Cheapest meal kit: which one offers the best value for money?

Comparing meal kit prices is harder than it looks, because almost every brand advertises a first basket that has nothing to do with what you will pay in month three. The only figure that matters is the recurring price per plate, excluding promotions. We rebuilt it for the main boxes.

To compare these brands with every other one, use our comparator of the best meal kit boxes.

What actually drives the price of a meal kit

Four levers explain most of the gap between two boxes. The volume ordered, because nearly every brand tapers the price per plate as the number of portions grows. The format, since a 4-person box is almost always cheaper per plate than a 2-person one. The sourcing, as seasonal and local produce costs more than commodity supply. And the welcome offer, which distorts every comparison: free delivery or a discount reserved for the first order tells you nothing about the real cost.

The best value meal kits compared

We score every meal kit on the same five-criteria grid, weighting here the recurring price per plate excluding promotions.

Rank	Box	Type	Score	Price logic	Value edge
1	Quitoque	Cook yourself	9,2/10	Tapered by volume	Low price per plate with seasonal French produce
2	Les Commis	Cook yourself	8,3/10	Tapered by volume	Chef quality at a controlled price
3	HelloFresh	Cook yourself	7,5/10	Low entry, then standard	The most aggressive welcome offer
4	Seazon	Ready meals	7,2/10	Per plan	Saves time rather than money
5	Aussitôt Bon	Ready meals	6,9/10	Per dish	Fresh dishes, mid-range pricing
6	Kitchen Daily	Ready meals	6,7/10	Per dish	Chef dishes at a contained price
7	Cheef	Ready meals	6,6/10	Per dish	The cheapest way into ready meals

Quitoque: the best value for money

Quitoque is where the price-to-quality ratio holds best. The price per plate tapers as the volume grows, so a family or a couple ordering several recipes a week lands among the lowest figures for a cook-yourself box, and that is with seasonal produce, fruit and vegetables mostly of French origin and 100% French meat. Add 44 new recipes every week and measured portions, which cuts the hidden cost of a box: what you throw away. Check the current price per plate on the official site, since it moves with the volume you pick. More in our Quitoque review.

Quitoque pros

• Price per plate tapered by volume, among the lowest to cook.
• Seasonal and French sourcing at that price level.
• Measured portions, so almost nothing thrown away.
• 44 new recipes every week.

Quitoque cons

• You have to cook.
• Free delivery is limited to the first order.

HelloFresh: the most aggressive welcome offer

HelloFresh is unbeatable on the first basket, and that is exactly the trap. The welcome discount is heavy, the following weeks return to a standard price that sits above Quitoque for less seasonal produce. It remains a sensible way to test the format at low cost, provided you note the date the offer ends. More in our HelloFresh review.

HelloFresh pros

• The cheapest first basket on the market.
• Huge catalogue, good to test without committing.

HelloFresh cons

• The recurring price is much higher than the entry price.
• Less French and less seasonal sourcing.

Les Commis: chef quality at a controlled price

Les Commis sits above on the price per plate, but the comparison is not quite like for like: the produce and the recipes aim higher. If the budget allows it, the euro per plate is well spent. On a strict budget it is not the right pick. More in our Les Commis review.

Les Commis pros

• Chef recipes, careful sourcing.
• Tapered price on larger volumes.

Les Commis cons

• Higher price per plate than Quitoque.
• Smaller catalogue than HelloFresh.

Cheef, Kitchen Daily and Seazon: the ready-meal budget

On the ready meals side, Cheef is the cheapest entry point, Kitchen Daily keeps chef dishes at a contained price and Seazon prices per plan. None of them will beat a cook-yourself box per plate, because you are paying for the cooking as well as the ingredients. What you buy here is time, not savings. More in our reviews of Cheef, Kitchen Daily and Seazon.

Ready meals pros

• No cooking, no washing up.
• Cheef is a low-cost way into the format.

Ready meals cons

• More expensive per plate than cooking yourself.
• Individual portions, poor fit for a household.

How to pay less for a meal kit

Four habits make a real difference over a year, and none of them requires giving up quality.

Order more portions at once

Since the price per plate tapers with volume, three or four recipes in one delivery almost always costs less per plate than two. Cook the extra ones in one session and keep them for later in the week.

Compare on the recurring price

Put the welcome offers aside and compare month two against month two. Free delivery or a discount reserved for the first order tells you nothing about what you will actually pay.

Pick the larger format when it makes sense

A 4-person box is usually cheaper per plate than a 2-person one. Two people can order the bigger format and turn it into four meals rather than two.

Use the pause instead of cancelling

A week away or a tight month is a reason to pause, not to cancel and lose your settings. Every serious box lets you skip a week for free.

Frequently asked questions

Which meal kit is the cheapest?

On the first basket, HelloFresh, thanks to a heavy welcome discount. On the recurring price, which is the one that matters, Quitoque offers the best value for a cook-yourself box, with a price per plate tapered by volume and seasonal French sourcing. On the ready-meal side, Cheef is the cheapest entry point.

How much does a meal kit cost per person?

It is counted per plate rather than per person, and it varies with the volume ordered and the format chosen. The only reliable way is to read the price for the exact number of portions you plan to order, on the official site, excluding any welcome offer.

Is a meal kit cheaper than doing the shopping?

Usually not, if you compare with a well planned supermarket shop. It becomes competitive once you count what you actually throw away, the impulse purchases you avoid and the takeaways you no longer order on evenings with nothing in the fridge.

Are meal kits really commitment-free?

Most of them are, with the option to pause, skip a week or cancel online. Read the conditions attached to the welcome offer though, because that is where a minimum number of orders sometimes hides.

Read also

• Our full Quitoque review
• How much does a meal kit cost per month
• Best family meal kit
• The comparator of the best meal kits