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 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.
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