This month, I reviewed boxes from the top four meal subscription companies: Plated, Hello Fresh, Home Chef, and Blue Apron. To get a sense of how the boxes compare, I’ve outlined all of the meals I received below. I’ve assigned each dish a score out of 5, and I’ve averaged the scores from each box together to get a total box score. Read on to see which box came out on top for me this month!
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
Plated – Recipes begin at $12 per plate. 2 recipes (4 plates)= $48 per week (+ $6 shipping). 3 recipes (6 plates)= $72 per week (with free shipping). 4 recipes (8 total plates)= $96 per week (with free shipping).
COUPON: Free dinner for two with purchase of 3-dinners plan ($24 value), no coupon required, just use this link.
Check out the full Plated review here! Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Recipe #1- Pattypan Squash and Watermelon Radish with Rosemary Bread
Calories Per Serving: 510
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Score: 4/5 The rosemary bread was phenomenal! The salad was good, too, but points off for being a little small.
Meal #2- Turkey Ragu with Nettle Pasta
Calories per Serving: 760
Cook Time: 25-35
Score: 5/5 While simple, this dish was SO good. The ragu was packed with flavor, and the nettle pasta helped elevate this straightforward dish into something really special.
Meal #3- Chicken Meatballs with Curry Tomato Sauce and Greens
Calories: 540
Cook Time: 25-35
Score: 3.5/5 This dish was tasty, but I felt it was missing something. Maybe spice? Or some chunky onions in the sauce? It also seemed a little odd that Plated didn’t send rice to accompany the meal. (I decided to add it myself.) Maybe it’s just me, but it seemed like the dish was begging for it.
Overall dish score: 4.17/5
Cost per plate: Meals start at $12 per serving. Dessert is $4 per serving.
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 9 meals + 2 desserts (7 standard dishes, plus 2 “Chef’s Table” offerings.)
Home Chef – Meals start at $9.95 per serving, and delivery is free for orders over $40.
COUPON: Save $30 off your first box! with coupon code 3PLATESOFF
Check out the full Home Chef review here! Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Beef-and-Sherry “Steak Diane”
Calories: 891 per serving
Prep Time: 40-50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Score: 4.5/5 This dish was tasty! It was a little rich, maybe, but I’m not sure that’s necessarily bad thing!
Meal #2- Crispy Dijon Chicken with Parmesan Cauliflower Mash
Calories: 612 per serving
Prep Time: 45-55 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Score: 4.5/5 This was my first time making cauliflower mash, and it was really yummy. The crispy chicken with creamy Dijon sauce was great, too.
Meal #3- Jerk Chicken and Brown Sugar Plantains
Calories: 996 per serving
Prep Time: 40-50 minutes
Difficulty: Expert
Score: 3.5/5 This dish was good, but it didn’t really wow me. The coconut rice was tasty, and I liked Home Chef’s jerk sauce, but there was no discernible heat to it. (I prefer my jerk sauce to have a bit of a kick.)
Overall Score: 4.17/5
Cost per Plate: Meals start at $12 per serving.
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 10 meals + 1 breakfast + 1 dessert + 1 smoothie
Hello Fresh – The Classic Food Box (for omnivores) starts at $9.90 per person per meal. The Veggie Box (for herbivores) starts at $9.08 per person per meal. The Family Box (for families) costs $8.75 per person per meal.
COUPON: Save $40 off your first box with code CFAHSK
Check out the full Hello Fresh review here! Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Citrusy Shrimp Panzanella
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Calories per Serving: 599
Score: 5/5 This salad knocked my socks off! It was fresh (yet filling) and the combination of ingredients was simple and delicious.
Meal #2- Spicy Pork & Kale Soup
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Calories per Serving: 824
Score: 4.5/5 This dish was fantastic! The savory and spicy flavors were delicious, and I loved the hearty addition of kale.
Meal #3- Jamie’s Asparagus & Mushroom Risotto
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Calories per Serving: 441
Score: 4.5/5 Both the consistency and flavor of this dish were excellent. The lemon added a lovely touch of brightness- perfect for a spring dish!
Overall Score: 4.67/5
Cost per Plate: Hello Fresh starts at $9.90 per serving (for The Classic Box).
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 5 meals
Blue Apron – $59.94 for 3 recipes on the 2-Person Plan, $69.92 for 2 recipes on the Family Plan, $139.84 for 4 recipes on the Family Plan.
COUPON: 2 Meals Free on Your First Order, no coupon required, just use this link.
Check out the full Blue Apron review here! Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Za’atar Chicken & Pearl Couscous with Asparagus and Pink Lemon Compote
Calories: 700 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Score: 4.5/5 This dish was tasty, and I loved the pink lemon compote!
Meal #2- Korean Bao Sliders with Gochujang Mayo & Sweet Potato Tempura
Calories: 700 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Score: 3.5/5 This dish was good, but it didn’t blow me away. I thought the buns could have used a bit of acid (to cut through the meat and mayo).
Meal #3- Creamy Lemon Pasta with English Peas, Mint, and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Calories: 700 per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
Score: 3/5 This dish was okay. I love the combination of peas, mint, and lemon, so I really enjoyed this flavors, but, despite the name, I didn’t find the dish to be all that creamy. It was a little dry.
Overall Score: 3.67/5
Cost per Plate: Blue Apron costs $9.99 per serving.
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 6 meals (Note: meal choice is limited by the fact that not all combinations of meals are available.)
The Verdict: It’s so much fun looking back at the meals I received this month from Plated, Home Chef, Blue Apron, and Hello Fresh, and it’s very interesting to stack them up against each other to see how they compare! Overall, I enjoyed all four of the meal boxes I received, and there was definitely at least one standout dish from each one. This month’s winner for me, though, has to be Hello Fresh. All of the dishes they sent me this month were outstanding!
Favorite box: Hello Fresh
Yummiest dish: A tie between Hello Fresh’s Citrusy Shrimp Panzanella and Plated’s Turkey Ragu with Nettle Pasta.
Most fun dish to make: Plated’s Pattypan Squash and Watermelon Radish with Rosemary Bread. (I loved making the rosemary rolls!)
Do you subscribe to Plated, Home Chef, Hello Fresh, or Blue Apron? What were your favorite April dishes?
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