RawSpiceBar Subscription Box Review + Coupon – January 2016

I just looked up this review to check the comments… I signed up Feb 2nd and have yet to receive a Feb box! I’ve had multiple communications with ‘Uly’ and supposedly they are resending my box. I have serious doubts.
I can’t imagine this company will stay in business if this keeps up!

I looooove this box! The lachs and roasted veggies from December was fabulous ( though I put the gingerbread spices in pumpkin smoothies), Egyptian was awesome despite the fact that I wrongly assumed the couscous would steam en pappillote–because the recipe didn’t specify pre cooking… Just finished making the February sechuan, which was delicious though not nearly as hot as anticipated… I am so hooked!

As a follow-up to my comment on 2/11/16: RSB said they would ship “replacements” for the items that were never shipped on the 6-month subscription to begin with, and they would extend the subscription for a month since December spices were no longer available. Additionally, I was told they would send me a spice box/package for my troubles. RSB told me that all items were being shipped on 2/12/16 (the date for shipping February’s box) and should arrive that same week. Ten days later, and nothing has been received–not by me, not by the subscription giftee. I don’t know what is happening with this company and their shipping and fulfillment, but there is definitely a problem and I’m done with trying to work with RSB on it. I requested a full refund for two subscriptions that I paid for and was advised I would be refunded and that it can take up to 10 days for the refund to show on my credit card. Fingers crossed, because I am not looking forward to spending more time to dispute the charges with my credit card company.

I also ordered a 6-month subscription for a friend; order placed December 15, 2015. She received nothing in January, and as of 2/16/16, she has received NOTHING for February.

I sent them an e-mail using their contact page on the website last Friday, 2/12/16, which states I would receive a reply in 24 hours. NO REPLY AS OF 2/16/16.

This is very frustrating and unprofessional on their part. When a company promises to reply and then doesn’t I don’t want to deal with it anymore.

The next step will be to dispute the charge on my credit card for a refund.

I’m really sad..it seems I won’t be getting my Egyptian Spices and now I worry if I will even be getting my spices for February. I was so looking forward to January’s. I think what upsets me the most with this company was that they kept leading me on and then finally today I get this email
“Kiki,

Thank you so much for your kind note. It does seem that we have about 200 orders or so that went missing in January and we are looking to figure out who’s orders went missing and why as soon as we can. We are going to refund all of these orders for this month and are so sorry for the inconvenience.”

I just wanted my spices and now I’m so disappointed. They still owe me free boxes because, I referred several friends so I’m not going to cancel I’m just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even though I feel like screaming because, I also had billing issues with them as well.

Anyways, I’m happy for those of you who did get your boxes you should count yourself blessed.

My son bought me a year subscription to Raw Spice. This was my first month and I loved it. I especially liked the carrots and the flatbread. I also made a lentil soup, but modified the recipe and added beef. My family really liked it. I tend to make many of the same meals every month or two. I think the thing I will like about this subscription is that it will encourage me to try some new dishes and spices that I would be unlikely to try on my own.

As for shipping issues-I didn’t have any trouble. Raw Spice sent my son an email when they mailed the first shipment and he just forwarded that to me, so I was expecting the packet in the mail. For those who had difficulty, I hope your issues are resolved quickly.

I think the Raw Spice Bar recipe for the lentil soup is modified from this recipe – http://www.mattersofthebelly.com/egyptian-lentil-soup/. The phrasing in the directions is exactly the same in parts plus Raw Spice Bar uses Fahrenheit in their other recipes but Celsius in this recipe. I do think it would be better for them to credit people when they adapt their recipes.

I also thought it was weird that their picture doesn’t match the recipe, most of the recipes I’ve seen that for blending a lentil soup use red or yellow lentils but their picture is of unblended green or brown lentils. That’s what made me search for the original recipe. Makes it look like they aren’t testing the recipes they’re “adapting”.

Wow, we would have LOVED this month’s box! I still am considering trying Raw Spice Bar out at some point, but with all the reports of shipping issues I’ve held off. Currently we’re trying out Kitchen Table Passport which is similar in sending world spices & recipes.

I made the fish! Well, sort of. I figured out that their recipe was “inspired” by an Alton Brown recipe for Red Snapper en Papillote, so I used his recipe as a fact check for RSB’s (sometimes their ingredients don’t match up with the instructions). My local supermarket had neither branzino nor whole red snapper, so per the fish guy’s recommendation I substituted whole black seabass. The recipe was pretty good, actually! It wasn’t my favourite recipe that I’ve had from RSB (the Ethiopian stew wins top honours in my book) but it was very tasty and the fish wound up cooked absolutely perfectly.

I just love this sub. I always look forward to each month – have liked them all! I did like my curry recipe better than theirs one month but overall the spices and recipes have been a hit with me and my family.

I ordered a 6-month subscription for my brother as a Xmas gift in early-mid December after reading reviews. I thought he and his wife would really enjoy it. I didn’t order by the deadline for the first shipment to arrive that same month–their website says they operate and ship on a “magazine schedule,” whatever that means. No problem. First shipment (December) was to arrive in early January, and then the January shipment would arrive thereafter, etc. I spoke to my brother over the weekend to find out how he was liking the spices only to discover that he hasn’t received anything. At all. The shipping address is correct, and he has a locked mailbox, so theft is not a likely issue (theft of spices? Two months in a row? By the Usps carrier?? Doubt it.). I contacted raw spice bar and received an apologetic reply; their “records” show he should have received two orders by now. They do not have or provide tracking information for shipping. I think their shipping records must be incorrect, as clearly this order was never fulfilled. The December spices are no longer available and they agreed to extend the subscription by an additional month and to send out the spices (again? For the first time?). I had good CS response (although no tracking for shipments or even shipping date is annoying), but I will have to wait to see if these spices ever get delivered to the recipient. Embarrassing and disappointing Xmas non-gift to give to someone.

This was my favorite month yet. I always use the recipes as loose suggestions, because sometimes the measurements are just wacky, or the instructions are not at all well thought out. We used the Hazelnut Dukkah on top of a hummus, the Sumac Berries for salad dressing, and the Egyptian Spices for chicken. The chicken was prepared and cooked the same way we always make our Chicken Makhani, we just subbed in the Egyptian Spices in place of the Indian spices we normally use. The chicken was baked on a bed of carrots. So delicious!

YOUR dishes always look and sound so amazing! You make me want to try things I never would on my own.

I see that subscribers have had some shipping issues and there have been some problems with the recipes but I took the plunge anyway and signed up for a year. I figure it’s very easy to drop that much in stores for spices that I may or may not use. This way I’m definitely going to try a few new dishes a month, try things I never had and will hopefully find a some new loves along the way. I’m an adventurous cook anyway but the reviews look like there’s lots of fun stuff to be tried with this subscription.

This was a pretty good month for me. We did the lentil soup also (with vegetable broth of course). Except wow, the amount of oil in the salad recipe was like 720 calories’ worth. Also we didn’t put croutons in the soup because it seemed kind of silly when we were also having the flatbreads.