Tom's Guide Verdict
With an easy to navigate interface, simple delivery and a weekly menu designed to suit a number of dietary goals, HelloFresh is well suited for those who are looking to take the thinking out of dinnertime — just as long as you're still willing to spend time in the kitchen to whip up easy and tasty meals.
Pros
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More affordable than takeout
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Easy-to-follow recipe cards
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Seven-day delivery available
Cons
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Some over-packaging
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Prep time estimates not always accurate
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First arriving in Australia over a decade ago, meal-kit delivery service HelloFresh has since established itself as arguably the best known food subscription provider in the country. And Australia isn’t the only one, with HelloFresh also boasting the distinction of being the largest meal-kit provider in the competitive US market.
Suggesting that it will help its customers “save time”, “eat healthier” and “be inspired”, HelloFresh certainly doesn’t shy away from encouraging high expectations. But does the service actually manage to back up these promises, or is name-brand value the most that HelloFresh has to offer hungry Aussies?
HelloFresh prices and deals
Much like other meal-kit providers, prices for HelloFresh will differ depending on how many meals per week you order and how many people you’re looking to feed, and the total per-plate (also known as per-meal, or per-serve) cost generally goes down the more meals you opt for each week.
HelloFresh offers subscription plans to feed either two or four people, with options of three to five recipes per week. Its pricing is competitive, particularly compared to average costs for takeaway, with prices on a per-meal basis starting from as low as AU$8.75 per meal (that’s opting for five meals for four people, or 20 meals total).
It is also worth noting that HelloFresh frequently provides coupons and vouchers to save on per-week subscriptions for new subscribers, making its prices even more competitive and affordable to try out for a short period.
Two-person meal kit pricing
For plans to feed two people per week, HelloFresh prices range from a cost of AU$11.50 per meal (five meals for two) to a high of AU$13.33 per meal (three meals for two).
| Header Cell - Column 0 | HelloFresh prices |
|---|---|
| 3 meals per person (6 total) | AU$79.99 inc. shipping (AU$13.33 per meal/plate) |
| 4 meals per person (8 total) | AU$99.99 inc. shipping (AU$12.50 per meal/plate) |
| 5 meals per person (10 total) | AU$114.99 inc. shipping (AU$11.50 per meal/plate) |
Four-person meal kit pricing
Total per-meal costs for HelloFresh’s four-person meal plans are cheaper on a per-meal basis when compared to two-person plans, with more meals overall included in each delivery. That said, there is a notable gap between the lowest of these per-meal costs (AU$8.75, five meals for four) and the highest (AU$11.25, three meals for four).
| Header Cell - Column 0 | HelloFresh prices |
|---|---|
| 3 meals per person (12 total) | AU$134.99 inc. shipping (AU$11.25 per meal/plate) |
| 4 meals per person (16 total) | AU$159.99 inc. shipping (AU$10 per meal/plate) |
| 5 meals per person (20 total) | AU$174.99 inc. shipping (AU$8.75 per meal/plate) |
Note: per meal prices listed above are based on weekly prices inclusive of shipping
HelloFresh meals
On a weekly basis, HelloFresh offers a menu of over 25 recipes for its subscribers to choose from, with this menu broken down into eight dietary categories. These include: Classic, Vegetarian, Family-friendly, Calorie Smart, Quick & Easy, Carb Smart, Flexitarian and Protein Rich.
Subscribers are able to choose from any of these categories according to their preferences, with the breakdown of HelloFresh’s weekly menu according to each category as follows:
It’s also worth noting that HelloFresh does an excellent job with clearly listing allergen information for its recipes, with details on its website for each individual recipe. For those with food sensitivities or specific dietary needs, this is very helpful for assisting with navigation of each week’s menu.
HelloFresh delivery and ingredients
Delivery for HelloFresh is a seamless process, particularly with HelloFresh having now expanded to offer delivery seven days per week.
Subscribers can also adjust or skip weekly orders any time up until around one week before the expected delivery date, which is especially useful if you’re looking to go away on holiday for any period of time and simply want to hit pause on your HelloFresh experience.
HelloFresh delivers to a number of locations around mainland Australia, although it doesn't currently offer delivery to Tasmania. The full list of regions with available delivery for HelloFresh currently includes:
Each delivery comes with all ingredients and recipe cards packaged in the one box, and cold items are included in a satchel alongside ice packs to keep them cool until you can get them into the fridge. Not all ingredients for each recipe are included in a weekly delivery, however, as HelloFresh expects that you’ll already have some basic ingredients such as olive oil and butter at home.
For the most part, the quality of the ingredients from HelloFresh is consistent, with pantry items generally coming pre-packaged and produce arriving fresh. There are occasionally issues with the vegetables (and fruit), such as carrots arriving slightly soggy or tomatoes unripened, but this is rare enough to not be a major issue.
HelloFresh recipes
In terms of meal quality, there is a lot left up to your ability to handle yourself in the kitchen. While HelloFresh provides most of the ingredients and easy-to-read instructions for each recipe, preparation itself is (as with any meal kit) all yours to handle.
Thankfully, this is made simple by the recipe cards that HelloFresh includes with each delivery, which feature step-by-step instructions alongside estimated preparation times, heat settings and necessary equipment. Provided you have no trouble following along with these instructions, the quality of HelloFresh meals is generally excellent.
One of my own favourites during my time with HelloFresh was the recipe for a ‘Smokey Beef Craft Cheeseburger’, served with caramelised onion and a side of hand cut potato fries. As a big fan of both burgers and smokey flavouring, cooking this tasty steakhouse-quality burger in my own home kitchen was a clear highlight.
It is worth noting that listed preparation times may not always be accurate in practice, as time spent performing tasks such as dicing garlic or onion can vary from person to person. But with average preparation times of 30-40 minutes across its menu, it’s rare (if not unlikely) that any recipe will take more than an hour to put together.
HelloFresh verdict
Arguably where meal-kit delivery services excel most is offering you inspiration in the kitchen, and HelloFresh is no exception. While its menu may not encompass the same range of diverse cuisines as competitors like Marley Spoon, it still offers enough menu variety that it should provide plenty of new culinary experiences to most subscribers.
With clearly printed recipe cards and the ease of having most of the ingredients at your disposal, HelloFresh certainly fulfils its first promise of helping subscribers “save time”, while its menu also does an excellent job in helping you “be inspired”. How well this menu helps you to “eat healthier” will largely depend on your existing eating habits or dietary needs, but HelloFresh is certainly a healthier alternative to ordering takeaway – and one that will also save you some coin in comparison.
For those who are looking to take the thinking out of dinnertime, save time on shopping and save money versus takeaway, HelloFresh is a great option worth consideration.
