There is no doubt that meal kit delivery services offer convenience, time-saving, and an easy way to enjoy delicious, hassle-free meals. When taking these benefits a step further, fully-prepared meal delivery services make this even easier. Just heat and enjoy with no cooking or cleanup.
Today, we are looking at two leading prepared meal kit services, Factor and Cookunity. They both offer similar services but cater to slightly different needs. In this comprehensive review, we break down the pros and cons of each company, what they offer, and all the details you want to know about their services.
Our team at The Meal Kit Review tested both of these services in a hands-on review to bring you this updated 2024 comparison, which reflects the latest offerings from both prepared meal services. So, which one took the title this year? Read on to find out who our winner is.
Short on Time? The Main Differences and Why We Think Factor is Better
Factor has been crowned our victor for 2024! Although both services offer great value, Factor stands out for several top reasons:
- Healthy meals: The recipes are nutritionally balanced and focus on health and well-being.
- User-friendly website: The website and App is easier to navigate, making it a breeze to manage your account, select your meals, and more.
- Taste and variety: The large add-on selection makes your week even easier with quick lunches, desserts, snacks, and more.
What Is Factor?
Factor is a fully prepared meal delivery service designed to make it easy to eat healthy and nutritious meals without the hassle of grocery shopping or cooking. The chef-prepared meals arrive fresh and are made with high-quality ingredients that meet strict standards.
The diverse menu supports a wide variety of dietary and lifestyle preferences—like high-protein, keto, paleo, vegetarian, and more—to make it easier to meet your health goals. You select the number of meals you want each week, plus you can add on lunches, breakfasts, snacks, and more.
What Is Cookunity?
Cookunity is a fully prepared meal delivery service that creates chef-prepared small-batch meals focusing on the gourmet. It connects chefs directly to the consumer by allowing you to choose which chef cooks your meals. You can also select meals based on dietary preferences, proteins, or global cuisine.
The recipes are upscale and feature high-quality ingredients, and the menu rotates weekly. The all-star chefs deliver better-than-takeout meals that they select for you based on your dietary preferences, or you can choose your own and the number of meals you want to be delivered each week.
Pros & Cons
Factor Pros & Cons
Pros:
- 35 recipes and more than 60 add-ons each week
- Caters to many diets like high protein, keto, vegan, and low-calorie
- Meals are delivered fresh and never frozen with whole food ingredients
- Well-balanced dietician-approved and chef-prepared meals
Cons:
- There are not as many weekly recipe choices as with other services
- Some recipes contain more sodium than others
Cookunity Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Over 200 gourmet recipes prepared by highly acclaimed chefs
- Offers diverse dietary support for low-calorie, Mediterranean, vegan, keto, and more
- A large variety of global cuisines and unique dishes
- Fully prepared meals are delivered fresh and not frozen
Cons:
- No add-on options like snacks, lunches, or breakfasts
- The website can be more challenging to navigate
Meal Plans
Factor Meal Plans
Factor focuses on health and wellness with gourmet chef-prepared meals delivered straight to your door. Choose between 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 microwave-ready meals each week plus add-ons.
You can also select meals to fit specific diets, including keto, low-calorie, flexitarian, high-protein, or vegan and vegetarian. No matter which preferences you select, you can always view the full menu.
Cookunity Meal Plans
With Cookunity, you can select between 4, 6, 8, 12, or 16 gourmet meals to be delivered each week. You can select your own meals or have them selected for you.
Cookunity gives you options on how to filter and select your meals. You can search by your favorite chef, cuisine, protein, diet, or lifestyle. They cater to pescatarian, Mediterranean, vegan, keto, paleo, low-calorie, and low-carb diets.
Meal Variety
Factor
Factor offers a rotating menu of 35 weekly options plus over 60 add-on options, such as lunches, breakfasts, desserts, snacks, and more. All the meals are fully heated and ready to be enjoyed in just a few minutes for ultimate convenience.
The recipes are made for clean eating, using whole foods and only the highest-quality ingredients. They feature quality lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, and balanced complex carbohydrates.
Cookunity
Cookunity meals are gourmet recipes prepared by famous chefs. They rotate a large menu of over 200 options each week. Each recipe can be reheated and comes with instructions for heating by microwave, stovetop, or oven.
The meals are designed to give you more freedom in selecting better-than-takeout-style meals featuring global cuisines like Indian, Italian, Asian, and Middle Eastern. There is something for everyone, from the pickiest eater to the more distinguished palate.
Our Experience – Is It Tasty?
Over the past six years, we have gained extensive experience with both Factor and Cookunity. That’s why our team re-tested these services for two weeks in 2024 to ensure that they reflect the most up-to-date information on what they both offer.
We thoroughly enjoyed both services, and each provided satisfying and delicious recipes. The delivery boxes were well-insulated and kept the meals fresh and cool. The recipes are well-labeled and easy to sort and store in the fridge.
We Tried Factor’s Unstuffed Spinach Ricotta Shells
This recipe was delicious! The whole grain pasta shells were dressed in a decadent spinach and ricotta tomato sauce with garlicky green beans and roasted red peppers on the side.
The portion size was large, and the meal was very filling. We reheated it in the microwave for two minutes, and it was ready to enjoy! The meal was about 450 calories but tasted like a decadent gourmet takeout meal from an upscale Italian restaurant.
We Tried Cookunity’s Montreal Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak
We loved this protein-packed savory steak dish, which featured a Montreal-spiced steak seared to perfection. The meat was high-quality and well-seasoned.
The addition of colorful red Swiss chard, fresh spinach, and crisp peppers was delicious, and they were sauteed in a lovely garlic and herb blend.
The meal felt like an upscale restaurant item but was ready in minutes with no prep or cleanup. We opted for the oven heating for 12 minutes, but you could also heat in the microwave for two minutes for faster heating if desired.
Other Top Meals to Try
Here are some additional favorite recipes that are worth trying from Cookunity and Factor:
Factor Meals
- Grilled Chicken Parmesan with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, and Broccoli
- Cavatappi & Italian-Style Pork Ragu with Garlic Broccoli
- Smoky Gouda Chicken with Roasted Red Potatoes & Parmesan Green Beans
- Roasted Red Pepper Filet Mignon with Tortellini Primavera & Lemon Garlic Butter
- Honey Yogurt Pancakes with Peach-Raspberry Compote, Salted Honey Butter & Chicken Sausage
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Freeze-Dried Blueberries
- Argentinian-Style Beef Empanadas Bundle
- Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with Toasted Coconut, Walnuts, Raisins, and Cream Cheese Drizzle
Cookunity Meals
- Seared Salmon with Berry Glaze and Sauteed Spinach
- Vegan Chorizo Chili Quesadilla with Pico de Gallo and Vegan Chili-Lime Crema
- Grilled Mojo De Ajo Flank Steak with Grilled Zucchini and Roasted Corn
- Soy-Ginger Salmon with Wonton Noodles and Bok Choy
- Shrimp Scampi over Linguine with Peas and Asparagus
- Rigatoni with Kale Pesto with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Crispy Tilapia over Greek Salad with Roasted Broccolini and Brown Rice
- Chicken Tinga Tacos with Fresh Guacamole
Style and Complexity of Dishes
Both companies offer gourmet, chef-prepared meals that feature quality ingredients. They differ in the style of the recipes based on the target group they are catering to. Cookunity meals have a more fine-dining feel, with an upscale presentation and ingredients chosen for their visual appeal. The menu feels more complex and diverse, with more global flavors.
Factor recipes are designed for the more health-conscious. While the recipes still feel gourmet, they are well-balanced with a healthy mix of lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbs, and lots of veggies. The focus is more on nutrition and meeting dietary preferences than the restaurant-style presentation.
Quality of Ingredients Used in The Meals
After receiving meals from Cookunity and Factor, we can confidently say that they are committed to quality proteins and fresh ingredients.
Factor Quality of Ingredients
Factor ingredients undergo a five-step analysis to determine their suitability for their meals. Only the highest-quality whole-food ingredients with science-backed health benefits make the cut. The recipes are dietician-designed to help you achieve your dietary goals.
Cookunity Quality of Ingredients
Cookunity recipes feature seasonal menu items and fresh ingredients to maximize flavor. The company strives to offer sustainable ingredients that are carbon neutral and reduce food waste. It partners with food vendors that value the environment and their impact on their surrounding communities.
The Delivery Box
Both companies are passionate about sustainability and using eco-friendly and recyclable packaging. Almost all Factor’s shipping materials and food containers can be reused or recycled, although the package insulation should be discarded.
Cookunity takes sustainability a step further. They have a zero-waste goal and partner with sustainable packaging vendors to continue reducing their carbon footprint by offering programs like returnable packaging and climate-friendly carbon-neutral meals.
Subscribing & Managing Your Account
Both services can be easily managed online or through the app. You can register, order your meals, change your meal selections, update your details, change payment methods, and manage all your account details online and through the app.
Factor and Cookunity allow you to pause, skip weeks, or cancel anytime.
To subscribe to Factor, you will select your preferences and the number of meals you want before checking out:
To subscribe to Cookunity, you will select dietary preferences and the number of meals before confirming payment details:
What Do Customers Say About Factor and Community?
Factor Reviews:
Factor subscribers love the flavors, quality, and health-conscious meals. One customer shared on Reddit, “I like that they taste good without an insane calorie count…so they are great for eating an actual meal, knowing what the calorie hit is (and being able to plan accordingly), and pretty much all of them I’ve tried, I have enjoyed.”
Another subscriber shared on Reddit, “Factor meals are absolutely ridiculously delicious. Their portion sizes are proper…and if you don’t snack in between meals, you’ll maintain your weight or even lose weight and still feel thoroughly satisfied.”
Subscribers rank the Factor app 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 158k ratings.
Cookunity Reviews:
Cookunity customers love the flavors and quality of the meals. One subscriber shared on Reddit, “CookUnity, which I also love, are slightly better quality and in the same price range, however the calorie hit on those are significantly higher. So if you are trying to watch calories, and still feel like you are enjoying a decent meal, I think Factor is good. If you want a little better quality and aren’t as worried about calorie counts, CookUnity might be worth looking into.”
Another Cookunity customer shared, “I love it. There are tons of meals to choose from so it would be hard to get bored unless you’re picky. I will say it’s more like restaurant food, so not necessarily health-focused like other delivery companies.”
The Cookunity app ranks 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 3k ratings.
Customer Support
Factor offers access to their team of certified dieticians if you ever need additional diet support. Both companies have great FAQ sections with answers to the most popular questions. If you have any issues regarding your subscription and need to contact the customer service support team, you can do so as follows:
Factor Customer Support
- FAQ section on the website: https://www.factor75.com/faq
- Online Chat: https://www.factor75.com/contact
- Phone number: 888-573-5727 Monday to Friday between 6 am-11 pm EST and 7 am – 7 pm EST on Saturday and Sunday
Cookunity Customer Support
- FAQ area on the website: https://support.cookunity.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Text: 347-835-5020
Delivery Areas
Factor delivers to all 48 contiguous states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Cookunity has a more limited delivery area but is always adding more zip codes. You can enter your zip code to check and see if delivery is available in your area.
Bottom Line
Our winner for 2024 – Factor!
The team at The Meal Kit Review thoroughly enjoyed the meals from Cookunity and Factor. However, we found Factor to be the overall winner due to its focus on health, great-tasting recipes, and more user-friendly experience.
The large selection of Factor add-ons makes meal prep and adding breakfasts and lunches super easy. They cater to many different dietary needs and focus on whole-food nutrition.
