Monday, June 5th
2023 Meal Delivery Company Reviews
Personal Chef To Go
- Prepared meal service
- $10.50 to $13.50 per meal
- All meals freshly cooked
- Choose a one-time order or a subscription plan (every week or every two weeks)
- All orders ship on Wednesday and are delivered on Thursday or Friday
- $6.95 delivery fee on each order
- "A+" rated by the BBB
If you like the idea of getting your meal delivery service from a small business instead of a big company, Personal Chef To Go might appeal to you. Chef Gene and Chef Blair have been the driving force behind this provider for almost 20 years, and both of them have experience ranging from The Mirage in Las Vegas to the Virginia State Championship BBQ competition.
No subscription required
We appreciate that Personal Chef To Go lets customers choose between a subscription plan or a one-time order. We encourage you to try the service as a one-off purchase first: you can select 5, 10, 15 or 20 meals and see what you think. This is the most expensive option per serving at $13.50, but it lets you see if you like these reheat-and-eat meals well enough to make a longer commitment. We found it a little amusing that Personal Chef To Go proudly says that they offer free shipping, but in the same sentence they let you know that you'll pay a "small fee of $6.95" per order to help cover the costs of eco-friendly packaging. Okay then.
Limited weekly menu choices
Also, the more meals you select, the fewer options you have. That's because the menu typically only has about 24 choices - so if you only want a 10-meal subscription, there are still plenty you don't have to include, but if you're going for the 20-serving package, you'll need to double up on some menu items or just take most of what's offered. We also noticed that there aren't really any breakfast items on the menu, so if you're choosing the 20-meal plan so that all but one weekly meal is accounted for, you'd probably better be okay with having savory foods first thing in the morning.
Not enough information on each meal
What kinds of meals can you expect with Personal Chef To Go? They really don't give you a lot to go on when you click the menu options dropdown, other than a thumbnail image and the recipe title. For example, the Omega-Rich Pecan Salmon photo shows brussels sprouts and edamame (we think) and a lemon slice, and the Saute Chinese Beef shows what looks like rice in the background but no vegetables.
Few options for vegetarians
While the packages themselves come with the corresponding nutrition facts and ingredients label, this meal delivery service doesn't disclose that information anywhere we could find. That's a problem if you've got allergies or ingredients you just don't like and want to avoid. However, when you go through the sign-up process, you can indicate a few items that should be excluded: pork, shellfish, fin fish, gluten, dairy, soy, beef, or tree nuts. We're not entirely sure what would happen if you clicked on all of the options needed for a strictly vegetarian profile, because the Veggie Pasta Bake is the only menu item we saw that didn't have some kind of fish or meat.
Good reputation, though reviews are limited
How about reputation? Personal Chef To Go has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, with no complaints filed there. That's fantastic. We also found about 100 customer reviews, including those posted on the main page of the PCTG site, and the vast majority give the company a rating of four or five stars. Clients say that the food is healthy and fresh, the meals taste great, and they like that the menu changes over time.
Not a bad choice, but meal info needs to be more upfront
We're all about supporting small businesses, and we're glad to see that Personal Chef To Go has a long history and a satisfied clientele. However, compared with other meal delivery services, this one is much more limited: no breakfasts, no ingredients or nutritional info in advance, and no easy way that we could see to get vegetarian-only meal selections. There's nothing about this service to avoid, necessarily, but there are other options out there that offer a wider range of meals - and more details in advance.
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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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