The idea of a freshly made meal without any of the prep sounds almost too good to be true — but that’s the entire premise behind Tempo. The prepared meal delivery subscription service balances the desire for bold flavors and balanced meals, with the need for speed.
Imagine having harissa meatballs and couscous or Southern mushroom gravy chicken ready in just four minutes. To see if these actual Tempo meals and over a dozen more actually lived up to the hype, I spent a month ordering and tasting them. Here’s my honest review.
Tempo is a relatively new subscription meal delivery service launched by Home Chef in October 2023. (Both are owned by Kroger.) Unlike traditional meal kits that prep, Tempo delivers fresh heat-and-eat meals that are ready to eat in as little as four minutes. The weekly menus include mainly lunch and dinner, plus a handful of breakfast foods, snacks, drinks, and even a few desserts.
Each week subscribers can choose from dozens of options that cater to several different dietary preferences, like protein-packed, pescatarian, fiber-rich, and more. (There are limited vegetarian meals, and no vegan options.) Otherwise, Tempo will select recipes for you based on your goals (save time, increase protein, etc.) and taste profile.
How to Get Started with Tempo
Like the name suggests, Tempo makes it easy to keep things moving. Once you provide your ZIP code and email address, you can select the type of meals you’re interested in, how many people you want to feed (one, two, or 3 or more), and the number of meals you want covered (one, lunch and dinner, all meals).
From there, you’ll select your meal plan. Tempo technically offers meal plans from six all the way up to 20, but you can order fewer meals as long as you meet the $63.92 delivery minimum. I ordered four meals per week. (You can also do all your ordering through the Home Chef app.)
Tempo autofills your box with meals based on your selections. You can easily swap in different proteins in select meals or leave it to the algorithm. This is also the time to add any extras, like a breakfast burrito or chocolate chip cookie skillet, to your box. Menu changes close on Wednesday at 12 p.m. CT, and delivery day options vary based on where you live.
How Much Does the Tempo Cost?
Tempo’s weekly order minimum is $63.92 ($10.99 shipping fee and sales tax not included). Your final total depends on how you build your box: Prices vary based on the number of people and meals. The base meals start at $10.98 per serving. You can swap different proteins and premium meals, plus extras like breakfast, snacks, and desserts for an additional fee.
Tempo, like most meal delivery services, offers deals to entice new subscribers. The brand is currently offering new subscribers a discount off their first five boxes. The first box is a whopping 60%, followed by 10% off the next three and 30% off the final box.
I am The Kitchn’s director of groceries & shopping, which means I oversee all grocery and shopping content, including meal kit and delivery services. I’ve been with the company since 2021. I spent four weeks ordering and testing a variety of different Tempo meals. Along the way, I kept detailed notes (with lots of bullets and sub-bullets) starting from when the boxes arrived to how the meals looked and tasted.
Is Tempo Worth It? My Honest Review
With about 27 different lunch/dinner meals on the menu each week, I never felt bored. There was some overlap between weeks, and a few brand-new meals mixed in to keep things fresh. To really put them to the test, I tried 15 meals over four weeks, making sure to mix up the cuisines.
My boxes arrived on schedule and, for the most part, in tip-top shape. One week, the trays were a little banged up and my Bacon and Leek Grilled Chicken meal was missing, but Tempo’s customer service was on it — I reach out and was credited immediately.
The instructions were also ridiculously easy to follow and consistent across all the meals I tried. I don’t own a microwave, so I opted to bake them in a 325°F oven for 30 minutes. (They take under three minutes in the microwave.) Each one was ready right on time and, personally, I think it’s worth the wait.
How did the Tempo Meals Taste?
I was pleasantly surprised with how fresh everything tasted. Even when a recipe wasn’t my favorite, the ingredient quality was high enough to pass for homemade — or at least, something I’d grab at a solid fast-casual spot.
I dove into savory tender meatballs with abandon, savored the saucy pulled pork and shredded chicken things, and mused over just how much the Italian sausage reminded me of the rings my mom still buys at her local Italian market. (I get why that pasta is one of Tempo’s “most-loved” meals.) Even chicken breast, which I was admittedly nervous about, was incredibly juicy and tender (the sous vide prep, really helps here!).
Many of the sides more than held their end of the trays, too. Fork tender potatoes, velvety cauliflower, sweet green peas, and snappy string beans — especially ones that came with a compound butter — disappeared faster than I expected or care to admit. There’s also a certain kind of magic in how well the pastas and grains held up.
Of course, some ingredients are just better suited for reheating than others. Both salmon filets were more well-done and dry than I like. I had a similar issue with some black beans and rice, while the peppers went the other direction, ending up a bit waterlogged.
In a word: Yes. Tempo is worth it. It’s incredibly convenient for individuals or couples looking for quick and balanced meals, though it might not be the most practical choice for larger families — especially those with young children.
As I said above, Tempo’s weekly order minimum is $63.92, and the meals cost less per serving when you order at least six. That puts it right in line with most other top-tier meal delivery services, and cheaper than delivery where I live in New York.
Having a stack of restaurant-quality meals in the fridge ready to go is something I plan on taking advantage of again real soon. Once you try it, I’m sure you’ll find it worthwhile, too.
Sign up: Tempo
Have you tried Tempo? Tell us about it in the comments below.
