There are plenty of options when it comes to meal kits, so we tested the most popular brands to find the best meal delivery service for every kind of cook.
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Anyone with a packed schedule gets the appeal of meal delivery: fresh ingredients, pre-portioned and dropped at your doorstep? Yes, please. With so many meal kits out there and options tailored to just about every dietary need and lifestyle, choosing the right one is no easy task.
That’s why our editors tied on their aprons and tested 15 of the most popular services (some more than once!) over the course of two years. The result? One of the most comprehensive lists for the best meal kits on the Internet.
We found the best options for a variety of needs, including gluten-free, plant-based and keto, so you can focus on eating well, not figuring out what to cook.
Queen of the kitchen, Martha Stewart, is the face of Marley Spoon meal kit delivery service, which offers an impressive selection of meals each week. Choose from more than 100 recipes, including vegetarian, vegan and family-friendly options, as well as meals that take fewer than 30 minutes to make. In addition to a wide variety of entrees, Marley Spoon also offers some breakfasts and desserts, as well as protein add-ons. Overall, it’s the best meal kit delivery service. Here are a few more best vegetarian meal kits, we tested, read on for our top picks.
To order, start by selecting the number of people you’ll be cooking for (either two or four as well as the number of meals you’d like to receive per week (between two and six). At this step, you can also select if you’d like to make your box vegetarian. Next, you’ll enter your zip code and email address, set up delivery details and payment information—and then it’s time to choose your meals. Your cart will automatically populate with their suggestions, but you can change it to fit your personal taste.
Meal selections range from no added gluten to low carb, low calorie, under 30 minutes, nutritious, dairy-free, kid-friendly and more. The ingredient listings provide calories, fat, protein, carbs, allergens and other information. Meals do not provide info on sodium or sugar, so this may not be the best choice for people with specific dietary needs. Add-ons include desserts, fresh produce (e.g., greens, lemons and onions), breakfast items and snacks.
One tester, Molly Allen, tried the Sheet Pan Piri Piri Chicken. “The flavor of the seasoned vegetables and chicken, paired with the drizzle of piri piri vinaigrette, was incredible,” she says. “I ended up eating every single piece of the roasted veggies in one serving—they were that good.” Next up was the Italian Sausage Ragu Pasta. “This kit was quick and easy,” Molly says. “The prep for this recipe was super simple, as well as the cooking method. I was shocked by just how flavorful this dish was with so few ingredients. It easily stacked up to a restaurant-quality bowl of pasta.”
Overall, our experience was exceptional, with secondary tester Sheri Kaz only noting one area of concern: the packaging. While her box kept everything well insulated, she did note that the meals don’t come separated in different bags as they do with most of the other services we tested. One of her boxes also had some leaking ice packs. That said, she was able to determine the ingredients for each dish on her own, and nothing arrived ruined (not even the recipe cards).
Canceling is as easy as skipping a week of service. Answer a multiple-choice question about the reason for cancelation and end the service with just a few clicks—easy peasy! Read our Marley Spoon review for the full scoop on this top-rated service.
Price: Starting at $11.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $11.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
HelloFresh is one of the most trusted meal kits, and it’s been around for years. It offers a variety of meals for both novices and kitchen veterans. Plus, the servings are on the more affordable side. What’s newer, though, is the HelloFresh market, which elevates a HelloFresh subscription to a truly custom experience. The HelloFresh Market also includes apps and sides, desserts, breakfast and brunch, lunch, snacks and drinks, pizza and pasta, proteins, healthy dog food and Beyond the Box, which provides food to community members in need. These add-ons then arrive in the same box as the other recipes and come from an array of popular brands and vendors.
Ordering is easy—and highly customizable. First, you select meal preferences such as “meat and veggies,” “family-friendly” or “quick and easy.” At this step, you’ll also select whether you’re cooking for two or four people, as well as how many meals you’d like per week (between two and six). You’ll then create an account, checkout and select your meals.
Most recipes are customizable for an additional cost, and nutrition information like calories, fat, carbs, sugar, fiber, protein, cholesterol and sodium is all listed. We love that recipes call out the items “not included in your delivery” and the utensils you’ll need. You also have the option to add “premium” dishes that cost around $10 more per serving.
The app is another handy tool that shows your current and upcoming orders and offers buttons to change meals or edit delivery. You can skip any time, and cancellation is relatively simple once you navigate through the “are you sure?” messages. Attempting to cancel prompts alternatives to keep your subscription, and subsequent emails offer big incentives to come back.
Both Sheri and I tested this service over several weeks. HelloFresh texts you once the box is delivered, which allows for a quicker response and, therefore, less time for ingredients to sit unrefrigerated.
I was really impressed with the Street Cart-Style Turkey Bowls. All the components came together for an interesting, unexpected and texturally exciting dish. Maybe it’s because I’m partial to Middle Eastern food, but this meal was easily my favorite of the bunch. The same goes for the Creamy Dreamy Mushroom Cavatappi.
In all, we were blown away by the service’s flavorful meals. (Read my full HelloFresh review for the full scoop.) It’s ideal for busy weeks when you want the convenience of takeout but the nutrition of a home-cooked meal.
Price: Depends on location, typically starts at $9.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $1o.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S. and select areas of Alaska and Hawaii
EveryPlate provides the cheapest meals (by serving) around. It narrowly beats out Dinnerly, with costs as low as $4.99 per person. What gives? The company claims it’s able to offer low prices thanks to a limited meal selection and packaging adjustments, but we still wanted to make certain that the quality was on par with the other services.
The ordering process is standard. You can choose between a variety of preferences, like “meat and veggie,” “family faves” or “nutrish and delish,” then select your box size. You can order for two, four or six people and between three and six meals per week. After that, you know the drill. It’s on to creating an account, filling out your address and payment details and selecting meals.
Even though navigating through all the options is a bit cumbersome due to the lack of recipe filters, Everyplate offers a pretty good variety. The site has 25+ different meals, and each recipe offers a full nutritional value label. Every recipe you select has an option for add-ons with an upcharge. Add-ons are usually sides they think would pair well with the recipe, such as garlic bread, mac and cheese or veggies. One thing to note is that, unlike some of the services on this list, EveryPlate expects you to have some ingredients on hand. These are pantry basics like salt and pepper, cooking oil, mayo and other odds and ends.
We were wowed by the delicious flavors and intentionality of the Creamy Bacon and Corn Chowder. The cream cheese added a tanginess where other corn chowders sometimes fall flat. The combination of textures with the crispy bacon, tender corn, semi-mashed potatoes and raw jalapeno was delightful.
The Sticky Soy Pork Burgers didn’t disappoint, either. The glaze, made of soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, lime, ginger and a couple of other ingredients, really took things up a notch. The potato buns were a fluffy, tender complement to the equally tender pork. This service scored high marks across the board in my EveryPlate review.
Like the other best meal kit delivery services on this list, skipping a week or canceling is easy. Simply click on your account at the top right, then click “Plan Settings.” From there, we scrolled down and found the option to deactivate our plan. A pop-up window gives you options to skip, pause or adjust the delivery schedule.
Price: Starting at $5.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $1o.99 | Availability: Most of the contiguous U.S.
Gobble is a newcomer to our list of the best meal kit delivery services. But that doesn’t stop it from landing a spot as the best meal kit delivery service for beginners! Easy-to-prep meals coupled with under 15 minutes of prep time required make this our favorite service for those with limited time on their hands.
To get started, Gobble offers three options: Standard, Vegetarian and Lean and Clean. Subscribers choose between two and four servings and two, three, four or five meals per week. Not every recipe has customization, but about 70% do. Customization is mainly limited to choosing the type of protein you want. That said, most changes are free unless it’s a premium option.
The meals arrive in their own plastic bags, nestled in a box with ice packs and ample insulation. Each meal comes with a large recipe card that outlines steps and required supplies. Most ingredients arrive chopped and prepped, though some ingredients (like meat) must be sliced at home.
Despite the ease of the recipes, canceling the service takes a little effort. While you can call or email to cancel, there’s also an option to cancel via the website—but it’s convoluted, according to tester Dylan Fischer. “Under your account settings, there’s a tab for Subscriptions and Preferences. When you pull this up on your own, there are options for servings, meal preferences, number of nights per week and delivery day. But no subscription change,” he says. Eventually, he was able to navigate to an FAQ section on Gobble’s website with a link to cancel.
“When you click, it redirects you back to the Subscriptions and Preferences tab, but now there’s a pop-up window that says ‘Manage your Subscription’ with the option to cancel the sub. From what I can tell, there is absolutely no way to access this pop-up window without having to click the link provided in that FAQ article,” notes Dylan.
Despite that slightly annoying roadblock, Dylan enjoyed the recipes overall—especially the Black Pepper Chicken with Stir-Fried Vegetables and Jasmine Rice. “The green beans, sauce and chicken were the stand-out stars of the dish,” he says. “The green beans were fresh and crisp, the sauce was abundant with the right balance of salty and savory, the chicken was a good portion and coating it with cornstarch added a great texture to it.”
As for his Truffled Potato Pizza Bianca with Spinach and Caramelized Onions, he notes that it took him out of his comfort zone—but in a good way. “I’ve made some standard pizzas before but never flatbread ones—and especially not with ingredients like this. And I gotta say, this was another winner,” he says. “The pizza itself was very delicious and very filling.” Read our full Gobble review.
Price: Starting at $11.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $9.99 | Availability: Continental U.S., except Montana
Green Chef stands out from the crowd thanks to its certified organic ingredients, sustainable packaging and diverse meal plans. It aims to be healthy for you—and for the planet. Choose from standard, keto, paleo, vegetarian or “balanced living” plans. How do they taste, though? Sheri and I both tested this service to get the scoop.
Rather than meal preferences, Green Chef kicks off the ordering process with lifestyle preferences. Here, you can select options like “gut and brain health,” “keto” or “calorie smart.” You’ll choose from two, four or six servings for two to four meals per week. After setting your details, it’s time to select your meals! Meals change weekly, and ample add-ons are available, like breakfasts, desserts and side dishes. Steak, ground beef or turkey, chicken, pork, fish, snack bars and a selection of probiotics and supplements are also available for purchase.
After signing up, Sheri received an email notifying her of a complimentary 20-minute consultation with a nutritionist, which she took advantage of. They followed up with an email and some info sheets to help her balance her blood sugar levels. Talk about a healthy meal kit delivery service!
Each meal comes pre-packaged in its own paper bag within the box to keep the ingredients separated. The recipe cards list a cooking time, which is accurate. That said, in some cases, Sheri and I found the total time to prep and cook took much longer.
First, I made the Blackened Chicken Salad with Dijonnaise. The preparation process went super smoothly. This salad was chock-full of mix-ins, yet there was hardly any chopping to be done. It was so fresh, texturally interesting and flavorful—I was obsessed! Every bite was like a surprise inside.
Next, I tested out the Chicken with Basil Pistou. I would’ve never thought to pair artichokes, fennel, chard, red peppers and dates, but alas, it worked! That’s the beauty of these meal kits: getting you and your family outside of your comfort zone without much creativity on your part. Learn more in my Green Chef review.
Price: Starting at $11.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
Among the most recognizable names in the game, Blue Apron is one of the brands that kickstarted the meal kit delivery service craze. Blue Apron offers 16 recipes each week, including vegetarian and wellness options, and its meals stand out for their complex and delicious flavor profiles. The fanciness is reflected in the cost, but it’s a small price to pay for homemade restaurant-level meals on demand.
When ordering Blue Apron, the first step is picking between meal kits or their prepared meals. For meal kits, you’ll pick preferences like “chef favorites,” “fast and easy” or “veggies” and select either two or four servings for between two and five meals a week. For prepared meals, there are only three options—”600 calories or less,” “30g of protein” and “carb conscious.” Each meal is single-serve, and you can order six, eight or 10 per week. After that, you’ll create an account and check out, then choose your meals.
I enjoyed the Hoisin Pork Belly and Miso Ramen until the very last drop. It is the fanciest ramen I’ve ever made at home. The miso lent a richness and sweetness, and it made the dish much more interesting. The perfectly soft-boiled egg that peeled easily, the acidic pickled radishes, and the glazed pork belly—albeit slightly overcooked—really took things over the top. I was thrilled to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Read my full Blue Apron review.
Price: Starting at $7.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
If you’re looking for a meal kit with fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients and minimal prep, Sunbasket offers healthy meal kits, semi-prepared options and premade meals. Recipes are crafted by chefs and registered dietitians, featuring organic produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood. Many kits include housemade sauces and spice blends to reduce prep time and help ensure consistent results.
Ordering is straightforward and customizable. Sunbasket allows you to set dietary preferences upfront, filtering meals to fit carb-conscious, gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean, diabetes-friendly, paleo and keto-friendly diets. You can choose meals for two or four people and select three to five meals per week. While we didn’t use it during testing, there’s a companion app that makes menu selection and delivery scheduling straightforward, according to user reviews.
“During testing, I was blown away by the speed at which the meal kits went from bag to table,” says Shopping Editor Mary Henn. “All I had to do was wash and cut produce, then cook any raw ingredients that required heating per the instructions. Sauces, spices, dressings and medleys were all pre-prepped, which made the whole process quick and easy.”
Mary also appreciated that most meals hover around 600 calories and praised the brand’s efforts toward sustainable packaging, noting less waste compared to other services. While the rotating weekly menu includes 25 options, Sunbasket offers a variety of add-ons, including desserts, salads, sides, snacks, beverages and breakfast and lunch options like oatmeal, soups and even empanadas.
“I was impressed by the unique recipes—like delicious fresh fusilli with pistou, charred fennel and mozzarella—that felt more creative than your typical meal kit,” Mary says. “Their premade sauces and spice blends added great depth of flavor, though the breakfast muffins I tried were a bit dense, and one premade meal, a chicken dish, was underwhelming with tough meat and flat flavor.”
Her verdict: “I’d definitely order from Sunbasket again, but I’d stick to the meal kits and stay away from the premade meals.”
Sunbasket subscriptions are relatively flexible. You can skip deliveries before the weekly cutoff, forward your box to a temporary address, change your delivery address and cancel your subscription at any time.
Price: Starting at $9.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $9.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S. (with a few exceptions)
If plant-based meals are your go-to, we recommend trying out Purple Carrot. This 100% vegan meal kit delivery service specializes in both meal kits and ready-to-eat options rather than offering one or the other. For the meal kits, choose between two or four servings per meal and three or four meals per week. If you have less prep time, opt for single-serve premade meals instead. Premade options are available in choices of six, eight or 10 meals per week.
Despite its vegan restrictions, the menu is exceptionally creative. It had a good amount of options while maintaining some core staples each week. This offers dedicated subscribers plenty of “go-to” meals to count on. Since finding tasty and imaginative meals is often difficult for folks eating a plant-based diet, consider us impressed.
Purple Carrot groups meals into different categories. Choices include high-protein, less prep, soy-free, nut-free, chef’s choice, gluten-free, healthy carbs and low sodium, among others. The grocery section offers lots of plant-based add-ons such as desserts, boxed mac and cheese, meat substitutes, tofu, cereal, drinks, dips, protein bars, soups, fries and coffee beans.
While we don’t love that deliveries only take place on Saturdays, we do appreciate the consistency. The biggest issue we encountered with Purple Carrot was price transparency. The total charge in our confirmation emails didn’t always match the charges made to our card. While these discrepancies are minor (under $10), we still think it’s worth noting.
Editorial Coordinator Sydney Manning tried the Crunchy Cabbage Salad and was surprised by its flavors. “I really liked this salad, especially the sauce,” she says. The tofu wasn’t bad either, but I would’ve done more prep on it next time to get it crispier because its texture was a little spongy. But I really loved all the ingredients together, and the sauce tasted great!”
She was also a fan of the Elote Tacos. “This one also surprised me—it tasted better than I expected with the heavy nondairy ingredients,” she says. “I love corn, so this was a favorite for me.” If you want meals and grocery items, we also recommend Hungryroot for plant-based eaters.
Price: Starting at $13.25 per serving | Shipping cost: $12 (free for orders over $100) | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
When time is of the essence, Tempo is our meal kit of choice. Unlike some other heat-and-eat options, Tempo’s meals require zero prep. The brand, an extension of Home Chef, offers a small menu of about 20 rotating meals each week. You can add extras for breakfast, appetizers, snacks, desserts and drinks. Additionally, you can filter meals based on preferences such as fiber-rich, high-protein, calorie-conscious and GLP-1-balanced options.
“One thing I love about the Tempo site is that you can see the weekly menu options in full detail before starting an order or even creating an account,” says tester Mary Henn in her Tempo review. “If you’re familiar with meal delivery services, you know that this level of transparency isn’t always available.”
Mary found the website very user-friendly, with clear pricing, nutritional information, and add-on options displayed upfront. “While I did not use the app while testing Tempo, it shares the Home Chef: Meal Kit Delivery app, which has a 4.8-star rating on Apple,” she says. “The app lets you browse the weekly menu, order meals, plan your week and personalize your taste profile and diet preferences, such as keto-friendly, wheat-free, vegetarian and more.”
Tempo offers weekly delivery, allowing you to select the specific day you want your meals to arrive. The meals come packaged in insulated liners with ice packs, ensuring your food stays refrigerated rather than frozen.
The service offers flexibility, too. You can skip a delivery for any reason and choose to receive meals weekly, biweekly or monthly. Menus are posted up to five weeks in advance, giving you plenty of opportunity to look ahead and plan your meal schedule. Additionally, you can adjust delivery dates for individual orders or change your default weekly delivery day for future shipments.
The meals tend to follow a straightforward formula, usually featuring a protein, a vegetable and a grain. However, there are some standout flavor combinations, especially in the meat and seafood dishes.
A few things to note: Each meal is a single serving, requires about three minutes in the microwave and typically clocks in around 500 calories. “They also include instructions for oven cooking,” Mary tells us. “ However, I didn’t try this method because it takes over 30 minutes—something that goes against Tempo’s promise of fast, ready-to-eat meals.”
Price: Starting at $10.98 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S. (with a few exceptions)
Upon signing up for Home Chef, you’re greeted by a questionnaire about your taste and dietary preferences. Helpful labels let you choose from quick prep and gluten-smart options, among others. The meal kit delivery service’s keto-friendly menu isn’t lacking in variety and offers up to six portions per meal and up to six meals per week, making it one of the best keto-friendly meal services we tested.
Deliveries are available Sundays through Fridays, and the helpful app allows you to skip and reschedule meals easily. “I love being able to access everything on my phone and have the recipe card to physically look at,” says Sydney. “There’s also a digital cookbook that keeps all your recipes. I’ve used Home Chef before and have canceled it since, but I still go back to the digital cookbook that’s on my account to re-create yummy meals that I remember liking from when we had the subscription.”
As with Purple Carrot, our biggest gripe with Home Chef was a lack of price transparency. This one was a larger discrepancy (around $50). As with any subscription, we urge anyone thinking about subscribing to take a close look at their bank statements to ensure the monthly charges are correct.
While the price discrepancy isn’t ideal, the meals themselves are delicious. Sydney’s favorite was the Lemon Rockefeller Scallop Penne with Garlic Breadcrumbs. “The sauce was amazing, and it was really easy to make because this was an express meal,” she says. “I’ve cooked scallops before, so we had an idea of how to cook them, and they weren’t too rubbery. The lemon also provides a fresh taste and complements the dish well.”
Additionally, she enjoyed the Cherry Chipotle Brisket Tacos with Corn Elote Salad. “I loved this meal—it was perfect for lunch. I personally love corn, so I really enjoyed having the corn slaw in this dish. The sauce had some spice to it, but I personally like spice, so this was great for me. If you don’t want as much spice, I wouldn’t add all the barbecue sauce,” she notes. Read our full Home Chef review for more.
Price: Starting at $7.99 per serving | Shipping cost: Typically $10.99 (sometimes free for orders over $40) | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
As noted, this isn’t our first time diving into the world of meal kit delivery services. We first published this guide in 2022 and have since retested each service—along with a few new ones—to keep our insights up to date. Our goal is to help you make informed choices based on today’s offerings while also checking that brands continue to deliver consistent quality and service.
Our current tests led to a few changes in rankings. In our latest updates, we added Tempo meals as our “Best Heat-and-Eat” option and Sunbasket as our “Best Semi-Prepared” option. We also recently changed HelloFresh from “Best Customizable” to “Best for Families” and re-ranked Green Chef from “Best Healthy” to “Best Gluten-Friendly.”
Additional changes that have occurred since the initial publication of this piece include adding Purple Carrot as the “Best Plant-Based” option, Gobble as the “Best for Beginners” option and Home Chef as the “Best Keto-Friendly” option.
With more meal delivery service options than ever, how do you choose the right one? Reviews (like ours!) can help, but it’s also important to consider factors like cost, flexibility, dietary needs, ingredient quality, and how much cooking effort you’re actually up for.
Below, we break down the key things to look for—with helpful insights from two experts: Debbie Petitpain, MBA, RDN, Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Rachel Kirk, food blogger at LaughingSpatula.
If you or a family member have specific dietary needs like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, keto or low-sodium, choose a service that clearly labels its meals and offers variety within those categories.
“Always review the ingredients for allergens or undesirable additives, as well as sodium and added sugar levels,” says Debbie Petitpain, RDN. “Portions should meet your daily caloric and nutrient needs. Be realistic—if you’re cooking for two but one person usually eats double, you may need to increase your order.”
She also recommends looking for meals that provide a mix of food groups, offering balance between protein, fiber and healthy fats.
Rachel agrees that meal kits can be helpful when it comes to dietary accommodations, especially in households with different needs or limited time.
“Meal delivery kits are great at accommodating certain diets,” she says. “I loved HelloFresh after I had surgery—my husband would cook dinner for me.”
Some meal kits are streamlined for ease, while others can feel like full-on cooking classes, with lots of steps and dishes.
“I don’t find that they simplify the cooking process,” says Rachel. “They often use a lot of pans, which requires more cleanup, and sometimes the recipes are overly complicated. They don’t teach the basics, which can be confusing for new home cooks.”
If you’re a beginner, look for services that offer simple prep and clear instructions. If you love spending time in the kitchen, go for kits with more complexity and gourmet flair.
Not all meal kits are created equal when it comes to ingredient freshness and sourcing.
“Living in California, I’m spoiled with access to high-quality produce,” Rachel shares. “The ingredients in most meal kits don’t always match what I’m used to—but I could see them being great for people in more remote areas.”
If ingredient quality is important to you, check whether the service offers organic options, locally sourced produce, or sustainable meat and seafood.
Whether you’re dealing with picky eaters or just like a bit of variety, customization options can be a game-changer. If you have a picky eater at your table, opt for a meal service with enhanced customization features.
Rachel adds that seasoned cooks might want even more freedom.
“More options when selecting meals would be great—like choosing the main ingredient or side. A more à la carte experience would make it feel less boxed-in.”
Some services offer the ability to swap proteins, double portions, or even mix and match side dishes—so look for those features if flexibility matters to you.
Meal kits can be convenient, but they aren’t always the most budget-friendly option—especially if you’re feeding more than two people or hoping for leftovers.
“If I’m being honest—no, they’re not worth the price,” Rachel says. “You could spend half the cost and a few extra minutes doing meal prep and recipe research. Plus, you get leftovers, which meal kits usually don’t provide.”
That said, for busy weeks or special situations, the tradeoff in time and planning might still be worth it. Some services also offer family-sized meals or budget tiers, so explore those if cost is a concern.
This list is based on our sampling each of these meal delivery services. We tested over a dozen options, well beyond the favorites you see here. Most of the health—or diet-based winners are based on feedback provided by nutritionist Nancy Snyder, who attempted to verify the legitimacy of recipe labels.
While weighing the actual taste and flavors of the recipes in each box, we also factored in the aforementioned criteria. This included value (i.e., price versus quality), freshness, recipe techniques and instructions, cleanup, recipe variety and more. We judged and rated each criterion on a scale of 1-5 for each service, then added it together for a total score. Only the highest earners made our list.
In our latest tests, we tried 13 services and prepared between four and six recipes from each. That’s roughly 115 servings of meals that we plated! Additionally, we collected more than 2,000 data points and spent a collective 225 hours on this test, including researching, ordering, cooking, cleaning and note-taking.
Since many of the services are very similar, we also did comparison testing. We evaluated the ingredients, waste and cleanup commitment of the most popular services on the internet. Sure, they’re great on their own—but how do they compare? Get the full breakdown in our Home Chef vs. HelloFresh and Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh comparisons.
Everyone! They cut down on time spent grocery shopping and meal prepping, so they’re ideal for those with busy schedules or anyone looking to revamp their meal routine. Whether you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan or somewhere in between, there’s a meal prep service for you.
It depends. Most meal delivery services offer a wealth of recipes, so if you prefer veggie-packed, gluten-free or low-carb meals, there are likely options. However, some services offer indulgent meals that are too caloric for a single meal. It’s a good idea to check out the meal variety offered by each service and choose accordingly. From there, on a weekly basis, read through ingredients, allergens and nutritional facts before you order your box.
Meal delivery services certainly help save money if you frequently order takeout or dine at restaurants. However, they can get expensive week after week because most don’t include everyday groceries like eggs, bread or everyday produce.
They totally can be! While they generally work out to be more expensive than shopping and cooking for yourself (outside of any promos or special offers), they can save you a ton of time and stress. That, in itself, can be entirely worth the cost of the subscription. Plus, you’ll get to try new meals and flavors you may not think to cook yourself!
Our favorite heat-and-eat meals come from Tempo, which specializes in that type of meal delivery. We’ve also enjoyed the ready-to-eat meals from Factor, another service that exclusively provides microwaveable meals.
These meal kit delivery services were tested by various Taste of Home team members, all with varying degrees of cooking expertise. Molly Allen has previous professional baking experience, whereas the rest of us are strictly home cooks. No matter where you fall on the culinary spectrum, you can be sure that the services on this list are within your capabilities based on our authentic testing methodology. Our testers’ needs, wants and budgets reflect those of the average shopper. Plus, since many factors can affect delivery, we tested most services several times to ensure the experience was consistent for multiple testers.
We also aren’t new to testing this product category. In addition to several meal kits, our team has reviewed meat and chicken delivery services like ButcherBox, Snake River Farms and Good Chop. Our testing extends to grocery services, like Misfits Market and Thrive Market, as well.
