Home Chef Vs Freshly Vs HelloFresh (+3 Samples Of Each)

This info-rich post will compare the features of Home Chef, Freshly and HelloFresh, which are very popular platforms across the United States. Home Chef and HelloFresh deliver meal kits for customers, through which they can cook delicious meals for their families. At the same time, Freshly delivers fully-prepared meals for its users.

In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these three may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.

Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

The table below will show the different features which are present in Home Chef, Freshly and HelloFresh. Through these various characteristics presented in the table, you will be able to understand which of these meal delivery services works for your needs and preferences.

Feature	Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Delivery areas	98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii	98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii	98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, BelgiumLuxembourgAustriaSwitzerlandAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandDenmarkSweden
Price range	$30 to $120 per week for two	$8.49 to $11.49 per week	$120 to $460 per month
Price per plate	$8.99 per plate	$8.49 per plate minimum	$7.49 per plate
Difficulty levels	EasyIntermediateExpert	Easy	EasyIntermediateExpert
Avg. cooking time	30 minutes per meal	3 minutes	20 – 50 mins per meal
Avg. calorie count	400-600 calories per serving	400-500 calories per serving	500-800 calories per serving
Supporting material	Meal descriptionNutritional factsRecipe cardsMobile app	Nutritional information	Recipe cardsNutritional factsMeal description
Recipes supported	VegetarianPoultryWithout nutsWithout soySeafoodWithout wheatPorkCarb-consciousCalorie conscious	Gluten-freeDairy-freePlant-basedCarb-smartCalorie-conscious	Calorie-smartCarb-smartVegetarianPescatarianBeefChickenBeans and LegumesGrain
No. of choices	13 per week	12 per week	30 per week
Introductory deal	$20 off in first box with free shipping	$100 off on first four orders	60% off on first box
Avg. shelf life	3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood	5-7 daysLonger while frozen	3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood

Types of Plans: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Two-person box $39.96 for 2 meals per week2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week	4-5 meals per week $11.79 per portion + shipping	Meat & Veggies Meal kits containing meat and veggies
Four-person box $79.92 for 2 meals per week2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week	6-7 meals per week $9.99 per portion + shipping	Vegetarian Plant-based mealsNot always vegan
Six-person box $119.88 for 2 meals per week2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week	8-9 meals per week $9.49 per portion + shipping	Family Friendly Kid-approved meals
	10-11 meals per week $9.29 per portion + shipping	Calorie-Smart meals 650 calories or less in each serving
	12 meals per week $9.99 per portion + shipping	Quick and Easy Meals which can be cooked within 30 minutes
		PescatarianMeals containing seafood proteins

Home Chef allows its customers to choose from various types of meal boxes, depending on the size of their households. Customers are free to choose among the two-person box which is great for singles and couples, the four-person box which is superb for medium-sized families and the six-person box which is the right choice for large-sized families which have kids.

In Freshly, the customers can choose among different plans which will give a certain number of meals per week. These meals are fully-prepared and require only heating from the customer’s side. The plans in Freshly range from 4-5 meals to 12 meals per week, which can completely serve the meal needs of various sized families.

HelloFresh also has a number of meal box sizes for customers to choose from. HelloFresh allows its users to choose the type of meals which they want in the week, and add the required number of meals to their account every week. The meals can differ in difficulty levels, the spice levels, the average cooking time and also the average calorie count.

Winner: HelloFresh wins the Types of Plans segment.

Types of Ingredients: Home Chef vs Freshly vs Hello Fresh

Ingredient type	Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Produce	Not always organic produceMore of seasonal produce	US-based vendors	Farm-fresh produce
Meat, eggs, fish	USDA FSIS approved	Free from fillers, chemical additives and even preservatives	Hormone-freeAntibiotic-free
Other ingredients	SeasoningsSpicesSauces	None	SeasoningsSpice blends

The meal kits in Home Chef contain only the best quality of ingredients. The only letdown of this meal kit delivery service is that it is not always guaranteed that the ingredients will be organic all the time. Home Chef has partnered with a number of family-run farms who bring the best of the season to the customer.

Freshly also uses the very best products to prepare the meals for the customer. The produce used in the Freshly meals comes from local vendors in the country. Freshly clearly has mentioned that the produce may not always come from local vendors. In case the produce cannot be availed from the nearby regions, the service may reach out to international suppliers.

HelloFresh has gained plenty of popularity, not only due to the immense variety in this meal kit delivery service, but also because of the high-quality of products used here. In HelloFresh, the produce comes from family-run farms, while the meat is hormone-free and antibiotic-free. The seasonings and spice blends used in the meal kits are also carefully measured and portioned.

Winner: Home Chef wins the Types of Ingredients segment.

Add-Ons: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
DessertSaladBreadFruitSmoothie	ProteinsSides	Garlic breadYogurt DipGarden SaladCheesecake Mousse Parfait

When customers are creating their meal boxes in Home Chef, they are free to create add-ons to make their meal even more wholesome and complete. The add-ons cover delicious desserts and tasty sides which can bring more nutrition to the meals. Furthermore, bread, fruit plates and even breakfast smoothies are available here as add-ons.

Freshly also allows its customers to create add-ons for their meals. The add-ons are a little limited in this meal delivery service. The customer can add extra helpings of protein to their meals, in the form of chicken breasts, lean beef and other options. Healthy sides are also present for those who want a more satisfying meal or just a tasty snack.

HelloFresh has a number of add-ons for customers to add to their meal box. Unlike the meal kits which require quite a bit of prep-work from the customer’s part, the add-ons in HelloFresh are fully prepared. Garlic bread and the garden salad add-ons in HelloFresh are among the most popular. Those with a sweet tooth can opt for the cheesecake mousse parfait.

Winner: Home Chef wins the Add-ons segment.

Packaging of Meal kit: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Meal boxDividerProduce bagsInsulated linersIce packsPlastic containersRecipe cards	Meal boxDenim insulationNon-toxic ice packs	Cardboard boxKit bagSeparatorInsulatorIce packs
Fully recyclable	Fully recyclable	Fully recyclable

More and more meal kit delivery services are opting for sustainable packaging in order to be more eco-friendly, since this is a factor that can win or lose customers for the platform. To be more eco-friendly and take care of the planet, Home Chef uses very efficient packaging which reduces the need for air-conditioning and can also be easily recycled.

The same goes for Freshly, which packs the fully-prepared meals in a box made out of recycled cardboard. The entire meal box is insulated with denim cotton, which can be recycled at any such center. The fully-prepared meals are kept cool and fresh by the use of ice packs, which contain a non-toxic gel.

HelloFresh also uses the same policy of opting for mostly recyclable material while packing its meal kits. The meal kit box is made out of recycled cardboard while the plastic bags and containers are made out of BPA-free plastic which can be simply rinsed and recycled curbside. The ice packs in the meal kits need to be emptied and recycled.

Winner: Home Chef, Freshly and HelloFresh win the Packaging of Meal kit segment.

Customer Support: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Feature	Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Chat support	–	+	+
Email support	+	+	–
Phone support	+	+	+
Availability	Monday-Saturday	All days of the week	All days of the week

In case the customer is facing any issues with their order or with their meals in Home Chef, they can easily reach out to the customer support through email or through phone. The emails can be sent at any time and the response may be a little delayed. The phone support does give an instant response, but is available only from Monday to Saturday.

Freshly has an excellent customer support system to assist and guide the customer at any point of time. The best way for the customer to reach out to the customer support is through the live chat feature which guarantees them a very quick response. There is also email support as well as phone support, which operate on all days of the week.

HelloFresh recommends its users to use the live chat feature in the platform, which will guarantee an instant response. In addition to the live chat feature, the customer can opt for the email support and the phone support as well. Apart from certain holidays like New Year’s and Christmas, the phone support is available throughout the year.

Winner: Freshly and HelloFresh win the Customer Support segment.

Sample Meals: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Sample	Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Sample 1	Name: Japanese BBQ BurgerPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy	Name: Steak Peppercorn with Sauteed Carrots & French Green BeansCalorie count: 500Heating time: 3 minsSpice level: Mild	Name: Hearty Steak and PotatoesPreparation time: 40 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy
Sample 2	Name: Korean Fried ChickenPreparation time: 30-40 minsSpice level: MediumDifficulty: Intermediate	Name: Sausage Baked Penne with Sauteed Zucchini & SpinachCalorie count: 470Heating time: 3 minsSpice level: Mild	Name: Winner Winner Chicken Orzo DinnerPreparation time: 30 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy
Sample 3	Name: Garlic-Parmesan Crusted Filet MignonPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: Not spicyDifficulty: Expert	Name: Protein-Packed Chicken Parm with Mozzarella & Garlicky BroccoliHeating time: 3 minsCalorie count: 410Spice level: Mild	Name: Ginger Beef Stir-FryPreparation time: 30 minsSpice level: MediumDifficulty: Easy

Home Chef customers get to experience plenty of variety in this meal kit delivery service. Here, there are numerous recipes for the customer to choose from. The recipes here not only cover traditional comfort foods, but even extravagant options which can be great for special occasions. The recipes also come in various skill types, such as beginner, intermediate and expert.

The best thing about using Freshly is that none of the meals need to be cooked. Each meal is fully prepared and therefore, the customer only needs to heat them for a bit in the microwave oven or a conventional oven. These meals are already pre-seasoned and sauced, and this can save plenty of time for the customer in the kitchen.

Those who have opted for HelloFresh as their meal kit delivery service will be immediately able to see that there are numerous choices in this platform. The recipes mostly require about 30 minutes of cooking and preparation, but some customers have mentioned that it can take about 10 minutes longer than guaranteed.

Winner: Freshly wins the Sample Meals segment.

App rating: Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh

Platform	Home Chef	Freshly	HelloFresh
Google Play Store	2.1	4.4	3.4
Apple App Store	3.2	4.8	4.4
TWP Rating	3.5/5	4/5	3.5/5

Final Verdict: Freshly wins this showdown, because its fully-prepared meals and the high-quality of ingredients.

Those who are looking for a platform which provides meal kits as well as fully prepared meals are definitely going to love Home Chef. Home Chef has a number of meal kits which range in difficult levels, as well as the types of cuisines for customers to choose from. There are also several fully-prepared options for tired home cooks to opt for.

Freshly has become pretty popular in the United States today, mainly because its meals do not require any cooking. The meals, which are made in a balanced manner by dieticians and nutritionists, arrive in a fully-cooked state. Thus, they only need to be heated for a while. Unlike many other meal delivery services, Freshly provides more options for customers to choose from.

HelloFresh is certainly famous in the world of meal kits, and has garnered attention across the world, and not only the United States. The meal kits in HelloFresh are made up of very fresh ingredients sourced from local vendors. The recipes are also pretty easy to follow. This meal kit delivery service also features many easy-to-cook meals.

Comparing Home Chef, Freshly and HelloFresh, we can see that Freshly takes the cake. This is because, unlike the other platforms, the customer does not need to put much effort into the meals since they are already cooked. The recipes in Freshly are thoughtful, and bring a great balance of flavor and health at the same time.

Methodology

To bring you the best reviews of each and every meal delivery service, we spoke to testers and real life users, reviewed the information provided by each service on their respective websites, carried out primary research on social media platforms and checked out the user reviews of these platforms on various social media sites. We have also used the reviews presented by current users of these services on their respective Google and Apple apps.

We are currently conducting our own internal review and we will update this page with videos and pictures of our experiences. If they differ extensively from what our external reviewers said then we will update this post so you get both points of views and can decide which service provider is more suited to your needs based on the information above.

The main types of criteria which we have used in order to assess and evaluate these meal delivery services is the simplicity of the recipes, the variety of meals in the service, the inclusiveness of diets and cuisines and even the supporting material.

In addition to these, we have also highly taken into regard the sustainability and recyclability of the packaging of these services. Lastly, we have also considered the delivery services and customer services of these platforms.

Frequently asked questions: “Home Chef vs Freshly vs HelloFresh”

Is Home Chef owned by Kroger?

Yes, Home Chef is owned by Kroger. After its purchase by Kroger, Home Chef meal kits are available for purchase in Kroger supermarkets as well.

How long do Freshly meals last?

Freshly meals last for 5 days to 7 days when they are stored in the refrigerator. Certain items which may have a shorter shelf life, such as seafood, need to be consumed earlier. To make this easier for the customer, Freshly adds a badge to the package.

Is it worth it to buy HelloFresh?

Yes, it is worth it to buy HelloFresh since you will be receiving a range of recipes for the entire week. This eliminates the process of meal planning and budgeting. Since the recipes are pre-portioned, even in their seasoning, the task of cooking the meal kits becomes much easier.

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