Why Use a Meal-Kit Delivery Service?
Whether you're a beginner in the kitchen or just don't have the time or inclination to plan and shop for meals, a meal-kit delivery service is one way to ensure several healthful, home-cooked meals per week for yourself and your family, in a way that won't eat up too much of your precious time. If the alternative is going out to eat or getting delivery from a restaurant, you might save money, too. These services ship you recipes, cooking tips, and most importantly, the exact amounts of ingredients you need. I've tested a number of them, and I've found that quality is pretty stellar across the board, with clear instructions and mostly tasty results. That said, there are plenty of differences among the various services and a few caveats to keep in mind, too.
A Growing Category
The meal delivery service is a concept whose time has come. According to Nielson, "In the U.S. one in four adults has purchased a meal kit, for delivery or in-store, in the last year, and 70 percent continue to buy them after making their first purchase." And market research firm Packaged Facts wrote that "meal-kit delivery services have exploded into a $1.5 billion market in just the past few years and appear on track to at least double that number in the next few years."
Reasons for this explosion include time-saving convenience, of course—once you've signed up and indicated your preferences, your box of potential meals arrives regularly: You just unpack and cook. Also part of the equation is preference for a certain type of diet: Many of the services offer choices such as vegetarian, paleo, low-carb, and vegan, and some trumpet their healthful recipes and locally sourced, organic, and non-GMO food sources, for those who are concerned about such things. Subscribing to one of these plans can help you stick to your dietary resolutions.
Then there are the kitchen newbies who want to cook for themselves and hope to learn basic (and even not-so-basic) culinary skills via meal kits. I've found that some—particularly Blue Apron—are better at teaching new skills than others, such as Home Chef).
And finally, even if you're a seasoned chef, you might find yourself falling into recipe ruts. Meal-kit delivery services can introduce you to a whole new repertoire of menu possibilities.
What Do Meal-Kit Delivery Services Have in Common?
With all the services I've tried, online enrollment is swift and easy, and their websites have extensive FAQs. You can nearly always find the information you need with a few obvious clicks. And generally, you can easily suspend or cancel the service within a reasonable lead time.
Once your boxes start arriving, you need to have just a few ingredients and tools on hand. Typically you need cooking oil, salt and pepper, and maybe eggs, as well as basic cooking tools (pots and pans, kitchen knives, a grater, and so on). Everything else is supplied. All the services reviewed here send large, colorful recipe cards that are nice enough to keep, though the recipes can be found online, too.
In my testing, all the meal-kit services were reliable in delivering fresh, high-quality ingredients with just a couple exceptions, which were addressed immediately and satisfactorily when I contacted customer service. In general, customer service is exemplary for most of these services.
Prices do vary, but not by too much. You can expect to pay around $9 to $12 a meal, depending on which service and plan you choose. (Bear in mind that you won't be tossing away unused ingredients, as you might be if you shopped for them yourself, which could save you a little cash.) Some plans offer extras: For example, Chef's Table by Plated sends specialty cuts of meat and seafood for an extra charge, and Blue Apron offers a separate wine-pairing service for its meals.
How Are They Different?
One main difference is in the types of meals and breadth of choices the services offer. If you're looking for a particular way of eating, shop around, and you'll probably find it. Sun Basket, for example, has paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian meal plans. And Purple Carrot is exclusively vegan. The services also vary in how much control you have over your weekly menu. Some offer loads of recipes you can pick from, others just a few, and Purple Carrot chooses for you (understandably, since it's such a specialized service).
In testing, I found some services' meals to be tastier than others. Your palate may vary!
Something else that varies among services is the quality of instruction. Some recipes are super clear—detailed and easy to follow. Others assume knowledge of ingredients and techniques that not everyone possesses. Even though I do have cooking chops, I especially appreciated that certain services, including HelloFresh and Blue Apron, have video tutorials onsite and in their apps.
Then there's something you might not initially think about—packaging. How well do companies pack their boxes, and how much of the packaging is recyclable? A well-packed box arrives with enough insulation and cooling packs—and no room to shift around—to ensure none of your food gets warm and icky. But then you have acres of packing material to get rid of, and it's not always easily recyclable. This can be a deal killer for those who care about the environment (and you should, dammit!). Our reviews specify the sustainability and recyclability of the packaging materials these companies use.
Choosing the Right Meal-Kit Delivery Service for You
First, consider the reason you want to join up with one of these services. Convenience is a given. If you want to learn more about cooking, some are better than others for that. If you're looking to add new cuisines and ingredients to your stockpile of culinary knowledge, make sure you pick a company that offers a wide range of menus. And for those who stick to a specific way of eating, you'll want to search out plans that offer it.
Since you can suspend or cancel these plans at your discretion, you can try a few different services before you settle on the right one for you. Some let you do this conveniently, right within your online account. Sun Basket requires a phone call to cancel, however.
Here's a pro tip when you're settling on a plan: Check for promo codes before you order that first box. There's a lot of competition right now in this category, and you can frequently find discounts—maybe even get an entire box for free. Also, make sure to check on how much notice you need to give to suspend or cancel the service, in case you travel frequently or are shopping around.
If you're considering a meal delivery service for health reasons, you should also consider a fitness tracker and a fitness app or two, too. Both can help you meet your fitness and health goals, whether it's tracking what and how much you eat or helping you burn off the delicious meals these services deliver. Want to save more time in the kitchen? See our roundup of smart kitchen appliances.
Featured Meal-Kit Delivery Service Reviews:
Blue Apron Meal Delivery Service Review
$59.94 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% Novice chefs and time-challenged foodies alike can turn out tasty, healthful meals with ease using this customer-focused subscription service. Read the full review-
Sun Basket Meal Delivery Service Review
$11.49 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% Sun Basket offers some of the most delicious food we've encountered in our meal-kit-delivery-service reviewing, and the packaging is sensible and mostly recyclable, which isn't the case with most competing services. Read the full review -
Plated Meal Delivery Service Review
$48.00 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% Plated is a meal-subscription service that delivers what it promises, but it's a little expensive and not as much of a learn-to-cook tool as other similar services. Still, if you're looking for a way to prepare unfussy, tasty food at home, that's what you'll get. Read the full review -
Purple Carrot Meal Delivery Service Review
$68.00 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% Purple Carrot is a great side dish on the meal-kit delivery service table, providing convenient to adherents of plant-based eating. The service has a few limitations, but you get delicious meals and you might learn some new techniques, too. Read the full review -
HelloFresh Meal Delivery Service Review
$69.00 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% HelloFresh is a fine option for preparing healthful meals at home. Despite a packaging malfunction with my first box, deliveries were mostly fine, and customer service was stellar. Our top pick, Blue Apron, has a slight edge, though. Read the full review -
Home Chef Meal Delivery Service Review
$9.95 MSRP
%displayPrice% at %seller% True to its name, Home Chef is the homiest of meal services we've tried. The recipes are simple and not too adventurous, but for some home chefs, that's a good thing. It delivers on its promises, but doesn't offer much in the way of cooking education. Read the full review