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!
We tried Home Chef for the first time this week. Very satisfied and sticking with it for next week too. Definitely so helpful during this time when the stores are absolutely crazy here. Can’t even order grocery pickup anymore.
We’ve also used Gobble in the past and liked them okay too.
I’ve had blue apron and a few others and I loved the recipes but not the price. Then I had every plate for 1.5 years and the recipes were always the same, constant upcharges for the same recipes / ingredients I remember used to be included. They gave me free shipping for a whole summer for 1 flat fee then abruptly ended it, and I quit after that last fiasco, too many changes. They’ve called twice offering credits and all sorts of stuff to go back but no. I’ve been with Dinnerly now about a year, it’s the best price per serving and the shrimp dishes are not up charged, it’s included. There’s a fair amount of new recipes that pop up too even after so long. Also the portions are generous and plenty of vegetarian options too. I’ll stick to Dinnerly for my money.
We love every plate! We are using & enjoying them & hello fresh right now so we can cut down on going out to shop. We tried Dinnerly & the portions were very small. A 4 person meal was good for 2-3 people and the recipes weren’t usually that great.
MARLEY SPOON IS MY FAVORITE!!! Delicious!! But so expensive so i switched to Dinnerly which is also owned by MARLEY SPOON for half the cost!! Win win!!
I liked SUNBASKET the least of all. Flavors were just underwhelming.
we ordered from green chef for my shut in MIL – they did not like the food at all – made them sick – I told the company immediately and they refunded everything – so five star customer service – 2 star food quality
I just got my first box from Every Plate and the ingredients were all mixed up – they included things I didn’t need for any of the recipes and left out several things I was supposed to have. I contacted customer service and they refunded approximately half my total cost. The food was good and I happened to have many of the missing ingredients on hand (or a suitable substitute) so that helped. I really liked the supply box that came with the fresh foods as it was easy to store in the fridge.
I’ve tried Every Plate and Hello Fresh. Every Plate was terrible. I ordered two boxes, one came with rotten produce and the other came with missing ingredients and rotten produce. Hello Fresh has had a couple of produce issues but overall is better quality and better flavors and meals than Every Plate. My experience has also shown that Hello Fresh also has much better customer service.
Ironically Every Plate and Hello Fresh are sister companies. Same owners lol
It is easy to tell that Every Plate & Hello Fresh are “related.” I have used Hello Fresh for about a year (not every week, maybe 1-2 times a month) and, for the most part they have immediately “made good” when there is a quality issue. I have received 2 boxes from Every Plate. The 1st was all messed up – has stuff it shouldn’t and was missing stuff. They were supposed to credit back half the cost of the box. 3 weeks later, I am still waiting. Now, my 3rd box has been delayed a day in the shipping process – meaning it won’t arrive until after it has been in the box over 48 hours (the maximum time they guarantee safety).
I signed up for every plate and I appreciate all the information! I have been wAnting to try as I am alone most of the day and don’t like to cook just for me because all of my recipes are family size. I think it will help me with portions and eating healthier. Thank you for the hip site I really love it!
You bet! You’re so welcome, Colleen!
I just had a horrible experience with Hello Fresh and the customer service was not up to par as far as correcting the situation. I really wanted to like this company but they just could not or would not help rectify the problem. And when the supervisor was supposed to call me in the next 24 hours I got no phone call. All I want now is a refund. The problem was that I received 4 meals on a Friday however we only got one recipe card. After unpacking the box and putting the perishables in the refrigerator I chatted with the company in the app on my phone and they stated they could not send out recipe cards as they were already working on the next weeks meals at the warehouse. They said we could use the app or the website to look at the recipes. The problem is that I purchased this service for my husband to make these meals as I recover from back surgery. The week prior (from a diff meal service) he had large recipe cards in front of him to verify contents of each recipe and to follow along in the cooking process, and still had a difficult time as these are new and “very involved recipes” per his words. 👀 All we wanted was the recipe cards. And our printer doesn’t work to print off the internet 🙁. In the end the way I was treated is what was the most upsetting. I just want a refund.
Has anyone tried emeals? I know it’s a little different (have to go pick up ingredients), but wondering if it’s a good alternative for those that don’t want to spend the $$ for the meal kits. I’ve been tempted to try it, but hesitant since you can’t see any of the meal options to get a sense of what they offer before signing up. Would love feedback from anyone that has tried!
Hi Jackie! We do have some information on that here – https://hip2save.com/tips/emeals-review/
I’ve tried Hello fresh, Blue apron and Home Chef. Home chef’s protein just didn’t seem fresh. Blue apron just changed their shipping from free to $8.99.
Thanks for the heads up!
Question – which companies used FEDEX for delivery?
We were receiving boxes from Green Chef (love organic/veggie focused meals), but they ship with UPS. We are the last stop on the UPS route, so we would get defrosted meat and have to throw it out (live in Texas and it’s summertime). So, I’m looking for FEDEX users as they arrive to our house earlier in the day. Thanks!
My favorite is MeezMeals.com because their meals taste great, they do the prep work for you, and they’re extremely accommodating for special diets. They were just delivery within the midwest, but last month I received an email from them stating that they now deliver nation wide.
If you want 50% off your first order use promo code: refSuzanneKim
Thank u hip2save bec of you .. Im a big fan of Everyplate … Thank you all and we appreciate all your hardwork!!
Awww! You are certainly welcome!
We’ve been doing Hello Fresh now for 5 weeks. Although, the premium deals are extra I’m paying about $50 for 3 meals for 2. There’s a lot of Korean food options so no dairy – which I need. The breakfasts look great but I don’t need them. I just needed more vegetables and alternatives to feed my picky family. My only downside, I wish there were more options each week.
Thank you so much for your review! 🙏 I am so happy to hear you have been enjoying this!