By Weekly delivery services are trending for nearly a decade, and people when selecting one of them spend hours comparing the prices, meal options, as well as delivery servicing areas. Today, this article will cover the comparison of two giants presented in this industry – Home Chef and Blue Apron. If you still hesitate about which one to choose, make tea, grab a seat, and continue reading the independent research of their pros and cons in 2021.
Short Overview of Home Chef vs Blue Apron
Home Chef is a company that first entered the meal kit market in 2013. Its main mission was to provide people with delicious and fast-to-prepare recipes that may bring them around the table for a yummy experience. This service accommodates many dietary restrictions alongside different paying capacities. Looking ahead, their meals start from $6.99 which sounds tasty for one’s pocket. You may customize your orders, skip or double proteins, and painlessly follow your diet.
The delivery area of Home Chef currently covers around 98% of the US which means those who live in Hawaii and Alaska should look for other providers.
Blue Apron is a great deal for those who also look for fast-to-prepare organic foods and tasty combinations. It was first introduced in 2012. Unlike other meal kit companies, Blue Apron offers wine to boost the food experience. Beyond that, one may receive wine pairings for their ordered prepared foods. As for their price policy, their meals start from $9.99 which is a bit higher compared to Home Chef. You may also customize your order and follow your diet without any trouble. They accommodate various diets including carb-conscious, vegetarian among others.
The delivery area of Blue Apron currently covers the contiguous US again without servicing Hawaii and Alaska.
Pros and Cons of Both Meal Kit Services
Home Chef
| Pros | Cons |
| Fast to cook recipes | No vegan, Keto/Paleo options |
| Affordable meal options | Much plastic in the packaging |
| Fresh and organic ingredients | |
| Difficulty categorization of recipes |
Blue Apron
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to cook recipes | More expensive |
| Wine catalog from renowned vineyards | No vegan, Keto/Paleo options |
| Organic ingredients, hormone-free meats |
Blue Apron vs Home Chef Pricing
As was hinted above, Home Chef is a more reasonable choice if you crave affordability, however, Blue Apron does not charge radically more.
Blue Apron Pricing
- Signature
- 2 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
- 3 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
- 4 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
Shipping is free only for 3 and 4 recipes ordering.
- Signature for 4
- 2 meals/per week – $8.99 (per serving)
- 3 meals/per week – $7.99 (per serving)
- 4 meals/per week – $7.49 (per serving)
Shipping with this plan is free of charge.
- Vegetarian for 2
- 2 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
- 3 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
Shipping is free for 3 recipes ordering only.
- Wellness for 2
- 2 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
- 3 meals/per week – $9.99 (per serving)
Shipping is free for 3 recipes ordering only.
Home Chef Pricing
With Home Chef, everything is easier since their meals start from $6.99. The shipping with them is $7.99 except for one order – if you go for 2 meals per 2 servings, the shipping fee will be equal to $13.99.
Beyond that, they have a very strange notification upon ordering. It says that your first week total is an estimation based on an $8.99 price per serving. It means that the second-order and all succeeding ones will be already calculated with a $6.99 price.
It would be logical to say that Home Chef prices are more affordable, however, Blue Apron is the best regarding shipping cost. Therefore, a drawn game.
Types of Menu
It is hard to say that they are different in their healthy menus. The only thing which is distinct is the actual names for the menus but the “stuffing” is the same.
Home Chef Menu
Home Chef has the following menus:
- Adventurous
- Quick and Simple
- Low-cal
- Carb-conscious
- Vegetarian
Blue Apron Menu
Blue Apron has the following menus:
- Signature
- Signature for 4
- Vegetarian
- Wellness
Both of them have healthy vegetarian options which is good. At the same time they also both lack meals for vegan people, Keto and Paleo lovers. Furthermore, it is hard to determine whether there is any gluten free meal for you. Even though they are almost identical in everything you may order with them, let’s say Home Chef’s menu seems more vivid and adjusting to people’s dietary preferences.
The Difference Between Blue Apron and Home Chef Meal Options
To be even franker with you concerning the variety of meal options, we have decided to compare all Home Chef vs Blue Apron vs Plated. Upon researching the Plated meal options, we have been again disappointed since there were no vegan meals or special diets accommodated. Therefore, let’s come back to our two competitors.
Blue Apron Meal Options
- Signature menu options
- Scallops and Mushroom Risotto
- Chicken with Brown Rice Bowls
- Pepper Focaccia Pizza
- Signature for 4 menu options
- Meatloaf Sandwiches
- Dijon-Smothered Pork Chops
- Chicken with Peanut Noodles
- Vegetarian menu options
- Sweet Potato Quesadillas
- Peanut Lentil Curry
The cooking time for most of these recipes ranges between 25-45 minutes. They do also mention the calories which you may learn about by clicking on the preferred dish.
Home Chef Meal Options
- Adventurous menu options
- Japanese BBQ Burger
- HuliHuli Chicken Rice
- Quick and Simple menu options
- Crispy Caesar Chicken
- Apple and Chicken Salad
- Low-cal menu options
- BBQ Shrimp pizza
- Spinach and Feta Chicken
- Carb-conscious menu options
- Crusted Pork Chop
- Chicken Taco with Stuffed Peppers
- Vegetarian menu options
- Goat Cheese Flatbread with Figs
- Brown Butter Risotto with Brussels
The average cooking time ranges between 30-45 minutes.
You may say that Home Chef’s meal options are many and they all look interesting, however, Blue Apron does not push the recipes with Chicken so much. Let’s say that Blue Apron is a go-choice since there are less chicken and more interesting fusions for your food experience.
Compare Home Chef vs Blue Apron Packaging
Home Chef service made it all convenient to learn about their boxes and packaging. On the support page, you may get to know how to recycle it all.
You receive all your recipes in boxes with a divider. They are made from recycled cardboard and are themselves curbside recyclable. Alongside them, you have produce bags, and insulated liners inside made of recycled cotton and denim. Then, to keep your food fresh and cool, the service uses ice packs which, in turn, are made of water and sodium salt. Nevertheless, the packaging does not exclude the plastic, since you will get some plastic containers however they are also recyclable.
The same story with Blue Apron. They ensured to add information about their packaging and recycling process. Upon receiving the order, you will see many plastic bags, bottles, cups among others. They are all fully recyclable. As for boxes, they are cardboard ones. Blue Apron mentions that some of their packaging items are hard to recycle but they are working on substituting them with better alternatives.
The winner is Home Chef since they do care about all the packaging items to be fully recyclable, while Blue Apron should still work on go-green alternatives.
Ordering Process Home Chef or Blue Apron
Both services are extremely easy when it comes to the ordering process. You just need to sign up using your email or other accounts like your grocery account (with Home Chef). After that, you will be given a choice of plans and meal options you would like to have for the upcoming week. Then, you are asked to fill in delivery information, and you will be redirected to the payment page.
Blue Apron accepts Apple Pay, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover, while Home Chef accepts only Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, and PayPal.
Two companies are great regarding the ordering process, however, with Home Chef it seems more categorized and structured than with Blue Apron. Let’s say the winner is Home Chef.
Customer Support of Home Chef and Blue Apron
The best way to contact the Home Chef’s customer service is to submit your request using the online form. Otherwise, they are accessible through the phone which is on from 9 AM to 6 PM CT Monday-Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM CT.
Blue Apron can be contacted through email or by phone as well. They work Monday through Friday 10 am-9 pm, ET, as well as Saturday and Sunday 11 am-6 pm, ET.
Note, both services have a FAQ page where you may find the answers to your bothering questions. Based on our experience, two companies are very professional when contacting them for any inquiry. Therefore, again, it is hard to choose the best one.
Which Is Better Home Chef vs Blue Apron?
If you find yourself wondering who is the best – Blue Apron vs Home Chef vs Hello Fresh, you are not the only one in your struggle. Blue Apron and Home Chef are real competitors while HelloFresh may offer even more but it is not in today’s topic. Two services are great deals if you look for fresh and organic food (Blue Apron also offers wine). They meet some of the dietary preferences, however, they both do not have vegan options. They two have tasty prices for every paying capacity. Nevertheless, based on our research, Home Chef is the best delivery service because it is more affordable, more interesting regarding their menu and meal options, and it is just more user-friendly when it comes to the ordering process and just simply browsing their website. Blue Apron scores second place.