Fending for yourself in the kitchen and wandering the grocery store’s aisles can be tedious, expensive and exhausting — it’s about time to start thinking outside of the box…and into the meal delivery kit box.
The best meal kits can offer the combined powers of mixing things up in the kitchen and accomplishing New Year’s resolutions — from wanting to eat healthier to spending less time at the grocery store; to spending time with family to actually remembering to pack a work lunch and stop getting expensive salads. (That last one is a personal note.) food packaging
For those who typically order takeout, meal kits may add more nutritional value to your day. If you are a TV dinner family more nights out of the week than you would like, using a meal kit can provide priceless family time, with chopping, stirring, and hanging out in the kitchen while learning new culinary skills.
Many folks choose meal kits for a variety of reasons, and while they may not be for everyone, there certainly are a lot of options, making me a believer that maybe there is a meal kit or delivery service for everyone to try at least once! As a now-late-20-something who has graduated from heating food in the microwave to the culinary world of two or more pots on the stove at a time, I’ve set out to try as many meal kits and delivery companies as possible.
I started this journey in 2020 and have since tested more than 25 meal delivery companies. Over the years, many have changed packaging, meal plans and more — hence, why I thought it smart to retest them all at the end of 2024, so I could have a comprehensive list of the top picks to try in 2025.
I tried to do the math, and being conservative, I’ve spent over 84 hours just writing the 2025 re-boot alone — that’s 10.5 full workdays, and this isn’t my full-time job, folks!
That’s not counting the actual cooking, filming, editing, eating, doing dishes, and breaking down boxes. I tried to cook a minimum of three meals per kit each year, so again, with some fast math, that is 42 meals minimum for 2024, from October to December. Multiply that by five years and we are at 210 minimum and that’s not even counting the meal kits that didn’t make this year’s list, putting us at well over 250 meals and countless hours to find the 14 best meal delivery kits for 2025!
Meal kits by the numbers:
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The hardest part for you, dear reader, will be deciding which to try, or perhaps which to try first. Here’s everything you need to know about all the meal kits you’ve heard about and some you haven’t but need to know about right now.
For more information on my years of testing, how each meal kit stacks up against the other and more info, click the links below to be taken to that section of the article. Know what you want already? Click on the name of a meal kit below to jump to that dedicated section. Bon appétit!
EveryPlate │Home Chef | Marley Spoon | Dinnerly | Blue Apron │Factor │Green Chef│Purple Carrot │Trifecta│Gobble │Hello Fresh │Hungryroot │Thistle │Eat Clean
Hands down, my favorite meal kit is EveryPlate. As I mentioned in a previous review, it works for almost every palate. Meals are typically $5.99, so it’s extremely budget-friendly, and the ingredients are so fresh, I felt like I had picked the produce out at the grocery store myself!
What a Crock Meals (currently offering 15% off to New York Post readers with the code NYPOST15!)is a unique meal delivery service specializing in pre-prepared ingredients for slow cooker and crockpot meals. Founded as a family-owned business, they offer various chef-crafted dishes designed to simplify dinnertime without sacrificing flavor or quality. Customers can choose from over 50 different meal options, including vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, and gluten-free selections, all made with fresh, preservative-free ingredients.
The concept is simple: open the meal bag, dump the contents into your slow cooker, and walk away. In a few hours, you’ll have a delicious, home-cooked meal ready to serve. What a Crock Meals offers flexible ordering options, allowing customers to place one-time orders or schedule recurring deliveries without requiring a subscription. They also provide various portion sizes to accommodate different household needs and offer seasonal rotating menus to keep things interesting.
What a Crock provides fully prepped, ready-to-cook meals designed for slow cookers, stovetops, and even Instant Pots. Customers can browse a rotating menu of over 50 meals and choose from single-serving, family-sized, or bulk portions. Unlike traditional meal kits, there’s no chopping, slicing, or measuring involved; just dump the pre-portioned ingredients into your slow cooker and let it do the work.
Meals are shipped frozen and arrive in vacuum-sealed bags to maintain freshness. There’s no required subscription, allowing customers to order as needed, whether for a single meal or stocking up for the month. Also, What a Crock offers a variety of sides, dips, and desserts to complement the main dishes.
Editor’s Note: Try EveryPlate now to take 50% off your first box, plus get free lunch all winter (1 per week through March 23, 2025). Offer expires February 1, 2025. Terms & Conditions apply.
EveryPlate is an affordable option from the Hello Fresh family, and one of my favorite kits.
The kit includes recipe cards, fresh produce, meat and fish, and everything comes packaged on ice, in a brightly colored box that arrives on your doorstep. For less cash than any fast food meal, the options are also healthier.
To fully taste the meal kit’s offerings for my EveryPlate review, I wanted to try a sampling of some of the different categories of options on the site. I chose two meals for my weekly picks, with a customer favorite option of the “Chicken Sausage & Tomato Soup with Israeli Couscous & Parmesan,” and then a more premium pick of the “Brown Butter Scallops over Creamy Corn & Tomato Risotto” as a treat for the weekend.
To note, each recipe, regardless of premium or not, came with easy-to-follow recipe cards, printed in full color with no more than six steps. This was super appreciated, especially when cooking something unfamiliar, as the photos guided my way almost as much as the text.
So how did it go once in the kitchen? According to plan!
When timed out, each recipe took the estimated time listed on the card, and in my humble opinion, looked just like the pictures. The quality ingredients made it seem like I had slaved away for an Instagrammable food moment, and the quick cooking time made me know this would also work for family meals and those in a rush. Win-win.
EveryPlate keeps costs low by having fewer options in comparison to other meal kits, but what’s available is still filling and delicious. It currently offers meals for carnivores, vegetarians and pescatarians, and there are also calorie-smart and family-friendly recipes.
Each week, choose from 16 different meals ranging from chicken, pork, and beef to fish and veggie-based. The plans are customizable for your household’s needs, allowing you to order for two, four or six people, at three, at four or five meals per week. The best part is that no matter the combination, each standard meal is $5.99 per serving and even less with a coupon. Plus, this is one of the only meal kits that allows for a six-person serving — perfect for larger families.
EveryPlate does an amazing job of providing fresh produce and high-quality proteins without excess packaging to minimize waste. I appreciated that all the ingredients for all three meals came in one neatly packed box, with the chicken, scallops and dairy products packed below on ice to keep them fresh.
Home Chef brings the elements of comfort food and home cooking to your doorstep, with recipes tailored to fit your schedule.
The first note to make is on the notes themselves.
The recipe cards were super well-organized, making my type-A personality very happy. After unzipping the correct package for my meal, the cooking process was also very straightforward, following the instructions to the T.
The meals themselves were what I think of when I think “family meals”: hearty meatloaf and creamy mac and cheese, warm and comforting soup, easy-to-eat sandwiches, etc. I love how soothing many of the meals were, while also remaining fun and exciting to cook. For this reason, it is one of my favorites that I’ve reviewed over the years.
With new meals offered weekly, choose between regular meal kits, 15-minute meals, easy-prep and oven-ready meals, and extras like a protein pack of meats and fish to supplement a kit or make your own recipes with. Many meals can also be customized with Impossible Foods products, for those who want to go meat-free without sacrificing taste.
Home Chef is a traditional meal kit in that it operates on a weekly menu schedule, with the ability to add meals to your box and then choose a delivery date. The meals come in their own packaging, with ingredients separated out for ease (although this does mean more plastic waste for those trying to cut back) and proteins stored on ice packs.
They offer a specialty-priced and designed family friendly meal plan for four, express meals ready in 15 minutes or less, oven-ready meals that even come with the tray in which to bake them in, ready-made microwave meals and then an assortment of add-ons for snacks, breakfast and dessert.
It just makes sense that a cooking icon like Miss Martha Stewart would have her own meal kit, and I am so glad she does. This gourmet option is from the same manufacturer as Dinnerly, providing fresh and seasonal ingredients to your door with some of Martha’s own recipes.
For all-out comfort food, the Pastrami Spice-Rubbed Steak and the Cheesy Sausage Brunch Bake were top-notch, and you can also now order for breakfast, lunches and even baked goods. Note: you will have to supply some of your own ingredients like butter, eggs and vanilla for both cooking and baking, which I learned when I tested Marley Spoon for myself.
Because these recipes are from Martha Stewart, I wasn’t surprised that my cooking time was slower on many recipes than the listed times on the cards — lots of extra chopping, prepping and using multiple pots and pans for some meals. Another note: Many of the recipes use the oven, so temperatures and cook times will vary based on your appliances.
Marley Spoon has options for many, including gluten-free, low calorie, low carb, vegetarian, vegan and plant-based, and family friendly — there’s even one for picky eaters. No matter the option, each meal comes with fresh ingredients and a seasonal spin that makes them Martha-approved.
The ingredients come in a brown paper bag, and proteins come on ice packs to preserve freshness. Each box also includes all of the easy to follow recipe cards, which can either be recycled or kept for later use.
Dinnerly is exactly what I would have wanted on my dinner table as a kid, and frankly, I loved having it on my table as an adult at the end of 2024.
The meals are simple and delicious, with filling portions and fresh ingredients at an affordable price — what more could you ask for? Reviewing Dinnerly I came across many meals I would consider comfort foods, with pasta bakes, soups, burgers and more. There are over 100 choices on the menu each week, so there’s always plenty to choose from.
Each recipe has only six steps or less, making it easy to follow and a great option for families who want to cook together. They also offer options for ready-to-eat meals that only require a microwave to heat up. These are perfect for school or work lunches or just a quick dinner when you don’t want to cook or cleanup.
Dinnerly offers many different options on the rotating menu. Opt for gluten-free, low calorie, low carb, vegetarian, quick and easy, and even those dubbed “picky eater approved” with more kid-friendly and simple ingredients.
You can also shop the Marketplace for ready-to-eat meals and other pantry staples to help you get through the week.
juice stand up pouch Dinnerly sends fresh ingredients and simple recipes to your door weekly. The menu rotates and offers an impressive 100 plus to choose from, with options for carnivores and vegetarians. A new offering since I last tried Dinnerly is their Marketplace, an added service that allows for a la carte grocery shopping, including household staples to supplement your weekly meals.