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Home Chef Meal Kit Review + Coupon – March 2021

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseApr 20, 2021 | 6 comments

Home Chef
4 overall rating
26 Ratings | 14 Reviews


Home Chef is a meal kit subscription that delivers a weekly box of the pre-portioned ingredients needed to make 2-6 meals that feed two, four, six, or eight people. Home Chef advertises easy recipes that can be made in about 30 minutes. They offer vegetarian, gluten-free, and calorie/carb-conscious recipes.

 

This is a review of my customized delivery that includes three 2-serving dinner options (3 x $9.95/serving) with $7.99 shipping, bringing the cost of this box to $67.69.

Please note that Home Chef shipping costs have recently changed. Delivery now costs $13.99 for orders under $49.99 and $7.99 for orders over $49.99.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

About Home Chef

The Subscription Box: Home Chef

The Cost: Meals for 2 start at $6.99 per serving. Shipping is $13.99 for orders under $49.99 and $7.99 for orders over $49.99.

The Products: Fresh ingredients and chef-designed recipes — everything you need to make restaurant-quality meals at home.

Ships to: 98% of the U.S. You can check to see if Home Chef delivers to your zip code while signing up.

Home Chef March 2021 Review

When you first sign up for Home Chef, you take a short quiz about your meal preferences and dietary restrictions. They ask what you like to eat, as well as what you tend to avoid. Based on your answers, Home Chef will choose recipes for you to receive each week. As is the case with most meal kit services, you can log in and hand-select the recipes you’d like to receive. Note though, that the more particular you are with your diet, the fewer options you’ll have.

Before we look at the meals I picked, let me point out the extras that came with this delivery:

 

I received an envelope with promotional materials for Wayfair, Geico, and Kiwi.co, as well as Home Chef discount cards to share with friends. Now, on to the food!

 

Meal #1: Roasted Red Pepper Cream with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic Bread

Calories: 719 per serving

Time to table, according to Home Chef: 25-35 minutes

Actual time to table: 30 minutes

Cook within: 7 days

Difficulty: Intermediate

Spice level: Not spicy

 

Italian is probably my favorite comfort food, and I don't think there's ever been a day when I wasn't in the mood for gnocchi and garlic bread. This vegetarian dish came stamped with an "intermediate" difficulty rating, which stumped me at first. The instructions seemed pretty straightforward. Perhaps the rating is due to the fact that there are multiple components (garlic bread plus gnocchi)?

 

To make the dish, I started by spreading some bread with garlic butter and popping it into the oven to bake. While the bread toasted (and filled my kitchen with an incredible garlicky aroma), I got to work on the gnocchi. I started by toasting it, and then set it aside to make the sauce. I sauteéd red bell pepper and shallot in olive oil and then stirred in herbed butter, stock, cream cheese, and a little water before mixing in the gnocchi.

 

This dish came together really easily, and it was super tasty. The creamy sauce was decadent, and the garlic bread was crunchy and satisfying. I loved how the toasted gnocchi added a little bit of chewy texture to the dish, and the flavors were simple but spot on. My only complaint is that I think this dish could have benefitted from something green. Maybe a little chopped parsley on top?

 

Meal #2: Teriyaki Steak Pad Thai with Peanuts and Cilantro

Calories: 719 per serving

Time to table, according to Home Chef: 25-35 minutes

Actual time to table: 30 minutes

Cook within: 6 days

Difficulty: Easy

Spice level: Medium

 

My second pick for this box was Teriyaki Steak Pad Thai with Peanuts and Cilantro. I've tried Home Chef's Asian noodle dishes a few times in the past, and they've always been terrific. I love spicy noodles, and I couldn't resist this twist on pad Thai.

 

The first step in the cooking process was to cook the noodles. While they softened in boiling water, I sauteéd the beef with a little sugar. (Quick aside: do you see how much meat there is for this dish? Home Chef is very generous with their proteins.) Next, I added in carrots and scallions, let them soften, and then added in the cooked noodles, lime juice, teriyaki sauce, and a little bit of the pasta cooking water to thicken the sauce. When the noodles were soft and the beef cooked through, I added sambal (an Asian hot sauce), plated the dish, and served each portion with lime wedges and a garnish of cilantro and chopped peanuts.

 

I was really looking forward to this dish, and it did not disappoint. The flavors were in perfect balance: a little sweetness from the sugar and teriyaki, acid from the lime, spice from the sambal.... this dish was perfection! The fresh cilantro and lime juice kept this dish from feeling too heavy, and the crunchy peanuts on top added just the perfect amount of crunchy texture. I love a big bowl of comforting noodles on a weeknight evening!

 

Meal #3: Roasted Salmon with Ginger-Scallion Sauce and Charred Green Beans

Calories: 576 per serving

Time to table, according to Home Chef: 25-35 minutes

Actual time to table: 30 minutes

Cook within: 3 days

Difficulty: Intermediate

Spice level: Not Spicy

 

For my final menu pick, I went with something a little lighter, Salmon with Green Beans. Out of the three meals in my box this week, this dish probably most closely represents the kind of meal I make when I'm cooking for myself on an average weeknight, but I was intrigued by the sauce. I'm always on the hunt for new tricks that can jazz up simple meals, so I was eager to see what this recipe had in store for me.

 

Prep for this dish was quick and easy, so, again, I'm a little surprised that this dish was labeled as "intermediate." (Perhaps because searing fish takes a little bit of know-how? I'm honestly not sure.) I seared the salmon, skin side down, and then transferred the fillets into a hot oven to finish cooking. While they baked, I sauteéd green bean with garlic and ginger and made the sauce. The sauce is a simple combination of sesame oil, teriyaki glaze, garlic, ginger, and scallion. I didn't even need to heat it up. How easy is that?

 

I plated the fish and the beans, spooned the sauce on top of the fish, and dug right in. Wow, let me tell you what. This sauce is everything. I love sesame oil, and mixed with the ginger, garlic, teriyaki glaze, and scallions, it elevated this salmon from "plain Jane" to "fancy Nancy." I've made a note of this mix so I can make it again; it's incredible that something that takes less than a minute to mix together is so delicious! The beans were great, too. I'm a fan of sauteéd green beans, and I think a little ginger and garlic goes a long way towards making them special. All together, this dish was a 10/10.

Verdict: I thought last month's Home Chef box was one of the best ever, but this one impressed me even more. I loved all of the meals I received, and I even picked up a new sauce recipe that I look forward to making again soon. The gnocchi was rich and satisfying, the pad Thai was well-balanced and delicious, and the salmon dish put a fun twist on classic seared fish. Can I even pick a favorite? I suppose, if I had to narrow it down to just one, the pad Thai would take the top honor. It was just so darn delicious, and the balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic was on point.

In terms of value, this box cost $59.70 with $7.99 shipping, bringing the cost of this box to $67.69. I appreciate the convenience of having meals delivered to my door, and I never struggle to find dishes on the menu that appeal to me. Could I spend less at the grocery store and make similar dishes myself from scratch? Probably. But I think there's a lot of value in what Home Chef provides, and I love the convenience of having meal kits delivered to my front door.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this week's meals have passed. But, you can sign up for Home Chef today and receive meals next week!

Value Breakdown: This box cost $59.70, or $9.95 per serving. Shipping is $13.99 for orders under $49.99 and $7.99 for orders over $49.99.

Check out all of our Home Chef reviews and our list of the best meal kit subscriptions! And check out our weekly meal kit menu round-up to see what's coming up on the Home Chef menu.

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist.

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Home Chef is a meal kit subscription service that allows customers to pick out specific meals each week that best fit their tastes and schedules. Whether you’re cooking for yourself and your spouse or having a full house of kids, Home Chef offers recipes that everyone can enjoy. Each Home Chef bo... read more.

Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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6 comments

Madison

I don’t get charged for shipping. I get 3 meals for 2 people each week and have never been charged shipping as long as the total is over $45, shipping is free.

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Lindsey Morse

Hi, Madison! It used to be that I wasn’t charged for delivery either, but someone gave me a head’s up last month that Home Chef had changed their shipping fees, and I reached out to customer service who confirmed the new policy. Are you sure you’re still not being charged? If so, please let me know. Home Chef is one of these companies that has historically charged different shipping fees depending on location. If that’s still the case, I’d like to make sure it’s accurately reflected in the review. 😀

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Madison

I just checked my account and my next scheduled delivery shows shipping is free and my order is $59.70. They are charging sales tax starting next week though as I did get an email about that.

Maybe it is per location? I have been a subscriber for 4 to 5 years, maybe I am grandfathered in?

Cee

I just check my shipments for May. The first week I have 2 meals for $49.70 and my shipping is $10. My next week I have 3 meals for $79 and my shipping is free. So mine has not changed…yet. I’ll be keeping an eye on it now that I have seen it changed for some.

Katie

I’ve always thought that Home Chef offers familiar meals with wonderful twists to make the meals so special. Sauces, seasonings, cooking techniques, just something that the chefs I follow do to elevate them. Very generous portions. The prepping is Zen to me so I usually get the meals but the oven ones are good too.

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Lindsey Morse

“Prepping is Zen to me.” I love that, Katie, and I feel the same way. 😀

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