eMeals vs. Home Chef Comparison and Prices (+9 Features of Both)
When it comes to meal planning and delivery, eMeals and Home Chef offer two very different approaches to making dinner easier. eMeals helps you save time on what to cook each week. It focuses on meal planning and shopping lists. You shop for the ingredients yourself.
Home Chef, on the other hand, delivers fresh ingredients and recipes to your door. You can create delicious, chef-inspired meals without the hassle of shopping. Both options promise to simplify your weeknight dinners, but which one truly delivers on convenience, taste, and cost?
So, which service best suits your lifestyle? Do you like picking your own groceries with eMeals’ help? Or, do you prefer Home Chef’s meal kits, which have everything you need for a quick, tasty meal? And, of course, how do the prices compare between the two services? These questions could be the key to finding the perfect solution for your kitchen routine.
This article will show you the key differences between eMeals and Home Chef. It will break down their prices, meal options, and required effort. In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these two may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.
eMeals vs Home Chef
This article will explore two great platforms. They help busy people eat healthy every day. eMeals is a meal planning service that offers meal plans and recipes to users. On the other hand, Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service that offers fresh ingredients along with recipes to users.
The following table depicts the main characteristics and features that are available in eMeals and Home Chef. We have also mentioned the delivery areas of these two platforms. We included the item types and price ranges offered by these brands. You can easily choose between eMeals and Home Chef through the following table:.
| Feature | eMeals | Home Chef |
| Delivery areas | All over the world | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii |
| Price range | $9.99 per month for 3 months | $8.99 per plate |
| Difficulty levels | Easy | Easy,Intermediate,Expert |
| Avg. cooking time | 30 mins per meal | 30 minutes per meal |
| Avg. calorie count | Varies based on diet plan | 400-600 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Grocery shopping | Meal description,Nutritional fact,Recipe cards,Mobile app |
| Recipes supported | Clean eating,Keto,Paleo,Heart healthy,Gluten-free,Plant-based,Diabetic,Mediterranean,Low-carb | Vegetarian,Poultry,Without nuts,Without soy,Seafood,Without wheat,Pork,Carb-conscious,Calorie conscious |
| No. of choices | 15 per week | 13 per week |
| Introductory deal | 14-day free trial | $20 off in first box with free shipping |
| Avg. shelf life | None required | 3-5 days for meat,1-2 days for seafood |
Types of Plans: eMeals vs Home Chef
| eMeals | Home Chef |
| Clean Eating plan Balanced meals,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | Two-person box $39.96 for 2 meals per week, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week |
| Keto 75% macros, 70% fat, 25% protein, 5% carbs,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | Four-person box $79.92 for 2 meals per week, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week |
| Quick & Healthy 30 minute meals, 1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | Six-person box $119.88 for 2 meals per week, 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 meals per week |
| Budget friendly Freezer friendly and kid friendly,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | |
| Paleo Protein focused, dairy-free and gluten-free,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | |
| Heart healthy Carb-controlled and sodium-controlled,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | |
| Diabetic Carb-controlled and ADA recommended,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | |
| Plant-based Protein-rich,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings | |
| Mediterranean Lean meat and healthy fats,1-2 servings or 3-6 servings |
eMeals offers various types of meal plans for the user to choose from, depending on their personal needs and requirements. The meal plans in eMeals not only covers balanced diets but even special diets like keto and paleo. There are even completely vegetarian or plant-based meal plans offered in eMeals.
Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service which means that it delivers fresh ingredients along with recipes to its users. Home Chef offers mainly three types of plans for the user to choose from based on how many meals they need during the week. While there is no plan in Home Chef for singles, there are plans for couples, small families and even large households.
Winner: eMeals wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: eMeals vs Home Chef
| Ingredient type | eMeals | Home Chef |
| Produce | None provided | Not always organic produce,More of seasonal produce |
| Meat, eggs, fish | None provided | USDA FSIS approved |
| Other ingredients | None provided | Seasonings,Spices,Sauces |
In eMeals there are no ingredients offered along with the meal plans. The meal plan ingredients must be bought via Instacart or a similar app. The platform will recommend one. The user can also opt to buy groceries themselves from their neighborhood supermarket.
Home Chef’s meal kits contain fresh, healthy ingredients. They are sourced from local vendors who use safe farming practices. The ingredients used in the meal kits are more of seasonal produce to ensure the best of both taste and health to the user. The meal kits come with the required seasonings and spices to be used for cooking.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: eMeals vs Home Chef
| eMeals | Home Chef |
| Breakfast plans,Lunch plans | Dessert,Salad,Bread,Fruit,Smoothie |
The add-on menu in eMeals is pretty limited in options and can be disappointing for those who are looking for much more in this meal planning service. In this add-on menu, the user can find breakfast plans and even lunch plans which are also pretty easy to prepare, just like the main entrée recipes.
In Home Chef, the add-on menu offers some pretty useful and interesting items for the user to choose from. In this add-on menu, the user can find options like bread, servings of fruits and even delicious breakfast smoothies. Furthermore, there are even several selections of desserts which can be selected by those who have a sweet tooth.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal kit: eMeals vs Home Chef
| eMeals | Home Chef |
| No packaging | Meal boxDividerProduce bagsInsulated linersIce packsPlastic containersRecipe cards |
| Fully recyclable |
Since only meal plans and recipes are offered by eMeals, there is no packaging offered. The meal plans in eMeals can be simply downloaded in a PDF format and then printed. They can also be viewed in the app or on the website.
In Home Chef, the packaging of the meal kit is both effective and environmentally-friendly as well. The meal kits come in boxes which are lined with an eco-friendly material like corn starch. Furthermore, the meal kits are packed with ice packs containing a non-toxic gel, which can be simply disposed of in the trash.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Packaging of Meal kit segment.
Customer Support: eMeals vs Home Chef
| Feature | eMeals | Home Chef |
| Chat support | + | – |
| Email support | – | + |
| Phone support | – | + |
| Availability | All days of the week | Monday-Saturday |
If users have issues with their accounts or meal plans, they can easily reach eMeals’ customer support via chat. It’s a messaging service. There is no live chat support here or even phone support in eMeals and this can be a letdown for those who are looking for real-time responses.
In Home Chef, customer support can be reached through email support and even phone support. Home Chef’s customer support operates only from Monday to Saturday but is not available on Sundays and certain public holidays. Both eMeals and Home Chef are pretty active on several social media platforms as well.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Customer Support segment.
Sample Meals: eMeals vs Home Chef
| Sample | eMeals | Home Chef |
| Sample 1 | Name: Grilled Chicken with Fresh Corn Relish and Green BeansMeal plan: Clean Eating | Name: Japanese BBQ BurgerPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy |
| Sample 2 | Name: Spicy New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp with Seasoned BroccoliMeal plan: Paleo | Name: Korean Fried ChickenPreparation time: 30-40 minsSpice level: MediumDifficulty: Intermediate |
| Sample 3 | Name: Apple Sage Chickpea PattiesMeal plan: Plant-based | Name: Garlic-Parmesan Crusted Filet MignonPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: Not spicyDifficulty: Expert |
The menu of eMeals offers a lot of variety and comes with plenty of choices for the user to choose from. The recipes in the menu of eMeals are pretty easy to work with and come with healthy ingredients in a great combination of health and flavor. There are both meat-based and completely plant-based recipes offered in eMeals.
In Home Chef, the recipes are very easy to cook with and most of the meals can be prepared from start to finish in about half an hour. Many recipes in Home Chef need only basic cooking skills. Even amateur cooks can quickly make delicious, nutritious meals.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: eMeals vs Home Chef
| Platform | eMeals | Home Chef |
| Google Play Store | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| Apple App Store | 4.6 | 3.2 |
| TWP Rating | 3/5 | 3.5/5 |
Final Verdict: Home Chef wins this battle with its fresh ingredients and easy-to-cook recipes.
eMeals is a very popular platform for those who want to plan their meals for the entire week, but are not sure as to how to go about it. One of eMeals’ great features is its easy-to-cook recipes. They are in categories for specific health issues and diets.
Home Chef is a well-known meal kit delivery service. It delivers fresh ingredients and recipe cards with cooking instructions. Users can then cook with them. Home Chef is a pretty straightforward option and quite easy to use. Anyone with any array of cooking skills can easily cook the recipes from Home Chef.
Between eMeals and Home Chef, the latter option takes the crown. eMeals only offers meal plans and recipes for its users. On the other hand, Home Chef offers meal plans, recipes, and fresh ingredients. It also has useful add-ons for users to choose from.
| Read: eMeals vs. Hungryroot Comparison and Prices |
Methodology
To find the best meal delivery service reviews, we did a lot. We spoke to testers and real users. We reviewed each service’s website. We researched social media and checked user reviews there. We have also used the reviews presented by current users of these services on their respective Google and Apple apps.
We are currently conducting our own internal review and we will update this page with videos and pictures of our experiences. If they differ greatly from our reviewers, we’ll update this post. This will give you both views. You can then choose the best service provider.
We used four main criteria to assess the meal delivery services. They are: the simplicity of the recipes, the variety of meals, the inclusiveness of diets and cuisines, and the supporting material.
We have also considered the sustainability and recyclability of their packaging. Lastly, we have also considered the delivery services and customer services of these platforms.
FAQs: “eMeals vs Home Chef”
Who owns eMeals?
eMeals is owned by Jane DeLaney who is the president of this meal planning service. Through eMeals, the user can obtain meal plans and recipes to cook healthy meals throughout the week. eMeals makes meal planning easy for busy people. They want to cook healthy meals for themselves and their families.
Can I print eMeals recipes?
Yes, you can print eMeals recipes. The recipes from eMeals can be downloaded in a PDF format and then printed. The recipes can also be viewed on the app and also through the desktop website.
Does Home Chef have heat and eat meals?
Yes, Home Chef has ‘heat and eat’ meals. These meals can be simply popped into the microwave for a few minutes and then consumed.
