Factor’s Ready-to-Eat Meals Are the Easiest Thing I’ve “Cooked” All Year
When I was growing up, I ate a lot of frozen TV dinners. It was a practical and economical way for my household of two (my mom and I) to feed ourselves at the end of a busy day, and it was the ‘90s, so Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, and Budget Gourmet were ubiquitous freezer staples. As I got older, though I maintained a fondness for some of my favorites (I will always love you, Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken!), I stopped eating pre-made meals and entered the world of cooking for myself — a world that I, a trained chef and current recipe developer, never really left.
Recently, I tried Factor, a pre-made meal delivery service that checked all the boxes — flavorful dishes that were ready to heat and eat, adhered to dietary guidelines, and shipped right to my door. These aren’t the frozen dinners I grew up on; rather, Factor provides fresh meals (keep them in the fridge!) that are ready in just two minutes, and they’re actually quite tasty — ideal, in fact, for single folks or small, busy families like the one I grew up in.
What Is Factor?
Factor (formerly known as Factor75) is a pre-made meal delivery service. It’s owned by Hello Fresh, which also operates Green Chef and EveryPlate, and it’s unique in that there’s no cooking required. These fresh meals come fully prepared and heat up in the microwave and oven. Timing will depend on each meal and your appliance settings, but in my experience, everything I tested cooked perfectly fine in the microwave for two minutes.
The meals store well in the fridge, but they’ll also freeze just fine, despite the note on the packaging to the contrary.
Credit: Stephanie Ganz Credit: Stephanie Ganz
How Much Does Factor Cost?
Pricing is based on the volume of your order as well as any add-ons you choose. You can order anywhere from six (at $13.49 per meal) to 18 (at $10.99 per meal) meals per week. Here’s the full breakdown.
6 meals per week = $13.49 per serving
8 meals per week = $12.99 per serving
10 meals per week = $12.49 per serving
12 meals per week = $11.99 per serving
14 meals per week = $11.49 per serving
18 meals per week = $10.99 per serving
Credit: Stephanie Ganz Credit: Stephanie Ganz
My Honest Review of Factor
In all, I tried six different meals, staying within the six-meals-per-week plan and not opting for any gourmet plus upgrades or other add-ons. My favorite was the Pork Tenderloin & Cheesy Cabbage with Garlic Butter Green Beans. The pork tenderloin is brined with whole grain mustard and apple cider vinegar, so it stays tender even after being microwaved. That’s a tip I plan to use the next time I cook pork tenderloin, which can tend to dry out pretty easily. The cheesy cabbage was my favorite part; it hit all the notes of a gooey crock of mac and cheese or scalloped potatoes, but with silky cabbage replacing the typical carbs.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the Smoky BBQ Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Corn & Green Bean Casserole. There was a nice smoky sweetness to the barbecue sauce, thanks to the addition of chipotle peppers, and the fluffy mashed potatoes were the perfect bed for the juicy chicken breast.
All of the meals I tried fell into a category I would call “Comfort Plus,” meaning they gravitated toward comfort food — smothered chicken and Mexican-inspired bakes and bowls — with a little extra chef-y touch. That said, none of the ingredients felt unusual or unapproachable. The “cheffiness” was in the quality of their preparation, which was pretty excellent across the board. Proteins were tender and juicy, vegetables were crisp-tender and flavorful.
Credit: Stephanie Ganz Credit: Stephanie Ganz
Who Is Factor Best For?
Factor’s meal delivery service would be a brilliant choice for anyone who is interested in committing to one of Factor’s dietary offerings (Keto, low-cal, veggie, or vegan) — especially if that person is single, as these are single-serving meals only and, based on my napkin math, not economically sustainable for most families. However, I did share my meals with my family to get their input, and my 12-year-old said they would be great for a quick lunch or dinner that they could prepare themselves. In particular, the idea of being able to microwave the meal in just two minutes was very appealing to them since their hunger tends to come on quickly and in full force — not unlike my hanger even as an adult. They especially liked the Tostada Bake with Mexican Cauliflower Rice & Sour Cream, which sits squarely in the comfort meal zone I’d mentioned and hits all the notes of some of their favorite meals — cheesy, beefy, and served with sour cream.
Buy: Factor (6 meals per week), $13.49 per serving
