The problem Tovala solves

Tovala co-founder David Rabie wanted the convenience of takeout without sacrificing the experience of eating fresh home-cooked food. He realized the solution was pre-portioned meals paired with a smart oven that handles cooking automatically.

“I was often busy and sought a solution as convenient as takeout or frozen meals, yet still wanted the experience of a genuine home-cooked dish.”

How the system works

Unwrap pre-portioned ingredients, add seasoning packets, place everything in trays, scan a QR code with the app, and the oven handles the rest. No chopping, measuring, or temperature guessing required.

The oven hardware

The countertop oven costs $299, or $349 for the Pro model with steam function. It can bake, broil, air fry, toast, and reheat, automatically switching temperatures and cooking modes throughout the process.

Meal options and pricing

Over 45 meals available weekly, from steak to salmon to pasta. Single-serving meals start at $13.99, two-serving at $8.99 per serving, plus $10.99 shipping. Family meals start at $35.96. Plans range from 4 to 16 meals per week.

Meat texture was the weak point

The biggest issue was how meats cooked in the oven. A steak lacked the nice crust that comes from proper searing. Finishing it in a steel pan improved it significantly, but that defeats the hands-off purpose.

“I like a steak with a nice crust, so I finished mine in a steel pan for some extra browning.”

Some dishes really worked

The pineapple shrimp stir-fry was excellent. The rice cooked well and the sauce had plenty of flavor. It wasn't restaurant-quality, but it was easy, satisfying, and required minimal effort.

“It wasn't necessarily something I'd rave about compared with a great restaurant meal, but it was easy, satisfying, and required very little effort.”

The grocery scanning feature

The oven can recognize grocery-store products by barcode, automatically selecting cooking settings for items like frozen waffles. This makes Tovala feel like a genuinely smart oven, not just a meal-kit machine.

Best for takeout avoiders

If your alternative to cooking is ordering takeout because you're too tired, Tovala makes a compelling case. It won't replace quality home cooking, but it beats the convenience trade-off of restaurant food.

“it's hard to beat the convenience on days when you absolutely don't want to cook.”

Availability and shipping

Tovala is available on the company website and Amazon, shipping to most U.S. states. Alaska and Hawaii are not currently served.