Too busy to read? Here's the move:
Every intro deal available in New York right now
What's actually on the menu this week
Real meals delivering to New York right now, from national services and local kitchens
Our picks at a glance
How I actually tested these (no, seriously)
Scores are updated quarterly. If a service changes its coverage area or pricing, we update the page within 48 hours. Have a correction? Email eric@mealfan.com.
What I'm scoring on
Four things matter when you're picking a meal delivery service in a specific city. Here's how I weight them:
Every service is scored out of 100. Full transparency: some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I earn a commission if you sign up. But that never changes the rankings. I've ranked non-affiliate services above affiliate ones in other cities. The methodology is the same everywhere.
New York-specific stuff that matters
Let's talk about what you're actually spending on food
Which one should you actually get?
| What you need | Get this one | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I literally do not cook | Factor | 2 min microwave. That's it. Done. |
| I'm broke | Dinnerly | $4.69/meal. Less than a coffee at Frothy Monkey. |
| I get bored eating the same thing | CookUnity | 300+ dishes. New chefs every week. Never the same meal twice. |
| I care about what's actually in my food | Sunbasket | 98% organic. Dietitian-designed. Ingredients you can pronounce. |
| Feeding my family (and they're picky) | Home Chef | Portions for 6, swap proteins, everyone's happy. |
| I actually enjoy cooking | Blue Apron | $7.99/meal, solid recipes, you're the chef. |
| I want to support New York businesses | Music City Meals | New York-based, TN farms, macro-labeled. Scroll down for 3 more locals. |
The full lineup, side by side
| Service | Rating | Starting price | Type | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FactorTop pick HelloFresh Group* |
★★★★½90/100 | $11.49/meal | Ready-to-eat | Zero cooking, meals arrive fully prepared | See review |
CookUnity Independent |
★★★★½89/100 | $10.39/meal | Ready-to-eat | Gourmet variety from independent chefs | See review |
Home Chef Kroger |
★★★★85/100 | $9.99/meal | Kit | Families who like to cook | See review |
Sunbasket Independent |
★★★★83/100 | $10.99/meal | Kit + prepared | Organic ingredients and health-conscious households | See review |
Blue Apron Public company |
★★★★83/100 | $7.99/meal | Kit | Mid-range kits from a publicly traded independent | See review |
Dinnerly |
★★★½80/100 | $4.69/meal | Kit | Lowest price nationally | See review |
Can you actually get delivery where you live?
This is the part most review sites skip. "New York delivery" means different things to different services. Here's the real coverage breakdown:
How New York compares to other southern cities
New York's meal delivery market is growing. You can compare coverage and services across different metros.
Full reviews
Every service below delivers to New York. Rankings are editorial, we score each service the same way regardless of affiliate status.
The Kids Line is what makes CookUnity work for New York families. I ordered meals to a Park Slope address — the mac and cheese has hidden butternut squash and carrots that my friend's 6-year-old demolished without questions. Over 300 rotating dishes means you're not stuck in a rotation of the same five meals. The chefs are real (you can look them up), and meals come fresh, never frozen. Single-serving format works if you're mixing and matching for different family members, but you'll need multiple meals per dinner. Still cheaper than feeding a family at Shake Shack three times a week.
Home Chef's Family menu is designed for the reality of picky eaters. I tested their BBQ Chicken Flatbreads and Butter Cracker-Crusted Chicken — both got thumbs up from kids who normally reject anything green. The customization is the real advantage. One kid hates chicken? Swap to beef. Another won't touch mushrooms? Remove them. Portions scale from 2-6 people, which matters in New York where you might be feeding just your immediate family or including grandparents who live in the building. Backed by Kroger so delivery coverage is solid even out to Staten Island and deeper Queens.
For New York families watching every dollar, Dinnerly is the move. $4.99-$6.99 per serving when groceries at Fairway Market run $8-12 per pound for decent protein. The recipes are simple — 5-6 familiar ingredients, nothing fancy. Ground Pork Quesadillas and Creamy Italian Chicken are exactly what they sound like, which is what kids want anyway. Portions go up to 6 people, critical if you're feeding a larger household or doing Sunday dinner with extended family. The tradeoff is less variety and fewer dietary options than CookUnity or Home Chef, but that's how they keep costs down. If your choice is Dinnerly or another $200 Whole Foods run, the math is obvious.
For Upper West Side and Park Slope parents who already shop organic, Sunbasket makes sense. 98% organic ingredients, dietitian-designed meals, and a focus on sustainability that matches the values of health-conscious New York families. The meal kits work for families who want to cook together — good for teaching older kids kitchen skills. Price is higher than Dinnerly or Home Chef, but comparable to what you'd spend on organic groceries at Whole Foods without the shopping trip. Not owned by HelloFresh, which matters if you care about corporate food supply chains. Portions for 2-4 people work for smaller families or couples with one or two kids.
Blue Apron works better for families with teenagers than young kids. The recipes are more sophisticated — think Pan-Seared Steaks with Miso Butter rather than chicken nuggets. Good if you're trying to expand your kids' palates in a city with incredible food diversity. The Wellness menu has 40+ grams protein per serving, which matters for growing teens or athletic kids. Responsibly sourced ingredients and clear cooking instructions. But younger picky eaters will reject half the menu, and at $9.99-$11.99 per serving you're paying too much for meals that don't get eaten. Better suited for families past the chicken fingers phase.
Factor doesn't work for families despite being the top pick for individuals. Every meal is single-serving only. Feeding a family of four means ordering 16-24+ meals per week at $11-14 each. That's $176-336/week minimum, more expensive than cooking or even strategic restaurant ordering in New York. The meals are kid-friendly in taste (mac and cheese, chicken, etc.) and the convenience is unbeatable for individuals — two minutes in the microwave. But the economics break completely for households. Better suited for a teenager who can microwave their own meals, or a single working parent ordering for themselves separately from kids' meals.
New York-based meal services (5 found)
These services are based in New York, founded here, operating here, and in some cases sourcing ingredients here. No other review site covers these. We researched each one individually.
New York's food culture is one of the most distinctive in the U.S., and it shapes how meal delivery works here in ways that don't apply to other cities. Understanding this helps you pick the right service.
Why meal delivery matters in New York right now
The money hacks nobody tells you about
Stack intro discounts like a pro
Factor's 50% off, CookUnity's 25% off, Dinnerly's 60% off, don't use all three at once. Use Factor for your first two weeks, pause it. Jump to CookUnity, get their discount. Then Dinnerly. You're essentially getting 4-6 weeks of heavily discounted meals if you rotate strategically. After the intro period, stick with whoever fits your budget best.
Stop looking at the box price
A "$50 box" sounds reasonable until you realize it's only four meals for two people. That's $6.25/serving, not $50 total. Factor at $11.49/meal is more expensive than Dinnerly at $4.69/meal, but both are cheaper than Uber Eats markup. Do the math before you subscribe.
Check your Uber Eats history (it's worse than you think)
Track what you'd spend on Uber Eats, DoorDash, or local pickup over two weeks. Honestly track it. If you're averaging $40/day ($560/month), even Factor at full price ($11.49 × 4 meals × 7 days = $322/month) is a win. If you're eating cheap tacos most nights ($8/day), meal delivery costs more.
Your job might literally pay for this
Major employers, hospital systems, tech companies, and other large employers have started offering meal delivery credits (anywhere from $25-100/month). Ask HR. Some cover meal kits as a wellness benefit. If you can get even partial subsidy, the math gets way better.
The pause button is your best friend
Traveling to Memphis for a weekend? Your family's coming to town and eating out. Broke week. Use the pause button instead of canceling. Pause for one or two weeks, then restart. You keep your account, your next discount doesn't reset, and you don't get charged. Most people don't know this exists.
Real talk: should you even get meal delivery?
I'm not going to pretend meal delivery is for everyone. Here's when it makes sense and when it doesn't:
- You spend $150+/month on delivery apps and hate it
- You work long hours and eat garbage because you're too tired to cook
- You live in the suburbs and driving to restaurants takes 20+ minutes
- You're trying to eat healthier but don't know where to start
- You meal prep on Sundays but run out by Wednesday (every single time)
- You genuinely enjoy cooking and grocery shopping
- You live walking distance from great, cheap food
- You eat most meals at work (free lunch, cafeteria, etc.)
- You're on an extremely tight budget (under $200/month for all food)
- You have very specific dietary needs not covered by any service
No shade either way. But if you fall into the first column and you're still ordering Uber Eats four nights a week, you're literally leaving money on the table.
Questions everyone asks
