If you’re a fan of meal delivery kits, or want to take the plunge and consider giving EveryPlate – one of the most popular providers – a try, read my review before diving in. I recently tested all major meal kit delivery kits, and EveryPlate scored first place as the Best Crowd-Pleaser meal kit delivery service due to its familiar flavors, easy-to-follow instructions, and budget-friendly prices. We’ll dig deeper into why we recommend EveryPlate, but let’s learn about the basic features first.
Every plate
EveryPlate was named Best Crowd-Pleaser for its familiar flavors, plus recipes that come together easily. Three meals a week for four people cost $71.88 (including shipping).
$72 at EveryPlate
What is EveryPlate meal kit delivery service?
EveryPlate is a meal kit delivery service with pre-measured ingredients and an accompanying recipe, which allows you to make a freshly prepared meal at home without having to run to the supermarket or measure out your own ingredients.
EveryPlate offers a variety of meal kits that range in size (from two to four servings per meal, two to six meals per week) and preferences, including Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Faves, Quick & Easy (ready in 30 minutes or less ) and Nutrish & Delish (each serving contains 650 calories or less).
Once you’ve chosen a plan, it’s time to select a delivery date and browse the recipes available for that week. When that delivery day arrives, you’ll receive a box filled with fresh pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions for each meal.
My family and I really appreciated how customizable EveryPlate is. For example, if you prefer steak instead of chicken, you can substitute one protein for another. You can also double or upgrade protein (opt for a more premium cut of steak or scallops instead of shrimp) for certain meals. Plus, the generous portion sizes of some meals mean you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
How did we test the EveryPlate meal kit delivery service?
For this review, I tried all EveryPlate meal packs for dinner with my family. I have been eating for a living for many years now: I have a degree from the French Culinary Institute and have worked for several food publications. I am also a mom with an active teen and tween, for whom I cook daily.
I evaluated EveryPlate based on the following criteria:
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Subscription pricebecause everyone has different budgets.
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Easy to usebecause you get a meal kit to make your life easier, so you don’t want anything too complicated or time consuming.
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Menu choicesbecause you want a good variety of recipes and ingredients.
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Tastebecause you especially want your dinner to be tasty!
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Packaging: Is there too much? Too few? Does it bring excess waste into the world? We have taken this into account in our reviews.
In making the selections, I also considered feedback from other staff meal kit testers for a variety of opinions (we got ratings from a family of five, a family with both an infant and a tween, and a family of three with vegetarians and one vegan). I also weighed in on information from Facebook groups devoted to discussing meal kits, plus expert advice from Jaclyn London, a New York City-based registered dietitian.
Each meal kit has different strengths and weaknesses. Some are very simple, others offer more variety, some are great for families and others are aimed at vegetarians.
Here’s how the EveryPlate meal kit delivery service stacks up:
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Subscription: From $5.99 per serving when you order meals for four people (less if you use a promo code). Three meals a week for four people cost $71.88.
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Easy to use: In each box you will find all the ingredients you need to make the meals, with the exception of some stock items (e.g. salt and pepper). You’ll also find recipe cards with step-by-step instructions for each dish. Most of the meal prep times were a bit underrated and took longer than we expected, but none were particularly troublesome.
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Menu choices: Each week there are 25 menu options to choose from with familiar flavors inspired by world cuisine (Italian, Tex-Mex, Greek, American classics, etc.) and family-friendly dishes. They do not accommodate specific dietary restrictions, although some vegetarian/plant-based recipes were available. There was an option to filter recipes by the following categories: Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Faves, Quick & Easy (ready in 30 minutes or less), and Nutrish & Delish (each serving contains 650 calories or less). You can order up to four servings of up to five meals per week.
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Taste: The meals we tried included Creamy Mushroom Steak, Chicken Cobb Salad, and Caramelized Zucchini Linguine. The pasta was by far the biggest hit among our testers and the most liked. The steak dish was tasty, but some less adventurous eaters were put off by the mushrooms. The salad was particularly liked, but we would have preferred a healthier, less creamy dressing.
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packaging: Most packaging is recyclable or reusable and also keeps the food at a safe temperature during its journey from the facility to the customer’s home. Here you will find more information about how to recycle each part of the packaging.
Every plate
EveryPlate is really budget friendly, making it a great choice for anyone who needs a lot of encouragement and support when it comes to home cooking.
$72 at EveryPlate
Let’s learn a little more about meal kits and answer some common questions.
What can I expect from an EveryPlate meal kit?
With each delivery of pre-portioned ingredients and recipes that can feed two or four people, you don’t have to worry about what to eat. You can filter meals by categories such as Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Faves, Quick & Easy (ready in 30 minutes or less), and Nutrish & Delish (each serving has 650 calories or less). You can usually choose your delivery day and even add extras such as servings of fully cooked proteins, side dishes, snacks, desserts, and breakfast and lunch options.
What if I’m nervous about trying Every plate?
EveryPlate offers significant discounts to new customers, making it very affordable to try before committing (or not) to a particular plan. All you have to do is take advantage of one of these offers and then mark your calendar with an alert for the date you need to cancel the subscription.
What if I have to skip a week?
You can skip a week or cancel at any time if your needs change.
Where can I get the Every plate nutritional information?
On the website, you’ll find the nutritional information for each meal under a recipe’s nutritional values, which is an estimate of one serving “as prepared.” Full nutritional estimates per serving on a Nutrition Facts Panel can be downloaded five days before your delivery by clicking “See full nutritional information” on each recipe detail page.
What are the portion sizes?
The portion sizes were about average compared to many other meal kit delivery services we’ve tried.
Are there recipe cards in the box?
Yes! Each dish’s ingredient set comes with an accompanying recipe card with prep and cooking times, a list of items to have on hand, and written instructions.
How to do Every plate ingredients stay fresh during shipping?
EveryPlate ingredients can stay fresh in the box for up to 48 hours without being refrigerated. Their specially designed boxes with insulating liners, ice packs and cooling equipment keep your food as cool as possible.
How long will the ingredients stay fresh after I receive my EveryPlate delivery?
EveryPlate recommends keeping all items in the fridge. With the exception of seafood, all ingredients must be cooked and consumed within five days of delivery. Seafood should be cooked and consumed within 2 days of delivery. EveryPlate does not recommend freezing ingredients.
Can I the Every plate packaging?
Yes! EveryPlate boxes and separators are 100% recyclable. Their website provides additional information on how to recycle the different packaging forms.