How Meal Kits Work
Meal kit services deliver pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to your door weekly. You choose from a menu, and everything arrives fresh — just cook and eat. Average cost is $8-14 per serving, compared to $15-25 for restaurant takeaway or $5-8 for cooking from scratch. The main value proposition is convenience and variety — no meal planning, no grocery shopping, no food waste.
Service Comparison
HelloFresh ($8.49-12.49/serve): Largest menu selection (40+ recipes/week), most popular in Australia. Good variety including Asian, Italian, Mexican. First box usually 50-60% off. Marley Spoon ($9.49-13.99/serve): Premium recipes by Martha Stewart. Higher quality ingredients, more adventurous dishes. Dinnerly ($5.49-8.75/serve): Budget option with simpler recipes (6 ingredients or fewer). Best value. Same parent company as Marley Spoon. EveryPlate ($5.99-7.99/serve): HelloFresh's budget brand. Smaller menu but very affordable.
Asian Food Options
HelloFresh and Marley Spoon both offer Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese-inspired dishes. However, the authenticity varies — most are adapted for Western palates. If you're looking for genuine Chinese cooking, you'll likely find the flavours simplified. That said, they're a good way to explore other Asian cuisines and the convenience factor is genuine. Some services allow you to filter by cuisine type.
Is It Worth It?
Best for: busy professionals, couples wanting variety, people learning to cook. Not worth it for: large families (expensive at scale), skilled cooks who enjoy shopping, very budget-conscious households. Most people use meal kits 2-3 times per week alongside their regular cooking, not as a complete replacement. Take advantage of first-box discounts to try different services before committing.