Meal delivery services are becoming increasingly popular with a wide range of people.
Home Chef and Blue Apron are two of the most popular meal delivery services. Both of these companies offer a variety of delicious recipes to choose from, as well as all the ingredients you need to make them.
However, which service provides the best value for your money? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each service to help you make a decision.
Home Chef Vs Blue Apron – Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons Of Home Chef
Pros
- Great for large families
- Most kits come with multiple protein options
- Meal kits come in reusable packaging
- Rotating weekly menus with 20+ recipe options
- Simple and easy-to-follow recipe cards
Cons
- Doesn’t have many vegetarian options
- Separate shipping fees
- Lacks keto and paleo diet choices
Pros and Cons Of Blue Apron
Pros
- Well-balanced diet options
- Delicious meals
- Teaches cooking techniques
- All-vegetarian options available
- Grocery and wine add-ons are available
Cons
- Excessive plastic packaging
- Limited dietary accommodations
- Not ideal for those with allergies
Pricing Comparison
| Number of People | Home Chef Price Per Serving | Blue Apron Price Per Serving |
| 2 | $7.49 (+$9.99 shipping) | $9.99 (+$9.99 shipping) |
| 4 | $9.49 (+$9.99 shipping) | $8.99 (+$9.99 shipping) |
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef are well-established companies with extensive networks of food suppliers, which has allowed them to keep their meal prices affordable. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about how they’ll fit into your budget.
Home Chef charges a flat rate of $9.95 per serving for most dinner meals, regardless of regularity or number of servings.
They only serve one menu per week, but it always includes a “premium” option at market pricing (e.g., $19.95 per dish) along with three lunch options at $7.99 per serving.
Shipping is $9.99 for orders under $45 and is free for orders above $45.
Currently, Blue Apron customers may choose from four “menus”: Signature, Vegetarian, Freestyle, and Signature for 4.
Meals on all of these menus cost $9.99 per serving, except for Signature for 4, which has pricing as low as $7.49 per serving for meals with four or more portions.
Shipping is $7.99 for orders of two meals or less each week and free for orders of three or more meals. For Signature for 4, shipping is always free.
A family of four on the Blue Apron Signature For 4 plan will spend roughly $120 per week on four meals (shipping is free for orders of 3+ meals).
On the other hand, if a family of four signed up for Home Chef, they’ll pay $144 per week, plus $7.99 for shipping.
The $32 weekly difference quickly adds up. In a year, the family using Blue Apron will pay around $1,600 less than the family using the Home Chef service.
Meal Choices
In the showdown of meal options, Home Chef easily beats Blue Apron. Both services provide largely traditional favorites like burgers, spaghetti, steak, and seafood, with a few more creative meals tossed in for good measure.
Blue Apron has more unique flavors, such as Lemon Yogurt and Kohlrabi.
On the other hand, Home Chef offers better customization options for each meal.
Meal Choices of Home Chef
Home Chef’s meal kits are divided into three categories: standard meal kits, easy prep meal kits, and 15-minute meal kits.
Every week, the company puts out a new menu that includes 13 standard kits, five easy prep kits, and two 15-minute kits for 20 weekly selections. All menu items are offered in two, four, six, and eight-serving sizes.
There are also 15 weekly extras, including breakfast and lunch meals, dessert, salads, and other a la carte proteins.
Meal Choices of Blue Apron
Blue Apron also offers three types of meal kits: two-serving kits, four-serving kits, and eight-serving meal bundles.
Each week, a new menu featuring 16 two-serving options, eight four-serving options, and 2-3 meal prep packages is introduced.
Blue Apron also offers four butcher bundles, each with 12 servings of a different protein. Meal prep bundles update less often than meal kits, while butcher bundles update even less.
Aside from the three weekly add-on choices (two sides and one dessert), no breakfast items are included.
Both services’ menus are constantly changing, so there’s always something new to try.
However, with just a few plant-based dishes on both menus and no dietary flexibility beyond that, the diversity is mainly aimed at omnivores.
Having said that, both companies offer protein exchanges, which may include plant-based options.
Quality
With vibrant vegetables and healthy proteins, both companies outperformed in terms of freshness and quality.
However, in terms of the quality and authenticity of the meals, Home Chef is the clear winner.
Their fresh, high-quality products, as well as well-written instructions that break down scary cooking procedures into simple steps, will have you feeling like you’re preparing restaurant-worthy dishes without running about like a maniac.
Flavor Freshness & Quality of Home Chef
The bulk of Home Chef’s selections are flavorful and delicious.
The crunchy onion-crusted chicken and jalapeño cornbread cakes were a unique combination of sweet and spicy flavors.
The chicken scallopini with lemon herb butter, our favorite dish, had an excellent balance of bold and zesty flavors, and the chicken had a fantastic crisp, melt-in-your-mouth feel.
We found no problems regarding the freshness or quality of the ingredients.
Home Chef claims that its ingredients are sourced locally, although nothing further is said about ingredient sourcing.
While organic chicken is a choice, it does not ensure that all ingredients are organic.
Customers can see information regarding protein options by selecting the “customize it” option.
Flavor Freshness & Quality of Blue Apron
When it comes to quality, Blue Apron does not disappoint. Every meal we had from the service was full of flair and flavor.
The use of additional sweeteners, such as honey, in some of the recipes, may turn off individuals who are sugar-free.
However, with Blue Apron, the cook has more control over the seasoning. You can adjust the sweetness and saltiness as you see fit if you like less sweet or salty meals.
In general, the ingredients were really fresh and tasty.
Minor flaws in a few food items—a tiny wrinkled patch on a dash of bell pepper, a dried brown garlic clove—didn’t significantly impact the quality of the overall meals.
The flavors were crisp, well-balanced, and diverse overall.
Takeaway Experience
The takeaway experience is an important aspect of any meal delivery service. After all, you’ll want to be able to re-heat or cook your meals without too much fuss.
If the packaging is not done right, your meal could be a disaster.
Home Chef’s Takeaway Experience
Home Chef’s success is based on its organization, which extends to its takeaway experience.
Any skilled cook understands that preparation is half the game, and Home Chef is no exception.
Ingredients are split per meal into labeled bags that simply fit in the fridge.
This arrangement resulted in faster fridge-to-table timeframes than the competitors and spared us the stress of forgetting things and having to re-read instructions four times.
On the other hand, Home Chef would be wise to add more eco-friendly packaging into their current model.
While the packaging wasn’t the most wasteful we’d seen, the majority of the materials were recyclable rather than biodegradable.
Blue Apron’s Takeaway Experience
Although Blue Apron seemed to have less packaging overall, the loose produce and random packets in the box made it much more difficult to stay organized and recognize which products corresponded to which meal.
Blue Apron wins this round if you know precisely what you’re cooking and care strongly about reducing the amount of trash generated by your meal kit delivery boxes—but we liked the structure of Home Chef.
Customer Service
Customer service is an essential aspect of any company—but it’s especially important when that company is handling your food. After all, you want to be confident that someone will be there to help if you have any problems with your order.
Customer Service of Home Chef
Home Chef has a detailed FAQ section covering most of the service’s fundamental questions.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, you may contact Home Chef through their contact form or call customer support Monday through Saturday.
Most customers receive a Zendesk message receipt in their emails immediately after submitting a form.
If you prefer to speak to someone on the phone, you can call the customer service line at 872-225-2433.
Customer Service of Blue Apron
Blue Apron’s customer support can be reached in a number of ways.
The FAQs are the initial point of contact, and they are backed by a contact form, phone, email, and chat—both in the app and on the website.
The chat option is available Monday through Saturday.
Again, if you prefer the personal touch, Blue Apron’s phone number is (646) 891-4349, and its customer representatives are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
Final Verdict
Home Chef and Blue Apron are both great meal delivery services with a lot to offer. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
However, we think Home Chef is the better value for your money.
With its variety of menu options and easy-to-follow recipes, Home Chef is the perfect meal delivery service for busy families or anyone who loves to cook.
FAQs
What is the difference between Home Chef and Blue Apron?
There are only minor differences between Home Chef and Blue Apron.
Home Chef is a bit cheaper and offers more menu options, while Blue Apron has slightly better customer service.
Are meal delivery services worth it?
Meal delivery services can be a great way to save time and money, especially if you are cooking for a family.
They can also be a healthy alternative to eating out or ordering takeout.
Which meal delivery service is more expensive, Home Chef or Blue Apron?
Home Chef is cheaper than Blue Apron if you order for two people. For four people, however, Blue Apron may be the better deal.
Amit has always been interested in food and nutrition. After completing his high school certification, he spent half a decade trying multiple meal delivery services. He was impressed with the quality of the food but was disappointed by the lack of information available to help people make the best choices for their health.
Before starting MealDeliveryService.org, Amit worked for multiple Meal Delivery Companies. He knows first-hand what people are looking for in a meal delivery service and is passionate about helping others make healthy choices for their families.