Let’s be honest, cooking dinner every night can feel like a chore, no matter how many people you’re feeding. Between busy work schedules and managing home life, finding the time for meal planning, grocery shopping, and actual cooking can be a real struggle. This is where the Top Rated Food Delivery Service options step in to save the day.
Food delivery services have emerged as a fantastic solution for saving time and reducing stress associated with meal preparation. Imagine having fresh ingredients, and sometimes even fully prepared meals, delivered directly to your doorstep. This convenience allows you to create delicious dishes without ever having to leave your home. Whether you’re seeking quick and easy single-serving meals or gourmet experiences with minimal preparation, there’s a top rated food delivery service perfectly tailored to your lifestyle and culinary needs.
Our team has dedicated significant time and resources to thoroughly investigate and test over 50 different meal delivery services. We evaluated each service based on crucial factors such as cost-effectiveness, menu variety, and packaging quality. After rigorous testing and careful comparisons, we’ve compiled a list of our top recommendations to guide your choice.
The Best Meal Delivery Services
Best Overall: Blue Apron
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Will Dickey
Pros: Blue Apron stands out by offering both meal kits and prepared meals, featuring a remarkable selection of gourmet recipes.
Cons: Some users reported experiencing shipping delays, and the service currently lacks specific keto and paleo dietary options. It’s also worth noting that recipes may require an electric stove for certain cooking methods.
Price Range: $7.99 – $11.99 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh meal kits, frozen prepared meals | Ideal For: Households of multiple people, individuals, food enthusiasts, novice cooks, those with limited time | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping, some recipes involve advanced techniques like zesting and grating.
How Blue Apron Works
Blue Apron positions itself as the go-to service for gourmet food lovers, presenting dozens of flavorful menu choices each week. Customers have the flexibility to choose between traditional meal kits with precisely measured ingredients and their “Heat & Eat” line of ready-made meals. A variety of meal preferences are available, including chef-recommended favorites, family-friendly options, and vegetarian dishes. Weekly menus showcase a diverse range of flavors, from togarashi tilapia to pasta bolognese, and even duck with thyme butter sauce. In select regions, customers can also enhance their orders with marketplace items like pantry staples, kitchen gadgets, and wine selections.
Exploring Blue Apron’s menu doesn’t require an account. However, signing up is straightforward: create an account with your email, provide delivery details, and select your meals. Blue Apron ships to 48 states within the continental US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), with a shipping fee of $9.99.
Tester Takeaway
Blue Apron successfully balances convenience and flexibility. We appreciated the opportunity to refine our cooking skills while preparing some of their gourmet meals.
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Food & Wine / Meredith Butcher
Blue Apron Cost Breakdown
Like most top rated food delivery services, Blue Apron offers a price structure where the cost per serving decreases as you order more meals. You can opt for as few as two, two-serving meals per week at $11.99 per serving, or up to five, four-serving meals, bringing the price down to $7.99 per serving.
Preparing Blue Apron Meals
Blue Apron’s meal kits include pre-portioned sauces and spices alongside fresh produce and proteins. While there is noticeable packaging, our tests revealed that approximately half of it is recyclable. Each recipe comes with a detailed, full-color recipe card outlining ingredients and step-by-step instructions. You’ll need basic pantry items like salt, pepper, and oil, but Blue Apron provides the rest. We were particularly impressed by the clarity of Blue Apron’s recipe cards, catering to a range of cooking skill levels.
For a simpler meal experience, Blue Apron also offers prepared, heat-and-eat meals. These arrive fresh in microwave-safe trays, making meal prep as easy as peeling back the film and microwaving for 3-5 minutes.
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Food & Wine / Meredith Butcher
Our Testing Experience with Blue Apron
We tested both the heat-and-eat meals and meal kits to thoroughly evaluate Blue Apron’s offerings. Our sampled menu included:
Meal Kits:
- Baked meatballs with romesco mayo: This dish received high praise from our testers, with one noting its “piquant flavors and nice sweetness.”
- Togarashi shrimp and vegetable fried rice
- Space Ranger chicken enchiladas
- One-pan white bean and poblano shakshuka
- Salmon with caper mayo
Heat & Eat:
- Chicken Alfredo pasta with peas: Testers noted Blue Apron’s tendency to incorporate unexpected elements, like capers in this dish.
- Sweet and spicy beef bowl with rice, peppers, and edamame
Overall, we enjoyed the diverse and intriguing flavors Blue Apron offered. However, individuals with specific dietary needs like keto or paleo might find better options elsewhere among top rated food delivery services.
Best Variety: HelloFresh
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Will Dickey
Pros: HelloFresh provides extensive control over meal selections, offering numerous customization options and the ability to preview menus up to six weeks in advance.
Cons: Testers observed significant single-use plastics and packaging. The service also lacks dedicated meal plans for stricter dietary requirements and meals sometimes leaned heavily on sour cream.
Menu Highlights: Fresh meal kits | Ideal For: Families, households with children, picky eaters | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping
How HelloFresh Delivers Variety
HelloFresh distinguishes itself with a menu of over 30 fresh meal kits each week, catering to diverse preferences including vegetarian, meat and veggies, pescatarian, fit and wholesome, quick and easy, and family-friendly meals. Meals are designed for two or four servings, with options for two to six meals per week. Customers can customize up to 12 sides or proteins weekly to create their ideal meals. HelloFresh menus tend to focus on satisfying comfort foods such as burgers, rice bowls, pastas, tacos, and sandwiches.
While browsing the HelloFresh menu is possible without an account, selection and ordering require one. If you happen to forget to choose your meals, HelloFresh will make selections for you. Account creation allows you to specify your plan size and meal preferences, which can be adjusted at any time. Once delivery and payment information is set up, meal selection can begin.
During testing, we noted that some ingredients arrived pre-packaged or pre-prepared, such as mango salsa mix or guacamole, which we found less desirable compared to preparing them ourselves. Fresh ingredients were also sometimes wrapped in plastic, which was another point of concern.
HelloFresh operates primarily as a weekly meal subscription service, but pausing weeks is easily managed via the app or website account. Adjusting delivery day, meal quantity, or serving sizes is also straightforward, providing flexibility beyond initial plan choices.
Tester Takeaway
HelloFresh earns our top recommendation for variety, thanks to its extensive menu and plentiful customization features. Although the menu complexity may not match some gourmet services, we found the meals consistently well-rounded and enjoyable.
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Food & Wine / Dana Fouchia
Preparing HelloFresh Meals
HelloFresh meal kits are delivered in insulated cardboard boxes packed with cooling ice packs, fresh ingredients, and cardboard dividers for organization. A notable feature is the use of paper bags to group ingredients for each recipe, streamlining meal preparation. We appreciated their effort to use paper and cardboard packaging where possible to reduce plastic use. HelloFresh’s website offers guidance on recycling and disposing of packaging materials. However, packaging volume can accumulate quickly if not regularly managed.
Beyond basic pantry staples, HelloFresh provides the majority of ingredients needed. Recipe cards are large, colorful, and clearly list necessary kitchen tools, highlighting items like kitchen shears, bowls, or colanders. Each ingredient is also pictured on the recipe card for easy identification and preparation.
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Our Testing Experience with HelloFresh
Our testing panel sampled a range of HelloFresh recipes, including:
- Fancy French onion beef tenderloin with rosemary fingerlings, lemony asparagus, and horseradish cream: A standout dish praised for tender meat and excellent flavor depth from sauces and onion topping.
- Falafel power bowls with spinach, creamy dressing, and garlicky pita: Received similar accolades for its “herby freshness.”
- One-pot cowboy turkey and bean chili with jalapeño and smoky red pepper crema
- Creamy dill chicken: Flavorful, though testers noted an excess of sour cream. Potatoes and green beans were easy to prepare.
- Meatloaves with creamy thyme sauce: A hearty and surprisingly simple meal.
- Open-faced prosciutto and jam sandwich: Good flavor, but bread quality was perceived as average.
- Chicken ramen in a Shoyu-style broth: Tasty and relatively easy to prepare.
- Cinnamon Liège waffles: A convenient microwaveable sweet treat.
- Seared salmon and kale salad with mango: Generally tasty, but pre-packaged mango salsa was considered less fresh.
- Peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin: A delightful and surprisingly easy-to-prepare treat.
- Greek goddess bulgur bowls: A tester favorite, described as fresh and elevated.
- Lemony chickpea and arugula grain salad: An easy, healthy, and flavorful salad with quick-cooking rice.
Recipes were generally well-written and easy to follow, though some testers reached for tools like zesters or added salt and pepper to enhance flavors. Some dishes took slightly longer than the estimated cooking times. HelloFresh recipes often presume some kitchen familiarity, such as knowing how to zest a lemon.
Best Meal Kits: Green Chef
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Pros: Green Chef meals are diverse, intriguing, and made with organic ingredients. They offer meal options for up to six servings, suitable for larger households.
Cons: Breakfast options are limited, and shipping incurs an additional fee.
Price Range: $11.99 – $13.49 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh meal kits | Ideal For: Families, food lovers, individuals | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping
Green Chef’s Organic and Gourmet Approach
Green Chef distinguishes itself by using certified-USDA organic produce and offering a weekly rotating menu of 24 gourmet, chef-inspired meals. Dietary preferences like vegan, gluten-free, and keto are well-catered for, with a mix-and-match option. Meals are available in servings of two, four, and six, with a choice of two, three, or four meals per week. Green Chef’s menu is accessible online up to three weeks ahead, facilitating easy planning.
Signing up is straightforward: click “Get Started,” select meal preferences and plan size, then enter email, password, address, and payment details. Meal selection follows account setup.
Green Chef allows for easy skipping or rescheduling of deliveries and offers flexibility to adjust meal plan size as needed. Customer support is available via live chat on the FAQ page, initially through a virtual assistant, Olive, who connects to a human associate if necessary.
Tester Takeaway
Green Chef’s inventive recipes and clear, step-by-step instructions make it a top contender among top rated food delivery services. Meal preparation is almost foolproof.
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Food & Wine / Brierley Horton
Green Chef Pricing
Green Chef’s pricing is structured around order volume, with four meals for six servings offering the best value at $11.99 per serving. A flat shipping rate of $9.99 applies, and delivery is available to all states except Alaska and Hawaii.
Preparing Green Chef Meals
Green Chef meal kits are conveniently organized into individual paper bags, each containing the spices, seasonings, and produce needed for a specific meal. Meat is separately packaged to prevent cross-contamination and ensure optimal temperature maintenance. Ingredients arrive fresh and should be refrigerated until use.
Recipe preparation is guided by full-sized sheets with color photos and detailed step-by-step instructions. Pre-portioned sauces and spices minimize measuring. Vegetable washing and chopping are required, but considered straightforward. Common pantry items (salt, pepper, olive oil) are needed, while more unique ingredients like za’atar or apricot jam are included.
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Food & Wine / Will Dickey
Our Testing Experience with Green Chef
Our Green Chef testing was somewhat hampered by a shipping issue that caused vacuum-sealed bags containing raw pork and chicken to leak, preventing us from sampling those items.
- Chicken with spicy apricot pan sauce: Unable to fully prepare as intended due to packaging issues, but the apricot sauce had a good balance of sweet and spicy.
- Greek pork couscous bowls: Couscous softened the accompanying greens nicely, reducing bitterness from the chard.
- White bean chicken chili: Considered a miss; without garnishes, cinnamon flavor was dominant, described as “holiday-like.”
- Spiced chicken with lemon yogurt sauce: Flavor combinations were excellent and delicious. Roasting carrots was the most time-consuming but simple step.
- Roasted garlic and fennel flatbreads: Flatbread was delicious, and the accompanying salad (kale, cranberries, pine nuts, carrots) was a hit.
- BBQ Sweet Potato Tacos: Initially skeptical, these tacos were surprisingly filling and quick to prepare with pre-prepped ingredients.
- Harissa Chicken with Apricot Pan Sauce: Another unexpected favorite, combining chicken, kale, apricot, and pearl couscous with well-loved flavors.
Most Green Chef meals require light preparation, like chopping vegetables and mixing sauces. Cooking times were generally accurate to Green Chef’s estimates. Despite the packaging issue, the flavors we sampled were cohesive, and Green Chef scored well for its inventive use of spices and flavor combinations, securing its place as a top rated food delivery service for meal kits.
Learn more: Read our Green Chef review
Best Eco-Friendly: Hungryroot
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Use promo code FOOD&WINE30 for 30% off + free gift in every box for new subscribers.
Pros: Most Hungryroot meals are ready in 10 minutes or less, with access to over 2,000 recipes.
Cons: Recipe simplicity may not appeal to advanced cooks. Beginner cooks might find dishes under-seasoned or undercooked due to brief instructions.
Price Range: Varies by selection, starting around $8 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh meal kits | Ideal For: Busy singles and families, customers with food allergies, households with children | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping
Hungryroot: Grocery and Meal Planning Combined
Hungryroot is unique as both a meal planning service and a grocery ordering platform. New users complete a detailed food preference quiz, and Hungryroot’s algorithm creates a personalized meal plan with groceries and pre-portioned ingredients for meals ready in 10 minutes or less. With a vast recipe archive and search filters, users can customize nutritious meals, including salads, bowls, soups, pantry staples, snacks, drinks, and ready-to-eat foods. Hungryroot emphasizes sustainable packaging, using recyclable boxes, biodegradable ice packs, and recipes designed to minimize food waste, making it a top rated food delivery service for eco-conscious consumers.
Hungryroot excels in customization, allowing users to tailor orders for dietary needs or picky eaters more than most tested services. Account creation is necessary to view offerings, starting with a 15-minute quiz. This quiz informs Hungryroot’s algorithm to personalize meal suggestions based on dietary preferences, favorite cuisines, flavor profiles, spice tolerance, and dislikes. Weekly suggested meals can be adjusted before shipping via the website or app.
Tester Takeaway
Hungryroot’s grocery-focused approach to meal delivery simplifies meal creation. However, experienced cooks may find recipes “overly simplistic” and less refined than other services.
Hungryroot Cost and Delivery
Pricing varies by order, with a $30 introductory discount for new customers. Hungryroot delivers across the contiguous U.S. Free shipping is offered on orders over $70; otherwise, it’s $6.99.
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Food & Wine / Elle Wignall
Preparing Hungryroot Meals
Hungryroot items arrive in insulated cardboard boxes with gel packs. Ingredients aren’t grouped by recipe, requiring users to gather items based on recipe cards before cooking. Refrigeration is necessary for most ingredients. While some items freeze well (red lentil fusilli, cauliflower gnocchi), seafood, soups, and stews are best refrigerated and consumed by their listed dates.
Recipes are printed on the back of the packaging slip, lacking the premium feel of Blue Apron’s recipe cards. Most recipes have only five or six steps, with minimal cooking time and accurate hands-on time estimates. Our tested recipes were completed in under 20 minutes.
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Food & Wine / Elle Wignall
Our Testing Experience with Hungryroot
We tested two Hungryroot recipes:
- Lemongrass chicken and broccoli stir fry: Minimal prep required, with pre-washed and chopped broccoli. Sauce pouch simplified cooking to about 18 minutes (estimated 15). Excellent flavor, though lemongrass was subtle, with coconut being the dominant flavor.
- Seared ribeye and creamy mashed potatoes: Simple to prepare, with steam-in-bag baby potatoes. Bag split in transit, affecting potato cooking.
- Grass-fed burger with avocado and bean Salad: Burger patty was pre-shaped and delicious. Salad was pre-mixed and watery.
- Roasted salmon and sweet potato on Brussels: Good quality meats, but Brussels sprouts were slightly mushy.
Steak was pan-seared in olive oil, though oil type isn’t specified in recipes. Butter or neutral oil may be preferable. Medium-rare steak cooking time (3-4 minutes per side) resulted in a rarer center than expected. Potatoes were finished by adding creme fraiche and mashing. Hungryroot prioritizes assembly over hands-on cooking, suitable for those short on time but seeking flavorful meals, making it a convenient top rated food delivery service.
Learn More: Read our Hungryroot review
Best Prepared Meals: CookUnity
Pros: CookUnity offers chef-crafted meals for various dietary needs and prioritizes sustainable packaging, appealing to eco-conscious users.
Cons: Single-serving options only, not ideal for families.
Price Range: $11.09 – $13.59 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh prepared meals | Ideal For: Individuals, food enthusiasts | Preparation Skills Needed: None
CookUnity’s Chef-Driven Prepared Meals
CookUnity provides a wide array of fresh, chef-prepared meals ready to heat and eat. With hubs on the East Coast, West Coast, Texas, and Midwest, they offer a rotating menu by award-winning chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Esther Choi. Menus cater to diverse dietary needs: dairy-free, vegan, low-calorie, low-sodium, and keto. Global cuisines include bibimbap, Thai curries, barbeque, udon soups, pizza, tacos, and mezze platters. Meals are single-serving, with up to 16 entrées per week. CookUnity positions itself as a premium top rated food delivery service for prepared meals.
Signing up grants access to CookUnity’s extensive menu, protein customization, and menu preference reviews. Chef profiles enhance engagement. Order confirmations and employee-favorite meal suggestions are part of the user-friendly communication.
Tester Takeaway
CookUnity’s microwave-ready meals were surprisingly “balanced and tasty,” exceeding expectations for prepared food.
CookUnity Cost and Delivery
CookUnity’s pricing averages around $12 per meal. While meals were well-received, limited delivery area (select regions in 47 states) is a drawback for those outside major metro areas.
Preparing CookUnity Meals
CookUnity meals are shipped fresh in carefully packaged trays within an insulated box with recyclable paper inserts and ice packs. Each meal tray is in a colorful paper sleeve with chef info, use-by date, and nutritional details. QR codes link to recipe pages with more nutrition info, ratings, chef profiles, and recycling guidance.
Meal trays are industrially compostable with a plastic film seal. Heating options include microwave (fast) and oven (chef-preferred). Microwave heating requires transferring contents to a microwave-safe container for 2-3 minutes. Oven heating takes longer, about 18-20 minutes on average, following the same transfer process.
Our Testing Experience with CookUnity
We sampled four CookUnity meals:
- Crispy pan-fried Cajun salmon with fresh avocado sauce and cucumber salsa by Andres Mendez: Oven-prepared, the Cajun salmon was a standout, especially for reheated fish. Cucumber salsa added freshness and crunch, with savory avocado sauce for balance.
- Wild mushroom bibimbap with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi by Esther Choi: Bibimbap had more heat than expected from gochujang sauce, balanced by kimchi cucumbers and spinach. Mushrooms added umami. Microwaved preparation preserved textures well.
- Pat’s beef short ribs bourguignon, chef’s special by Pat LaFrieda
- Marinated chicken shawarma over Israeli couscous with caramelized onions and pickled red cabbage by Einat Admony
Prepared meals were generally impressive. While portions were sometimes small, flavors won over prepared-meal skeptics, making CookUnity a strong contender for top rated food delivery service in the prepared meal category.
Learn more: Read our CookUnity review
Best Plant-Based: Daily Harvest
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Pros: Daily Harvest’s menu is entirely plant-based and emphasizes organic ingredients.
Cons: All meals are frozen, requiring thawing time. Minimum order of nine items per delivery.
Price Range: $5.99 – $11.99 per serving | Menu Highlights: Frozen prepared meals | Ideal For: Individuals, seniors, vegans | Preparation Skills Needed: Blending or heating
Daily Harvest: Plant-Based Convenience
Since 2015, Daily Harvest has provided plant-based meals nationwide, emphasizing nutrient-rich and organic ingredients. The entirely plant-based and gluten-free menu features over 100 dishes, from sweet potato and wild rice bowls to artichoke and spinach flatbread to purple corn and tomatillo soup. Frozen meals allow for convenient freezer stocking, making Daily Harvest a top rated food delivery service for plant-based diets.
Ordering is straightforward, with menu browsing possible without an account. Signing up involves four steps: email/ZIP code entry, plan selection, item choice, and address/delivery day/checkout. Introductory discounts are available for first-time customers.
Weekly boxes are delivered until skipped, paused, or canceled. Unlike some services, Daily Harvest orders repeat weekly unless manually changed. The menu evolves slowly, with popular items remaining available, allowing for standing orders or ongoing menu exploration.
Tester Takeaway
While perhaps not ideal for larger households seeking substantial meals, Daily Harvest’s smoothies, bowls, and flatbreads are a solid choice for quick, nutritious, plant-based options.
Daily Harvest Cost and Preparation
Pricing varies by item, with discounts based on order size (9-24 items). Delivery to all states except Alaska and Hawaii costs $9.99.
Daily Harvest products are shipped frozen in insulated cardboard boxes with dry ice. Items are freezer-safe for up to three months. Packaging includes paper-based vessels, plastic film seals, and recyclable/compostable lids or sleeves, with aluminum trays for Harvest Bakes.
Meal preparation is simple: heat, blend, or add liquid (provided by user). Minimal stirring is needed during heating. Oven, stovetop, and microwave instructions are provided. Harvest Bakes and flatbreads take the longest (20-30 minutes in oven/toaster oven), while most items are ready in about five minutes. Overnight oats and chia bowls require at least six hours of soaking.
Our Testing Experience with Daily Harvest
We tested nine Daily Harvest items:
- Strawberry + Peach Smoothie: Thinner, watery consistency, less fruity flavor than expected.
- Chocolate + Blueberry Smoothie: Best smoothie tested, chocolate shake-like, not overly sweet or artificial.
- Kohlrabi + Zucchini Salsa Verde Harvest Bake: Harvest Bakes fared better, with a light spice and good vegetal flavors.
- Portobello + Pesto Flatbread: Satisfying, portobello mushrooms added meaty flavor to a lighter dish.
- Acai + Cherry Smoothie
- Mint + Cacao Smoothie
- Passion Fruit + Pineapple Smoothie
- Spinach + Shiitake Grits Harvest Bowl
- Tomato + Zucchini Minestrone Soup
Umami-rich dishes felt more filling. Daily Harvest portions can seem small, best suited for light meals rather than substantial dinners. However, it’s excellent for quick, healthy, plant-based meals, solidifying its place among top rated food delivery services in the plant-based niche.
Learn more: Read our Daily Harvest review
Best Organic: Sunbasket
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Henry Wortock
Pros: Sunbasket emphasizes ethical sourcing and USDA-certified organic ingredients with diverse customization options. Recipes are quick to prepare with minimal dish usage.
Cons: Recipe instructions can be confusing, and free shipping is limited to the first order.
Price Range: $9.99 – $14.49 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh kits and prepared meals | Ideal For: Families, individuals, food enthusiasts, organic food lovers | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping, sautéing
Sunbasket’s Organic and Ethically Sourced Meals
Sunbasket prides itself on ethical sourcing and using certified USDA-organic ingredients from U.S. farmers and purveyors. They offer healthy, nutritious meal options, with both traditional meal kits and fresh-and-ready prepared meals. Meals are available for two or four servings, with protein customization options, and add-ons like breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Menus range from Persian salmon to chimichurri steaks to chop suey, featuring international flavors. Sunbasket is often considered a top rated food delivery service for organic and health-conscious eaters.
Signing up is through the website or app (menu browsing is account-free). Users select meal types (Fresh & Ready or meal kits) and dietary options (paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean, diabetes-friendly). Meal and recipe selection follows preference setup. Meal plans and preferences can be changed anytime.
Tester Takeaway
Sunbasket offers inventive recipes for home cooks who enjoy kitchen time, though some unique flavors were less popular with testers.
Sunbasket Cost and Delivery
Pricing depends on meal type (kit or prepared) and menu choices. Prepared meals start at $9.99 per serving, meal kits at $11.49. Sunbasket ships to 46 states (excluding AK, HI, MT, ND, and parts of NM). First order shipping is free, then $7.99.
Preparing Sunbasket Meals
Sunbasket prioritizes eco-friendly packaging: cardboard boxes with paper and denim insulation, compostable gel ice packs, plastic-sealed proteins, and brown paper bags for other ingredients. Recipe cards are full-color, folded sheets with detailed, helpful information, including substitutions, two/four serving instructions, pantry staples list, and make-ahead instructions.
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Taysha Murtaugh
Our Testing Experience with Sunbasket
Our Sunbasket testing included:
- Green goddess chicken salad lettuce cups with roasted almonds: Preparation time was accurate (20 minutes). Ingredients were fresh, but avocado was underripe. Chicken salad dressing had unexpected fishy flavor from anchovies, heavy and creamy, not light and crisp. Almonds added crunch, but acidity or herbs would improve taste.
- Northern Italian duck ragu with potato gnocchi, Pecorino, and endive: Surprisingly easy to assemble (29 minutes of estimated 25-30). Duck was pre-cooked. Crisp gnocchi suggestion was excellent. Required multiple pots and pans.
- Salmon Panzanella salad with crisp lettuce, salsa verde, and Parmesan: Simple, quick, and a tester favorite for crunchy lettuce/celery, toasted bread, salmon, and dressing.
- Harissa sweet potatoes and sirloin steak with chimichurri: Sweet potatoes were pre-roasted (labeled as “speedy”).
- Blueberry BBQ chicken with warm Dijon-horseradish potato salad: Potato salad was the star. Chicken was good but not strongly BBQ-flavored.
- Fajita lettuce wraps with New Mexican chile salsa and guacamole: Least favorite meal, every bite was gristly or fatty.
- Fettuccine Bolognese with garlic-sautéed baby broccoli: Fresh pasta and sauce were quick and delicious.
Despite careful packaging, ingredient substitutions occurred without warning (Parmesan for Pecorino, raw garlic instead of roasted). These were minor, but noteworthy. While generally a top rated food delivery service for organic options, ingredient consistency could be improved.
Best for Families: Home Chef
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Henry Wortock
Pros: Home Chef offers time-saving recipes, customizable dishes, larger serving sizes, and affordability, making it ideal for families.
Cons: Limited dietary accommodations compared to other top rated food delivery services.
Price Range: $7.99 – $10.90 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh Meal Kits | Ideal For: Families, couples | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping
Home Chef: Family-Friendly and Convenient
Home Chef’s menu of tasty, family-friendly meals is great for busy households. They offer 3 dozen weekly meals, with “Easy Prep” and “Oven Ready” categories for reduced cooking time. “Oven Ready” meals require minimal prep – assemble pre-prepped ingredients in a tray, bake, and serve. Comfort food options include Tuscan-style shrimp penne, crispy shallot beef burgers, and mushroom and black bean chili, each serving up to six people, making it a top rated food delivery service for families.
Signing up requires email/ZIP code, and goal selection (save time, eat fresh, new recipes, family cooking). Dietary preferences include vegetarian, calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, and keto-friendly. Food exclusions (pork, tree nuts, shellfish) are also customizable. Serving sizes (two, four, or six) and recipe quantity (two to six) are selected before billing and shipping info. Orders can be paused, skipped, or canceled weekly via website or app until Friday.
Tester Takeaway
Home Chef’s straightforward meal kits are a solid choice for those short on time who still appreciate home-cooked meals.
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Food & Wine / MK Hoban
Home Chef Cost and Preparation
Costs vary by menu options and servings. Shipping is an additional $10.99. Home Chef doesn’t ship to Alaska or Hawaii.
Home Chef ingredients arrive in insulated cardboard boxes with ice packs. Proteins are individually wrapped, pre-measured ingredients are in resealable plastic bags.
Each recipe has a double-sided, three-hole punched card with a finished dish image, ingredient list (including pantry staples), and “Cook Within” guidance. Step-by-step instructions and customization options are on the reverse.
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Food & Wine / MK Hoban
Our Testing Experience with Home Chef
Our Home Chef samples included:
- Sweet and spicy shrimp tacos: Flavorful, though not very spicy. Took longer than estimated (50 minutes vs. 15-20), mainly due to recipe following and pan re-use. Shrimp cooking time (2-3 minutes per side) seemed too short. Tacos were tasty, lime balanced coleslaw, ancho chili powder added smokiness.
- Chicken adobo flautas with homemade salsa and crema: Garnishes elevated the dish. Chicken alone was smoky but uninspiring. Salsa and crema improved it significantly.
- Crispy Cajun-style mahi mahi tacos with slaw
- Impossible banh mi burger with sweet chili garlic fries
- Tomato Feta Trout with buttermilk-dill zucchini and peppers (tested with Salmon): High-quality fish, preferred salmon over trout.
- Hot Honey-Maple Chicken with roasted red pepper potatoes: Tester favorite, slightly small chicken portion.
- Corn and Steak Strip Risotto with fresh tomatoes: Impressed with steak quality.
Home Chef leans towards comfort food, but simplicity wasn’t a drawback. It’s a reliable top rated food delivery service for families seeking easy, tasty meals.
Learn more: Read our Home Chef review
Best Value: Dinnerly
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Joy Kim
Pros: Dinnerly offers budget-friendly comfort food favorites in various sizes.
Cons: Digital recipe cards only. Chatbot customer service issues reported. Less sophisticated meal options compared to other top rated food delivery services.
Price Range: $4.99 – $8.04 per serving | Menu Highlights: Fresh meal kits | Ideal For: Budget-conscious individuals, comfort food lovers | Preparation Skills Needed: Basic chopping
Dinnerly: Affordable Meal Delivery
Dinnerly stands out as a top rated food delivery service for budget-minded consumers, with prices as low as $4.99 per serving. Meals are available in two or four servings, with three to six meals per week. Menus focus on family-friendly comfort foods like steak and potatoes, quesadillas, and rice bowls. Groceries can be added via the online Market by Dinnerly. Meals are quick to prepare with pre-portioned ingredients and few components.
Menu viewing is account-free (“View Menu” button). Ordering involves meal/serving number selection, location/email/address input, delivery day choice, and payment info before meal selection.
Meal changes are easy: Dinnerly selects meals, but preferences can be adjusted in account settings (“edit taste profile”) for protein type, vegetarian options, and spice preference. Meal choice is via “edit recipes,” then “continue” to the “Market” for up to 10 add-on grocery items (bakery, breakfast, drinks, fruits, lunch, prepared meals).
Tester Takeaway
Dinnerly delivers affordable, family-friendly meals requiring minimal effort, despite lacking some frills of other services.
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Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman
Dinnerly Cost and Preparation
Maximum meal/serving orders (six meals with four servings) yield the lowest per-serving price, but even two two-serving meals are reasonably priced at $8 per serving. Shipping is $9.99. Dinnerly delivers to all states except Alaska and Hawaii.
Dinnerly meal kits are shipped fresh, chilled by insulation and ice packs. Proteins are separated from produce and seasonings. Perishable items require refrigeration.
Digital recipe cards only (no printed cards) to reduce costs and environmental impact. Recipes are accessible online or via the app, and PDF downloads are available.
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Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman
Our Testing Experience with Dinnerly
Dinnerly sample meals:
- BBQ chicken, broccoli, and cheesy macaroni: BBQ chicken was juicy and flavorful, broccoli was crisp. Macaroni needed salt. Steak recipe resulted in medium-rare steak, but meat lacked marbling and was slightly tough. Potatoes cooked perfectly, but plain herb butter was suggested as a better option.
- Salisbury steak with peas and mashed potatoes: Rich, heavy, and easy to prepare.
- Pizza: Great ingredients and pizza, pizza dough had good flavor, cooked in pizza oven with good results.
- Lemongrass chicken: Freshest meal tested, good chicken portion, refreshing salad.
- Everything bagel steak and mashed potatoes: Least favorite, small portion, strange crust texture, meat portions were lacking.
Minor kitchen equipment frustrations: recipes suggest basic tools (skillet, saucepan), but some required more (mallet, wax paper for pounding chicken). Pan sizes were not specified, “large skillet” was insufficient guidance. Cooking broccoli and chicken in one skillet (as instructed) was impractical, requiring a second skillet and more dishes.
Despite minor kitchen equipment issues, Dinnerly meals had good flavor, minimal prep, and appealed to families with children. Dinnerly is the most affordable top rated food delivery service tested. While recipes aren’t groundbreaking, grocery shopping and recipe planning convenience is appealing.
Our Favorite Meal Kit
Blue Apron excels as our top meal kit choice due to its diverse and gourmet meal selections. The option of both meal kits and convenient heat-and-eat meals provides flexibility for busy individuals. Pre-prepped ingredients and clear instructions make trying new meals fun and easy, solidifying Blue Apron as a top rated food delivery service.
Other Services We Tested for This Roundup
- EveryPlate
- Factor
- Freshly
- Gobble
- Marley Spoon
- Mosaic Foods
- Purple Carrot
How We Test Meal Delivery Services
Our dedicated team, including editors, researchers, home testers, dietitians, and skilled chefs, conducts comprehensive reviews of over 50 meal delivery services. Each service is evaluated on pricing, meal variety, packaging, cooking time, and more.
Over 1,000 meals have been tested and tasted to provide the best recommendations. Retesting of previous services and continuous exploration of new services ensure comprehensive and up-to-date reviews.
Testing begins with account creation and website user-friendliness assessment. Diverse meals representing various dietary preferences are selected and purchased. Upon delivery, unboxing is meticulously documented with packaging counts and photos.
Recipe directions are followed, photographing the cooking process (chopping, slicing, sautéing). Preparation and cooking times are tracked against estimated times.
Finally, tasting panels of family and friends evaluate the food, noting texture, seasoning, and presentation. Panel feedback is collected and presented to readers for informed decision-making when choosing a meal delivery service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are meal delivery services worth the cost?
Which meal delivery service is the healthiest?
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How do I choose a meal delivery service?
Compare the Best Meal Delivery Services
| Company | Starting Price | Delivery Area | Products Arrive | Meals Offered | Free Shipping? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Apron Best Overall | $7.99 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | Vegetarian, family-friendly | Yes, with minimum order |
| HelloFresh Best Variety | Check website | 48 states | Fresh | Vegetarian, family-friendly, quick and easy, pescatarian | Check website |
| Green Chef Best Meal Kits | $11.99 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | Keto, high-protein, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, gluten-free | No |
| Hungryroot Best Eco-Friendly | $8 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free, shellfish-free | Yes |
| CookUnity Best Prepared Meals | $11.09 per serving | 47 states | Fresh | Low-calorie, low-carb, dairy-free, plant-based, keto, paleo | Yes |
| Daily Harvest Best Plant-Based | $5.99 per serving | 48 states | Frozen | Vegan, gluten-free | Yes |
| Sunbasket Best Organic | $9.99 per serving | 46 states | Fresh | Paleo, soy-free, gluten-free, diabetes-friendly, vegan | No |
| Home Chef Best for Families | $7.99 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | Calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, vegetarian, keto-friendly | No |
| Dinnerly Best Value | $4.99 per serving | 47 states | Fresh | Low-carb, low-calorie, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian | No |
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