Our Team Reviewed & Ranked 6 Popular Meal Kit Delivery Services!
Looking for the best meal delivery kits? We tested 6 meal delivery services and gave our honest reviews.
These meal delivery kits are like having a personal chef in your kitchen!
And we’ve done the research on the best ones for you! Our team has tested several of the top meal delivery kits and given our honest reviews so that you can find the best one for you and your family.
Our reviews are based on the freshness of ingredients, ease of preparation, packaging, menu options, price/value, and more. Check out the results below.
Here are the 6 Meal Delivery Kits We Tried:
1. EveryPlate – Overall rating: 5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
EveryPlate delivers pre-measured ingredients with simple recipes right to your door. They offer flexible menus and plans for 2 or 4 people at a cost of just $4.99 per serving. You can easily skip whenever needed, too.
Here’s what I thought of EveryPlate:
This is one of my favorite meal boxes (and the Hip2Save team loves it, too!)! Not only is EveryPlate THE most affordable meal kit delivery box on the market, but their meals are amazing and the quality is fantastic! In fact, I quickly noticed that the ingredients they send in their boxes are the SAME quality and/or brand as other boxes – for much less!
I love that EveryPlate offers a variety of meals with portions that are usually a great size for my family – sometimes with leftovers! Plus, each recipe includes fun or helpful tips & hacks on the recipe card to guide you while you’re cooking.
The only downside is that EveryPlate does not cater to special diets or allow customization, but they do offer extremely low prices for their meal kit delivery service and have great customer service. If you’re wanting the convenience of a meal box but at an affordable price, I think that EveryPlate offers the best bang for your buck!
How did the EveryPlate meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Best bang for your buck!)
Overall rating: 5.0 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I just got EveryPlate in the mail. We have tried one meal so far and it was good. The choices are def more simple and seem like they would be more kid/picky-eater friendly. Certainly worth a try in my opinion. – Hip2Save reader Joann
I have found this to be the most affordable boxed meal plan for my family. It’s easy to skip or customize. They also have kid-friendly meals with decent portion sizes. – Hip2Save reader SophieA
Over the past six months, we’ve used this service for about 15 weeks. The two-person weekly plan is definitely enough for my hubby and me. Sometimes my daughter-in-law will stop by for dinner and I will just add some biscuits or rolls to stretch it to three people. We absolutely love this service and the price cannot be beat. Everything is always fresh and the recipes are easy and delicious. – Hip2Save reader charlistoneman
They are definitely one of the most affordable meal boxes. The meals aren’t complicated to make and my kids like them, definitely good for families – Hip2Save reader doryfish
I love this meal kit. It’s simple ingredients I can easily make and recreate the recipes again. It’s always fresh and I love that I can just pause on weeks I do not prefer the menu. Highly recommend. – Hip2Save reader JessicaG
Does EveryPlate accommodate special diets?
Unfortunately, no. To keep their prices so affordable, they do not cater to special diets such as keto, gluten-free, paleo, low carb, or vegan. Although, they do have several veggie-only options now, and they may offer more options in the future.
How much does EveryPlate cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at $4.99 (or $2.99 with the deal below!)
- Shipping: $8.99/box
Current promo! Get $48 off your first 3 boxes!
2. Home Chef – Overall rating: 4.8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Home Chef offers various recipes each week, and you can even upgrade, double-up, add, or swap protein on select meals! Plus, with their “Customize It” feature, you can choose from up 20+ fresh weekly options including steak, chicken, pork, fish, and vegetarian.
They also offer meat/seafood samplers and protein packs if you want to stock up on meats. Pick any combination of recipes, in servings of 2, 4, or 6 servings – or change the day of your delivery from week to week and skip whenever needed.
Also, Home Chef packages all of the ingredients for each recipe in separate plastic bags (except for meat) so you can just grab a bag and start cooking!
Here’s what I thought of Home Chef:
I was impressed with the Home Chef packaging and loved that all the items you need for each recipe were organized in separate bags (except for meat). The meat was packaged nicely at the bottom of the box with plenty of ice packs to keep it fresh. Plus, the photos on the recipe cards were really eye-catching!
One of the things that set Home Chef apart from the other meal kit delivery services is that they send you a 3-ring binder with your first box so you can keep all of the recipe cards in one place – super handy! That way if you want to keep a recipe and make it again, you’ll have easy access to it!
We tried a Huli Huli Tofu Rice Bowl recipe and a Salmon with Dill Butter recipe and they both were delicious, easy to make, and a hit with the whole family!
“I’ve ordered from Home Chef many times and every single meal has been amazing! I really love their Oven Ready meals that require little to no work – they’re perfect for busy nights when my kids have practice and I’m short on time.” – Lina
How did the Home Chef meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (the portions were sufficient but not overly generous)
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love my Home Chef. I get a delivery every week and I’m never disappointed. – Hip2Save reader Kell6580
I’ve tried Home Chef, Green Chef, and Plated. I really liked the options and flavors of Home Chef! – Hip2Save reader Amanda
I’ve tried Home Chef in the past. I like that there are plenty of options to choose from and the instructions are straight-forward. I don’t have a consistent delivery since it’s not quite in the budget, but I have been pleased with the boxes I have received. – Hip2Save reader Cie
My husband and I have tried a few different boxes and Home Chef is probably my favorite. We’ve yet to have a dish that we weren’t satisfied with! We both have big appetites and there is enough to fill us both up in the two-person plans. I am such a picky eater, but there are so many choices on the menus each week that it’s easy to avoid things I don’t like. It has also made us branch out and try things we wouldn’t normally prepare. – Hip2Save reader Jessica
Does Home Chef accommodate special diets?
Yes – somewhat. They offer low-calorie and low-carb options, and you can also customize meals with or without meat, seafood, vegetables, pork, wheat, milk, nuts, etc.
How much does Home Chef cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at 6.99
- Shipping: $7.99 – $13.99/box
Current promo! Save $90 on your first 4 boxes!
3. HelloFresh – Overall rating: 4.7 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
HelloFresh offers a weekly menu of 27+ dinners, including options for carnivores, vegetarians, calorie-counters, and more. Pick any combination of recipes for 2 or 4 people, choose the day of your delivery from week to week, and skip whenever needed. Choose recipes from their Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family-Friendly, or Low-Carb menu plans.
Ingredients for each recipe will be packaged in separate paper bags (except for meat), making it easy to get organized for meal prep.
Here’s what I thought of HelloFresh:
HelloFresh has been amazing lately. I’m honestly impressed with their chef-designed recipes, quality ingredients, and easy shipments. We have enjoyed all of our meals and it’s so nice to not worry about meal planning or grocery shopping. I love having a couple of meals like this loaded in the fridge for busy weeknights!
It’s so much healthier than opting for take-out. Plus I have learned a few new cooking skills too. Just last week I learned how to make a quick and easy tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes for a pasta bake! Recipes go faster when everything is pre-measured and preportioned.
How did the HelloFresh meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Somewhat on the expensive side)
Overall rating: 4.7 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have been blown out of the water with every meal from HelloFresh. They have all been delicious! I have been trying the “calorie smart” meals and other ones that are healthier options. None of these were recipes I would’ve printed and made myself, but they are keepers for sure. I would be able to buy all the ingredients at a grocery store (and grow some of the produce in my garden during summer) so these recipes are going in the vault! I’m trying to clean up my eating and stay on track, and trying some new meals with the ease and convenience they provide is amazing. These really help me out on weeknights, being a single mom with not getting home until 5:30-6:00. – Hip2Save reader Chelsea85
I have tried HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Plated, Sunbasket, and Home Chef. Out of all of them, I found Hello Fresh to have the most approachable grocery list. I’ve made several recipes again and the ingredients were not so obscure it required much “special” shopping. I have one picky eater and one kiddo who eats anything and both are satisfied with the recipes. – Hip2Save reader Robyn
We are currently doing HelloFresh. We have really enjoyed learning different techniques, trying new things, and less grocery shopping. The only issue we’ve had is some fresh produce getting too cold in transport. But HelloFresh has been extremely helpful when I had these issues. – Hip2Save reader Jes
If you have picky eaters, I would try HelloFresh first. My kids are 11 and 13 and to save money I buy the 2 person plan (3 meals a week) and try to order meals I can add a little more meat or pasta to make it larger for everyone yet less expensive. –Hip2Save reader Kelley
We’ve been really happy with HelloFresh! The meals take under 30 minutes to prepare, and both my hubby and I have liked the unique and tasty choices! – Hip2Save reader Lauren
Does HelloFresh accommodate special diets?
Somewhat. HelloFresh offers a few menu options, like Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Calorie Smart, Quick and Easy, Pescatarian, or Family-Friendly. While HelloFresh offers a variety of meal preferences, they do not offer a Keto/Paleo meal plan or any meals for specific diets.
How much does HelloFresh cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at $5.74
- Shipping: FREE on your first delivery, $8.99 on subsequent deliveries
Current promo! For a limited time, score 14 meals FREE with free shipping!
4. Sunbasket – Overall rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunbasket offers a weekly menu of 14+ dinners. Pick any combination of recipes, in servings of 2 or 4. You can also change the day of your delivery from week to week and skip whenever needed. Every kit includes high-quality, organic, non-GMO produce, and antibiotic and hormone-free meats.
They also offer various add-ons for breakfast, lunch, healthy snacking, and even pantry staples. Also, Sunbasket packages all of the ingredients for each recipe in separate paper bags (except for meat) so you can get cooking in no time at all!
Here’s what we thought of Sunbasket:
We liked Sunbasket, as the meals were very fresh, healthy, and included all organic produce and sustainably sourced meats. The meals were pretty easy to prepare, too!
I loved how everything they sent us was organic and clean. They even included pasture-raised organic brown eggs, which I thought was pretty cool considering that most meal boxes don’t send any eggs, butter, etc.! Overall, the meals were very interesting and healthy, but they were a little on the bland side and not our most favorite recipe choices.
How did the Sunbasket meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (More expensive than most)
Overall rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Sunbasket accommodate special diets?
Yes – lots! Choose from various menu plans, such as Carb-Conscious, Paleo, Mediterranean, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan, Lean & Clean, Diabetes-Friendly, and more!
How much does Sunbasket cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at $8.99
- Shipping: FREE on your first delivery, $7.99 on subsequent deliveries
Current promo! Get $90 off your first delivery plus four free gifts. Also includes free shipping when you order today!
5. Blue Apron – Overall rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Blue Apron offers a weekly menu of 14 recipes with a mix of meat, fish, Beyond Meat, and vegetarian recipes (including WW-approved recipes)! Pick any combination of recipes from 2 to 4 people or change the day of your delivery from week to week.
Here’s what I thought of Blue Apron:
I was excited to try Blue Apron, as I have been doing WW (formerly Weight Watchers) for a while and wanted to see how their Freestyle menu plans tasted. I was a little shocked that both of the recipes I received were each 11 SmartPoints per serving, which seems like a lot of points for one meal (my daily points allowance is 23).
Also, I was surprised at some of the additions that the recipes called for – like sugar, Crème fraîche, or golden potatoes. While most foods are “allowed” on the WW diet, it seems they could have used other items with lower WW point values instead.
All of the ingredients were super fresh, the meats were high-quality, and it was convenient that they included a barcode you can scan with your WW app to track the SmartPoints! I also really liked the way their recipe card was laid out as it was very easy to follow. The meals tasted pretty good, but we didn’t discover any new family favorites.
How did the Blue Apron meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Somewhat on the expensive side)
Overall rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Blue Apron accommodate special diets?
Yes, somewhat. Blue Apron accommodates a few dietary preferences and offers these options – WW Freestyle, vegetarian, or Signature (an ever-changing mix of meat, fish, Beyond Meat, and vegetarian recipes along with repeating customer favorites).
How much does Blue Apron cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at $8.99
- Shipping: FREE on your first delivery, $8.99 on subsequent deliveries. $50+ orders get free shipping.
Current promo! Get $60 off your first 3 boxes of meal kits!
6. Green Chef – Overall rating: 4.4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Green Chef offers weekly menus based on your dietary and delivery preferences. Pick any combination of recipes, in servings of 2 or 4, for diets like paleo and keto, vegetarian, as well as a balanced living option. Change the day of your delivery from week to week and skip whenever needed. There are 9 different options to choose from every week.
Also, Green Chef packages all of the ingredients for each recipe in separate paper bags (except for meat) so you can just grab a bag and get started!
Here’s what I thought of Green Chef:
As much as I really wanted to love Green Chef, it wasn’t my favorite box. We tried the keto meal plan and while the meals were somewhat tasty, unfortunately the portions were not very generous and there were absolutely no leftovers.
We made a Chicken with Creamy Caper Sauce, Malaysian Spiced Pork Patties, and Montreal Shaved Steak Hash (pictured above). The meals took around 25-35 minutes to make which was great, but we definitely had to add in a side veggie or salad to make enough food for dinner.
The net carbs per serving were 9g for the Chicken with Caper Sauce meal, 11g for the Pork Patties meal, and 20g for the Steak Hash meal. I don’t personally follow a keto diet, but those net carbs seemed a little high to me!
Overall, Green Chef was packaged nicely, had simple instructions, and had really fresh ingredients, but the meals were not our faves.
How did the Green Chef meal delivery kits rate?
- Freshness of ingredients: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Packaging/presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Easy-to-understand directions: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Taste of meals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (They were pretty good, but not something we’d make again)
- Recyclable materials: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Portion Size: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (The portions could have been larger)
- Price/Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall rating: 4.4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Does Green Chef accommodate special diets?
Yes! Green Chef offers keto + paleo, balanced living, or plant-powered plan.
How much does Green Chef cost?
- Price per serving: Starting at $12.49
- Shipping: FREE on your first delivery, $9.99 on subsequent deliveries.
Current promo! Get $99 off your first four Green Chef deliveries PLUS free shipping.
Celebrating a birthday? Score 175 Birthday Freebies, Coupons, & Deals!
I’ve been using EveryPlate for a while and generally I like it. However I’m not finding the produce to always be super fresh. For example, I’ve had several instances of wilted green onions and tomatoes or peppers already with soft spots right when they arrive at my door, so I have to buy my own. But, I still like it overall.
Thanks for letting us know what you think of EveryPlate, jessawyer!
We have similar issues with fedex! Really frustrating
A friend of mine was sent moldy parmesan in one of her Blue Apron kits and all they did was offer her a $5.00 credit.
Wow! When I have had problems with hello fresh, not liking a recipe or problems with the quality of something minor I have been given a credit for a free meal (I think it was around a $30 credit we were on the family plan). Price-wise however once my introductory promotional period ended I couldn’t justify it so I am looking forward to trying some of the others on the list.
You complain to them about not liking a recipe for a meal you selected ?
Getting diettogo right now. It’s prepared food, and so far it’s been pretty delicious. I mostly eat vegetarian and am a horrible cook, so I needed something to keep me from just getting take-out pizza or Chipotle all the time. It’s a little pricey, but now I have healthy filling lunches and dinners in my freezer that I just need to throw in the fridge the night before for days I don’t want to think about food.
It’s pricey but as a single person it’s cut back on grocery store trips (and impulse grocery pies, e.g. I really don’t need a whole pie even if I can freeze it in pieces) and on worrying about what to feed myself when I just want food and don’t care what. Not really dieting because I still snack and eat whatever is around for dessert, but still feeling healthier. Good variety too.
Just my two cents, since I hadn’t heard of it and found it while googling after a failed attempted at Hungry Root.
Thanks so much, Lee!
Good on you!
If it was only me I would subscribe. My family is picky and and there are 6 of us. No tomato’s, no corn, no peas, only hamburger, turkey, and chicken etc.
You family sounds like mine. Lol we are a family of 7 and the family only eats meat and broccoli (except me that is) These boxes meals don’t ever work for us.
I finally broke down and tried hello fresh (80% off and free shipping for 4 orders) and it didn’t wow me. It wasn’t top notch produce and the rice turned to mush. Oh, and it took way more prep time then listed. On the plus side, less grocery shopping!
We’ve tried several boxes and really like Every Plate. It’s prices really well, and the food choices have been good. Once, they sent us the incorrect meat for a dish, but I contacted them and they gave us a credit. The produce is usually fine, but occasionally a tad past it’s prime. With all of that said, for the price, it’s a great deal.
Does anyone have suggestions for the best plan that’s low calorie? I’ve do Hello Fresh and their idea of low cal is 700-800. Blue Apron was not my favorite. I was thinking of Green Chef next but now I’m not so sure!
I’ve tried hello fresh, blue apron, and plated. Every single one of them I ended up canceling after several instances of them forgetting ingredients or the ingredients being rotten. Plated customer service was usually pretty good about “making things right” but it was still a pretty big inconvenience in most cases. I had to substitute or make something else entirely, which just made it a huge pain in the butt and not worth the extra cost or the extra time to contact customer service. Also, Fed Ex was the delivery person for all and they were terrible too. They left packages out in the pouring rain instead of leaving them on my covered porch and delivered at 8pm on several occassions. One time I didn’t realize they had delivered until the next morning because they never rang the bell and I was in bed for the night. I really loved plated and hello fresh food when it was right but with all the mishaps, it’s a big fat no for me.
We had Blue Apron for a while, but it was really pricey (especially if you forget to cancel on a week you didn’t want a box) and we were just too busy to make all the meals. Plus, with some dietary restrictions and a couple of picky eaters, there was a lot of substitution going on that made it seem like we should just find our own recipes. We did Hello Fresh briefly, but the portions were way too small for us–I got the 4 person box for 3 people and there wasn’t enough to go around.
I like the idea of these boxes, especially since some of the recipes are really good (we had a kale dish with blood orange slices that was PHENOMENAL), but I just haven’t found one that really works well. Honestly, the best option for me would be a cooperation with a local grocery store where you pick up a card with the recipe and shopping list, they charge you 99 cents for the privilege, and you get all your own stuff on your own schedule (or order it for curbside pickup).
Do you have Publix in your area? They do provide recipe cards – and cooked samples if you hit the right time. And all the products are gathered in a special cooler display next to the demo cart.
Great idea!
My two favorites… Everyplate but when I get bored I use MarleySpoon
Thanks for the feedback! Good to know which you have liked best!
My favorite is Gobble! There recipes are the best. I have tried 4 in your list and was member of 1 of the 4 for over a year. Gobble still beats them all!
Interesting – we’ve tried three companies and Gobble is our least favorite. We cancelled after the first box – I must have hit the wrong week.
Maybe I will try them…. I’ve heard very mixed reviews also.
If you are looking for meals already cooked and want to watch your calories, Freshly and Sensible Meals are great!
Thanks for the suggestion, Stacy!
Which did you like better?
We use every plate because it has normal ingredients and limits the amounts of ingredients. Martha and Marley in my opinion was too much work for an every day meal. Once you hit $10 a person you might as well shop at the deli.
I’ve gotten hello fresh twice now with a couple month gap between be sue they sent me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The first time we got it we were super impressed as the meals were fantastic and all the ingredients fresh. This last time which was a couple weeks ago the ice packs were totally melted so I was concerned with the temp of the meat, also the broccoli (which two of my meals called for) was on its last leg, and the meals weren’t as big of a *wow* for my family as the first time. Oh and for some reason the chicken was really fatty. I had to trim it quite a bit before using it. Either way if they sent me an offer like before again I would order again because it’s so nice not to have to grocery shop and also to try new meals.
I’ve tried SunBasket, Marley Spoon and HomeChef. For me personally, HomeChef has been by far, the best and I still order from them! SunBasket just got to be a bit too pricy even for the fresh organic ingredients. I had so many issues with Marley Spoon that I can’t even count them on two hands….deliveries to wrong location at house, late delivery, moldy or mushy ingredients, missing ingredients from something small like a lemon all the way up to the main course of chicken, smashed ingredients, leaks all over the box, missing recipe cards, etc. Before I ended my service with them, I had 4 bad weeks in a row. It didn’t seem they listened to customer suggestions or comments on how to improve, which I gave regularly due to all the issues. I will never be going to back to them, even if they lowered the price purely due to continued inconveniences of having to call or email to complain. HomeChef has been awesome since the beginning! Timely shipments, everything packaged together, down to even butter or shredded cheese, and overall great prices and great dishes!
I agree with you about Marley Spoon! When they got it right the recipes were super tasty. But we also has a run of week after week of missing ingredients, wrong ingredients, rotten ingredients, melted ice pack explosions (yuck!). We finally gave up. Went back to Hello Fresh.
I’ve been doing hellofresh for a few months off and on. I’ve been very happy with them. I am giving Dinnerly a try for a bit, just cuz their everyday price is a little lower. I tend to cancel all the time and get lured back in with good deals! I do like that it helps break up the monotony of what I normally cook.
We were gifted 4 meals from HelloFresh and something that I noted about them that I haven’t seen to many other people mention is their portion sizes. They are really small. We had a meal called Melty Monterey Jack Burgers with Red Onion Jam, Garlic Mayo, and crispy potato wedges. We were able to make two good size burgers (although my BF would have preferred two) but we were given 4 baby Yukon potatoes so we had to take two potatoes out of our pantry to make enough. Also, no vegetable. But the meal was tasty. We got a couple takeaways from it to use going forward (the red onion jam & garlic mayo was DELISH) and we really enjoyed making dinner together following a recipe. We cook together a lot but we normally don’t follow recipes. We’re trying the chicken souvlaki pita meal with sweet potato fries tonight!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us, Tracy! We appreciate it! I hope your chicken souvlaki pita meal with sweet potato fries is delicious!
ive tried all of these except every plate. my favorite was hello fresh because of the customer service and the amount of free boxes they offer for you to give to friends and family. the worst one was the martha stewart one…i got 3 boxes and every single one of them came fully defrosted. and i had several ingredients in the martha boxes that were unusable
Thank you SO much for sharing your experiences with these services with us, marty!
I
would love to hear wht you think of gobble and dinnerly
Thanks so much for the request! I’ll be sure to pass that along to the team!
I have tried Hello Fresh, Martha Stewart and Every Plate. Winner for me is Every Plate. Hello Fresh and Martha Stewart are not economical to me. Hello Fresh was great, no complaints. Martha Stewart was ok, nothing exciting.
Every Plate is great! Economical and good food. Has helped with dinners during sports.
I love all the different options, I just don’t like how the promotions are for new customers only. I would absolutely continue with these services, but can’t justify the cost without the promos/coupons. Just like Walmart grocery, all for new customers….boooo…
They are all too expensive.
There are Groupons for Home Chef, Hello Fresh, Green Chef, Gobble, and Blue Apron. Plus if you have a coupon code or are set up as a student (25% off nearly all Groupons), the deals get even better! Almost all of them are at least 50 % off without coupons or other discounts. Hello Fresh is on sale for $41 for two weeks of of six meals for two through tomorrow and Gobble is on sale as well through tomorrow. Note on the two week plans, shipping is only free the first week, except on Home Chef, it is free both weeks for the 2 week plan on Groupon.
Nice finds, Andrew! Thanks for sharing with us!
Anyone heard of PantryBoy? Their quality of ingredients and recipes were ok. They had one standard cheap sauce/herbs that was used in every dish, and it wasn’t the best-tasting. Some ingredients were missing or incorrect. Customer service was horrible. Needless to say, I don’t use them anymore, nor do I see any other talk of them on here.
I’ve tried Sun Basket, Hello Fresh and HomeChef. I liked Sun Basket the most (best quality and best recipes IMO) but it was expensive. Hello Fresh had nice ingredients but the recipes did not wow me. HomeChef is now available at my local Kroger so I have picked up a couple of those again (without the delivery/subscription) when the recipes look good. With all of them, I found myself altering recipes for our tastes which made me feel like I might as well buy my own stuff and cook! Also, I like to cook enough to get at least 2 meals (dinner and leftovers for lunch). None of the boxes offered enough food for that.
I’ve tried
Dinnerly – Came 3 days late and was missing meat for one of the meals. I called customer service and they had no clue where my box was or what happened. I told them that at least an email saying there was an issue would have been nice. They said they do send out emails, but once again, didn’t know what happened. We weren’t thrilled with any of the meals, everything was just kind of shoved in the box and I had buns on the very bottom of the box.l
Home Chef – Loved the recipes! The ingredients for each meal were in a clear, separate bag. I loved that I could see what was in them. The meat was on the bottom of the box sandwiched between ice packs to keep it nice and fresh.
Hello Fresh – We loved the recipes the first week and liked them the next. The ingredients for each meal are in separate bags. The bags were paper and I would have preferred something transparent. If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. 😀 Some of the the produce wasn’t the freshest (green onions) but nothing was unusable.
Every Plate – Have my first delivery scheduled for today!
We do the family plan (4 people) and that serves 5 of us well. Me, the hubs, 9 year old boy and 11 & 13 year old girls.
Some of the things the delivery services are rate on I don’t care about. I’m mainly concerned about taste and price. And fresh ingredients.
Thanks a TON for your reviews on each of these! We sure appreciate hearing about your experience!
Thanks to ur previous post n reviews, I tried EveryPlate the other evening. Shipment arrived safely. Ingredients fresh. Easy recipes. Tasted good. Ordered for 4 ppl, which ended up feeding 3 adults, 2 kids, n lunch for 1 adult next day. Did chicken fajitas n everyone liked them. Will continue subscription, as of now. Thanks, H2S n fellow hipsters!
I really enjoyed Everyplate. The portions were huge and quality good. I have been ordering from Factor75 for the last few weeks and I love it. Granted its already pre-made but I knew I would be too busy to cook. I have been impressed with Factor75 because the quality and taste. They also accommodate certain diets. Just my two cents.
I’ve used Hello Fresh, Sun Basket, Home Chef and Everyplate. For variety and quality I like Sun Basket the best. They had meals that weren’t so bland IMO. We didn’t like the Home Chef recipes but we only tried 2. I loved their binder and packaging. Hello Fresh was good. Everyplate was good and it is definitely the most economical. We are also planning on trying Dinnerly whose prices are on par with Everyplate . Once we are done doing all of the trials we will probably stick to either Dinnerly or Everyplate due to cost. It does amaze me that there is no discount or incentive for people buying more. We alway buy the 3 day for 4 people subscription but usually the first time customer price is higher per serving than the 2 person plan. I wish they offered bulk discount. I did notice that purchasing a 4 person meal plan vs a 2 person meal plan they just throw in 2 kits. It seems they don’t make 4 person specific kits. Also as a tip, we are a family or 6, 2 adults, 8yo twins, 13yo, and 14yo, and the 4 person packs have been enough for us. Occasionally I have added some more rice or tortillas but other than that we are able to feed all 6 of us on the 4 serving plans.
My dad seems to have dementia and my moms life is getting more challenging. What is the simplest and best plan I can gift to her?
Last year we ordered prepared meals from Freshly for our 90 year old grandmother. She said some meals were better than others but she enjoyed not having to cook for just herself. They did miss her first delivery so she ended up getting a a second week of food free.
My husband and I alternate between Home Chef and Everyplate. Sometimes Everyplate has wilted stuff but not too bad. It is cheaper than Homechef but I find the meals a bit better at Homechef (choices of meals and recipes). We also do Freshly which is prepared then frozen and shipped to you that day. It is pretty healthy with most dishes under 500 calories. Can be bland but nothing seasoning doesn’t fix.
I use Freshly as well but my meals come fresh, not frozen. Is there an option to request them frozen? I want them to arrive fresh, not frozen, but I am still curious to know since the name of the company is “Fresh”ly 😉 I sure love the convenience of popping them in the microwave for 3 minutes!
I just found out the Hello Fresh and Every Plate are sister companies. Hello Fresh is the more expensive by far of the two. I think it’s very interesting they are connected…I do prefer Hello Fresh, but it was just too darn expensive.
We are currently getting Every plate, I agree with others who commented on the lack of fresh produce. But I like their recipes so far and their pricing is good.
I wondered if this was the case. I’ve been doing Hello Fresh for a few months, but this blog prompted me to try Every Plate. When my first Every Plate arrived, I noticed how similar all of the print materials look to Hello Fresh and the meat seems to be sourced from the same vendor. I wish Every Plate had more options like Hello Fresh for the weekly menus, because I certainly prefer their price.
I loved hello fresh but I get sick a lot and ended up in the hospital for a week and all my weeks food went rotten, very good food just not for me, if I didn’t have a chronic illness and on dialysis it would of been perfect
I really like HelloFresh!! 😋 their recipes are simple and delicious. I chose Pork-Free option and we’ve been content with many of their dishes. Hoping they’d add even more pork-free options simply because there is an abundance of them! I’d also like to see brown rice substituted for the Jasmine rice that seems to be in every meal. Overall I’d definitely recommend them!
With my first order of Everyplate, I’ve liked our first two meals so far. Fresh veggies n easy yummy recipes. They even sent extra veggies. Can’t wait to try next meal.
Anyone recommend a certain one for a gluten free diet?
Would anyone be able to suggest the best organic one that I could try. Thank you in advance.
I switched to SunBasket from HelloFresh about a year ago. We lost weight doing the keto diet and SunBasket was easier to control our carbs. I love that it’s organic. They did recently change their booklet…. you now get a pamphlet for each meal rather than a whole catalog of the recipes for the week. Saves paper. You still have full access to all of the weeks recipes online.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Danielle D! We sure appreciate it!
I have tried a lot of these. Home Chef is the only one I’ve gone back to. I have been happy with the price, freshness of food, and selection of meals (like the easy ones! Perfect for when I’ve had a hectic day lol)
We absolutely love a hello Fresh, but it’s too expensive to keep up on a regular basis. I just keep it for busy weeks. Anytime I can snag a promo code I do though. The food is always fresh and delicious. It’s taught me new cooking skills too!
My husband and I (empty nesters) have been doing Home Chef, the past 6 months and we both love the recipes. The boxes arrive on time, no missing ingredients and fresh produce. I like how all ingredients for each meal (except the meat) are in separate clear bags and clearly marked. Portions are just right, not too little nor too much ( no leftovers – which we don’t do). I would highly recommend.
Im behind on all the posts… Just reading this! Any kits are friendly/family friendly? Wanting to try these out? any discounts out there?
I just signed up from imperfect foods and they have recipes on their website, its no meal prep package but very affordable, looking forward to seeing what comes in my box, it will save me a trip to the store for fresh stuff!
I’ve been getting imperfect for about 6 months. We love it, and it forces us to eat our veggies!
I just started getting Imperfect Foods too, and I really love it. I like the customization and it’s inspiring me to cook different dishes than my normal food rut. I’m doing delivery every other week just to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed, but so far, so good!
When I looked into this company and realized they’re taking food away from food pantries to line their own pockets, I was disgusted. The cost is more than what you can get at discount grocers and the quality is inferior.
Where did you hear that information? Would like to read.
We LOVE Dinnerly. I get the Vegetarian option and they are so good. My husband used to work in an upscale restaurant. and he says the meals are restaurant quality. n
We started using Home Chef several months ago. Not every week but probably twice a month. I have found everything to be fresh including the vegetables. Also, everything included for the recipes except olive oil and pepper. The recipes are very quick to prepare. Each time the box has been delivered, the ice packs are still solid and the produce and ingredients are packaged separate from any meat. I don’t eat pork or beef while other family members do. I like that even though I have the purchased the family of 4 meals, I have the option to either order other meat alternatives, or order two meals with beef/pork and two totally different meals that include chicken/turkey/vegetarian. While I might juggle making two different meals for dinner here and there, it takes me no extra time to do so and is easy. Everyone is satisfied. Allows all of us to try something different and know what we like and don’t. Let me make clear that I don’t normally fix separate meals every night. I am not that nice! Lol. I like the recipe cards and folder Home Chef provides and can make purchase the items myself in the future to make. Only a few meals such as the already meatballs dish would I not purchase again.
I have received one week of meals from home chef. All 3 meals were different from what we normally eat. My 18 year old son and myself are not to sure we will ever remake these meals. Just enough food for 2 small meals, I added an extra vegetable to all meals. We have had Hello fresh many times, most meals are good, portion size still to small for an18 year old.
Yeah I have two teenagers that are bottomless pits, it was nice to see the portion size in this article because this would not be enough for mine either. I like the idea of adding extra vegetables to stretch it though.
For a few months we were getting Blue Apron or Gobble delivered twice a month. I thought Gobble was better, although Blue Apron we liked also, but gave the edge to Gobble. After a bunch of deliveries from both, we dropped them, but have been considering going back to an occasional delivery- like once a month; but you have to be careful to remember to officially “skip” the ones you don’t want.
We like Green Chef because it is all organic and our family is vegetarian. We think the portion sizes are good.
Hello Fresh did not make a good impression on me at all. They duplicated an order charging me full price and the coupon price on separate transactions. Luckily I caught it and they fixed it saying it was a system issue. Then while checking about my refund I found out my shipment that was set up for 2/22 had been somehow changed on their side to 2/29???? Glad I caught it again otherwise meal planning would have been a scramble. Finally, I had to throw out most of the veggies for one recipe. The tomatoes were not ripe at all and the pepper was rotten. Huge hassle overall and not worth it.
Oh bummer! SO very sorry to hear about that, Meg. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with us.
I really don’t need pre-measured grocery items in a box that I still have to cook. We are now trying Freshly. Very good healthy fresh food that is already 100% prepared all you do is heat/cook it! Saves a lot of time and very delicious! Wish you had rated them. Maybe next time?
Thanks for the suggestion, grandmat57! I’ll be sure to pass that along to the team!
We tried Freshly over the last few months as well for gifts!
Signed up for a discounted price over 6 weeks, so gave 1 week to my dad for his birthday, then paused it for a week, then to my mom’s house for mother’s day, then paused, then mother-in-law’s for her birthday. They all loved it since it was 100% prepared, just had to heat. 30+ options to chose from typically.
We love Gobble. We usually receive an average of two deliveries per month. We have tried several of the above mentioned services. This is the only one we have kept. I use it when my husband and I are working late or I am teaching nights. The recipes are delicious and simple. Ingredients are shipped in the middle of the night and arrive promptly in the morning, chilled. The customer service is excellent.