10 Best Gourmet Meal Delivery in 2024: Get Inspired!

Discovering the best gourmet meal delivery service is like exploring a mouthwatering food adventure. With countless options to choose from, finding the right blend of quality, variety, and value can be quite a challenge. But fret not, because I've got you covered. Get ready to unlock your delicious options in this article.

I've dug deep and done the homework, so you don't have to. On the surface, there appear to be many great options – but they’re not all created equally. I've handpicked the absolute best choices just for you for this year. Say goodbye to endless searching and hello to impressive, homemade meals that will excite your friends and family.

Out of all the mouthwatering options, Factor steals the spotlight. With a wide range of healthy and tasty prepared meals, it's  a gourmet experience matched by few others  that will leave you craving more.

The Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Factor – Best Gourmet Prepared Meals

If you're seeking fresh, nutrient-packed gourmet prepared meals, Factor is your answer. Collaborating with registered dietitians and culinary professionals, the company has crafted an assortment of meals tailored for both health and taste. Look for the Gourmet Plus label on the menu for the best overall dishes for you to enjoy.

What’s on the Menu?

Factor offers plans like Keto, Vegan & Veggie, Protein Plus, and Calorie Smart, ensuring your dietary needs are catered for. Most meals are designed to be low-calorie, with 600 calories or fewer. Also, a large portion of meals (around 80-90%) bear the Protein Plus tag, making them suitable for those looking to boost their protein intake.

Factor’s menu spans a wide range of cuisines. From the zesty flavors of Latin American and Asian dishes to classic French-inspired, Italian, and Greek meals, there’s something for everyone. While the meals lean towards an American palate, the diverse array of options will allow you to keep eating exciting meals week after week.

Additionally, Factor impresses with its range of add-ons and extras. This includes options like pancakes, egg bites, smoked sausages, smoothies, keto-friendly desserts, chicken wings, steaks, vegetable sides, granola, and much more. This is among the most extensive assortments of sides available from a meal delivery service.

What Makes It Special?

Factor provides fresh meals, not frozen ones. These meals stay fresh for up to 7 days after delivery. This ensures you can enjoy your meals until your next delivery arrives, which you won't find often among meal subscription services.

This prepared meal delivery service offers a 20-minute online consultation with a qualified dietitian. After this initial session, you can enroll in the nutrition coaching programs for an extra fee, if you find it helpful. Interestingly, this call is available even before you sign up.

Is It Good Value?

Factor is ideal for people leading fast-paced lifestyles with little time for cooking, but who still want quality meals. Check our tested Factor review to understand more about its various health-centric meal plans. 

One thing to note is that Factor may not be the best choice for families, as the meals are single-serving. This may elevate costs for larger households. However, it's an excellent choice for individuals or couples. 

2. Green Chef – Best Organic Ingredients

Those who appreciate quick gourmet meal kits will find Green Chef an ideal fit. With an average preparation time of around 30 minutes and a maximum of 40 minutes for some dishes, this service caters to busy gourmands who appreciate a balance between quality, variety, and time efficiency. Look for the Chef Select label on the menu for the best meals.

What’s on the Menu?

Green Chef underscores the importance of nutrition with its ingredient selection. It incorporates an abundance of organic veggies and eggs, whole grains, and lean proteins, featuring options like chicken, barramundi, salmon, lean pork, and beef tenderloin.

With Green Chef, you can embark on a gourmet journey through an array of global cuisines. From Peruvian and Italian to Greek, Mexican, and French, there's a world of flavors at your fingertips. Around a third of the menu comprises American classics, such as Cheesy Ground Beef Melts – albeit with an American twist.

Green Chef's offerings extend beyond dinner, with a wide array of extras and add-ons. You can choose from breakfast options like oatmeal and pancakes, lunch items like salads and wraps, and keto-compliant muffins for dessert. Additionally, it offers a variety of protein add-ons, including shrimp, salmon, chicken, beef, and assorted ground meats.

What Makes It Special?

The company offers an assortment of flexible meal plans that you can tailor to your preferences. Meal plans include Protein Packed, Keto, Plant Based, Mediterranean, Calorie Smart, Quick & Easy, Gut & Brain Health, and even a specific Gluten Free plan.

The company stands out with a robust commitment to sustainability. Its packaging is engineered for a minimal carbon footprint. And its meals are crafted using superior quality, USDA-certified organic ingredients.

Is It Good Value?

Green Chef is an organic food provider that sources sustainable ingredients. It’s the first meal kit delivery company to receive an organic certification in the USA. As such, it ranks highly among health-conscious consumers.

Green Chef specializes in meal kits, rather than ready-made meals. If ready-to-eat meals are your preference, services like Factor might suit your needs better. However, as highlighted in our tested Green Chef review, cooking with Green Chef is a breeze with vibrant recipe cards and simple guidelines.

3. Blue Apron – Best Gourmet Meal Delivery

Blue Apron knows how to balance gourmet food with healthy options. Most of the meals include lean proteins, fresh veggies, and healthy grains. You’ll also find many family favorites, such as pasta and burgers. Offering over 80 weekly meal options, Blue Apron allows customers to choose between Meal Kits and Prepared & Ready meal plans.

What’s on the Menu?

Look for the Premium label on the menu for the most gourmet meals. Every week, you’ll have several options, like the Ribeye Steak & Rosemary-Butter Sauce (pictured). These aren’t just the nicest meals on the Blue Apron site; they’re also some of the best I’ve seen in the business.

The preparation process is kept relatively simple, appealing to both novice and seasoned home chefs. Every meal kit comes with a user-friendly recipe card included in your delivery, making cooking a breeze. The prepared meals just need to be heated. For a more detailed exploration of its vast culinary offerings, check out our full Blue Apron review.

Blue Apron extends its services with a variety of extras. The add-ons menu is brimming with options ranging from comforting soups, crisp salads, delicious pastries, and an assortment of proteins like bacon, chicken, and shrimp. 

What Makes It Special?

Most of the meals strike a balance between adventurous and familiar. This makes them suitable for younger palates as well. The customizable meal kits also make it easy to leave out any disliked ingredients.

Customization extends to replacing proteins in some dishes. For example, the luxurious Steaks & Garlic Mashed Potatoes dish offers the choice between succulent bistro or tenderloin steaks, catering to your exact taste buds.

As for cuisine varieties, the choices are ample. From spicy Latin American flavors to creamy French cuisine, hearty Italian dishes, light Mediterranean dishes, aromatic Asian food, and much more, there's a world of taste to explore. If gourmet dining is your jam, Blue Apron is the peanut butter.

Is It Good Value?

Blue Apron keeps things exciting with a changing weekly menu, albeit with some recurring favorites. This includes a rotation of main dishes, sides, snacks, and add-ons.

You can order up to 5 Meal Kits for 4 people or 10 Prepared & Ready meals. Additionally, there is flexibility to manually add more of either type of meal to the weekly order than what initially appears. 

If you want to order both Prepared & Ready and Meal Kits in the same week you’ll need 2 separate orders, as you can’t mix and match. It’s easy to order 2 separate boxes for the same week, and you can easily switch between plans week by week if you want to try meal kits 1 week and prepared meals the next.

Opting for larger servings can lead to considerable savings per portion. Therefore, the cost per serving ends up being very reasonable, at $3.74 per serving for the largest order.

4. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meals

HelloFresh emerges as a more budget-friendly, family-oriented alternative to Green Chef, albeit still gourmet. It caters to a wide range of dietary needs, delivering a variety of recipes that can be whipped up within a mere 20 minutes.

What’s on the Menu?

You'll encounter easy-to-navigate recipes, fresh, top-grade ingredients, and a diverse array of cuisines. Don’t be surprised to find recipes inspired by Asian, Mexican, and Italian cuisines mixed in with traditional American dishes.

The plethora of meal and add-on options HelloFresh provides is quite impressive. Extra offerings extend from breakfast items such as granola, to lunches, salads, desserts, sides, and even some prepared meals.

You can narrow down your options by referring to informative labels and tags accompanying dishes. Some worth noting are Best Recipe 2024, Hall of Fame, and Premium Picks. If you’re after quick meals, choose the 10-Min Lunch or 20-Min Dinner options. Tags like Veggie, Protein Smart, and Calorie Smart highlight the meal’s main features. 

What Makes It Special?

The company offers 6 plans. These include Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian. For an in-depth understanding of each plan, please see our thorough HelloFresh review.

You can preview the upcoming 6 weeks of menus with HelloFresh. And, unlike many of its competitors, it typically switches up the meals each week instead of reusing meals from previous weeks.

Is It Good Value?

If you follow a specific diet, like low-carb, low-calorie, or pescatarian, HelloFresh has your back. However, if food allergies or intolerances are a concern, it’s recommended that you check the ingredient list of each meal before you place an order. 

HelloFresh lets you order meals with 2 servings or 4 servings, so even if you live alone, you can enjoy a 2-serving meal with leftovers for the next day. Order between 2 and 6 meals per week, and if you choose a larger order, you’ll pay the lowest per-serving price of $3.32.

Though HelloFresh is a cost-effective option, it isn't the most economical service available. If you're seeking the absolute lowest per-serving costs, Dinnerly may be your best bet. 

5. Home Chef – Best Meal Customization

Home Chef is your go-to if you're aiming to whip up gourmet meals in the comfort of your home. This service brings an array of meal kits and oven-ready dishes that are simple and swift to prepare. Dive deeper into the Home Chef experience in our taste-tested Home Chef review.

What’s on the Menu?

Home Chef's interface presents a user-friendly <30-minute menu filter. Use this tool, and you'll see the quickest meal options at your disposal. It offers dishes that can be prepared in as few as 15 minutes, like the Diced Chicken Gyro, or the Oven-Ready Dilly Alfredo Salmon, which needs just 20 to 30 minutes in the oven.

If you don’t mind longer cooking times, look for the Culinary Collection label. These are the best dishes on the site. They feature the most expensive ingredients, like sirloin steak, mahi mahi, shawarma, gnocchi, and delicious homemade burgers.

You can explore dishes from Japanese, Italian, French, Asian, traditional American, Latin American, and Greek culinary traditions. The meals generally strike a balance, appearing about as refined as Blue Apron's dishes yet not as adventurous as Green Chef's recipes, making them appealing for children too.

What Makes It Special?

The Customize It feature gives you the flexibility to swap proteins in select dishes. Take the Fig Jam and Blue Cheese Burger for instance. It can be based on regular ground beef, impossible burger, ground turkey, or ground pork instead.

Scan through the weekly menu, and you'll notice a number of additional options. These range from salad and bread bundles to desserts, protein packs, and more. It's safe to say that Home Chef showcases possibly the most impressive selection of add-ons on the market.

Is It Good Value?

Overall, Home Chef includes a selection of dishes with meat and fish and an ample variety of vegetarian options. Unfortunately, it has fewer menu categories than many other meal delivery services, some of which are carb-conscious, calorie-conscious, and vegetarian.

6. Fresh and Easy – Best Fast Gourmet Meals

Fresh and Easy emerges as a unique offering of rapid meal kits. It operates under the Home Chef umbrella, affording you the luxury to mix and match from the entire Home Chef menu.

What’s on the Menu?

Keep an eye out for the Express, Fast & Fresh, or Oven-Ready labels to find these quick Fresh and Easy meals. Prep times of these recipes vary, but they’re within the 10 to 30 minute range for the most part. Only a handful of oven-ready meals can take up to 50 minutes. 

If you go for oven-ready meals, your task is merely to assemble the ingredients in the provided pan and pop it in the oven. Say goodbye to the prep work and welcome this super convenient feature. This line of speedy meals also has entreé salads on offer. You’ll find them in the Extras and Bundle & Save sections of the Home Chef menu. 

Much like Home Chef, Fresh and Easy is no stranger to a rich selection of add-ons and extras. This makes sense since it’s the exact same brand. From canned coffee products like lattes, banana bread, sausage and egg croissants, garlic bread, and smoothies to soups, mac and cheese, and even extra meats, you have an array of choices.

What Makes It Special?

You can also use the < 30 min menu filter on the Home Chef menu. This will populate the menu with options that take about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare. This is the best way to find Fresh and Easy meals.

Meal kits typically include pre-prepared ingredients, meaning there's often no need to peel, chop, or cut food before cooking. Many kits also feature pre-washed ingredients for added convenience. Moreover, recipes designed for oven or grill cooking include oven-safe trays and grill-safe bags, significantly reducing cleanup efforts.

Is It Good Value?

Fresh and Easy stands out thanks to the time efficiency it brings to your culinary endeavors. Most of these meals only require a mere 15 to 20 minutes of your time to prepare, as we point out in our tried-and-tested review. This is an ideal choice for you when the clock is ticking and you still crave a wholesome homemade meal.

The smallest order size is 2 meals for 2 people per week, going up to 6 meals for 6 people. Each recipe has a fixed price, and the most affordable options cost $7.99.

7. Purple Carrot – Best Gourmet Vegan Meals

Purple Carrot offers gourmet meal kits and prepared meals that are all 100% plant-based. There are several meal kits are offered each week that take much less time than traditional meal kits. The dishes it provides are gourmet-inspired and draw from culinary traditions worldwide, as explored in our tested review.

What’s on the Menu?

Every week, Purple Carrot presents a selection of 24 meal kits and 16 prepared meals. Each dish is vibrant and filled with “veggie first” ingredients. Unlike some other providers, it doesn't use mock meat products – instead, vegetables take the starring role. Take the New England Lobster Rolls (pictured). The primary ingredient is palm hearts, which is a celebration of this vegetable.

The meal options from Purple Carrot are globally diverse. For instance, you can experience the Middle Eastern favorite Chickpea Massaman Curry, which you can prepare in just 30 minutes. It also offers familiar American comfort foods, such as Creamy Mac and Cheese, some of which are suitable for younger diners as well.

In addition to dinner options, Purple Carrot extends its offerings to include lots of add-ons. Examples include breakfast, lunch, and snacks. It also provides a variety of extra items that you can add to your order, including salad dressings, vegan cheeses, oatmeal, cookies, and more.

What Makes It Special?

Purple Carrot is an eco-conscious company. It uses recyclable and biodegradable packaging while offering clear disposal instructions. It also minimizes food waste by supplying precisely portioned ingredients. Moreover, it advocates for the environmental and health advantages of consuming more plant-based foods and fewer animal products through its website.

Purple Carrot actively contributes to The Farmlink Project. It's a program that connects farms with excess produce to communities facing food shortages. 

Is It Good Value?

You can get both gourmet meals and more basic options from Purple Carrot, which is what I love most. There are plenty of options to suit the taste preferences of your entire family, including your kids.

Purple Carrot has 2 separate minimum orders for prepared meals and meal kits. The minimum order is 3 meals for 2 people each week for its meal kits, or at least 6 single-serving prepared meals (up to a maximum of 10) per week. To get the most value for your money, it’s more cost-effective to choose the larger meal kit order size. This will lower the price to $8.50 per serving. 

8. Trifecta – Best Gourmet Meals for Dieters

Trifecta is 1 of the best meal delivery services for dieters who want gourmet prepared meals. There are 4 total plans to choose from, which include Keto, Clean, Paleo & Whole30 Approved, and Plant Based. My colleague’s tested review covers these plans in more detail. 

What’s on the Menu?

Overall, Trifecta only really offers American-style dishes. There are some interesting meals containing chicken, steaks, salmon, and seafood like shrimp. But don’t expect a massive variety of international dishes.

All of Trifecta's meals come already cooked and ready to heat. Look at the instructions on each label to know how to heat them up. You might need to use an air fryer, stove, microwave, or oven. Either way, it doesn’t get much more convenient than that.

You could also order proteins, carbs, and veggies separately to make your own meals. This is good if you have a strict diet and want control over what you eat. However, you'll need to figure out the nutrition information on your own. Usually, these sides come in servings for 4 people.

What Makes It Special?

Trifecta tries to use organic ingredients wherever possible. The Clean and Paleo & Whole30 Approved plans mostly have organic veggies. But to get a special certification, the company needs to make sure at least 95% of the food is organic. If you want a meal service that's officially certified organic, you could try Green Chef instead.

You can pick how many main dishes you want (5, 7, 10, or 14) and decide if you want breakfast, too. Trifecta will choose the dishes each week, but you can say no to 1 ingredient from a list that has chicken, duck, tree nuts, shellfish, and mushrooms.

Is It Good Value?

The company has licensed dietitians who make the meals to fit different diets. Every week, it offers dishes made by chefs that control portion sizes.

The cost of your weekly order depends on various factors. For instance, what plan you choose, how many meals you want, if you add breakfasts, and how you want your meals prepared all play a role in pricing. 

The price per serving is lowest when you order more meals. Just remember, the fewer meals you order, the more each dish will cost. That said, pricing starts at just $13.79 per serving.

9. Marley Spoon – Best Selection of Gourmet Meals

If you’re looking for gourmet meals, Marley Spoon is a good choice. Most of its meals can be made in less than half an hour, and it offers an absolutely massive menu.

What’s on the Menu?

Even though Marley Spoon’s meals are not overly fancy, you still have a wide range of cuisines to choose from. Options here include Italian, French, Asian, Greek, Mediterranean, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Indian, and classic American. I’d say that Marley Spoon’s meals are more kid-friendly than Green Chef’s, for example.

Speaking of kid-friendly, its meals remind you of home cooking, without any fancy spices or too much seasoning. It also offers a few prepared meals each week, like the Ready Made! Chicken Rigatoni Alfredo. But if you're looking for just prepared meals, you might want to consider Factor.

The Fast! Shredded Beef Quesadillas (pictured) is from the Premium offerings. Every week, you’ll get the choice of around a dozen of these. This is the fastest way to find Marley Spoon's gourmet meals. But even then, its meals are gourmet and delicious, yet not “over the top," so to speak.

What Makes It Special?

Each time I check, the service boasts more than 50 customizable dishes, significantly broadening its menu variety. To find these options, simply search for the Customizable label on the recipes.

Marley Spoon is eco-friendly. It's a carbon-neutral company that uses sustainable practices and works on green projects around the world. It also focuses on using seasonal, sustainable ingredients.

Is It Good Value?

Marley Spoon offers a wide variety of dishes, from meat and seafood to vegetarian, vegan, and low-carb options. You can read more about all the options in our tested Marley Spoon review. 

You’ll also get lots of extra items you can add to your order. For instance, there are muffins, cookies, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, roasted veggie pinwheels, pasta salads, cupcakes, smoothies, brownies, and more.

You need to order at least 2 meals for 2 people per week from Marley Spoon, up to 6 meals for 4 people. If you choose the largest order, you'll save money and only pay $2.99 per serving.

10. Dinnerly – Best Affordable Gourmet Meals

Finally, we have Dinnerly, which offers the most affordable meal kits on the market, many of which have gourmet elements. You should know, though, that you won’t find the absolute “best” meals here, which is why it ranks lower on my list. 

What’s on the Menu?

Dinnerly boasts a diverse array of simple meal kits, ideal for families and kids, with no extra frills. You can anticipate a variety of globally-inspired dishes, including Italian, French, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and others, albeit Americanized to satisfy a wider taste range.

One of my favorite gourmet meals for this week is the Tortelloni Pesto Primavera (pictured). It’s from the “PremiYUM” selection, which promises a more unique and gourmet dining experience.

Bear in mind that Dinnerly is light on add-ons and extras, aligning with its budget-friendly approach. If you fancy a variety of add-ons, consider exploring Home Chef.

What Makes It Special?

Each dish has a difficulty level clearly stated on the official website. You don’t need to be an expert chef to whip up these premium meals. The meals mentioned above fall under the Easy category, as do most Dinnerly meals. However, the difficulty levels span from Easy to Hard.

Dinnerly, a subsidiary of Marley Spoon, offers a similar range of customizable meals as its parent brand. To explore meal personalization options, select the meals marked with the eponymous label.

Is It Good Value?

What you do get is a highly affordable service great for the whole family. But despite its cost-effectiveness, Dinnerly does not compromise on quality. It offers a myriad of <20-minute meal kits (along with a few prepared meals). To find out more menu details, check out our full tested Dinnerly review.

Keep in mind, though, that the choices of prepared meals are limited, usually around 3 to 4 per week. If you're seeking a broader array of pre-cooked meals, Factor is a worthy alternative.

The smallest order you can place with Dinnerly is 2 meals for 2 people per week, up to 6 meals for 4 people. Dinnerly's unbeatable pricing can be further reduced by opting for the largest order size, costing you only $2.12 per serving.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Services

With so many good options, it’s not that easy to find the best gourmet meals out there. To help you out, here’s what I recommend keeping in mind when making your decision:

• Menu variety: Look for gourmet meal delivery services that offer a diverse range of culinary options. They should span different cuisines and dietary preferences that you prefer, which will ensure there's something for everyone's palate. Factor offers a great selection of prepared meals covering a range of dietary options

• Ingredient quality: Opt for services that prioritize high-quality, fresh ingredients sourced from reputable suppliers, such as organic-certified Green Chef. This helps to ensure a delectable and wholesome dining experience.

• Customization options: Consider services that allow customization, whether it's choosing specific ingredients, portion sizes, or accommodating dietary restrictions to cater to individual preferences. Allergy-friendly Home Chef has some excellent customization options.

• Chef's expertise: Explore services led by experienced chefs who bring culinary expertise to the table, guaranteeing restaurant-quality meals that are prepared with finesse and attention to detail.

FAQ

Are premade meals worth it?

Prepared meals can be worth it, especially if you’re looking for convenience above anything. If you’re looking for gourmet prepared meals that look and taste like professionally cooked restaurant meals, I recommend having a look at Factor.

What are the issues with meal kits?

Some of the most common issues include difficult and complicated preparation along with high prices. If you want some of the best and most affordable meals on the market with easy-to-follow instructions, have a closer look at Green Chef.

Is HelloFresh very expensive?

Whether something works for your budget is up to you. HelloFresh’s pricing starts at $3.32 per serving if you go for the largest order. If you’re looking for the most affordable meal kit delivery service on the market, I recommend checking out Dinnerly instead.

Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Services in 2024 — Final Score