Updated on Nov. 05, 2024
Why pit Home Chef vs. HelloFresh when they both have equally quality products? These two companies offer similarly positive experiences, so the choice is yours.
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I’ve tested six meal delivery services, and even I, who has unpacked the boxes of ingredients and prepared the meals with my own two hands, can get them mixed up. The companies are similar, and, as far as I’m concerned, similarly successful at accomplishing their mission: delivering the makings for quality recipes to doors across the country and alleviating the burden of meal planning.
Because of these overlapping goals and audiences, the company names sound, well, kind of the same. There’s HelloFresh, Home Chef, Chefs Plate, Green Chef, Purple Carrot and Blue Apron. Phew! If the “H” companies have you jumbled up, we’re here to explain the differences between Home Chef vs. HelloFresh, two of the more prominent names in the biz (don’t miss out on our comparison of HelloFresh vs. Blue Apron, too!).
Home Chef and HelloFresh have the same model as other meal delivery services for families. They allow you to select plans for different numbers of recipes and servings to receive each week. The insulated cardboard boxes that each company sends contain all the ingredients needed for the chosen recipes, sorted into bags for added convenience.
Even the cost differences are virtually nonexistent. Home Chef meals cost between $9.99 and $11.99, depending on how many you purchase. HelloFresh meals cost between $9.99 and $11.49. (Psst! Keep an eye out for sales.) With both, you also have the option to order six servings per meal, with up to six meals per box. However, additional meals can be purchased weekly on an a la carte basis.
The recipes on the website are similarly categorized, with labels related to carbohydrate and calorie content, cook/prep time, vegetarian-friendliness and more. Both companies offer roughly 30 recipes to choose from each week. (Need an exclusively vegetarian service? Try Mosaic Foods.)
When trying out Home Chef vs. HelloFresh recipes, each box had its highs and lows, which made the experience very comparable with both brands. For instance, I loved the Italian-Style Wedding Soup from Home Chef but was a little underwhelmed by the Salmon Cakes with Dill Hollandaise. As for HelloFresh, the Street Cart-Style Turkey Bowls wowed, while the One-Pan Beef Enchiladas Verdes left a bit to be desired.
In addition to the entrees they provide, HelloFresh (through HelloFresh Market) and Home Chef also allow add-ons to their boxes. Think breakfasts, drinks, side dishes, breads, desserts and a la carte proteins, which are available at an additional cost.
Lastly, both companies are committed to eco-friendliness and sustainability, exhibited through their sourcing practices and packaging. Both also package meat separately from the rest of the meal, at the bottom of the box.
The differences between these two companies in terms of menu options, flexibility and pricing are hard to identify. Home Chef has a few additional features that set it apart from HelloFresh, potentially accounting for its slightly elevated price tag. If you view these features as value-adds, it could be a fit for you.
Home Chef, owned by Kroger, sells some of its meal kits in supermarkets, so you don’t even need a subscription to enjoy Home Chef’s offerings. And if you have a favorite food celebrity, Home Chef has collaborated with some famous chefs, including Rachael Ray and Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest fame, who developed limited-time recipes for the service. Home Chef also offers oven-ready meals that require little prep before popping in the oven and family meals that automatically come with four servings.
On the other hand, Hello Fresh offers more than 60 meals per week, whereas Home Chef offers just over 40. Deliveries for Hello Fresh also take place throughout the week, while Home Chef doesn’t deliver on Saturdays.
Home Chef is based in Chicago and was founded in 2013. Since then, the company has expanded its offerings to include traditional meal kits, as well as optional add-ons like desserts, breakfasts and sides; oven-ready meals; and in-store kits.
Most of its recipes are developed by professional on-staff chefs, though some notable celebrity partnerships mean a selection of the company’s recipes were developed by the famous chef in question. Recipes are dubbed easy, intermediate or expert, and are labeled with tags like Keto-Friendly, Gluten-Smart, Vegetarian and Carb-Conscious.
The company boasts its products as “endlessly customizable…meal kits that fit your needs” with “fresh, pre-portioned ingredients.” This customization is made clear via the “Customize It” options, which usually entail swapping out proteins or omitting them altogether.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Home Chef meals (especially the Italian-Style Wedding Soup) and the high-quality ingredients. I found the cook times and difficulty ratings to be accurate. Plus, the comprehensive recipe cards were incredibly helpful. Although I think some of the recipes could’ve been more efficient, my experience was certainly a positive one, and I believe it could be for you, too. Home Chef offerings are suitable for all types of consumers: couples, singles and families. In fact, our Editorial Coordinator, Sydney Manning, is a serial subscriber, too!
EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
Home Chef, available in select Kroger stores and online, is a celebrity-endorsed, ultra-customizable meal delivery service.
If HelloFresh isn’t yet beckoning you, perhaps one of the company’s other brands will. The HelloFresh Group, based in Germany, also owns Green Chef, EveryPlate, Factor and Good Chop, among others. Green Chef focuses on healthy, organic recipes; EveryPlate is a budget brand; Factor sells fully prepared frozen meals and Good Chop is a meat delivery service.
HelloFresh, the group’s namesake, is the most straightforward meal delivery service—and perhaps the original, founded in 2011. You’ve surely heard of it, thanks to its omnipresent marketing, solid reviews and amazing deals.
We’ve tested HelloFresh over three times now, and its meals are always tasty and easy and made with ingredients I, myself, would pick out from the supermarket. Think Daisy sour cream, Philadelphia cream cheese, Cholula hot sauce and Colavita olive oil. The comprehensive recipe card makes recipe preparation super simple.
And don’t discount HelloFresh Market, which functions as a more built-out grocery delivery service. There’s even fresh produce available!
Some negligible drawbacks include misquoted prep and cook times and substantial cleanup, but those are small complaints for an overwhelmingly pleasant, ever-consistent experience.
EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
HelloFresh is a fan-favorite meal delivery service celebrated for its diverse menu, customization options and affordability.
When it comes to Home Chef vs. HelloFresh, you can’t go wrong here. I’d suggest browsing the menus of both companies and deciding which one entices you more. However, for those committed to their weekly supermarket run or favorite celebrity chef, Home Chef might be a better call. Aside from that, the pricing, sustainability practices, recipe selections and ingredient quality are very comparable.
