Launched in August 2020, EveryPlate are the newest entrant to the Australian meal kit market. Owned by HelloFresh, EveryPlate is designed to compete with Dinnerly at the same low price point. We even studied which meal kit was the cheapest in Australia and discovered very little price difference between Dinnerly and EveryPlate.
They both fundamentally offer a weekly box of ingredients that can be cooked up into tasty meals at home, so this begs the question, “Which one is better for me?”
This review aims to answer that question, helping you work out which meal kit service is right for you. I’ll provide a brief synopsis of each service here, however you can also read my full reviews of Dinnerly and EveryPlate.
Contents
Comparing EveryPlate and Dinnerly
Dinnerly vs EveryPlate: Offering
Let’s start by summarising the offerings from both Dinnerly and EveryPlate to understand their similarities and differences.
Dinnerly Offering
Service Options – Dinnerly offers a 2 or 4 person box across 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals per week. It’s also possible to make their box fully plant-based.
Meal Variety – There are a massive 45 – 50 different meals available to choose from each week, with at least 15 of these being vegetarian. Each dish has between 6 and 7 ingredients that arrive with your delivery. Dinnerly make their menu available 4 weeks ahead, so you can see which meals will be available on their website.
Delivery Options – Dinnerly deliver to all Australian States, with fulfillment centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Dates and times available will depend on your location, but your delivery slot and meal selections must be finalised at least 7 days before your delivery is due.
Additional Extras – Dinnerly offer “feed a crowd” meals that come with additional servings.
EveryPlate Offering
Service Options – EveryPlate have a wide range of sizes available, with boxes for 2, 4 or 6 people. These come with between 3 – 6 meals each week. This makes EveryPlate one of the most flexible services available.
Meal Variety – In contrast to Dinnerly, EveryPlate are offering between 20 and 22 recipes every week. These meals seem to return on the weekly menu quite regularly so there isn’t a lot of variety available. You’ll find an average of 5 to 6 different vegetarian options available each week, so EveryPlate can be suitable for anyone on a plant-based diet.
Delivery Options – EveryPlate continue to expand their delivery network every few months, as they are now able to deliver to significant parts of NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, WA and NT. If you live in a rural area, it’s worth checking to see if you’re eligible for delivery.
Additional Extras – EveryPlate offer the ability to customise certain meals, such as increasing the amount of an ingredient, or upgrading to a more premium protein source. You’ll also find a couple of premium recipes available for a small extra fee each week.
Dinnerly vs EveryPlate Comparison
There are a few key differences to call out between these two services:
- Meal Variety – This is an area where both services have improved massively in 2022. This still leaves Dinnerly ahead of EveryPlate, offering double the amount of options every week.
- Delivery Areas – As the more established service, Dinnerly do have a better delivery network to rural areas. However, EveryPlate are quickly catching up so it’s worth regularly checking if they are delivering to your area.
- Recipe Cards – Dinnerly don’t provide physical recipe cards, whilst EveryPlate do. This is not a major issue as the recipes are easy to read on a phone, or print, but it could make a difference for some people.
Overall, Dinnerly and EveryPlate are very similar in the service they provide.
Dinnerly vs EveryPlate : The Food
Now you’re clear on what you’re receiving, it’s important to talk about the end result – how good will the food be? This definitely comes down to a lot of personal preference, but hopefully I can give you a good idea about what you’ll receive with both meal kits.
The ingredients I have received with both meal kits have always been of equal high quality and freshness.
Dinnerly Meals
Ingredients – I have never had a single concern over quality of ingredients I’ve received from Dinnerly. The meat was of a good quality and all vegetables were fresh. They ingredients weren’t separated by meal in the box, so it took a bit of sleuthing to find all the relevant ingredients for each evening. It’s also important to note that there are ingredients that Dinnerly don’t send that you might expect, such as garlic or barbecue sauce. This is part of how they keep their costs low.
Recipes – Recipes for your meals are found on the Dinnerly website or app. These meals are generally very straightforward, although I still found myself confused by some of the instructions. In fact, I found it easier to cook from experience rather than the recipe. Check out my full Dinnerly review for more information.
End Result – Ultimately, this is where Dinnerly does very well. They take a very minimal amount of ingredients and help you turn them into healthy, filling, tasty meals. The meals are basic, without a huge amount of depth to flavour. This is generally down to the fact meals are often ‘one-pot’ and therefore one flavour. However, I think that’s a reasonable trade-off for a midweek meal that’s quick and easy to make. Each meal only took me about 20 – 30 minutes to cook.
EveryPlate Meals
Ingredients – I was very impressed by the ingredient quality from EveryPlate, which was far better than you might expect from a low cost meal kit service. They all arrive in a jumble within your delivery box, so it can take a bit of sleuthing to find the right ingredients for each meal. Whilst you are expected to provide some standard pantry ingredients, these were all fairly standard across the industry (vinegar, oil, butter etc.) so it’s clear that EveryPlate haven’t skimped on providing lots of great ingredients.
Recipes – The recipes come printed on small (A3) pieces of card, which makes them slightly hard to read. However, I really appreciate the ability to read from (and keep!) printed recipe cards. In general, the recipes are well written and easy to follow, helped by the fairly simple meals you’re cooking. There were a few times I was confused with the order/timing of certain steps, likely due to the fact they need to squeeze the recipe onto the card.
End Result – I haven’t been blown away by any of the EveryPlate meals I’ve eaten. However, all the recipes I’ve tried have created tasty meals that I’d like to eat again. The clever use of some herbs and spices really help elevate some of the dishes, which is fantastic from a budget meal kit service. I was a little disappointed by the portion sizes in general, though I tend to eat big portions so I’m not very representative of our Australian population.
Before I talk about costs and share my final conclusions, Dinnerly are offering a strong $80 discount across your first 3 boxes. Simply click the link above to get your discount. In comparison, EveryPlate are offering a 40% discount for readers of Food Box Mate, which is incredible considering how cheap they are anyway. Everyone should definitely save some money and take advantage of the EveryPlate discount with code ‘MATEMPLATE‘. This could save you $45 on just your first box.
Dinnerly vs EveryPlate : The Cost
As I mentioned in the intro, these two services compete neck and neck on cost. It’s almost impossible to separate them across any number of portions per week.
I did a full analysis of costs across the industry but for this comparison I’m focussing only on Dinnerly and EveryPlate.
Total price of a weekly meal kit
| People | Meals | Dinnerly | EveryPlate |
| 2 | 3 | $43.50 | $38.94 |
| 2 | 4 | $55.60 | $47.92 |
| 2 | 5 | $65.00 | $56.90 |
| 2 | 6 | $77.40 | $65.88 |
| 4 | 3 | $75.00 | $65.88 |
| 4 | 4 | $92.00 | $84.56 |
| 4 | 5 | $110.00 | $99.80 |
| 4 | 6 | $116.40 | $112.56 |
EveryPlate come in around 10% cheaper on average, after dropping their prices significantly in May 2021 . You can see this more clearly in our analysis of the ‘per portion’ cost below.
Cost per portion comparison
You can clearly see how the two lines follow each other, although EveryPlate stays cheaper across all box sizes. It’s clear that EveryPlate are really competing well on price, although I wonder how sustainable this is for their business!
Delivery Costs
| Dinnerly | EveryPlate |
| $9.99 per Delivery | $9.99 per Delivery |
Delivery costs are exactly the same between Dinnerly and EveryPlate. $9.99 has become a standard industry price for delivery, which is quite reasonable considering delivery vans need to be refrigerated.
Should I buy Dinnerly or EveryPlate?
Let’s be honest, regardless of which service you choose, you’re going to be getting fantastic value. With EveryPlate’s reduction in prices, they are now leading the pack with the cheapest meal kits in Australia, so if budget is your primary concern then they are a fantastic option.
I would highly recommend EveryPlate for anyone with a large family who needs a 6 person box or if you want 6 meals each week. EveryPlate also bring the advantage of providing physical recipe cards with clearer recipes on them, and you’ll need less staple ingredients in your kitchen with each box. In my personal opinion, EveryPlate’s slightly more complex recipes result in better tasting meals, although that will definitely be down to personal preference!
In contrast, Dinnerly provide really simple and quick recipes that are generally better for midweek meals. There’s a big benefit to having more variety as you’ll always be able to find meals that you’re going to like. This is especially important if you have a plant-based diet where you’ll be able to choose from a good selection of meals.
These aren’t the only meal kits on the market. It’s also worth exploring your options with HelloFresh, Marley Spoon and Pepper Leaf. Check out my comparisons with the links below.
Why not try both services yourself? These discounts make it incredible value to give them a try.