Using a meal kit service can make your life much easier and will allow you to make great chef-designed home-cooked meals without spending any extra time on grocery shopping!
The options you have when it comes to meal kit services are endless, so deciding which one to subscribe to can be confusing and overwhelming. This is where the Meal Kit Review can come in handy!
Now you need to prepare yourself for another mega meal kit battle! Two of the leading services in the meal kit industry are about to go into the arena, and we are going to break down the fight just for you!
Blue Apron vs Home Chef – The full comparison
Blue Apron vs Home Chef – the variety of plans:
Home Chef offers slightly more flexibility with plans for 2, 4 or 6 people. They have a minimum selection requirement of 2 dishes per week with no maximum requirements.
Blue Apron offers its customers four different plan options:
- Two-person plan with 3 recipes per week
- Family plan for four people
- Vegetarian plan for two-people
- Freestyle weight-watchers plan for two-people – designed to make it easier than ever to cook low-calorie healthy meals.
Blue Apron and Home Chef – the variety of weekly meals
When it comes to meal variety, Home Chef has a clear advantage! The company has a total of 17 dishes per week, including 5-minute no-cooking-required salad options and 14 dinner dishes. Their meals are designed to cater to many lifestyle needs, like vegetarian, low-calorie, low-carb, express meals and more. In addition, Home Chef includes a new and super handy “Customize It” feature with most of their meals. This exciting feature gives you the ability to change, double or upgrade the type of protein in those selected meals.
Blue Apron offers its customers 8 dishes per week in the classic two-person plan and 6 dishes in the family plan. Some of these dishes may appear on both menus. Among their dishes, you will be able to find some vegetarian options, some of which include Beyond Meat proteins, and Weight Watchers options.
In terms of diversity, both Home Chef and Blue Apron offer meals with a great deal of diversity in the ingredients they use, (vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, etc) and the culinary style, (Mexican, Asian, classic, Italian, etc.).
Blue Apron and Home Chef – style and complexity of dishes
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef offer dishes that taste great and everything we tried from their menus was delicious! In our opinion, Home Chef is trying to focus on family home dinners, so the recipes tend to be quite classic, always with a nice added twist. The Home Chef recipes are never too sophisticated or complicated to cook.
Blue Apron, on the other hand, offers many meal options that are a little more upscaled, but usually with easy-to-follow recipes.
A few examples of the dishes we tried from Home Chef: Corn and Black Bean Burrito, Salmon Tacos with Queso Fresco and Crispy Jalapeños, or a more classic dish like Steak au Poivre
A few dishes we tried from Blue Apron: Curry Chicken & Vegetables, Roasted Fall Vegetable & Farro Salad or a more classic dish like Parisian Steak Frites.
Blue Apron and Home Chef popular meals
Home Chef meals:
- Crispy onion chicken with creamy mushroom sauce and green beans
- Sirloin steak with blue cheese compound butter with green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes
- Black bean enchiladas with poblano pepper
- Wood-fired BBQ chicken pizza with caramelized onions and ranch drizzle
- Mojito pork chops with mandarin orange and slivered almond salad
Blue Apron meals:
- Crispy pan-fried ramen with soft-boiled eggs
- Cavatelli & hot Italian pork sausage with kale & parmesan
- Parmesan & panko-crusted cod with roasted squash & garlic kale
- Pork meatball Italian wedding soup with Ditali pasta & rosemary
- Spiced salmon & garlic yogurt with crispy chickpea & farro salad
Blue Apron and Home Chef – Quality of ingredients
After receiving meal kit boxes from both Blue Apron and Home Chef, we can safely say that both companies are focused on delivering high-quality ingredients to their customers.
Home Chef has partnered with a selection of well-known quality producers to provide their ingredients. Some of these include Paysan Breton Butter, ‘World Wide farms’ for fresh herbs and vegetables and ‘Sea to Table’ for sustainably sourced seafood. When looking at Blue Apron, they guarantee that they will only use meat without added hormones. All their vegetables are farm fresh and where possible organic, and all seafood in their meals is sustainably sourced.
Home Chef offers many special features on their menu:
- The company has created a diverse selection of meals per week to cater to many dietary and lifestyle requirements. These range from fresh fast and easy meals, low-calorie and low-carb meals. They also have the optional add-on of protein packs.
- The Home Chef menu clearly indicates any allergens contained in each recipe (nuts, milk, shellfish, wheat and so on). It is important to note that even though their ingredients are individually packaged, the facilities are not certified as being allergen-free. Since they cannot guarantee that there might not be minor cross-contamination, it is our recommendation, that if you have a very serious food allergy or intolerance, it is best NOT to use this service
- The Home Chef menu has a one-of-a-kind “customize it” feature” that takes flexibility to the next level. This feature allows you to select the type and portion of protein in most of their meal selections.
Blue Apron offers two special feature plans as part of their selection. One to cater to vegetarian dietary needs and one to cater to Weight Watchers’ dietary needs. The company also offers a large selection of wines as a monthly subscription plan. The cost of their wine is $65.99 including shipping for six 500 ml wine bottles. (A 500ml bottle is 2⁄3 of a standard-sized wine bottle). This is a lovely feature. They even provide recommendations for the right wines to accompany each dish! They also have a retail service that provides cookware and other basic kitchen supplies.
Home Chef and Hello Fresh – nutritional values
With both Home Chef and Blue Apron, it was very noticeable that the meals are packed with nutritious ingredients such as fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, high-quality meats, seafood and more. Not only that, most meals seemed to be balanced in terms of carbs, healthy fresh vegetables, and proteins. The portions are generous enough to satisfy your hunger without over-eating and overloading on calories.
Both companies offer a range of meals with low-calorie counts. You will find low-calorie meals with around 450-500 calories per serving and more calorie-rich meals with around 800 calories or higher per serving. Home Chef also offers some great entree salad options that are very low on the calorie count and can drop to as low as 250 calories per serving! It is important to know that both companies display full details regarding the calorie count and other nutritional facts of each dish in their on-line menu. So it is always very clear to see the nutrition values you get with each meal.
The Blue Apron and Home Chef box
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef use specifically designed and labeled carton boxes. Inside both boxes, the cooled proteins are placed on the bottom with sufficient ice, so you can be confident that your delivery can stay outside for a few hours.
Home Chef ensures that each dish is individually organized. Each dish arrives in its own labeled transparent plastic bag. All contents are well organized, and you can clearly see the ingredients in each bag. Blue Apron, on the other hand, does not provide labels on most of their ingredients and they are loosely packed together in the box. With Blue Apron, you will need to sort the ingredients of each dish. The only thing that is wrapped separately is the spices and seasonings.
Blue Apron and Home Chef – How eco-friendly are they?
Home Chef seems to be committed to reducing packaging waste as much as possible while ensuring that the ingredients for their meal kits reach customers in high-quality conditions.
- All of Home Chef’s boxes and dividers are made from partially recycled cardboard and are curbside recyclable.
- Meal bags (#5) and ingredient bags (#4) can be recycled at all locations that accept plastic bags.
- The insulated liner used by the company is made of recycled cotton and denim. In order to dispose of the liner, simply cut open the film, throw the denim contents in the trash, and recycle the film with other plastic recycling.
- The Ice Packs used in Home Chef’s delivery are non-toxic and made of 99% water and 1% sodium salt (polyacrylate). To dispose of these, you need to throw the contents in the trash and recycle the film where you recycle your plastic bags.
When it comes to Blue Apron, we know that in the past the company offered a dedicated recycling program, where you could return your packaging, and the company took care of the recycling. Unfortunately, the program is no longer operational, but most of the packaging used by Blue Apron can be recycled by the customers.
Inside the Blue Apron delivery box, you will find ice or gel packs, few food items separately wrapped in plastic, and your dressings, cheeses, nuts, etc in mini plastic containers. The box itself is totally recyclable. Most of the insulating materials are recyclable too. The ice packs can either be drained, and the plastic recycled or the ice packs can be reused. All plastic packaging can be recycled, based on the recycling number, which is surrounded by three arrows, which indicates the type of plastic it is and how and where it can be recycled.
Blue Apron and Home Chef – Website and ordering process
Both companies offer a friendly and well-organized website, so it is very easy to navigate and understand how to subscribe and order. Via the website, you can register online, choose and change your plan, specify your eating preferences, select your meals for upcoming weeks, change your payment method and even skip weeks or pause your account in a very easy and stress-free way. You can find information regarding the offered plans, the upcoming menus, and other general useful information.
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef offer an easy-to-use app, where you can do all the things listed above as well.
Home Chef and Blue Apron – Customer support
Both Home Chef and Blue Apron offer a detailed FAQ section, with answers to most questions that can come to mind. If you have any issues or questions regarding your subscription, both Blue Apron and Home Chef have a customer service support team, as follows:
Home Chef:
- Online form to be sent to the customer support center
- Home Chef customer support: phone (872)-225-2433 during the standard support hours of Monday-Friday from 9am to 6pm CST and Saturday from 10am to 2pm CST
Blue Apron:
- You will find a “Get Help” icon in the bottom right of the screen when you enter the Blue Apron help center page
- The Blue Apron customer support team can be contacted via phone on (646) 891-4349 or email contact@blueapron.com
Home Chef and Blue Apron – Flexibility
Home Chef definitely wins the flexibility category. They have a larger number of weekly meal options, a diverse menu to cater to many dietary and lifestyle needs like low-calorie, low-carb, fast and easy meals and more. With their new “Customize It” feature, you can swap proteins, upgrade to a higher-quality cut of meat or even double the amount of protein in the selected meals with the “Customize It” logo.
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef provide a subscription service without the option of ordering on a one-off basis. They both offer the flexibility to hold your account if you need to skip a week on occasion. They also offer the flexibility of picking your delivery day and editing your meal selection for a few weeks ahead. With Home Chef you can cancel your account via the website. When canceling your account with Blue Apron, you need to contact customer support via email, with a same-day response.
Both Blue Apron and Home Chef offers great promotions for beginners, and there is the option to purchase a subscription as a gift card. This is highly recommended as a Thanksgiving or Christmas gift to your loved ones.
Home Chef and Blue Apron – Delivery area
Home Chef currently delivers to 98% of the United States. To see if the company deliver to your area, you can enter your zip code during the sign-up process. Their system will let you know if your zone is not currently part of their delivery area.
Blue Apron meal kits currently deliver to the contiguous United States.
The Bottom Line – Blue Apron vs Home Chef
Both Home Chef and Blue Apron are very good meal kit service options and would appeal to a similar audience. People who are looking for classic familiar dishes that have been modernized with an interesting twist. However, we found that Home Chef was better in almost every aspect. We loved the taste of their recipes, the amount and variety of dishes per week, the portion sizes of their dishes, the flexibility that the “Customize It” feature gives their customers and the convenience of the packaging! Finally, we appreciated that they cater to many different dietary needs. We also felt that the salad and snack choices, along with the protein pack add-on, gave great additional options for making your meals throughout the week easier, healthier and much more interesting.
HOME CHEF IS OUR WINNER
What are the benefits of using Home Chef and Blue Apron?
Our world has become fast-paced with many expectations placed on people to have successful careers, thriving families and busy social lives. Often we are so busy that the first thing we overlook is eating well. Meal kit delivery companies such as Home Chef and Blue Apron have been designed to combat the sense of overwhelm and have you eating better than ever before! They do this by providing meal kits that are filled with tasty and healthy ingredients combined with easy-to-follow recipes. Using a meal kit service like Home Chef or Blue Apron will mean that your dining horizons will expand and you will be able to enjoy new flavors, spices, and culinary styles. Meal kit delivery services are all about convenience and not only will you be eating well with meals that have are nutritionally well-balanced, but you will also be saving a significant amount of time. Because meal kit service companies do the meal planning, recipe writing, grocery shopping and portion control for you, your life will become significantly easier!
There are countless extra benefits to using meal kit delivery companies, especially in these frantically busy times. All you need to do is pick the meals that appeal, receive your delivery, unpack and store your ingredients and then start cooking! Then you can relax and enjoy your meal knowing that you have eaten well without all the effort.
What to look for when choosing a meal kit service like Home Chef and Blue Apron?
When deciding on which meal kit delivery service is best for you, there are many things to consider. If the cost is a priority, then firstly look at the bottom line. You might prioritize a service that is flexible allowing you to change plans, swap meals and skip weeks whenever required. If you love cooking and don’t mind spending time in the kitchen it is good to assess the styles of meals that are on offer. Some people would rather do anything else than be in the kitchen, so a meal kit company that offers easy-to-follow recipes would be more suited to you. We recommend you do your homework and firstly work out what your priorities are.
Why use our Home Chef vs Blue Apron comparison?
The meal-kit industry is one that has countless companies all offering difference specialties and services so it can be hard knowing where to start. That is why we recommend using our comparisons and company reviews.
At the Meal Kit Review, we have done all the hard work for you and you will be able to find all the information you need in one place. Our website has company profiles, meal kit comparisons, and lists of companies that are better suited for different requirements. Our team at the Meal Kit Review undertakes a thorough review process for every company that we profile. This includes subscribing, managing our account, assessing the menu, receiving deliveries, cooking and eating a range of meals. Our team spent a significant amount of time looking at both Home Chef and Blue Apron so we recommend our review as this is where you will find up-to-date, relevant information gathered from the first-hand experience.
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