Home Chef vs Tovala (+11 Features of each)
This blogpost will discuss and compare the main characteristics of Home Chef and Tovola. Home Chef offers meal kits, full of fresh ingredients along with a recipe card, through which its customers can create delicious and healthy meals. On the other hand, Tovala delivers meal kits which need to be cooked in the Tovala smart oven.
In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these two may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.
Home Chef vs Tovala
This table will show you the different features which are present in Home Chef, and those present in Tovala. We will also be discussing the limitations which are present in Home Chef and Tovala, which can make customers pick one above the other.
| Feature | Home Chef | Tovala |
| Delivery areas | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii |
| Price range | $30 to $120 per week for two | $9.99 to $12.99 per serving$299 Starter Kit |
| Price per plate | $8.99 per plate | $9.99 per plate |
| Difficulty levels | EasyIntermediateExpert | Easy |
| Avg. cooking time | 30 minutes per meal | 20 minutes or lesser |
| Avg. calorie count | 400-600 calories per serving | 400-800 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Meal descriptionNutritional factRecipe cardsMobile app | Code to scan |
| Recipes supported | VegetarianPoultryWithout nutsWithout soySeafoodWithout wheatPorkCarb-consciousCalorie conscious | VegetarianGluten-freeMeatPoultrySeafoodCalorie-smartCarb-conscious |
| No. of choices | 13 per week | 15 per week |
| Introductory deal | $20 off in first box with free shipping | $250 off on first order |
| Avg. shelf life | 3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood | 3-7 days in the fridge |
Types of Plans: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Home Chef | Tovala |
| Oven Ready meals $13 per meal serves two Only needs to be heated in the oven | 4-meal box $9.99 – $11.99 per serving$49 Smart Oven |
| 15-minute meal kits $9.95 per servingRequires very little cooking time | 6-meal box $9.99 – $11.99 per serving$49 Smart Oven |
| Entrée salads $9.95 per servingNo cooking required | 8-meal box $9.99 – $11.99 per serving$49 Smart Oven |
| 10-meal box $9.99 – $11.99 per serving$49 Smart Oven | |
| 12-meal box $9.99 – $11.99 per serving$49 Smart Oven |
Home Chef offers a number of meal plans for customers to choose from. The meal boxes in Home Chef cover a two-person box and the six-person box which can take care of the needs of various households. The meal boxes in Home Chef contain recipes from various categories like the 15-minute meal kits and even entrée salads for a healthier choice.
Tovala also offers various plans for customers to opt from, such as the six-meal box, the 10-meal box and even the 12-meal box. These plans come with a range of recipes which the customer can choose from based on their preferences. Tovala also often tosses out discounts for the Tovala smart oven which is recommended to cook the meals.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Ingredient type | Home Chef | Tovala |
| Produce | Not always organic produceMore of seasonal produce | Farm-fresh produceSeasonal fruits and veggies |
| Meat, eggs, fish | USDA FSIS approved | High-quality produce meats, seafood and chicken |
| Other ingredients | SeasoningsSpicesSauces | SeasoningsSauces |
Home Chef uses the very best of ingredients while creating its meal kits. The produce in these meal kits is sourced from local family-run farms and mostly comprises seasonal produce. The meat used to create the meal kits in Home Chef come from USDA FSIS approved animals and birds.
Tovala focuses more on quick-cooking, but at the same time gives plenty of importance to the health aspect of its customers. The meals in Tovala consist of seasonal produce, while the meat and poultry are of top-quality. Most of the meal kits in Tovala come with the right amount of seasoning and sauces which will need to be sprinkled above the meal before cooking.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Home Chef | Tovala |
| DessertSaladBreadFruitSmoothie | Scan-to-cook groceriesTovala oven accessories |
Home Chef allows customers to add more items to their meal kits to make their meal time even more wholesome. The add-ons in Home Chef range from tasty sides and desserts to bring a better experience to the whole family. Furthermore, everyday staples like bread can also be added to Home Chef meal kits.
Tovala also offers add-on choices for customers. The add-ons in Tovala not only cover food items, but even accessories for the smart oven itself, like sheet trays and grill racks. In addition to these, the customer can add grocery items which can be cooked through the code on them, such as ‘Pop-Tarts’ and ‘Eggo’ waffles.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal kit: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Home Chef | Tovala |
| Meal boxDividerProduce bagsInsulated linersIce packsPlastic containersRecipe cards | Meal boxMeal insertGarnish trayGarnish cupsSauce packsMeal traysInsulationIce packs |
| Fully recyclable | Fully recyclable |
Home Chef meal kits are fully recyclable curbside. The meal kits come in recycled cardboard boxes which are insulated with denim. The individual ingredients are packed in plastic bag or even in plastic boxes which can also be easily recycled. Home Chef advises the customers to save and reuse various elements of the packaging such as the recipe cards.
Tovala meal kits are also packed in recyclable materials. The packaging elements of Tovala include the meal box itself and the trays, the cups and the insulation. The meals themselves are packed in aluminum trays which can be cleaned and reused. Tovala also provides plenty of information for the customer to recycle each and every element of the packaging.
Winner: Tovala wins the Packaging of Meal kit segment.
Customer Support: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Feature | Home Chef | Tovala |
| Chat support | – | + |
| Email support | + | + |
| Phone support | + | + |
| Availability | Monday-Saturday | Monday to Friday |
When it comes to customer support, Home Chef offers two main methods of communication. The customer can reach out to the customer support through emails or events through phone support. The phone lines in Home Chef are available from Monday to Saturday, but the emails can be sent at any time.
Tovala has three different ways for customers to reach out. These are in the form of live chat, emails support and even phone support. The live chat is available on all days of the week. However, the phone support in Tovala is not present on all days. This feature of the customer support in Tovala is available only from Monday to Friday.
Winner: Tovala wins the Customer Support segment.
Sample Meals: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Sample | Home Chef | Tovala |
| Sample 1 | Name: Japanese BBQ BurgerPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy | Name: Garlic Pepper Chicken Thigh with Balsamic Roasted BroccoliPreparation time: 20 minsSpice level: MediumNo. of calories: 450 |
| Sample 2 | Name: Korean Fried ChickenPreparation time: 30-40 minsSpice level: MediumDifficulty: Intermediate | Name: Andouille Sausage with Mashed Potatoes and Cajun-Spiced Bacon GravyPreparation time: 17:30 minsSpice level: MediumNo. of calories: 600 |
| Sample 3 | Name: Garlic-Parmesan Crusted Filet MignonPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: Not spicyDifficulty: Expert | Name: Esquites-Inspired FlatbreadPreparation time: 13 minsSpice level: MediumNo. of calories: 890 |
Home Chef allows the customer to choose from a variety of recipes. Each recipe comes with a recipe card which not only contains the various instructions, but even the nutritional information of the meal. For those who really want to put their kitchen tools to use and also learn new techniques on the way, Home Chef has the Culinary Collection of recipes.
Tovala also has a great number of recipes. The best thing about these meals is that the customer does not need to do any prep-work, since the smart oven will take care of the meals. As an alternative, any normal household conventional oven can also be used for this. To cook the meal, the customer will need to scan the code on the Tovala smart oven.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: Home Chef vs Tovala
| Platform | Home Chef | Tovala |
| Google Play Store | 2.1 | 3.3 |
| Apple App Store | 3.2 | 4.8 |
| TWP Rating | 3.5/5 | 3/5 |
Final Verdict: The winner in this battle is Home Chef, with its numerous choices and easy to prepare meals.
Home Chef meal kits come in various cuisine types and are designed for a number of dietary requirements, such as low-carb and calorie-conscious meals. While the standard meal kits in Home Chef can be cooked within a span of 30 to 45 minutes, there are also very easy to cook recipes under the Fresh and Easy menu.
Home Chef also boasts a number of fully-prepared meals called Fast and Fresh, which only require a little bit of heating in a microwave oven or a conventional oven. Furthermore, there are even Oven Ready meals, where the ingredients need to be assembled on to a cooking tray and popped into the oven for a while.
Tovala is a little different from other meal delivery services. The main aim of Tovala is to make cooking easier for the customer, and therefore, the Tovala smart oven is also marketed regularly in this meal delivery service. The meals in Tovala are recommended to be cooked using only the Tovala oven and not just any other conventional oven.
The meals themselves cover a range of recipes and cuisines. Customers can expect to find homely and comforting recipes here, and can also enjoy a range of extravagant meals. There are also a large number of pantry staples which can be cooked in the Tovala smart oven, using the scan and cook method.
Comparing Home Chef and Tovala, it can be seen that the clear winner is Home Chef. Home Chef is purely dedicated to making lives easier through its numerous meal kits. On the other hand, Tovala aims to do the same through its smart oven. Home Chef provides very easy to cook recipes that are not only more wholesome but even more affordable.
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 Tovala”
How long can Home Chef meals stay in the box?
Home Chef meals can stay up to 48 hours in the box. This is mainly because the meal box comes insulated with denim and uses ice packs to keep the ingredients cool and fresh until the customer opens it.
Can you buy Tovala meals without the oven?
No, you cannot buy Tovala meals without the oven. The company touts the oven so that the meals sold can be cooked in it.
Are Tovala meals frozen?
No, Tovala meals are not frozen. Instead, they arrive fresh to the customer. The customer only needs to take the meal tray and pop it into the smart oven. Once the code is detected by the Tovala oven, the cooking will take place on its own without the customer’s intervention.
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