Schwans


Schwan's Reviews - Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews

Compared to other meal delivery services, Schwan's is more like a supermarket that delivers, with their own branded products. For example, we found their lasagna to be exactly like Stouffer's Lasagna, only rebranded in a Schwan's box. This doesn't mean it's bad; it just means that there are no Schwan's chefs creating meals for you

However, we can't deny that the products Schwan's chooses to rebrand are exceptional. Especially the ones we personally tried and photographed. In addition to being above average in quality, we found the prices to be less than what you might expect to pay with other prepared meal services.

One thing we didn't care for was the suggested portion sizes. Sometimes these were just ridiculous based on what people really eat. We can't explain why Schwan's does this, but some companies do this make the cost per serving seem more economical. They really don't have to do this in our opinion, because we found their food to be a good value, even at regular-sized servings. Just be aware you are more likely to be feeding two or three when the website says it serves four or six.
This company has been offering prepared meals to their customers for over 55 years. What makes this company so unique is that they deliver their products directly to the consumer’s front door. Schwan's Reviews support the fact that they deliver quality products with a focus on customer service. Their prepared meals are ideal for today’s busy families. They allow working parents and their children to still gather together for a healthy meal at the end of each day. Customers can order by phone, online, or in person with their delivery sales representative who can alert them to any current specials or promotions, and by joining the Rewards Program they can earn 5% back on all purchases.

All prepared meals are flash frozen and kept in a deep freeze until they reach the customer’s door. If they are not at home, the items are left in a reusable high quality freezer bag with frozen gel packs inside, allowing the food to stay frozen for several hours. Schwan's Reviews cover a wide variety of meal types. Most serve from one to four people, and they include Italian favorites such as pasta, ravioli, and lasagna. Among their available meats they offer BBQ ribs, chicken, sliced beef, and even shrimp. Several of the prepared meals give customers an assortment of flavors like the oriental Orange chicken skillet or the Mexican Chicken enchilada. One of their featured foods is their pizza, a number one seller among loyal customers.
  • 100% Guarantee – All products are 100% guaranteed. In addition, the Schwan's Price guarantee means the customer is guaranteed to get the best available price when ordering by phone or online
  •  Delivery to the Customer’s Door – They delivers via their own trucks locally, and ship nationwide
  •  Shipping Fees – A delivery fee of $1.75 is charged for Home Service. UPS Shipping rates apply for national home delivery. Rates vary from $4.95 to $14.95
  •  Meals are Delivered Frozen
  • Gift Certificates Available

Our Schwan's Review of their Meal Delivery Service

Schwans Reviews Spaghetti and Meat Sauce - $4.49
Spaghetti and Meat Sauce - $4.49

This may easily be the best Spaghetti and Meatball dinners you can get from an online meal delivery service, and Chef Piquanti applauds them for not calling their sauce a Bolognese like almost every other American restaurant.

It's a classic meal, perfect in its simplicity. It's easy to reheat for the busiest of families or office workers who have to grab a hearty lunch between meetings. And all for the super economical price of $4.49, it is such a good value you'll want to keep plenty in your freezer inventory.
-Morris Pelphner
Schwans Review Macaroni and Cheese - $4
Macaroni and Cheese - $4

I know, growing up as a kid made you an expert on Macaroni and Cheese. I confess I never had it until I moved to the States. While studying for my citizenship, I learned our founding father, Thomas Jefferson invented it. Since then, I have had a lot of them from a lot of places. To my surprise, I found I didn't care for most of them. It wasn't until I had one homemade that changed my love for this dish. I'll bet you're smiling because you remember the homemade mac and cheeses you've had too. This one isn't quite there, but it is a lot closer than all the others I have tried. If you had to teach the next generation what Mac and Cheese without making a homemade one, you might start here, or Stouffers a close second.
-Chef Aldo Piquani
Schwan's Reviews Shepherd's Pie - $15
Shepherd's Pie - $15

I get all the Shepherd and Cottage Pie reviews because I get to start by saying a Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, and a Cottage Pie is made with Beef. In America, you learned it backward, and no one serves a Cottage Pie. Schwan's got it wrong too, but that's okay because the quality of their Cottage Pie is not authentic, but it is about as good as you can get from a meal delivery service.

The potatoes are just right, which is usually...how do you say it...strike one. The watery consistency of the beef filling is usually strike two, and the uneven cooking is strike three. Here Schwans did a very respectable job, and the price is a good value.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Schwan's Review Beef Merlot Skillet Meal - $12
Beef Merlot Skillet Meal - $12

Poor Nicole. I am taking all the meals it is her turn to review. But Beef Merlot? I like to tell people I come from that part of France. In all honesty, the name Merlot refers to the dark color of the grape, derived from the word "mierle." Here is the best part of this story, Nicole educated me on that when I tried to tell I was from Merlot. Smart lady, no doubt, but not quick enough because I get to review this meal. It's not what you are going to get in France, or from a great French restaurant, or from a French Chef, but it next in that order of greatness. The ingredients are excellent, the recipe is authentic, and the execution of the dish is five-star. The sauce just misses the mark but what a steal at $12.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Schwans Reviews Meat Lasagna $5.49
Family-sized Meat Lasagna - $11

I have eaten all of the frozen lasagnas so often in my life that I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that is a Stouffer's Lasagna in a Schwan's box. Now, that is not necessarily bad. Stouffer's makes a pretty good frozen lasagna. Marie Callender's is better, but the same sized portion of the Stouffer's version is like speed rack to top shelf. Now notice I said the same portion size because Stouffer's lasagna comes in many sizes and the bigger they get, the worse they are. Here's a tip with Stouffer's lasagna (and this one) don't over microwave it. Be about a minute under the directions or the edges will burn. You can see it just started in this picture and we were 45 seconds under the recommended cooking time. 
-Nicole DiLayne
Schwans Review Sliced Beef with Mashed Potatoes - $16
Sliced Beef with Mashed Potatoes - $16

This is listed as four servings. We put all the contents of the tray on one plate so you can see how many servings you really get. One hearty eater could eat this whole plate, and $16 for this amount of food, as good as this is, is still a good value. Two servings would be more realistic at $8 a serving. Four servings would probably leave most consumers disappointed with their purchase. Overinflating serving size tends to be a pattern with this company, so adjust your order accordingly. We found if you cut their serving sizes in half you should be okay. The Sliced Beef is delicious and tender. The Mashed Potatoes are about as close to homemade as you can get, and the gravy is fantastic. Bring some garlic bread and Mozzarella cheese and make killer hero sandwiches! 
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Schwan's Reviews Four-Cheese Penne with Prosciutto $11
Four-Cheese Penne with Prosciutto - $11

Pasta in a creamy sauce. You only have to call me once, and I'm there. The sauce is the secret to enjoying high-quality meals, and this one doesn't disappoint. It delivers a "just made on the stove" flavor and texture that makes it hard not to like. Once you nail the sauce, you can pretty much add any pasta, but this penne is perfectly cooked with a tender bite to them. I would not expect to see a lot of Prosciutto at this price, and I didn't. The tiny bits that were there did more for the name than the quality of the meal. I say there are two servings here for $11 and I would enjoy every bite day after day.
-Nicole DiLayne
Schwans Reviews Beef Goulash $5.49
Beef Goulash - $5.49

We decided to plate half of the tray, showing you the recommended portion size. In this case, it might be okay, if not on the lighter side. Our reviews are based on value, so it is impossible to say that this is not a good value given the low price point, but it's not Goulash.

Goulash can be a soup or a stew with meat and vegetables but noted for its heavy paprika seasoning. This is much more like an American Beefy Mac meal than a traditional Goulash. Only those looking for a real Goulash would be disappointed.
-Morris Pelphner
Schwan's review Chipped Beef $5.49
Creamed Chipped Beef - $5.49

Chances are, you probably don't know what Creamed Chipped Beef is. It is what Biscuits and Gravy in the South are to people from New England. Instead of biscuits, English Muffins or toast are more commonly used. It is an older recipe, not so popular with the Millennials, but baby boomers and seniors from the area will have grown up with it. I love it, and aside from a few old diners, I know of, the only place to get this (if they sell it) is the one Stouffer's makes in the freezer section of your grocer. Yup, here is another meal that is a Stouffer's product packed in a Schwan's box. Which is fine because it's a wonderful treat on the verge of becoming culinarily extinct. 
-Nicole DiLayne
Schwans Review Chicken and Rice Bowl $3
Chicken and Rice Bowl - $3

This meal was part of the initial offering of Live Smart Bowls, a lighter line of single-serving meals that is no longer available today. That's a shame because there were about five them, and they were all delicious, inexpensive, and made a perfect take-to-the-office lunch. This one is diced chicken and broccoli over rice with a tasty cheese sauce. Personally, I can eat two of them without any difficulties, but if you were to accompany this with a small salad, you'd have a very good and healthy office lunch under $5. I would buy it again if they were available.
-Morris Pelphner

Chef Piquanti's Review of Schwan's

The portion sizes Schwan's recommends are generally short of what a real person eats, but they are much more realistic than they used to be. I had to adjust my review accordingly. I am showing the portion size I think is realistic in the picture.

The Four Cheese Penne with Prosciutto could be on a TV commercial where they go into a famous Italian restaurant and swap the same meal on the menu with the Schwan's version. I don't think anyone would detect the difference and be happy to pay about $15 for the meal. The sauce is so creamy, and Schwan's didn't skimp on chunks of Prosciutto either. In my opinion, it is a great value at $5.39 per serving.

The Spaghetti with Meat Sauce may have been one of the best prepared meals of this type. The sauce was above average, and the pasta reheated well. The chunks of meat in the sauce was plentiful and tasty. In my opinion, this is another good value for $4.45 per serving. 

The best part of my order was Creamed Chipped Beef. This is a traditional New England dish that you don't see on many menus these days. It is to the Northeast what Biscuits and Gravy is to the South. My father used make this when I was a boy, and this version of it was perfectly done. In fact, it brought back memories of the times my father and I would make this. It comes in two 15 oz. trays, and I used a whole tray as one serving, because it was that good. Not only would I order it again, I would order it by the case.

The Beef Shepherd's Pie (Shepherd's' Pie is made from Lamb, Cottage Pie is made from Beef) was also one of the best I have ever had from a meal delivery service. At $2.78 per serving, it is an excellent value.

The Beef Merlot Stew was quite impressive. First, I used the whole package as one serving, so it would be even a better value if you were able to get two servings out of it. It doesn't cook in the microwave, but on your stove top. All you have to do empty the contents of the package into a covered non-stick pan, heat for 8 minutes, and you have an amazing stew with a strong Merlot flavor. The vegetables are fresh, and the sauce is outstanding. A great value for $10.99.
Schwan's Review by Chef Piquanti Published on Jul 31, 2012
I consider myself an expert on frozen lasagna. Not only have I had almost every one, I have probably had them multiple times. If I had to wager, I would say this lasagna is the same exact one as Stouffers Lasagna. The noodles, sauce, and meat are all exactly same, as is the amount of ricotta cheese. I checked the packaging, which read "Prepared for Schwan's," so I think I am right. Not that there is anything wrong with that, because Stouffers is one of the best frozen lasagnas. The picture shows two servings for $4.71. A great value.

I called the Sliced Beef with Mashed Potatoes two servings at $8.46 per serving. You can see from the picture if you would get three or four servings out of this meal. If you do, the value is better. As for the meal, the sliced beef is roasted eye round, perfectly done, I might add. The gravy is plentiful and very good. The mashed potatoes are homemade and not instant. How do I know for sure? Well, Chef Piquanti knows, but the lumps in the potatoes was a dead give-away. They reminded me of visiting Mum.

In my opinion, this company has done an amazing job improving the variety of their menu and the quality of their prepared meals in recent years. It is even more impressive to me how they have made good quality products an excellent value. I highly recommend Schwan's.

-Chef Piquanti

Schwan's Reviews from Consumers

Silver Medal Review
Convenience a Plus

Overall: Silver Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Excellent
  • Shipping: Excellent
  • Taste and Food Quality: Good
  • Value: Good
Two biggest pluses are convenience and healthy eating. Love replacing meals out with steak and salmon at home. Same goes for Asian meals. We also buy alot of fish that cooks quickly for lunches. The most versatile item sold is the diced chicken. We try to live SMART.

-Caroline Lantz, PA

Silver Medal Review
So Far So Good, I Plan to Continue

Overall: Silver Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Good
  • Customer Service: Good
  • Shipping: Excellent
  • Taste and Food Quality: Good
  • Value: Fair
Had a very nice first experience with all aspects of Schwans. Ordered beef tips which were a little salty but I just added unsalted rice and the taste was really good. Frozen vegetables are like Birds Eye at the grocery store (just larger-sized pieces). The driver was very nice and suggested some Easter desserts. Guess you do have to be careful with your orders but I am "fed up" (no pun intended) with the poor quality products in grocery stores --especially meat!!! I plan to continue my business with this company. So far-so good.
-Adams, Charleston, West Virginia

No Medal Review
Most Awful Ribs I Ever Had

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Good
  • Reheating: Fair
  • Customer Service: Good
  • Shipping: Good
  • Taste and Food Quality: Poor
  • Value: Poor
Had a very nice first experience with all aspects of Schwans. Ordered beef tips which were a little salty but I just added unsalted rice and the taste was really good. Frozen vegetables are like Birds Eye at the grocery store (just larger-sized pieces). The driver was very nice and suggested some Easter desserts. Guess you do have to be careful with your orders but I am "fed up" (no pun intended) with the poor quality products in grocery stores --especially meat!!! I plan to continue my business with this company. So far-so good.
-M Helling, Monroe, Ohio

Gold Medal Review
I Have Several Family Members That Order From Them

Overall: Gold Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Excellent
  • Shipping: Excellent
  • Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
  • Value: Excellent
So this was my first experience buying from them, but not my first experience eating their products. I have several family members that order from them and I remember how good their ice cream was. I placed a large order ($250+). (I have three boys that eat a lot.) The website is easy to navigate and I appreciate that they list the nutrition information.

My spouse and I work several hours each week and appreciate the "help" from some of precooked meals as well as their other products. I had one issue with a delivery date that was resolved with a phone call. I had set delivery for 1/7 between 11-1. I received an email 2 days before stating the delivery would be on 1/9 from 9m-7pm. I called customer service and explained the issue. The rep was very nice and fixed the issue. The delivery came as originally scheduled. The driver was very nice and made recommendations on a few other things I was eyeing in the catalog. I appreciate his honesty.

For those complaining about portions, that is the recommended portion size. You can balance it out with a vegetable or salad or bread. For those complaining about fat and sodium content...what are you comparing this to? Have you looked at other frozen meals or products? I don't think it's any worse than any other product, but the taste is much better.

The frozen veggies taste much better. For example, I made a dish with the mixed veggies and have always hated frozen green beans in them because they taste tough. These tasted fresh. I was pleasantly pleased. The tater tots crisp better in the oven than other products. The frozen wheat bread dough is wonderful as fresh baked bread and doesn't last more than a day in my house.

The beer battered cod is really good...better than the stuff at the store. There is going to be unhappy people in any spectrum. Am I paying more than if I was at the grocery store? Probably. But it tastes better. Plus, if i were to go out to eat with my family, how much would it cost me? Without alcohol, its at least $50 a meal (unless we go to fast food, which is rare). I can cook a much healthier meal that tastes equally good for less than half. To each their own.
-A Reed, Elizabethtown, KY

No Medal Review
Not Too Healthy

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Fair
  • Reheating: Fair
  • Customer Service: Fair
  • Shipping: Fair
  • Taste and Food Quality: Poor
  • Value: Fair
Have you ever checked the ingredients. Talk about toxic and using the least expensive ingredients and charging the most for an inferior product. 
I live in Maine one of the more overweight states, with a large population of seniors. MANY of the products contain aluminum which as been proven to cause Alzheimer's, not to mention high sodium and carb counts. In my opinion, if you care about your health stay away from their products no matter how convenient their door to door service may be or how tasty an occasional product might be. In all fairness when I did complain to the company my money was refunded. When I commented that I would need to see a list of ingredients BEFORE I purchased anything, they said that was not possible.
-J.M., Maine

No Medal Review
Disgusting and Embarrasing

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Good
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Poor
  • Shipping: Poor
  • Taste and Food Quality: Poor
  • Value: Poor
This was my first and last time ordering from their Home Delivery Service. I picked up a few prepared meals and was not impressed with any of them. But it is their chili that upset me so much I was motivated to write to write in. Not only is it disgusting, I am embarrased for them that they would put their name on this and call it a meal.

Live Smart Chili

You just have to go to their website and see the picture they show for this Schwans Chili, and compare it to what you actually get. It is an insult. This chili is as bad as the cheapest canned chilli you find in a supermarket or at any Wawa to put on your hot dog. 

Thank God it was horrible, because the portion size was about a 1/4 inch high from the bottom of the tray. You really wouldn't want to eat more than what they give you. There is no meat, there are hardly any beans, and thier isn't enough spice to light a match.
-Col (Ret) Jack B., TX

No Medal Review
Still Waiting

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Poor
  • Customer Service: Poor
  • Shipping: Poor
  • Taste and Food Quality: Poor
  • Value: Poor
Still waiting on my order I placed three weeks ago. Does anyone know of any other companys that deliver in San Diego?
-Robert R., CA

No Medal Review
The Food is Very High in Fat and Sodium

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Good
  • Reheating: Good
  • Customer Service: Good
  • Shipping: Good
  • Taste and Food Quality: Good
  • Value: Poor
I've been ordering home delivery from this company for 1 1/2 years now due to surgery... the food I found to be convenient and most of it really good (of course, everyone has different tastes), and delivery was always on time...Fair WARNING though... The food is very high in fat and sodium...They have very few low fat content items...After eating their food for 1 1/2 years, I gained 40 lbs...I'm 72 years old and have NEVER been overweight...I have now stopped delivery from them and just joined Jenny Craig at home service for weight loss...Even more important, I just found out from my physician that I have High Cholesterol...Have NEVER had a health problem in my life until now... 

Summary: If you don't want to gain weight and get a high cholesterol, (both high and low) then stay away from them!
-Withheld, Wichita, KS

Silver Medal Review
Can Be a Good Value

Overall: Silver Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Excellent
  • Shipping: Excellent
  • Taste and Food Quality: Good
  • Value: Good
We are new the prepared supper deliveries and have tried a few different companies that do this kind of thing. If you are thinking about getting any meals from this company, it would be a good idea to spend some extra time reading consumer reviews on their website. We have had some unpleasent meals, but we have also had some good ones too. Their meals can be a good value if you are careful about what you buy.

Chicken Enchilada Dinner

This meal tastes pretty good and it comes as a serving for one. It is also a Live Smart meal. The Spanish rice can be a little bland, but nothing a little salt can't fix. The enchilada is good too, and the sauce is delicious. The portion size is large compared to many of their other meals. It certainly makes an excellent lunch to take to the office.

Chicken and Broccoli Express Bowl

This is one of my favorite meals from them, and I highly recommend it. It is a simple dish of diced chicken, white rice, and broccoli, but the sauce is very good and there is plenty to mix it with the rice. You get two when you order it.
-Susan F.

No Medal Review
Can't Get Our Delivery

Overall: No Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Good
  • Reheating: Poor
  • Customer Service: Fair
  • Shipping: Poor
  • Taste and Food Quality: Poor
  • Value: Poor
We have placed many orders with this company, always being told by there customer services reps that "yes", there are several trucks that deliver in our area and there will be no problem with us getting our order, so we place our order "again", hoping this time they will deliver. we wait ....... and wait ...... and wait some more.  

A few weeks later we were at CBS building supply here in our small town in Coushatta, when up drives a Schwans truck to make a delivery to someone there, so I take the opportunity to ask why they have never delivered any of our orders, he then tells me its because it takes too much time to deliver to our home, he said our order is put on the truck, it rides around for a few days and then it's sent back.  

That's really funny because we see their truck pass our road several time a week! and if its close enough to see the truck pass, then it should be close enough for the driver to deliver our orders! The driver is deciding to not to deliver to us!.
-S. Evans, Coushatta, Louisiana

Bronze Medal Review
Poor Reviews on their Own Website

Overall: Bronze Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Poor
  • Shipping: Poor
  • Taste and Food Quality: Fair
  • Value: Fair
Attitude is everything in the service business. I just had a delivery guy stop by, and told him I didn't need anything. He launched into a lecture as to how I was supposed to be there when he came if I wanted to be a customer. I guess regardless if I worked or not in the middle of the day! He talked to me like it was a privilege for me to even have him stop by.  

He started raving about something else, and I had to shut the door. After reading several RECENT reviews of poor quality and taste of the food (on their own website!), I am no longer interested in anything they have. Had his attitude been a bit better, I might have purchased SOMETHING just to help him stay employed.
-Name Withheld

Silver Medal Review
Small Portion Sizes and Packaging Problems

Overall: Silver Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Fair
  • Reheating: Good
  • Customer Service: Good
  • Shipping: Poor
  • Taste and Food Quality: Good
  • Value: Good
I thought most of the prepared meals I tried from them were good. I had some other difficulties. First, I found their website difficult to navigate and find everything that was prepared. Second, almost all of the sealed trays I received in my order were either broken or torn. I was concerned about the safety of that, but went ahead and had them anyway.

Baked Ziti

This tray of Baked Ziti is supposed to serve two people, and in all honesty it could if it were a side dish. But it is not such a small portion as many of their other meals. The ziti itself is very good, and I would recommend it. There is a lot of cheese through and through, and the sauce is good. It could be one of the best ziti's I have ever had from a meal delivery company.

Creamy Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

This meal is can be awkward to reheat. The pasta comes in one bag and the sauce comes in a tray. Then you have to find a bowl or a plate and mix the two. I didn't think the meal needed any vegetables in it. The linguini was good, but not al dente, and the shrimp sauce was good, but could of used some more flavor.
-William K., MN

Gold Medal Review
I Find The Food Delicious

Overall: Gold Medal
  • Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
  • Reheating: Excellent
  • Customer Service: Excellent
  • Shipping: Excellent
  • Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
  • Value: Excellent
I read many not so good things about this company, I find the food delicious. If you are expecting a 4 star gourmet, well then your in for a disappointing experience. But when it comes to frozen prepared meals or snacks, and oh my gosh ice cream I am a happy camper.  

My delivery guy is wonderful and I have never had a bad customer service experience in the 3+ years I have been ordering. The best thing is this company is that they are smart enough to put the heating directions not only on the box the product comes in but also the package of the product so you can get rid of the box if need be.
-Maria Bridges, Austin, TX

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