The current blogpost will be looking deep at the major features present in Fresh and Easy and Safeway. Fresh and Easy is a meal kit delivery service which brings ingredients and recipes for users to cook with. On the other hand, Safeway is an online grocery service which also delivers ingredients and simple recipes for users.
In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these three may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.
Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
In the table below, you will find the main features which are present in Fresh and Easy and Safeway. We have also mentioned the price ranges of the meal plans in both of these platforms, along with the various types of cuisines covered here so that you can make an educated choice as to whether Fresh and Easy or Safeway is the one for you.
| Feature | Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Delivery areas | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii | Western United States,Mid-Atlantic region of Eastern Seaboard in the US |
| Price per plate | $8.99 per plate | Varies from meal to meal |
| Difficulty levels | Easy | Easy |
| Avg. cooking time | 15-20 minutes | 20 – 30 minutes |
| Avg. calorie count | 600-800 calories per serving | 600-700 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Meal descriptionNutritional factRecipe cardsMobile app | Online meal description,Online recipe cards,Nutritional facts |
| Recipes supported | Calorie-consciousCarb-consciousWithout allergensVegetarian | Vegetarian,Pasta,Pizza,Soup,Burgers,Curries,Salads,BBQ,Low-carb |
| No. of choices | 26 per week | Varies |
| Introductory deal | $90 off on first box | $30 off on first ‘DriveUp & Go’ order |
| Avg. shelf life | 3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood | 3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood |
Types of Plans: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Fast and Fresh $8.99 per portion + $8.99 shipping, 2 or 6 meals per week | Ready2eat From $5.00 per portion,Fully-cooked meals |
| Oven Ready $8.99 per portion + $8.99 shipping, 2 or 6 meals per week | Ready2heat From $6.99 per portion,Frozen or chilled pre-cooked meals |
| Grill Ready $8.99 per portion + $8.99 shipping, 2 or 6 meals per week | Ready2cook From $7.34 per portion,Marinated and pre-cut ready-to-cook meals |
| 15 Minute Meal Kits $8.99 per portion + $8.99 shipping, 2 or 6 meals per week |
Fresh and Easy was created to be a meal kit delivery series which is highly easy to use and therefore can be a solution for any busy person’s meal-planning issues. The recipes in Fresh and Easy therefore, contain ingredients which are already cooked and simply ready to cook. In addition to these, there are also recipes which only require some grilling or baking.
Safeway is an on-demand grocery delivery service which also sells meal plans. The meal plans in Safeway basically contain the same ingredients from its grocery store. The user can simply add the recipes they want to cook in the week to their weekly cart and then cook the dishes by following the instructions.
Winner: Fresh and Easy wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Ingredient type | Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Produce | Farm-fresh produce | Farm-fresh produce |
| Meat, eggs, fish | USDA FSIS approved | Sustainably sourced meat, poultry and seafood |
| Other ingredients | SeasoningsSpicesSauces | Seasonings,Sauces |
In Fresh and Easy, the ingredients used in the meal kits are completely farm-fresh. Fresh and Easy and its parent company, Home Chef, smartly tie up with numerous local partners and vendors to bring the best of the season to the user. The meat and the poultry used in the meal kits are completely hormone-free and antibiotic-free.
In Safeway, the ingredients used in the meal kits are the same ones from its grocery section. While it does not clearly specify where it gets its produce and its fruits from, Safeway groceries are known to be sourced sustainability on the whole. The meal kits and the meal plans in Safeway come with necessary sauces and seasonings to be used in the cooking process.
Winner: Fresh and Easy wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| DessertSaladBreadFruitSmoothie | All types of items |
Along with the meal kits in Fresh and Easy, the user can add a number of other items to their weekly carts. The add-on menu in Fresh and Easy features items like delicious desserts and salads which can complete any meal. There are also numerous smoothies and even fruit plates for the user to choose from.
Since Safeway is more of an online grocery platform than a meal kit delivery service, all types of items are up for grabs here. The user can choose from various types of grocery essentials for their household and even medicines. Furthermore, they are also free to add more meal plans and even fully cooked meals and appetizers to their cart.
Winner: Safeway wins the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal kit: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Foil pansGrill bagsPlastic bagsPlastic containersRecipe cardsIce packsInsulated liner | Not specified |
| Partially recyclable | Not specified |
In Fresh and Easy, the meal kits are packed in very environmentally-friendly packaging. The boxes in which the meal kits come in are made out of mostly recycled cardboard. These boxes can be simply flattened and placed in a recycling bin. To keep the internal temperatures of the boxes low, Fresh and Easy uses ice packs.
Safeway is a grocery delivery service and not purely a meal kit delivery service. The meal plans are delivered along with the other grocery items to the customer. While Safeway is pretty clear about its meal plans, it is not clear about the packaging. One can simply assume that the packaging is sustainable just like the other meal plans and meals from this platform.
Winner: Fresh and Easy win the Packaging of Meal kit segment.
Customer Support: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Feature | Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Chat support | – | + |
| Email support | + | + |
| Phone support | + | + |
| Availability | Monday-Saturday | All days of the week |
The customer support of Fresh and Easy can be reached through a number of ways. While live chat support is not present in Fresh and Easy, email support and phone support are available here. The customer support of Fresh and Easy can be reached from Monday to Saturday and thus issues during the weekend will have to wait.
Safeway is a pretty popular grocery delivery service which has been in operation for more than a century. Therefore, the customer support of Safeway is very accessible and also quite responsive. The user can reach the customer support of Safeway through chat support, through email support and even phone support.
Winner: Safeway wins the Customer Support segment.
Sample Meals: Fresh and Easy vs Safeway
| Sample | Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Sample 1 | Name: Jalapeno Popper Sliders with potatoesPreparation time: 15 minsSpice level: HighDifficulty: Intermediate | Name: Spicy Sesame Soba Noodles with Kale, Green Onion and Soft-Boiled EggsPreparation time: 30 minsSpice level: HighDifficulty: Easy |
| Sample 2 | Name: Shrimp Carbonara with Fettucine with peas and lemonPreparation time: 15 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy | Name: Grilled Ribeye Steak Salad with Pear, Blue Cheese & CranberriesPreparation time: 20 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy |
| Sample 3 | Name: Creamy Lemon Chicken with spiced green beansPreparation time: 15 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy | Name: Classic Spaghetti Bolognese with Parmesan & BasilPreparation time: 35 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy |
The meals in Fresh and Easy are completely dedicated towards easy-cooking and therefore superb for anyone who is trying to cook on a daily basis, but is very time-poor. The recipes in Fresh and Easy come with pre-cooked ingredients, which make the cooking much easier. The entire process can be completed in a very short span of time.
Safeway’s meal plans are very simple to prepare and mostly cover a number of crowd-favorites which the entire family is bound to love. The meal plans here can be prepared in mostly about thirty minutes and require very basic skills. There are also pre-cooked meals in Safeway, along with quick and easy options in which the ingredients are pre-cut and pre-dressed.
Winner: Fresh and Easy wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: Fresh and Easy and Safeway
| Platform | Fresh and Easy | Safeway |
| Google Play Store | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Apple App Store | 3.2 | 4.7 |
| TWP Rating | 4/5 | 3.5/5 |
Final Verdict: Fresh and Easy wins this battle with its easy recipes which can be prepared in no time at all.
Fresh and Easy, an extension of Home Chef, offers very simple meal kits which are perfect for those who want to cook but don’t have the energy to put in too much effort. The great thing about Fresh and Easy is that this meal kit delivery service is very straightforward and just what customers are looking for in today’s market.
Safeway is one of the biggest grocery delivery platforms in the United States today. The great thing about Safeway is that the customer can obtain much more than meal kits and even get groceries and other types of household essentials. The meal plans in Safeway are very easy to cook with and can be prepared in a very short span of time.
Between Fresh and Easy and Safeway, the former takes the crown here. Fresh and Easy is a very straightforward meal kit delivery service which users are looking for. Not only are the recipes in Fresh and Easy super-easy to cook with, but the menu contains a lot of variety which can make sure that users don’t get bored of eating the same thing over and over again.
Methodology
To bring you the best reviews of each and every meal delivery service, we spoke to testers and real life users, reviewed the information provided by each service on their respective websites, carried out primary research on social media platforms and checked out the user reviews of these platforms on various social media sites. We have also used the reviews presented by current users of these services on their respective Google and Apple apps.
We are currently conducting our own internal review and we will update this page with videos and pictures of our experiences. If they differ extensively from what our external reviewers said then we will update this post so you get both points of views and can decide which service provider is more suited to your needs based on the information above.
The main types of criteria which we have used in order to assess and evaluate these meal delivery services is the simplicity of the recipes, the variety of meals in the service, the inclusiveness of diets and cuisines and even the supporting material.
In addition to these, we have also highly taken into regard the sustainability and recyclability of the packaging of these services. Lastly, we have also considered the delivery services and customer services of these platforms.
Frequently asked questions: “Fresh and Easy vs Safeway”
What is the difference between Fresh and Easy and Home Chef?
The difference between Fresh and Easy and Home Chef, is that the former includes meal plans which focus on ease-of-cooking more than anything else. On the other hand, Home Chef includes standard meal kits in which the ingredients are completely raw and thus the recipes here may need more time and effort.
How do you cook Safeway ready to heat meals?
You can cook Safeway ready to heat meals in the oven or even on the grill. You can simply remove the price tag and pop the food-tray into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
Is Safeway more expensive?
Yes, Safeway is more expensive. When compared to many other grocery stores which offer similar products, Safeway has been found to be a bit more expensive.
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Other FAQs about Meal Delivery Services that you may be interested in.
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