Cooking in the kitchen can feel tough sometimes, you know? Figuring out recipes is one thing. Then you have to deal with busy grocery stores. Prepping all that food makes you tired. Putting a home-cooked meal on the table feels like a huge job. It’s hard with our busy lives today.
Meal delivery kits have changed weeknight dinners completely. They’ve made getting a good meal easy. Imagine fresh, pre-cut food showing up. The recipes are simple, made by food professionals. I’ve been in the food world for years. I’ve seen these services get much better. They promise to save money and promote healthier eating. They also add fun back into cooking routines.
For years, I’ve tried many top kit companies. I wanted to see how their promises held up. More importantly, I wanted to see if they work for busy modern lives. Options range from cheap for beginners to gourmet for experienced home cooks. The choices in meal kits are vast and exciting. Let’s look at the first six services. These have made a big impact on home dining for me.
1. **EveryPlate**: It starts our search. This name means affordable value for meal kits. It’s from the well-known HelloFresh company.
Prices are very low here. It often costs less per serving than fast food places. Being budget-friendly attracts lots of people. Students and families wanting to save money find this appealing. Quality stays high even with lower costs.
Recipes still taste truly great. EveryPlate makes cooking at home possible and enjoyable. It’s good even if you don’t have much money. They offer good meal choices every week.
Options work for lunch or dinner. This shows that low cost doesn’t mean few choices. They focus on giving you all you need. It makes cooking straightforward for everyone. What makes EveryPlate easy to use is its simplicity. The box contents and packaging are plain.
Each box comes on ice so things stay fresh. It has recipe cards clearly laid out. Fresh veggies and meat are included. All is pre-measured and ready. Directions on the cards are super easy to follow. That helps if you’re short on time or just tired after working. Cook times are fast and efficient. Some meals are ready in only fifteen minutes. Great for quick weeknights when time is tight.
A good point about EveryPlate is that they care about the earth. They try to use sustainable methods as best they can. Packaging uses less material than many others. It’s a nice step to reduce trash.
My experience testing EveryPlate was good. It shows how practical it is. I picked different things to try the range, like a popular meal customers love: The Chicken Sausage & Tomato Soup. Also a slightly nicer choice I saved: Brown Butter Scallops with Risotto for Saturday dinner. Recipe cards were full color and simple to handle. They were very helpful when cooking. There were no more than six steps on the cards. Pictures helped you see what to do, which was useful when cooking food I didn’t know. Every meal I timed was right on, matching the time listed on the card. The finished food looked the same as the pictures, showing that quality food and clear steps work. EveryPlate is dependable for meals, good for families or when you’re rushing, and still lets you cook at home. Ordering with EveryPlate is an easy step. You can add extra things in a marketplace.
The service lets you customize things for home needs. You can order for two, four, or six people. Choose three, four, or five meals per week. The best part about prices is that they’re simple. No matter your plan, standard meals cost $5.99 each, often less when coupons are used. This makes it very predictable and affordable. EveryPlate is one of the few kits that lets you get meals for six people, a perfect size for bigger families to use. It’s hard to find six-person options elsewhere. They provide fresh food and quality meat. Not much packaging is used either. All ingredients for meals arrive in one box, packed well and recyclable. Cold things like chicken arrive under ice, keeping them fresh during travel. This smart packaging is good for them, meaning convenience and helping the planet.
2. **Home Chef**: It calls itself a friendly helper for comfort food and old-style cooking. It brings familiar and loved meals to your door. What makes it special is that it flexes to your needs. It fits different schedules and how you like cooking.
It knows not everyone has the same time or the same energy for making food. It has lots of options you’ll like. There are more than just normal meal kits. There are easy 15-minute meals too.
Simple oven-ready dishes are good. They are made to need little work from you but still taste like real home cooking. Their way of packing food is easy. They use pre-sorted bags with zippers.
This keeps everything tidy and together for each meal. It saves time unpacking and cooking. Recipe cards are made really well. They are easy to read and follow. They give clear details on cook time and when food goes bad.
How hard the recipe is and how spicy the food is are shown. So you can pick meals you like and can make. Many options are good with Home Chef food. It includes good ways to change things. There are lots of different meals each week you can try.
You can explore food from different places. The focus is on classic dishes that feel homey, good for families to enjoy. A big point of flexibility is that for many meals, you can switch regular meat for vegan options.
Impossible Foods products are offered. This works for people wanting plant-based food. You don’t need a separate vegan box. Besides main meals, you can add things like breakfast foods, quick snacks, and baked items.
This makes it cover more of your week’s eating. The meals themselves are made to fill you up. They focus on classic recipes people know, making you feel nice and cozy inside. They also keep cooking fun and interesting, making cooking for others nice again.
This mix of comfort and simple cooking makes it a strong option for busy households. My full test of Home Chef showed its strengths. The cards were organized very well. That was nice for someone who likes fast cooking.
Following simple steps felt smooth. I just unzipped the bag for my meal. The dishes I cooked felt like true family meals, like meatloaf and creamy mac and cheese, warm soups good for cool nights, simple sandwiches, and bowls you can eat easily. Everything felt like cozy home cooking.
Oven-ready meals were really great. They were so simple to use. Plus, they came with the baking pan needed, making cleaning up a lot easier. It saved time and my effort. They ask you to have basics at home, like salt, pepper, or cooking oil, which are not included in the box you get.
But the instructions are specific and the pre-cut food is labeled clearly in bags for each meal. This made cooking smooth and not stressful. It was really fun even on busy nights. Home Chef uses a normal weekly menu. You can easily add more meals to your box and then pick a day you want it delivered.
Meals arrive packed separately in bags or sometimes in their own boxes. The food is separated per meal for ease. This way does mean more plastic waste though, compared to other services for people who care about the environment.
Meat is kept cold on ice packs and stays fresh inside the main box it comes in. They offer different plans and special choices. Family meals are priced specially and serve four people well. Express meals finish in just 15 minutes for when you need super fast food.
Oven-ready meals include a tray for baking. Ready-made microwave meals need no effort. Add-ons are good for snacks and breakfast, and also dessert options. This gives full choices for times you eat. When looking at the menu and managing the service, setting up Home Chef is simple each week.
But look at all the add-ons you can pick to make your order just right for you. When I tested, I checked how easy it was to change the order or upcoming boxes or stop a membership if needed. The Home Chef website handles these okay.
Cooking time for Home Chef meals takes from 15 minutes up to 50 minutes, which is close to the times they show on the cards. That helps for planning your week. For taste and feeling full, this service got a good score.
I was full after every meal I had. I rarely needed to change recipes at all to make them taste better. This shows that the flavors were good and the portions were right.
About helping the earth, not all kits are good. Home Chef’s packaging adds up sometimes. I checked their policy and how they get food to see their view on the environment. Their packages have parts you can recycle. That is a positive step they made.
Prices for meal kits run mostly from 7 to 15. Home Chef is in the middle of this, around $9.99 for one serving. Some meals cost more or less though, based on the food and how complex they are. It gives a balanced value for cost.
Product on Amazon: Amazon Kitchen, Chicken Tikka Masala, Single Serve Meal, 12 oz
Brand: Amazon Kitchen
Binding: Grocery Product Group: Amazon Fresh Deli and Prepared Meals
Price: 0.67 USD
Rating: 4.3 Total reviews: 3385
Features:
1. Chicken in a subtly spiced tomato-cream sauce with herbed basmati rice and spinach
2. Ready in Minutes
3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
4. Brought to you by Amazon Kitchen, grab-and-enjoy meal solutions, prepped for what’s next
5. To ensure freshness, enjoy within a couple of days of arrival
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3. **Factor**: It is great for busy people or those really focused on eating healthy without having much time for cooking. This option really stands out. It provides meals already made for you.
Just heat them up and eat. It gets rid of grocery shopping, you know. No more long meal prep either, and no more cleanup that happens after cooking. The convenience here is huge for busy folks. Meals arrive fresh on ice packs.
They are ready to eat right from the box or can be easily put in the fridge for later. Meals are perfectly sized for one person, wrapped up cleanly right on top. This makes them good for taking lunch to work.
These single meals are nice for just one person or maybe a couple sharing some meals, but not really for big families wanting one big dinner. Factor’s strength is that it offers many diet options that help meet specific eating needs and tastes. Keto, paleo, plant-based diets are all covered.
Low-carb, vegetarian, and fish diets are also offered, plus normal meat diets. It is very good for those following special eating plans. Besides main meals that are ready to eat, Factor offers add-ons you’ll like, such as snacks you can grab fast, smoothies, and protein shakes too. They are perfect for needing a quick breakfast or an energy boost in the afternoon. They also help before working out, adding convenience for daily eating for busy ones.
As said, meals are made for one person and are not good for big families, as they tell you. But the portions were okay and filled me up. Some lighter ones made me want a little snack to feel totally full, but mostly, it was enough food for a meal.
A nice surprise was the drinks and sweets in their marketplace on the site. Smoothies and shakes were good, and treats like cheesecake were there, keeping the menu fun and interesting to check. They gave a good sweet option after dinner or just to enjoy by itself.
Testing Factor showed how very easy it is and that its convenience is the best. It’s a meal kit that’s already made, you see. The whole thing couldn’t be easier for you. Just take the box, put the meals in the fridge, and they are ready whenever you want one. Heating them up is simple too. Two minutes in a microwave is typical, or you can take the food out and use the stove top.
For people watching what they eat or following diet rules for themselves, each meal cover gives nutrition facts, showing calorie counts and macro breakdowns too. There is a code on there to scan, linking to more info about the meal, giving good info for health-focused people.
The price for one meal may be higher compared to other meal kit services out there, especially since shipping is a flat rate per box. But there are often codes and sales that can make the price much lower. Like other kit services, the cost per meal drops if you choose to get more meals weekly. It helps save a little money that way.
For helping the planet, Factor tries to be better than some other kits around. The only plastic used is the film on top, which helps keep food fresh and safe. The rest of the package is cardboard you can recycle, and they use recycled stuff where they can. The ice packs that come in the box can be recycled, and the box itself can be broken down to recycle too, making less harm on the environment.
The meal tray package can also be recycled. Just wash the tray well after eating, getting all the food off of it first. Then just one small piece of plastic film is left, which you might need to throw away. This makes Factor pretty good for nature if customers help by recycling things.
Ordering is easy, which is another plus. Factor is one of the most simple to order. All meals are just one size, you see. No need to plan meals or cook much. Just pick from the menu that has options based on what you eat and like. With Factor, there is zero prep before eating at all and zero cleanup after except for trash. All you truly need is two minutes and a microwave to have a full meal.
Product on Amazon: 4Life Transfer Factor Plus – Support with Zinc, Super Mushroom Blend (Maitake, Shiitake, Agaricus), and Colostrum & Egg Yolk Extracts – 60 Capsules
Brand: 4Life
Binding: Health and Beauty Product Group: Drugstore
Price: 87 USD
Features:
1. 4Life’s No. 1 Immune System Product: With 4Life Transfer Factor, super mushroom blend, and zinc
2. Supports Immune Cells: Natural killer cells, macrophage cells, B & T cells
3. Trains: Educates immune system to recognize, respond to, and remember potential health threats
4. Our Team: 4Life product formulations are developed through research by doctors and scientists
5. 4Life: Bringing you quality products to support your immune system and overall health since 1998
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Chocolate Fudge
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed saucepan Essential for even heat distribution
- 1 Wooden Spoon For initial stirring
- 1 Candy Thermometer Crucial for reaching the correct temperature
- 1 8x8 inch Pan For setting the fudge
- 1 Sharp Knife For cutting into pieces
Ingredients
Main
- 2 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 3 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing pan
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped roasted nuts, optional
Instructions
- Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
4. **Dinnerly**: Dinnerly has made a special spot for itself. It’s the budget champion of meal kits, always having one of the lowest prices per meal you’ll find. This makes it easy to get and good for many, including families watching their money.
Students needing cheap meal ideas use it, or anyone wanting tasty home-cooked food without spending lots of money. Even those focused on a low price will appreciate it.
Dinnerly doesn’t make portions small. The food given is a lot and makes you full. It often keeps well for leftovers the next day or gives you seconds if you eat alone. It feels well-made with your needs in mind.
It has practicality and value in mind, giving simple, good food that fills you, made with fresh food sent right to your door. The service works well for diet needs, showing that value doesn’t mean limited choices.
Vegans will be happy with the choices too, as there are lots of meat-free options listed every week. The recipes for Dinnerly kits are simple on purpose, with six steps or less to cook them.
This makes them a good choice for new cooks or families who want kids to help easily. A new feature you’ll see is helpful: Dinnerly now has ready-made microwave meals, in addition to their normal cooking kits. These need almost no prep at all.
They’re perfect for quick lunches for school or work or when you just feel too tired to cook and want fast cleanup. The weekly menu is big and good to see, with over 100 different options available each week.
This ensures that something new is always there. You can try food you like or want to try, ranging from comfort food to food from faraway places. My test of Dinnerly agreed with its main points: it brings simple, easy, filling food at a really competitive price point.
The meals I made felt like easy, cozy food you’d want on your plate any night: hearty pasta, warm soups, or basic burgers. How simple it was to follow the steps was great, especially on busy nights when you’re tired.
I rarely needed to add any extra seasoning beyond what came in the box already. Maybe just some ketchup I would put on. The portions were always full for me, and I almost always had leftovers I could eat.
Sustainability is something Dinnerly thinks about. They aim for less plastic on food parts compared to some others. Boxes and ice packs can be recycled well, showing that they care about not harming nature.
They’ve also started sending paper recipe cards, which is nice for people who like paper over screens. It makes things easier, you know. Adding more value, Dinnerly has a Marketplace where you can shop for groceries through them.
It includes regular household items you need to add to your kits weekly. Not many kits have this add-on feature, making it more helpful for people. Ordering with Dinnerly is easy when you see the menu, and it’s simple to set up for each week’s boxes.
The Marketplace being there is a good point. Cook and prep time for Dinnerly is 15 to 45 minutes, staying close to the times listed on the cards. That helps you plan your cooking time.
For taste and feeling full, the test was good. I always felt full with meals here and never needed to add extra spice or anything except for normal dips or sauces maybe. Everything filled me up, you see. I usually had plenty of leftovers, showing that you get good value for the price.
Product on Amazon: MISS OLIVE’S Creole Style Chicken with Brown Rice Microwavable Low Sodium Healthy Ready Meal, 7 ounce (Pack of 3)
Brand: MISS OLIVE’S
Binding: Product Group: Grocery
Price: 17.99 USD
Features:
1. Pack of 6 Creole Style Chicken with Brown Rice – made with no preservatives and reduced sodium – under 400mg
2. Southern style of seasoned chicken simmered in tomato sauce with plenty of spices served with brown rice
3. Our healthy entrees are Ready to Eat, Shelf Stable, No Refrigeration Needed
4. Easy to open and prepare, just microwave for 2 minutes or boil with water in 4 minutes
5. Great for seniors, families with busy lifestyles, kids lunches, traveling, backpacking, camping, and college students
Shopping on Amazon >>
Chocolate Stout and Irish Cream Liqueur Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 Cupcake/Muffin Pan Holds 24 standard cupcakes
- 24 Cupcake Liners Standard size
- 1 Medium Saucepan
- 3 Mixing Bowls Various sizes
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 cups Irish stout recommended: Guinness
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- Irish Liqueur Frosting recipe follows
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur recommended: Baileys
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.
- Place the stout and butter in a medium-size saucepan and whisk together on medium heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Sift the cocoa powder into a medium-size bowl and add the sugar. Slowly whisk into the stout mixture. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and lightly whisk until smooth. Add this mixture to the saucepan and whisk thoroughly (it may appear lumpy). Sift the flour and baking soda together in another small bowl and then add it to the saucepan, mixing a final time until the color is even.
- Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until the cakes spring back after touching, about 27 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in their pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- To assemble: Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes using a large plain tip. Dust with cocoa powder if preferred.
Notes
5. **Marley Spoon**: It has Martha Stewart’s name, which means people expect great cooking. Operated by the same company that makes Dinnerly, it meets expectations by providing fresh, high-quality, and seasonal ingredients.
Combined with some of Martha’s best recipes, this service finds a good balance, suitable for people who enjoy cooking time, mixing simple meals with learning skills, and want to make nice food at home with easy-to-follow directions.
It aims to make home cooking better by incorporating Martha’s cooking style. Marley Spoon also offers food for various diets, going beyond just comfort food. Vegetarian and low-carb recipes are available, offering more choices than just fancy ones. They’ve added more food options over time, and now have options for breakfast or lunch, and even baking recipes.
This makes it easier to get more meals from them. A key point to know about this service is what I learned when I tested it myself: some recipes, mostly baking ones, require you to have basics from your house, like butter or eggs, or vanilla might not be in the box. So, it’s not always a full kit, unlike some other services.
My own time testing Marley Spoon was with special meals. I tried the Pastrami Spice-Rubbed Steak and the Cheesy Sausage Brunch Bake, both of which were really great comfort meals with good flavors and nice textures.
The recipes taste good, and the food is of quality. However, I found that the cooking times were often fast estimates, and many recipes took a bit longer for me. I had to chop more or do more steps, and using more pots and pans took time too, though these are normal with detailed cooking.
Another thing that slowed down the cooking time was that many recipes used the oven a lot, meaning temps and times changed with your oven. Even if some meals took longer, it was okay because the results tasted good and were filling. The portions were always large, making good leftovers.
Marley Spoon’s packaging is okay for the environment compared to some other companies. They still use plastic to separate ingredients, which is normal for many meal kits. Ordering with Marley Spoon is simple when using the site. It’s a normal meal kit plan you sign up for, with over 100 recipes on the site weekly for you to choose from.
Fresh food is sent based on your plan. You can pick for two or four people and then choose the number of meals per week needed, from two up to six. The food for your meals comes in brown bags inside the bigger main box. Meat is kept cold carefully on ice to keep it fresh while traveling to you.
Every box comes with recipe cards that are easy to follow. You can recycle them when done using or keep them to cook later without the kit. When checking the menu, Marley Spoon’s setup is simple, making it easy to order every week. They also offer already-made meals and add-ons on the site, giving more choices for your plan.
People think meal kits save you time compared to shopping and planning yourself. It’s good to note that Marley Spoon meals usually take 30 to 60 minutes to get ready to eat, sometimes even longer than the cards say, especially if you’re new to cooking them. But the flavors from Marley Spoon’s food never needed more spice from me; they always tasted good with the spices they sent. The meals always had big portions too, making good leftovers every time, showing the value in how much food you get.
Product on Amazon: Spring Chef Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons Set of 7 with Leveler, Rectangular Metal Teaspoon & Tablespoon Measuring Spoons for Dry & Liquid Ingredients – Nesting Kitchen Gadgets For Baking & Cooking
Brand: Spring Chef
Binding: Kitchen Product Group: Kitchen
Price: 11.97 USD
Features:
1. Complete, Accurate Set To Measure Spices, Medicine And More – Measure precise quantity of ingredients with these metal measuring spoons to get great results with cooking and baking.
2. 6 Convenient Sizes: 1/8 tsp, 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 3/4 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 Tbsp Plus a Leveler. The wide, long handle is comfortable to hold and its ergonomic design is easy to fill and level.
3. Treat Yourself To A Set Worth Having – With single metal construction and heavy duty premium Stainless Steel, this kitchen measuring set was designed with endurance in mind. They won’t rust or bend. This set looks beautiful, performs incredibly well and was built to last.
4. Fits Most Spice Jars – Save time and hassle with the rectangular design that is narrow enough to fit into most spice jars. You won’t need to shake spices onto the spoon so you will save more and waste less of your expensive spices. Save precious time too since they are dishwasher safe.
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Holiday Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls One large for wet ingredients, one medium for dry
- 1 Electric Mixer (stand or hand) For creaming butter and sugar
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient measurements
- 2 Baking Sheets For baking batches of cookies
- 1 Spatula or wooden spoon For mixing and scraping
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. butter or margarine
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 c. old-fashioned oats
- 1 c. raisins
- 1 package semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined.
- Stir in the old-fashioned oats, raisins, and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Meal delivery kit choices make the world seem vibrant. They keep changing to meet our many needs, which is fitting for our busy lives. From kits that save you money and are environmentally friendly, to fancy food experiences you might get, ready-to-eat convenience is here.
Options exist for almost any diet. There is a box out there for you. It waits to make your kitchen time easier. More exciting things await, and you can make utterly delicious food.
You might already be a home chef, looking to try brand-new recipes sometimes. Or you might be someone who hates grocery store shopping and needs dinner on the table really fast. These services offer a good solution for you to try, adding flavor back into your life.
Read more about: Unlock Amazing Flavor Without Breaking the Bank: Some Budget-Friendly Meal Solutions
Fun things to cook are here, giving you more freedom in your daily routine. It’s an exciting time to be a hungry person!
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