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In what seems to be a tale as old as time, my husband and I have been in a years-long cycle of rotating the same small handful of recipes. While neither of us would self-identify as picky eaters, finding new options that we’re each into has proven to be a tall order—I don’t eat red meat or pork, and he typically doesn’t find a vegetarian-only meal to be satisfying. We also both work full-time and have a toddler and newborn, so we prioritize recipes that are simple and fast.
Meal kits can certainly help with providing the tools to climb out of this rut, but in my experience, they sometimes offer narrow options for pleasing everyone in a house. They can also require more time and make a bigger mess than expected.
But when I recently sought out to try Home Chef, I felt more excited than dubious. I was impressed by the wide weekly menu that not only includes dozens of options catering to different skill levels and estimated preparation times, but allows you to customize many recipes to fit diet specifications. (Don’t eat ground beef? No problem—swap with ground turkey.) Read on for my full Home Chef review.
Home Chef at a glance
| What’s great | The variety! Dozens of customizable recipes are available each week |
| What’s not | Recipes can skew a bit basic |
| Favorite meal | Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken |
| Good to know | The “Express Meals” aren’t necessarily faster to make than the classic “Meal Kits”—the best way to gauge how long a meal will take you is to skim the recipe online before selecting it |
| Home Chef cost | $10–$25 per serving (hint: filet mignon will cost you) |
What’s the Home Chef ordering experience?
First, you’ll take a quick quiz that asks you basic questions about what you’re looking for in a meal kit. (Are you looking for a keto-friendly option? Are you vegetarian? Is easy-prep the most important factor to you?) The site then suggests particular meals based on your answers each week, and you can then edit the order to include any of the dozens of other options.
Meals are available in four categories: classic meal kits, express kits that take 30 minutes or less, oven-ready options that you assemble in a provided tin and then pop in the oven, and “Fast & Fresh” microwavable recipes. You can pick a mix of all types for your weekly box.
When scanning through the recipes, I saw that many indicate that they're customizable, allowing you to add or change the protein listed. For instance, I was interested in trying a quick pork and broccoli stir-fry, but only because I could swap out the pork for ground turkey.
Perhaps this plug-and-play functionality works because most recipes aren’t too complicated. Many feature the formulaic approach of a protein with a vegetable side or a grain-based bowl with a protein and vegetable in some sort of sauce or glaze. I found them tasty, but if you’re looking for a cooking adventure, that’s something to keep in mind.
You can also customize how many meals you want in each shipment; if you select three meals one week, you can still order five for the following. And within each box, you can adjust the portion size to two, four, or six servings for each meal. So, maybe only two people will be having the steak flatbread on Tuesday, but four people will be home for the mushroom gnocchi on Thursday. Home Chef lets you design your week flexibly.
Each recipe also lists the expected time window you should allot from prep to first bite, along with the full instructions, so you know exactly what you’re getting into from the start. (Not all meal kits list the full recipes online.)
What to expect from a Home Chef box
My Home Chef Box arrived at my door in a recyclable insulated box with two ice packs at the bottom to keep the ingredients cold. Those ingredients were individually packaged in their own large plastic bags by recipe, and all raw protein was in a separate plastic bag. Everything was labeled, making it easy to get organized ahead of starting a meal.
The box also included a Home Chef binder to house all recipe cards from this shipment and those in the future. For that reason, recipe cards come three-hole punched.
How are Home Chef’s ingredients?
Home Chef doesn’t guarantee any of its produce or protein to be organic, but you can opt to customize a number of meals with organic chicken (this might come with an upcharge, depending on the recipe). You’re also expected to supply your own oil, salt, and pepper.
Nothing is pre-washed and none of the ingredients for my recipes were pre-cut. All ingredients looked and smelled good—I’d say all were of the quality I would select for myself if I were grocery shopping. From a taste perspective, everything was fresh and flavorful.
What I liked about Home Chef
The high level of customization Home Chef affords is great. I appreciated that not only can you adjust the protein option in recipes but you can also easily shift the number of meals you receive and the portions of each recipe. This flexibility makes Home Chef a fit for households where one or more people might not be home each night for dinner.
I also found the suggested prep time range for each recipe to be pretty accurate. I selected three express meals and one classic meal kit for my box, and found they took about the same level of skill to cook—I actually didn’t notice much of a difference at all between these two types of meal offerings. In fact, the one classic meal was much simpler than one of the express meals. And, one of the express meals required a ton of cleanup because it used several pans and prep dishes. That said, all of this information was available to me from the start, given that the recipes are posted on the site. I recommend folks take the time to read the recipes before they select their weekly menu.
I found each meal tasty, and I was full every night. And the portion sizes were on point—just don’t expect leftovers.
What I didn’t like about Home Chef
Just because you schedule the day you want your Home Chef box to arrive doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll show up in time to cook dinner. I received my box on a Monday evening at around 7 p.m., which was later than I wanted to start cooking. (That’s a reasonable time to cook dinner, for sure, but it’s also right around my 2-year-old’s bedtime.) For the next go-around, I’d select a Sunday delivery if I intend to eat a Home Chef meal on Monday.
Also, there’s quite a bit of plastic, which I recognize to be the norm for meal kits. I do think there’s room for improvement here, though. Home Chef divides each meal into its own plastic bag and then within that bag, you’ll find individually bagged ingredients for each recipe. This organizational structure is great for knowing what items go with which meal, but the literal added layer is just more disposable packaging.
Does Home Chef offer any extras?
Yes, you can add a number of extras, but I didn’t try these. Lunches skew a little pricey at $11 per serving, but they could add a level of convenience to your life if you’re interested. Meal planning ruts can plague lunchtime, too, after all.
Other extras are available as well, like desserts, breakfast, and La Colombe latte cans.
Should you order Home Chef?
Where Home Chef shines most is in its customizability of recipes that allows each meal to appeal to a wide audience. It shouldn’t cost more than a grocery haul to make the same recipes, but it also won’t necessarily save you a ton, either—particularly if you swap out proteins for more premium options or add on pricey lunches.
If you’re looking for an easy option to shake up your weeknight dinner routine and you don’t have a ton of time to spare or the interest in using every cooking tool in your cabinet, it’s a great option. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind with the most inventive recipes on the planet.