Many other reviewers crown Blue Apron and Hello Fresh as their number-one picks, but after my testing, I was pleasantly surprised to find Gobble was the best. This meal kit surpassed my expectations with its organized packaging, convenience, and high-quality ingredients.

Gobble offers many tasty-looking meals on its menu that seemed like they might be difficult to put together quickly, which initially intimidated me. While some meals did take longer to cook than those from other services on this list, I was impressed by the variety of meal options, the quality of ingredients, and the great results. Gobble's extensive menu was a bit overwhelming. Still, the variety of meal options, like Classic Dinners, Lean & Clean Dinners, Premium Dinners, Summer Grilling, and more, gave me plenty to choose from. I chose three different pasta dishes and a dessert to bake. The ingredients were all very fresh, and they all tasted superb. 

Review: I taste-tested Gobble and the pricier meal kit delivery service was worth the money

With each meal, you will receive a laminated paper introducing you to the dish, followed by an ingredient list, a list of allergens, and supplies to gather. The instructions were easy to follow and beginner-friendly, so people with little or no culinary skills will be just fine. Each meal includes a tiny "Did You Know" note at the bottom of the cooking instructions sheet, which explains fun facts about the dish. 

Gobble also includes the meal calories per serving on the instruction sheet, so you don't have to calculate the nutritional information. I found this to be convenient, and helped me track my macronutrient intake more efficiently.  

Although this meal kit is my first pick for freshness and ease of use, it is the most expensive in terms of cost per serving. It costs$12 per serving for two people for five days. If you can afford the higher price, the quality and convenience make it worth it.

Gobble features:Over 5 meal preference options to choose from |6 meal preference options to choose from | 2 or 4 servings |7 meal preference options to choose from | 2, 4, & 6 servings | 2-6 meals per week| 2-4 meals per | 2 or 4 servings | 2-5 meals per week| 2 or 4 servings | 2-5 meals per week

Blue Apron is one of the most popular meal kit services, and that's for good reason. This meal kit service has a strong menu packed with various cuisines and meals. The variety of food prompted me to try foods I usually wouldn't cook during the week, expanding my palate and cooking skills simultaneously.  

Blue Apron has something for everyone: classic American meals like pimento cheeseburgers with roasted potatoes to Asian fusion meals like seared steaks and ginger-scallion rice with spicy soy pan sauce and snap peas.

Blue Apron and Gobble meal kits are similar in ingredient quality, but I found Blue Apron's preparation instructions more difficult. If you're a novice in the kitchen, I would avoid certain meals from Blue Apron as they may challenge you. I had to re-read the instructions for some of my meals, which added to the preparation time. Still, it was worth it in the end. 

An extra perk for Blue Apron is that you can pair wine with your meals. Blue Apron will match the perfect red or white based on your meal choices for the week for$10 a bottle or$70 a month (including shipping) for six bottles. While this will cost you extra, getting it all in one place makes sense if you're already buying wine with your home-cooked meals.

At$11 per serving for three two-person meals or$9 per serving for three four-person meals, Blue Apron lets you choose between Carb-Conscious, 30g of Protein, Keto-Friendly, Vegetarian, or 600 Calories or less meal options. Remember that upgrading to a "special" meal will cost you extra if you want a recipe that includes a pricier ingredient, such as steak. 

Blue Apron features: Over 5 meal preference options to choose from | 2 or 4 servings | 2-4 meals per 

When you think of meal kits, HelloFresh is likely to come to mind. After testing HelloFresh for a week, I found that its reputation holds true to its high level of freshness, quality, and convenience, but it lacks some of the spark and uniqueness of the other meal kits on this list.  

HelloFresh's meal kits are perfect for health-conscious individuals who want their meals catered to their specific dietary needs. If that sounds like you, you can pick from different meal preferences such as Meat and Veggies, Family-Friendly, Fit and Wholesome, and Quick and Easy. There are also options like Salt-Conscious, Carb-Smart, or High Protein.

However, most of HelloFresh's recipes are very simple and start to taste similar to each other, with minor ingredient adjustments. On the other hand, these meals took the least time for me to put together, so they're best for people who aren't looking for complex, time-consuming recipes. Overall, I found the meals to be quite lacking compared to the other kits. They weren't bad in terms of quality, but also not great in terms of flavor. 

HelloFresh is priced reasonably for meal kits at$10 per serving for three meals a week for two people.

HelloFresh features: 6 meal preference options to choose from | 2 or 4 servings | 2-6 meals per week

EveryPlate is the most affordable meal kit on this list, but you don't have to worry about exchanging quality for price. 

When I received my package from EveryPlate, I appreciated how each meal item created little waste. At first, I was hesitant because, given the lower price, I expected the ingredient quality to be poorer. But happily, I quickly found that this wasn't the case.

Apart from some pre-chopped carrots and pre-shredded cheese, every other vegetable was packed whole, and their vibrant colors made me excited to put these meals together. 

Overall, you can expect EveryPlate's recipes to be of good quality and help you learn to cook and eat healthier. 

EveryPlate's meal kits cost$5 per serving for five meals a week for two people, totaling$50. When you purchase your first box, you'll likely receive a discount of 50% off your first box or sometimes more.

EveryPlate features: 7 meal preference options to choose from | 2, 4, & 6 servings | 2-6 meals per week