Food kit delivery Services are supposed to make your life easier. And they do when you choose one. But due to the rapid expansion of the service field in recent years, it is easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. Whether you’re going vegan, cooking for a family of six, or just looking to find your feet in the kitchen, there’s likely a service to meet your needs. Some meal kits send you pre-prepared meals, while others send ingredients with recipes, and a few are grocery delivery services. They all aim to make meal planning and cooking easier, and how well they do it varies.
I’ve tested over a dozen meal kit delivery services over the past few years, and I’ve retested several in this guide to make sure they’re accurate. Few are downright bad, so choosing the right one for you depends on your lifestyle. I’m an experienced home cook and don’t have strict dietary restrictions or preferences, but I was looking for vegetarian options along with more omnivorous options. I also had taste-testing help from lifelong vegans, fussy kids, and my cat (accidentally). Taking into account recipes, ingredients, ease of use, amount of packaging waste, and the fact that every home chef has different needs, you’ll find the best food delivery services below.
Updated January 2025: We’ve added new Gardencup and Gobble photos, plus double-checked links and prices.
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PRICE: Despite any marketing claims to the contrary, meal kits cost more than buying groceries. However, they usually cost less than take-out and are healthier. If you want to evaluate whether the trade-off is worth it, the good news is that, like mattress-in-a-box companies, meal kit companies usually some Advertisements Most meal kit pricing models offer major discounts: the more meals you buy per week, the lower the price per meal. Below are the details of food restrictions and subscription fees. If you want to decline or cancel a week, you can find that information in the account section of your chosen service’s website.
wired: Meal kits are convenient. After forgetting to eat a proper meal during the day, I didn’t have to worry about planning dinner, grocery shopping, or eating horrible junk food. Learning to cook with one of the best food delivery services can instill confidence and impart basic knowledge. If you’re busy, or just can’t be bothered, meal kits may be just what you need to cook, and cooking at home is never a bad thing. If you cook for a small family, if you work non-traditional hours, if you can’t figure out what to make for dinner, if you hate ordering out all the time or trying, meal kits may be for you. To develop your cooking skills.
tired: There’s nothing better than learning to cook the old-fashioned way, so give it a try. It’s cheaper and you learn more if you pick your own fruit or break up a whole chicken for $5. You simply won’t have that experience if everything arrives at your door and the chicken parts are prepackaged. Planning and grocery shopping are an integral part of the art of cooking. Meal kits are also usually more wasteful than traditional home cooking and often more expensive. If you’re on a budget, if you’re cooking for a large family, or if you want finer control over the specific ingredients you use, meal kits are possible. It is the wrong choice for you.
What if I have allergies, have a special diet, or go on vacation a lot?
You’re probably covered. Most meal kit services have a way to filter out common allergens or food preferences, and most recipes have specific nutritional information so you’re always in the know. And if you travel a lot, it’s usually easy to go into your account settings and skip a week, pause your plan, or cancel it altogether. These factors vary by service, but we’ve listed some of the features below.
For each serving below, I tested at least three servings, following the recipe directions exactly. I made them mostly for dinner and prioritized testing the combination of proteins and cooking skills required (for example, testing a one-pan meal in addition to a more complex protein, side dish, and pan sauce). I wanted to test different dishes that would appeal to many people, including vegetarian options and meals that are quick to make for a family versus meals that are good for a date night.
