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The Kitchn’s Mackenzie Filson tested 32 meals from HelloFresh and Home Chef over four weeks. She named Home Chef her preferred service, citing its meal quality and convenience; her four Home Chef boxes cost $372.82, compared with $397.31 for HelloFresh.
The Kitchn’s Mackenzie Filson says Home Chef was the stronger meal-kit service after she ordered and cooked 32 meals from Home Chef and HelloFresh over four weeks. Home Chef also cost less across the boxes she tested: $372.82, versus $397.31 for HelloFresh, though the comparison reflects one person’s selections and experience rather than a controlled review of every menu or plan.
Filson said she ordered four meals per week, each serving two people, from both companies. The four weekly HelloFresh boxes cost $101.92, $92.75, $92.75 and $109.89, adding up to $397.31. Home Chef’s boxes cost $86.91, $107.89, $90.91 and $87.11, for a $372.82 total. The difference between those totals is $24.49.
In her assessment, Home Chef offered a strong mix of convenience and hands-on cooking, with meals she described as delicious, consistently high-quality and thoughtfully assembled. She said HelloFresh had a larger selection, with more than 30 recipes per week and categories such as “Quick & Easy” and “Fit & Wholesome.” Home Chef’s weekly menu was smaller and, in her view, leaned toward reworked comfort food.
The comparison is based on the meals Filson selected, prepared and ate—not a published blind tasting or an independent price survey. Both services deliver pre-portioned ingredients with recipes, and both have optional items or premium meals that can change the cost. The source says customers may need to provide basics such as oil, salt and pepper.
Price and Convenience Shape the Choice
The test gives shoppers a concrete comparison of one four-week ordering experience: Home Chef came out $24.49 cheaper for the boxes Filson ordered, while HelloFresh offered more weekly recipes. That trade-off may help households decide whether menu breadth or the reviewer’s preferred balance of cooking and convenience matters more to them.
Those totals are not universal price quotes. The services’ costs depend on meal choices, serving counts, add-ons and shipping. The source lists a $10.99 shipping fee per box for each company and notes that premium HelloFresh options, including some steak or seafood meals, can add $2.99 to $9.99 per serving. Home Chef also sells heat-and-eat options and extras, which can raise a box total.
Filson’s verdict is useful as a personal account of repeated orders, but taste and ease are subjective. Readers should compare current menus and checkout totals for their own household before treating the winner as the best fit for every budget or dietary need.
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How the Four-Week Test Worked
HelloFresh and Home Chef both send pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes for customers to cook at home. Customers select meals and serving counts from rotating menus; the companies deliver refrigerated or temperature-controlled boxes, according to the source report.
Filson said she ordered a mix of proteins, vegetables and cuisines to sample variety. The report describes HelloFresh’s menu as having more than 30 weekly recipes and identifies Home Chef’s selection as smaller, with additional formats such as express and heat-and-eat meals. Home Chef also offers extras including breakfasts, sides, snacks, desserts and additional proteins.
The published report gives each week’s box totals and an overall preference, but the supplied material does not include a complete list of all 32 dishes or a meal-by-meal scoring table. Its conclusion should be read as the outcome of this specific test, not a claim that one service always tastes better or costs less.
“Home Chef strikes a strong balance between convenience and actually cooking.”
— Mackenzie Filson, The Kitchn
What the Test Cannot Establish
The results do not establish which service is cheaper for all customers. Filson’s order size, chosen recipes and add-ons shaped the totals, and prices may vary by plan or selection. The source says prices were accurate when its report was published, but it does not provide a publication date in the supplied material.
The excerpt also does not show the full list of meals, a standardized taste-rating method, or a detailed comparison of preparation times and nutrition. It is not clear from the supplied report how each service performed on every individual dish. The conclusion that Home Chef was the winner is therefore the reviewer’s overall judgment, not a universal finding.
Readers considering either service can compare the current weekly menus, serving options and final checkout totals, including shipping and any premium selections or extras. Since the review reflects four weeks of orders rather than a continuing test, there is no further milestone announced in the supplied material.
For a like-for-like comparison, shoppers can price the same number of meals and servings from both services, then check which recipes suit their household. The source does not state whether Filson plans to test additional meals or revisit the services as menus and prices change.
Key Questions
Which meal kit did the reviewer prefer?
Mackenzie Filson chose Home Chef, saying it balanced convenience with cooking and offered meals she found consistently high-quality. That is her assessment of the meals she tested.
How much did the 32 meals cost?
Across four weekly boxes, Filson reported spending $372.82 with Home Chef and $397.31 with HelloFresh. Each week’s order covered four meals, with two servings per meal.
How much cheaper was Home Chef in this test?
The listed totals put Home Chef $24.49 lower than HelloFresh for Filson’s orders. That difference applies to this test and does not predict what another customer will pay.
Did HelloFresh offer more meal choices?
According to the report, HelloFresh offered more than 30 recipes each week. Filson described Home Chef’s menu as smaller, while noting its range of recipe styles and add-on options.
Does the review prove Home Chef is better for everyone?
No. The result reflects one reviewer’s four-week experience and selected meals. Menu preferences, dietary needs, add-ons and current prices can change which service is a better fit.
Source: thekitchn.com
