New-customer offers · the first five boxes · read Oct 17–19
Meal kit deals: what the first five boxes really cost
Home Chef’s first five boxes total $191.82 by this site’s math on prices listed October 17, 2026, for two people eating three dinners weekly at its average price. Shipping after the first box is not published and is excluded.
- $191.82 Home Chef, 5 boxes
- $362.31 Tempo, 5 boxes
- $28.93 EveryPlate, first box
| Service | The deal, in the brand’s words | First box | Against full price | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Chef Meal kit | 30% off boxes 1–3 (up to $30 each), 45% off boxes 4–5 (up to $45 each), free shipping on box 1 | $41.96 | $191.82 average price | saves $107.88 on $299.70 | $59.94no shipping | See plans Ad |
| EveryPlate Meal kit | $2.99 a meal on box 1 (57% off, stated for 2 people × 3 recipes), 10% off boxes 2–5 | $28.93 | $223.89 full price | saves $40.76 on $264.65 | $52.93 | Review |
| Tempo Ready-made | 30% off the first four boxes (up to $53 a box); the offer does not apply to shipping | $67.61 | $362.31 plan grid price | saves $97.04 on $459.35 | $91.87 | See plans Ad |
Split by box not published: Dinnerly — up to $180 off the first 5 boxes; Marley Spoon — up to $360 off the first 5 boxes. We can’t put these on a week until the brand says how the discount is spread.
In the brand’s words, not totaled: Blue Apron — $25 off the first 2 orders; ButcherBox — free protein offer; CookUnity — 50% off the first week (headline); Factor — 50% off box 1, 20% off boxes 2–5; Good Chop — $50 off each box with the promo shown; Good Ranchers — $100 off the first order; Green Chef — 50% off box 1, 20% off boxes 2–9; HelloFresh — “10 Free Meals” on box 1; Hungryroot — 30% off (limited time); Misfits Market — 40% off the first order (MMSAVE40); Tovala — oven $69 with a meal sign-up; Wild Alaskan Company — $25 off the first box.
No new-customer deal on the pages we read: Daily Harvest, Thrive Market, Trifecta.
Offers side by side
Which offers have a five-box total?
Home Chef, EveryPlate and Tempo publish enough detail to calculate five boxes. On Tempo’s home-page figures read October 17, 2026, six prepared meals weekly total $362.31 over five boxes, including shipping, by this site’s math.
Dinnerly and Marley Spoon publish maximum savings without a box-by-box split. Factor says discounts vary by plan size; CookUnity’s headline lacks terms. Sales tax is excluded throughout.
Bottom lineA stated discount schedule makes a five-box calculation possible; a headline alone does not.
| Service | Offer | Box 1 | Boxes 1–5 | Week 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinnerly | up to $180 off the first 5 boxes; split by box not published | — | — | $71.93 |
| EveryPlate | $2.99 a meal, box 1 | $28.93 | $223.89 | $52.93 |
| Home Chef | 30% off boxes 1–3, 45% off boxes 4–5 | $41.96 | $191.82 | $59.94 |
| HelloFresh | “10 Free Meals” on box 1 | — | — | $70.93 |
| Blue Apron | $25 off the first 2 orders | — | — | $84.93 |
| Green Chef | 50% off box 1, 20% off boxes 2–9 | — | — | — |
| Marley Spoon | up to $360 off the first 5 boxes; split by box not published | — | — | $93.93 |
| Purple Carrot | $100 off 4 deliveries (FIRST100) | — | — | — |
| Factor | 50% off box 1, 20% off boxes 2–5 | — | — | $65.94 |
| CookUnity | 50% off the first week (headline) | — | — | $83.73 |
| Tempo | 30% off boxes 1–4 (up to $53 each) | $67.61 | $362.31 | $91.87 |
| Tovala | Smart Oven $69 with a meal sign-up — one-time, not part of the week | — | — | $94.93 |
Box totals only where the brand states the discount per box. Totals are this site’s arithmetic on the brand’s listed prices.
Five boxes, one brand
What does Home Chef cost afterward?
Home Chef’s home page, read October 17, 2026, lists 30% off the first three boxes, capped at $30.00 each, then 45% off the next two, capped at $45.00 each. Larger orders can hit those caps.
For two people eating three dinners at its listed average, week six is $59.94 before shipping, by this site’s math. Only the first box ships free; later shipping amounts are not published and are excluded.
Bottom lineBudget for the regular food total plus shipping once the five-box discount ends.
- You pay
- Offer discount
- Shipping not published: boxes 2–5 and week 6 on
Five boxes: $191.82 instead of $299.70. 30% off boxes 1–3 (up to $30 each), 45% off boxes 4–5 (up to $45 each), free shipping on box 1.
| Box 1 | $41.96, $17.98 off (free shipping) |
|---|---|
| Box 2 | $41.96, $17.98 off (shipping not published) |
| Box 3 | $41.96, $17.98 off (shipping not published) |
| Box 4 | $32.97, $26.97 off (shipping not published) |
| Box 5 | $32.97, $26.97 off (shipping not published) |
| Week 6+ | $59.94 (shipping not published) |
First box against week 6
How far does EveryPlate’s price rise?
EveryPlate’s page, read October 17, 2026, ties its $2.99 first-box meal price to two people choosing three recipes. Other plan sizes have different discounts, and six-person plans are excluded.
By this site’s math on those figures, the first box is $28.93 versus $52.93 from week six, including $10.99 shipping. The smaller follow-on discount means most savings arrive in the first box.
Bottom lineUse the regular weekly total for your ongoing budget, not the first-box meal price.
| Item | With the offer | Full price |
|---|---|---|
| Boxes 2–5, each | $48.74 (10% off) | $52.93 |
| Five boxes | $223.89 | $264.65 |
other plan sizes: “Discounts vary”
"Up to" offers
Why can’t every offer be totaled?
Dinnerly’s and Marley Spoon’s menu pages, read October 17, 2026, list up to $180.00 and $360.00 off five boxes. Those are maximum savings; the split by box is not published.
HelloFresh’s page, read October 19, 2026, bases “10 Free Meals” on a four-person, five-recipe first box. Green Chef gives discount percentages, but its open pages do not publish box prices. Check the qualifying plan and discount schedule before paying.
Bottom line“Up to” savings and free-meal headlines need qualifying terms before they become a weekly budget.
- up to $180 off 5 boxes
Dinnerly
up to $180 off the first 5 boxes; split by box not published
- “10 Free Meals” on box 1
HelloFresh
“10 Free Meals” as a discount on the first box, based on a 4-person, 5-recipe plan; other sizes are not stated, so the offer is not totaled here
- $25 off the first 2 orders
Blue Apron
code WELCOME25 for $25 off the first 2 orders and free shipping, per the home page; not totaled here
- 50% off box 1, 20% off boxes 2–9
Green Chef
50% off the first box and 20% off boxes 2–9; box prices are not on the open pages, so the offer is not totaled here
- up to $360 off 5 boxes
Marley Spoon
up to $360 off the first 5 boxes; split by box not published
- $100 off 4 deliveries (FIRST100)
Purple Carrot
code FIRST100 for $100 off the first four deliveries of $50 or more; other Purple Carrot pages show other codes
Fine print
What fine print changes the total?
Home Chef’s and Tempo’s home pages, read October 17, 2026, say unused offer balances expire ten weeks after signup. Skipping deliveries can therefore leave discounts unused. Tempo also says its discount does not cover shipping.
Subscription offers renew weekly. Check the cancellation or skip cutoff before signing up, then check the next scheduled charge. Published-price totals exclude sales tax; unpublished shipping is left out rather than guessed.
Bottom lineCheck expiry, shipping and the subscription cutoff alongside the advertised discount.
Expiry
Home Chef and Tempo: unused box discounts expire 10 weeks after signup.
Shipping
Tempo: the offer does not apply to shipping.
Plan size
EveryPlate: the $2.99 meal price is stated for 2 people × 3 recipes.
Auto-renewal
Offers come with a weekly subscription; cancel or skip before the cutoff.
Partner brands
Where to order
Buttons open the brand’s own site in a new tab. Prices are the brand’s, read on the date shown.
- Home ChefMeal kit · from $7.99, average $9.99 a servingRead Oct 17, 2026
Home Chef reviewSee Home Chef plans Ad - TempoPrepared meals · $15.98 (4 meals) → $10.98 (16+) a meal · shipping $10.99Read Oct 17, 2026
Tempo reviewSee Tempo plans Ad - DinnerlyMeal kit · $5.99–$11.49 a serving by box size · shipping $11.99Read Oct 19, 2026
Dinnerly reviewSee Dinnerly plans Ad - Marley SpoonMeal kit · $9.99–$13.99 a serving by box size · shipping $12.99Read Oct 19, 2026
Marley Spoon reviewSee Marley Spoon plans Ad - Blue ApronMeal kit · $6.50–$14.99 a dish, median $12.49 · shipping $9.99New customers: $25 off the first 2 orders
Blue Apron reviewSee Blue Apron plans Ad
About the buttons. Buttons marked “Ad” are affiliate links: if you order, this site may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes the order of results — lists on this site are sorted by the week price.
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Quick questions, short answers
People also search for “free meal kit”, “meal kit free trial”, “first box free meal kit”. Answers use the prices on this page, read Oct 17–19, 2026.
Does “free meal kit” mean the first box is free?
HelloFresh’s “10 Free Meals” offer is a first-box discount tied to a four-person, five-recipe plan, according to its page read October 19, 2026. That wording describes discounted meals within a qualifying auto-renewing subscription.
Is EveryPlate’s first-box offer a meal kit free trial?
EveryPlate’s page read October 17, 2026, describes an auto-renewing subscription purchase with a discounted first box. Check the skip or cancellation cutoff before the next delivery.
Which meal kit coupons have order minimums?
Purple Carrot lists code FIRST100 for $100.00 off the first four deliveries valued at $50.00 or more. Its pages show other codes too, so check the terms attached to the code being applied.
When does Tempo return to full price?
Tempo’s home page read October 17, 2026, limits its discount to the first four boxes. For six meals weekly, box five and week six each cost $91.87 including shipping, by this site’s math.
Sources
- 1Dinnerly: Menudinnerly.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 2EveryPlate: Affordable Meal Delivery for Budget-Savvy Cookseveryplate.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 3Home Chef: Meal Delivery Servicehomechef.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 4Green Chef Weekly Menus and Plans: 100+ weekly optionsgreenchef.com · checked Oct 19, 2026
- 5Marley Spoon: Menumarleyspoon.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 6Purple Carrot: Plans | High Fiberpurplecarrot.com · checked Oct 19, 2026
- 7Factor: Meal Deliveryfactor75.com · checked Oct 19, 2026
- 8CookUnity: Save 50% Off 1st Weekcookunity.com · checked Oct 19, 2026
- 9Tempo: Home pagetempomeals.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 10How to Cancel a HelloFresh Subscriptionhellofresh.com · checked Oct 19, 2026