Cooking can be equal parts joyful and stressful. But if it’s been feeling more tedious lately, trying one of the best meal kit delivery services is an easy way to change up your routine and make dinnertime a lot easier. Whether you opt for a service that sends you ingredients and recipes or heat-and-eat dishes, you’ll be able to spend way less time planning and grocery shopping each week.
Trying meal kits goes beyond convenience too—one of these subscriptions can encourage you to try recipes you’d never think to make, help you follow a more protein- or plant-heavy diet, and make cooking fun again.
There are so many services out there that it can be tough to tell them apart. To decide which are really worth the cost, we tested the top brands and compared them. Below, shop the best kits to try (and never wonder “what’s for dinner?” again).
Our top picks
- Best Overall: Home Chef
- Best for the Busy Person: Gobble
- Most Eco-Friendly: Green Chef
- Most Established: Blue Apron
- Most Customizable: Territory
- Best Value: EveryPlate
- Best for the Picky Eater: Hungryroot
- Best for Plant-Based Meals: Sunbasket
In this article
How SELF tests meal kits
First, we spoke with registered dietitians to help guide our criteria for choosing the right meal delivery service. Then we purchased all of the meal kits listed below and tested each for a full week’s worth of meals. We based our review on customization options, affordability, nutrition profile, delivery process, and overall taste and satisfaction before arriving at our final rating.
A meal kit service that received a score of 7 or higher (out of 10) is considered SELF Certified, meaning they’re ones we definitely recommend you try. Ones with lower, but still mid-range scores offered some advantages, along with a few drawbacks, which we outlined for each.
How to choose the right meal kit delivery service for you
These are the factors we recommend considering when shopping for a meal kit delivery service. Beyond these, it’s a matter of, well, taste. You may need to try a few brands before you find one that works for you.
Most meal kit services deliver once a week, but some offer different cadences or even one-off deliveries. The majority of services also allow for some flexibility, so you can skip and pause deliveries if you’ll be out of town one week. You’ll also want to check whether the deliveries occur at a time when someone can be home to unbox the food. Frozen meals tend to be able to sit outside longer without any damage, but fresh options might need a speedier transfer to the fridge.
The delivery frequency you opt for will also have a lot to do with how much food comes in each box. Think about how many meals you typically eat at home each week (and how many of those you’d like to come from your delivery service) and look for options that can meet those needs. Depending on the brand, you’ll either be getting a set amount of food each week, or you can select exactly how much you want.
Are you cooking for yourself, for two, or for a family? With many services, you can choose how many servings you want in each meal, or sign up for plans specifically designed for individuals or for families. You’ll also want to look into the serving sizes and ensure they make sense for you and whoever else you’re cooking for.
Setting a budget for yourself up front can also help you narrow down your options quickly, since meal kit prices can range quite a bit. For example, on this list, there are more affordable options (like EveryPlate, Home Chef, Dinnerly, Mosaic, and Daily Harvest) and pricey ones (like Pete’s Real Food, Gobble, Territory, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Purple Carrot, and CookUnity). Don’t forget to factor in shipping costs too.
Luckily, no matter what kind of diet you follow, there’s probably a meal kit delivery service out there for you. Many popular services offer a wide range of meal plans for all kinds of dietary restrictions, and several smaller companies make meals exclusively for certain diets. You can find brands that spotlight vegetarian, vegan, keto, and paleo meals—some even allow you to filter weekly menus based on your allergies or certain ingredients. Double check that the service you’re interested in can meet your dietary needs and that it offers a good variety of meals within that plan, so you don’t get bored.
Most of the more established meal kit delivery services ship nationwide, but unfortunately, smaller companies tend to have more limited availability. Most sites have a place where you can search your zip code to make sure you live in their delivery range.
Meal kits delivery services are generally pretty convenient—they can help you cut down on trips to the grocery store and stop wasting mental energy figuring out what to eat. But beyond that, the time it takes to make your meals can vary widely. If you’re looking for something that’s super fast and easy, look for pre-prepared, heat-and-eat meals. If you still want to cook, there are options that prioritize quick recipes, like Gobble.
Most sites will mention how long each recipe typically takes to make (though many reviewers say these estimates aren’t accurate, so keep that in mind). On the other hand, maybe you’re looking to develop new skills in the kitchen and fall in love with cooking again. If that’s the case, there’s no need to look into how long the recipes in your plan typically take—you just need to decide if they sound fun to whip up and eat.
Is a meal kit delivery service worth it?
If you find it easy to plan, shop for, and prepare your food every week, you probably don’t need a meal kit delivery service. But if cooking for yourself or others causes stress, meal kit delivery services can be really helpful. They eliminate a large part of the creativity and planning required for cooking, help you avoid food waste, and can help you get out of cooking ruts if you realize you’re eating the same thing all the time.
They can also expand your palate, teach you new kitchen skills, and make cooking more fun. Of course, they have to fit your budget (and meal kits can be expensive). In many cases, you can most likely make more affordable meals by shopping and cooking yourself, but the convenience factor may be worth the extra investment.
What is the best meal delivery service of 2024?
The best meal delivery service is Home Chef, according to our rigorous kit testing standards. Now, that comes with the caveat that everyone has different dietary needs, budgets, and plain old preferences. It can still be useful to try out a few different brands before committing to a service for regular deliveries (and luckily, many of them offer introductory deals for new customers). So while Home Chef is our top recommendation, we highly encourage browsing—and doing lots of taste tests.
All the best meal delivery services of 2024
Read on to learn more about the best meal delivery services as tested and reviewed by SELF staffers, according to our meal kit shopping guide, as well as a few other services popular among shoppers (including Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Misfits Market, Purple Carrot, CookUnity, and HelloFresh).
SELF score: 9/10—Certified
Pros
- Delicious meals
- Customizable
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Limited menu options for vegetarian meals
- Has a lot of fish recipes, which may not be for everyone
Why we like it: Every week, Home Chef allows you to choose from nearly a dozen delicious meals that cater to your needs and skill level. Its cooking difficulty ranges from easy to advanced, and its services offer the option to omit ingredients like dairy, nuts, soy, wheat, and more. You can also select recipes based on your goals, like eating more fresh ingredients or saving time in the kitchen.
Original photo by SELF editorial assistant Grace McCarty
The menus are set five weeks ahead, so you can plan for dinner well in advance. When our reviewer tried Home Chef firsthand, they praised how easy and satisfying the service was to use: “I don’t have to do the shopping, ingredients are precisely measured so that I can toss them in without fuss, and when I’m done, a magazine-worthy meal is left on my plate in its sweet, savory glory.”
Original photo by SELF editorial assistant Grace McCarty
Dietary options: Carb-conscious, high-protein, keto-friendly, paleo-friendly, vegetarian
Meal examples: Apple and goat cheese flatbread; lemon cream and spinach sausage spaghetti; cornmeal crusted shrimp po’boy
Cost: Meals start at $10 per serving. The weekly order minimum is $51 for a standard Home Chef plan (one to three meals, with two servings per meal) and $83 for a Family Plan (at least 10 meals, with four servings per meal). Shipping is included.
First-time customer deals: 18 free meals when you order 10 meals per week over your first five orders; free shipping on your first box; 1 free dessert item with every box | Recipe options per week: 35 meals, 18 extras | Packing materials: Reusable containers and ice packs; recyclable boxes and packaging | Availability: Nationwide
2. Best for the Busy Person: Gobble
SELF score: 6/10
Pros
- Actually fast and easy recipes
- Minimal prep required
Cons
- Pricey for the overall quality
- Few options for people with major food intolerances
Why we like it: Meal plans and kits are meant to solve a common problem in any busy person’s life: the lack of time to plan, shop for, and cook dinner. But Gobble takes it a step further by doing all of the prep work for you. That means each kit includes pre-portioned ingredients (like already-peeled vegetables), requires minimal to no chopping, and goes from pan to plate in only about 15 minutes. It’s almost as low-effort as ordering in from a local restaurant—and often even quicker to put together.
Plus, we love Gobble’s family-friendly options that cater to picky eaters. In her review of Gobble for SELF, our tester noted that her recipes “tasted like something from a cozy neighborhood restaurant,” adding that they were comforting and quick. However, she thought some of the meals were a little light on veggies and protein (which means a less balanced meal). She also found the lunch options to be limited and not super satisfying.
Dietary options: Dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Meal examples: Mediterranean fattoush salad with green harissa dressing; Vietnamese chicken soup with rice noodles and aromatic herbs; seared steak with creamed spinach and loaded potatoes
Cost: Two-person plans start at $68 for two meals per week; four-person plans start at $104 for two meals per week. Shipping is an additional $9.
First-time customer deals: First six meals for $36 | Recipe options per week: At least 10 Classic Dinner options; various quantities of sides, desserts, and breakfasts | Packing materials: Reusable ice packs, recyclable boxes and packaging | Availability: Nationwide, excluding Montana and with limited service in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
SELF score: 6/10
Pros
- High-quality ingredients
- Flavorful sauces
- Good portions
Cons
- Recipes require lots of cooking equipment
- Limited vegetarian options
Why we like it: For the environmentally conscious diner, Green Chef offers USDA-certified organic meal kits, which feature sustainably-sourced organic ingredients from traceable farmers and suppliers. The brand also provides responsible disposal guides for its packaging whenever possible. The recipe cards are easy to follow and designed to be made in just 30 minutes. You’ll also find there are three meal-size options: for two, four, or six people.
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