those raised from local farms.
But here's the problem: direct ranch sourcing also means buying in bulk. Or for the lack of a better term, it's wholesale.
If all you need is a pack of ground beef or a slice of ribeye steak, you'll be inconveniencing the local farmers and that's just not how it works.
This gap is where Crowd Cow comes in after these realizations dawned on their founder, Ethan.
Similar to the Butcher Box concept, Crowd Cow basically functions like this:
- They group meat orders from us,
- They source the meat from their partner farms,
- And then deliver these to us.
Think of them as an online farmers market or the new middlemen, but far more sustainable, ethical, and ecological ones. And they're not the only meat delivery service doing this.
What Crowd Cow Offers (That Your Grocery Store Doesn't)
Despite the specified cow in their name, they offer a wide selection of free-range organic meat from beef, pork, chicken, to seafood.
Crowd Cow meat spares us from unnecessary antibiotics and hormones that unethical factory farms inject into our meats. We honestly thought this day would never come.
With just a few scrolls on their website, you're already presented with photos and choices that are drool-worthy. Here are some of them:
Beef: Juicy Steak, Ground Beef, Grass-Fed Beef, and More!
They take pride in their grass-fed beef and pasture-raised beef. These craft beef choices are absolutely delicious and healthy at the same time. (Take time to see what the best steaks are for grilling before purchase!)
- Japanese Wagyu Beef
- Premium Wagyu Beef
- Olive Wagyu
- Filet Mignon
- Sirloin Steaks
- York Strip Steak
- Bone-In Ribeye Steak
- Ground Beef
- Short Ribs
- Wagyu Chuck Roast
Pork: Bacon, Ground Pork, Sausages!
As CrowdCow puts it, it's "pork the way it's meant to taste". We hope you're ready to level up your everyday pork dishes.
- Sweet Italian Sausage
- Heritage Pork Chops
- Ground Pork
- Bacon
Chicken: Whole Chicken, Chicken Breast, Nuggets, Chicken Fingers!
Chicken products are easy to source. But where will you find a truly pasture-raised chicken selection? (Hint: Crowd Cow.)
- Deli Carved Thick-Cut Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts
- Pasture-Raised Chicken Breasts
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Organic Breaded Chicken Nuggets
- Organic Breaded Chicken Strips
Sustainable Seafood
Unethical fishing is sadly rampant [1]. It's great to know their seafood is obtained sustainably.
- Wild Alaskan Halibut
- Wild Maine Lobster
- Norweigan Atlantic Salmon
- Organic Mussels
- Wild Atlantic Sea Scallops
How to Order From Crowd Cow
If you're new to the concept of meat delivery service, it could be intimidating.
The idea of shipping over frozen meat seems a bit advanced. Well, maybe because it is!
But it's actually simple. We'll break it down for you:
- Order From Their Website Like You're Online Shopping
- Wait for Shipping
Your Crowd Cow order will be shipped frozen to you. They use dry ice to preserve your frozen meat, and you'll be surprised that it's still pretty frozen when it arrives.
The shipping takes around 2-3 days, depending on where you are in the USA (except for Alaska and Hawaii. Not yet at least!) If you're curious, Crowd Cow headquarters is Seattle-based.
Additionally, one of the best things about Crowd Cow shipping is you're fully in control of the schedule. You can schedule and reschedule with no penalty.
If you're on a subscription box plan, you can choose to cancel without penalty too.
- Enjoy Your Delicious Meats!
Immediately enjoy your orders once they arrive at your doorstep. It's pretty easy, right?
If you enjoyed it, you can apply for an official membership to avail the best promos and discounts.
Is Crowd Cow Worth It?
Our answer is YES.
You're probably thinking that all these are too good to be true, so they must come at a really high price.
Well, yes and no.
Yes, the Crowd Cow cost will be higher as compared to most of the grocery store prices. The prices vary depending on slices and types.
What About Shipping?
The shipping fees are a flat rate of $12.99 (1-2 day ship zones) and $19.99 (3-day ship zones) and free shipping is available to members if the order totals $99.
Is Crowd Cow Expensive?
With Crowdcow, you actually save money. A LOT. For its price, you get:
- High-Quality Meat: You can't deny it, you won't find these kinds of quality in an ordinary grocery store.
- You're Helping Small Family Farms: Sustainable farming and agriculture, and your local farm need our support.
- You Save Long-Term: It seems a lot since you pay all at once, but you're actually stocking up meat supplies. Again, lessens all the back and forth trips to grocery stores!
- Ecological Packagings: Crowd Cow has received so much praise for its sustainable packaging system. You literally get a straightforward recyclable box, plastic covers, and some dry ice, skipping the wasteful packaging materials that subscription boxes often have.
Some Cons of Crowd Cow
As an honest Crowd Cow review, we will certainly be transparent about the cons.
First: Don't expect a surplus of supply or consistent quality all year round.
Since the partner sources are small farmers, there are on and off-seasons as opposed to those big manufacturers. Try to not be too disappointed when your favorite ground beef is sold out for this month.
Second: If you only need smaller orders, the shipping fee might unreasonably exceed your total. If you can find a way for others who can order with you, it might be better so you can take advantage of the free shipping.
Verdict: Who Crowd Cow is For
Overall, if you love to eat meat (be it beef, pork, chicken, or seafood) and frequently incorporate juicy steaks and ground beef burgers into your meals, it's worth it.
Crowd Cow basically made it so much easier to have a ranch-to-table quality of meat in an ethical and sustainable manner that's also helping our independent farms.
Give it a shot, and it might change the meat game for you for good!
We reviewed more meat stores for your convenience:
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