Sunday, September 15th
2024 Meal Delivery Company Reviews
Factor
- Prepared meal service
- All meals delivered fresh
- $5.49 to $15 per serving, depending on discounts
- Menu options include Chef's Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, and Protein Plus
- Add-ons include breakfast bundles, smoothies and shakes, and more
- Nutrition coaching available
- In business since 2011
- "A-” rated by the BBB
Factor is a meal delivery service for anyone pursuing a healthy lifestyle, especially on a keto, carb-conscious, or vegetarian/vegan diet. All of Factor's meals are delivered fresh and should last in your refrigerator for at least seven days (until your next box). Most meals require just a couple minutes in the microwave (or a little longer in the oven, if you prefer) and they're ready to enjoy.
Preview two weeks of menus
Go to the Current Menu tab for a sneak peek of the kinds of meals you can get through Factor. There are at least 29 "healthy, restaurant-quality” options every week, and you can see what's being shipped for the upcoming two-week period. Some of their top-rated choices include:
- Chicken & Mushroom Tetrazzini with Garlicky Green Beans
- Creamy Pesto Pork Chop with Spinach Cauliflower "Rice” and Roasted Green Beans
- Red Chile Pork Tamale Bowl with Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Pickled Jalapeño Crema.
All recipes can be prescreened beforehand for allergens or other ingredients you'd rather not have, and full nutrition info per serving is always available too.
Look for discounts to bring down the per-serving price
Watch for discount options as you browse the Factor site. We got an offer of $120 off if we provided our email address as a first-time subscriber. It was only when we started the subscription process that we got the clarification that it was a discount spread out over the first five deliveries (which wasn't nearly as impressive). Later, our offer was updated to $241 off the first five boxes, but we had to complete our order within 30 minutes. You'll want whatever discounts you can snag because Factor's regular price ranges from $11 to $15 per serving.
Use preferences to prioritize the meals you really want
If you decide you're ready to sign up, you'll first be asked to choose your menu preferences: Chef's Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, and Protein Plus. You'll always be able to choose from every available Factor recipe, but your preferences will determine which ones show up first in your list. Next you'll indicate how many meals per week you'd like delivered: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 18. You'll select your specific meals after you enter your payment information.
Subscriptions renew automatically
Be sure to read the fine print, because when you click on "place order and select meals”, you're committing to a weekly auto-renewal price at the regular price (or the discounted one you got earlier). Cancellations can be done anytime, but you have to do it at least five days prior to your next delivery.
Add-ons are available
They don't promote it very heavily, but Factor also has add-ons you might like to give some variety to your day-to-day. You'll find that link at the bottom of the page. At the time of this evaluation, there was a summertime bundle for four that included a main, side, and dessert (but the availability dates were several weeks in the past), snacks like keto shakes and smoothies, plus savory and sweet options for sides and treats.
Complimentary dietitian consultation
One unique feature available with Factor is nutrition coaching. You can book a free 20-minute online consultation with a dietitian and/or sign up for a 1- or 3- month program of nutrition coaching that includes several consultations, unlimited support via messaging, food and lifestyle journals, and complimentary nutrition courses.
Decent listing with the BBB
How does Factor's reputation measure up? The company has an "A-” rating from the Better Business Bureau, with 36 complaints filed over the last three years. That's not a ton, but we were a little concerned that almost all of them were filed more recently (in the last 12 months).
Poor feedback in recent reviews
We had a similar reaction to customer feedback we found elsewhere: almost 15,000 five-star reviews (amazing) but almost no ratings other than "poor” or "bad” in the most recent comments. Subscribers often say that the food itself is decent, but the shipping leaves much to be desired: the gel packs leak and are hard to recycle or dispose of, and meals are often delivered so far off schedule that people are left running to the store last-minute because their order didn't come when expected. Those shipping delays may be outside of Factor's control, but a $5 credit on a late-and-now-spoiled $15 meal isn't buying them any goodwill with their clients.
Shouldn't be your go-to meal delivery service
Despite having so many five-star reviews, Factor fails to earn one of our highest ratings. Too many of those glowing comments were from months (if not years) ago, and the recent trend seems to be strictly negative. And, with the most common customer service response being "here's a $5 credit”, these relatively-expensive meals that often arrive late (or spoiled) just aren't our favorite. Keep Factor in reserve as a backup choice if you don't find what you need with a more reliable meal delivery service.
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The 17 Best Meal Delivery Companies
Which Meal Delivery Company is the Best?
Isn't it amazing how many ways we have to make our lives easier, from Instacart grocery deliveries to DoorDash dinners from our favorite restaurants? Meal delivery services fall in the middle of that spectrum: you save the time and hassle of planning a menu and buying the ingredients, while not spending tons of money on weekly (or nightly) take-out meals and the corresponding gratuities. These services include heat-and-eat meals that arrive either fresh or frozen, as well as kits that come with all the ingredients necessary to make a gourmet-style meal right at home.
You may have noticed that meal delivery recipe choices are abundant. From classic, hearty favorites like chicken parm and burgers to exotic dishes from around the world, there's something for everyone. Vegan? No problem. Following a special diet for health or medical reasons, like keto or diabetic-friendly? You've got possibilities!
Meal Delivery Company FAQ
Continued from above...
Many of these services are subscription-based: you choose the types of meals you prefer (or pick specific entrees), how many servings in each one, and how many meals you'd like in a week, and your deliveries will come like clockwork unless you pause your membership, skip a shipment, or cancel altogether. If that's not your preference, there are some meal delivery companies that let you place your orders whenever you like, with no ongoing commitment.
With almost every meal delivery service, you'll get big discounts on your first order (and sometimes several ones thereafter) - you could pay less than $2 per meal at the start. Just be aware that the regular pricing is higher, typically ranging from $6 to $20 per serving; you'll pay more for premium options with higher-quality proteins and ingredients (maybe for a special occasion?).
It's easy to get overwhelmed as you try to figure out which service to pick. Want some help? Here are a few factors to guide your decision:
- Preferred Meal Type. Do you want a meal kit or something that comes prepared and ready to heat (or reheat, if it is delivered frozen)? If you'd like a mixture of both, a few meal delivery services give you that flexibility.
- Menu Options. What types of recipes can you choose from? Does the variety fit what you and your household will actually eat? Will the menu accommodate your dietary needs, food sensitivities, or other preferences?
- Flexibility. How easy is it to start and stop your deliveries? Can you customize your meals by swapping one protein for another, changing the side dish, or adding extras like smoothies or coffee? What if you want just one or two meals one week and six the next?
- Value. What will you get for what you spend? Is it worth the money compared to how you usually shop and eat? What discounts are available, to make your first try more affordable?
- Reputation. Meal delivery companies are popping up all the time. What do other customers say about their experience? Have the deliveries arrived in good condition? And if not, how has the service handled the problem?
To help you simplify your life with regular meal deliveries, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular services available today. We're confident that this will make it a breeze to choose the one that's right for you. Bon appetit!
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