Who is Tovala best for: Someone who doesn’t love the idea of prepared meals but still wants the ease they offer.
About Tovala: My issue with “prepared” meal kits is that, because they are typically precooked and reheated, the results fall somewhere between an acceptable Lean Cuisine and an “it’s edible, I suppose” MRE. Tovala solves the typical issues of bland flavor and mushy texture by sending prepared-ish meals. Proteins are all raw, produce uncooked. But getting the meals from box to plate involves little more than plopping preportioned ingredients into aluminum trays and scanning a QR code on the recipe card.
That’s because Tovala isn’t first and foremost a meal kit company; it began in 2015 by developing a smart toaster oven. Every Tovala meal gets prepared in the Tovala oven, which, while not free, comes at a 77% discount ($69) if you order Tovala meals. And you get to keep the oven if and when you stop using the meal delivery.
Using a mixture of steam baking, convection roasting, and broiling, the Tovala oven turned out delicious meals in 20 minutes (including cooking time) with juicy chicken, flaky salmon, or creamy sweet potatoes time after time.
Once you sign up and get your oven order squared away, picking meals is quite easy. Whatever plan you sign up for (a minimum of four meals a week) will come with a preset menu, but if you log in to to the Tovala app it’s easy to swap something on the preset menu with one of more than 30 options, all of which come labeled with any dietary specifications like “vegetarian,” “high protein,” or “GLP-1 balanced.”
My expectations for the Tovala experience were quite low. But after my first week with the meals I was genuinely surprised and impressed with what I got. Every Tovala meal tasted better than every other prepared meal I’ve tried—textures came out much closer to what I’d get if I was cooking from scratch, flavors were robust. And while there is more work involved than simply peeling back a plastic seal and popping the tray into the microwave, the fact that everything cooks at the same time in the company’s oven makes the process feel fast and effortless.
The meals themselves are like better versions of all the frozen Trader Joe’s meals I’m sure you’re fond of (I definitely am). Also, the ingredients, even the risky ones like salmon and shrimp, arrived surprisingly fresh.
While I had no complaints about the food, the prep felt very Microwave Cooking for One, which is to say that it just doesn’t feel rewarding to put a chicken breast in a tiny disposable tray and push go. However, if you’re choosing to go the prepared meal kit route, you either already like that sort of process or you’re probably ready to embrace it.
Pros:
- Easy and fast to prepare
- Meals feel balanced
- Generally tasty
Cons:
- Sides can feel repetitive
- Some dishes are less successful than others
- Portion sizes might feel small for some
Plan options: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week
Average meal price: $12.49–$14.99, depending on plan size
Shipping fee: Yes; $10.99 after first order
Meal types: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies, extra proteins, juices
- Blackened Barramundi with Smoked Gouda Grits, Tomato-Andouille Gravy & Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Smoky Garlic Filet Mignon & Broccolini with Cheese Tortellini, Summer Squash & Garlic Basil Butter
- Miso Butter Shrimp with Cauli Rice Blend & Sesame-Ginger Veggie Medley
- Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl with Roasted Corn Salsa & Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
Tested and reviewed by: Alaina Chou, commerce writer