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Food box and prepared meal service reviews

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Last updated: 28 July 2021
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If you enjoy cooking but don't want the hassle of shopping for ingredients or planning meals, then food box (meal kit) delivery services can be a good option. Or if you don't like cooking at all, prepared meal services might be what you're after.

  • Our meal delivery services buying guide explains the difference between food box (meal kit) and prepared meal delivery services, profiling the major players in each category and looking at whether meal delivery services are good value for money.
  • Did you know CHOICE test much more than food boxes? Check out our top 50 reviews.
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We subscribed to five food box meal delivery services and six prepared meal delivery services and ordered and cooked/heated a selection of meals from each to answer the questions:

  • How easy is it to subscribe and unsubscribe?
  • How easy is it to select meals and place orders?
  • Is the delivery time-frame specified?
  • Were all the correct meals/specified ingredients delivered?
  • Was the food adequately chilled on delivery?
  • How well did the meal boxes and/or prepared meals present on arrival?
  • Are the recipes easy to follow?
  • Are the ingredients fresh?
  • Are the recipe times (prep/cooking) and heating instructions accurate?

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Matthew Steen
By Rachel Clemons
Matthew Steen
By Rebecca Ciaramidaro
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Brand

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List of brands we tested in this review.

    Price

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    This is the average cost of a two-person box (three meals per week). Where different options are available, we've shown the cost of the 'classic' box. Prices do not include delivery or any applicable discounts.

    enter value/s in increments of 1 between 38.94 and 94.1

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    Member only

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    Type

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    Either food box or prepared meal service.

      Meal choices each week

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      How many different meals/recipes you can choose from each week. Where different options are available we've shown the options available for the 'classic' box. The number of meals available is subject to change.

      enter value/s in increments of i between 8 and 48

      Included in this review

      Members-only access
      • Average cost per person per meal
      • Type
      • Recommended
      • Price
      • Overall score
      • Performance score
      • Order accuracy score
      • Ordering and delivery score
      • Freshness score
      • Recipe score
      • Temperature score
      • Exact quantity of ingredients
      • Allergen information
      • Meal prep time
      • Delivery area (states)
      • Weekly meal choices
      • Menu change frequency
      • Recipe card format
      • Good points
      • Bad points
      • Other comments
      • Average cost for four person box three meals per week
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