Tovala Frequently Asked Questions

In 2017, we made home cooking as simple as scanning a QR code. We launched Tovala, a system that combines a countertop smart oven with chef-crafted food to make fresh, high-quality meals that cook in under 20 minutes.

Over the years, our tech has stayed ahead of the game with frequent software updates, new smart features, and even new models. In 2023, we introduced a more affordably priced Tovala Smart Oven to live alongside our existing Smart Oven Pro (formerly the Gen 2 Tovala Smart Oven).

Our commitment to providing an effortless home cooking experience remains unchanged, and we look forward to creating an even more delicious, convenient, and enjoyable future with you.

Ready to cook with the scan of a QR code? Learn more.

Tovala's meal service is unique because it involves fresh, mostly-prepped meals that are cooked in the Tovala Smart Oven. You do a few prep steps (like adding a sauce or seasoning to taste), and then scan a QR code with Tovala's smart oven to cook it perfectly in around 20 minutes or less with a chef perfected, automated cook cycle.

Other meal kits offer meals that are already cooked and reheated in a microwave, which affects the meal's flavors and texture. Or, they take 30 minutes or more to prepare and require you to do all the guesswork of cooking. Not only do Tovala Meals save on time, and limit post-mealtime clean up, but the results taste like the best kind of home cooking, full of tender veggies, juicy proteins, and melty cheese.

Tovala combines a countertop smart oven with chef-crafted food to make fresh, high-quality meals that are ready in 20 minutes or less.

Let's break it down:

• 01 — Fresh meals delivered weekly

  Choose 4-16 meals from weekly menus.

• 02 — One minute of prep

  Your meal's mostly oven ready. Just do the final few steps.

• 03 — Scan for perfect cooking

  The Tovala Smart Oven accesses your meal's chef-perfected cook cycle via WiFi.

• 04 — Ready in around 20 minutes or less

  Enjoy a delicious meal with no shopping, chopping, or cleanup.

To learn more, visit our How It Works page.

We currently have 2 different oven models:

• Tovala Smart Oven: MSRP $299

  Learn more

• Tovala Smart Oven Pro (formerly the Tovala Smart Oven or Tovala Smart Oven Gen 2): MSRP $349

  Learn more

Tovala Meals start as low as $8.99 per serving and are generally $13.99 per meal. Some meals are priced higher or lower based on their ingredients, packaging needs, and number of meal components. The smallest meal plan we offer is 4 meals weekly ($55.96 plus tax). Shipping is $10.99 for all meal deliveries. Tovala Meals must be cooked in a Tovala Smart Oven. Learn more about what makes our meals fresh, delicious, and restaurant quality.

Use the oven, enjoy our meals, and if you don't fall in love, no worries. You have 100 days to decide, and our oven returns are always free. We happily pay for return shipping. Get the easy return process started at tovala.com/support.

We offer great incentives and deals on our smart ovens throughout the year when you commit to our meal service, so be sure to check Tovala.com and sign up for our emails for access to the latest and greatest offers.

The best way to give the gift of Tovala is to purchase a gift card. Gift cards can be used to purchase an oven and any remaining balance can be used towards our meal subscription. You can find more information about purchasing gift cards here.

Your recipient will receive an email shortly after your gift card purchase is complete. If you would like to keep the gift card a surprise, you can use your own secondary or alternate email address. When you are ready for the recipient to receive their gift, you can forward the email containing the gift card code to them!

If you want to set up an account for a friend or relative where they pick the meals and you pay for the meals, learn more here.

Browse and order Tovala Meals every week by logging in to my.tovala.com or going to the Order tab in your Tovala App.

Tovala meals start at $13.99 — or as low as $8.99 per serving with Family Meals and Two-Packs. Some meals are priced higher or lower based on their ingredients, packaging needs, and number of meal components. The smallest meal plan we offer is 4 meals weekly ($55.96 plus tax). Shipping is $10.99 for all meal deliveries.

Tovala offers flexible meal plans with 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 16 meals per week.

Most Tovala Meals are meant to serve 1 adult, though we do offer a number of 2-serving options each week that make our meal service a great option for couples and families.

It depends on what type of meal you're cooking. Your oven fits four aluminum Tovala Meal trays or one Tovala sheet tray. Depending on meal size and number of trays, you can cook up to four of the same meal at once.

For example:

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta: This meal cooks in 1 tray. You can cook 4 of these meals at once.

• Chicken Parmesan with Stuffed Shells: This meal cooks in 2 trays (1 for the chicken, 1 for the shells). You can cook 2 of these meals at once in your oven.

• Cheesy Bean & Fajita Veggie Quesadilla: This meal cooks on the Tovala sheet tray (like flatbreads and flautas do). However, you can still cook 2 of these meals at once. Refer to the meal insert for how to cook 2 servings at the same time.

• Italian Meatballs with Roasted Sweet Peppers and Potato Wedges in Marinara: This requires an entire Tovala sheet tray to cook. You can only cook one of these meals at a time.

No. Since cook cycles are designed specifically for each meal, you should not cook different meals at the same time. (For example, don't cook a Chicken Parmesan meal and a Miso-Glazed Salmon meal at the same time.)

This will vary from meal to meal, based on its ingredients. Refer to each meal’s “Enjoy Before” date, which you can find on the printed insert available on the meal card that comes in the box with each individual meal. All meals will last between 2-7 days after delivery.

The last day a meal can be safely enjoyed is the day BEFORE its "Enjoy Before" date.

If you can't finish your Tovala Meals before the Enjoy Before date, most meal components can be frozen and enjoyed later. Learn more about how to freeze Tovala Meals.

Our meal plans are always flexible. The last thing we want is people getting Tovala Meals that they aren’t excited about, so it’s easy to skip a week, pause, or cancel. Learn more about pausing, skipping a week, or canceling.

Each week we offer a variety of gluten-friendly, vegetarian, carb-conscious, and calorie-smart options on our menus. Click on the filter icon on our menu so you can better navigate the meals that fit your needs.

Allergen and nutrition information for Tovala Meals can be found on our menu (both on our website and in the Tovala App). On our website, just click on the image of a meal, then scroll to the nutrition section. In the App, view the nutrition dropdown for each meal.

All of our meals are produced and packed in a facility that also processes milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Because of this, if you have a severe food allergy, Tovala Meals may not be the solution for you.

Allergen and nutrition information for Tovala Meals can be found on our menu (both on our website and in the Tovala App). Just click on the image of a meal, then scroll to the nutrition section.

Allergen and nutrition information for Tovala Meals can be found on our menu (both on our website and in the Tovala App). Just click on the image of a meal, then scroll to the nutrition section. Once you have ordered your meals, you can always reference the nutrition information through the Tovala App.

Tovala Meals are designed to cook perfectly through a unique combination of the Tovala Smart Oven's cooking modes. While our meals can be cooked in a normal convection oven, we do not have specific cooking instructions, nor can we guarantee dish results when prepared in a convection oven.

If choosing your home convection oven, use this source to learn about the safe minimum internal temperatures required by the USDA and FDA. (Scroll down to the "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" section towards the bottom.) You can verify internal temperature by utilizing a food thermometer.

Each week we offer a selection of Customize It meals on the menu. Customize It meals allow you to choose between two different proteins. (For example: Get a Korean BBQ-style bowl featuring either salmon or pork chop. Or, try esquites-inspired corn with either pork chop or chicken.)

With these Customize It meals, you can enjoy more meal options that fit your lifestyle, or explore new ways to enjoy your favorite Tovala Meal.

No problem. You can cancel your meal plan at any time from your account. No penalty, and no need to ask us to cancel for you. If you purchased with a promotion that requires placing meal deliveries within a certain amount of time, please contact support@tovala.com for your options.

Each meal is individually packed for ease of storage in the fridge and cooking. Meals are packed into a shipper box with insulation and ice packs to keep the food cold throughout transit. The type of insulation and amount of ice packs you receive each week may vary as we optimize for the temperatures in your location. Our proteins are packed on the bottom ice packs to keep them as cold as possible with the meal boxes above them. There may be additional meal components like tortillas, flatbreads, or cakes that are too big for the individual meal boxes and are packed on top.

Yes! Please follow our detailed recycling guide.

We currently have 2 different oven models:

• Tovala Smart Oven: MSRP $299
• Tovala Smart Oven Pro (formerly the Tovala Smart Oven or Tovala Smart Oven Gen 2): MSRP $349

We offer great incentives and deals on our smart ovens throughout the year when you commit to our meal service, so be sure to check Tovala.com and sign up for our emails for access to the latest and greatest offers.

Our chefs do all the work of prepping your meals, and then the Tovala Smart Oven picks up where they leave off. The Tovala Smart Oven cooks your meals exactly as our chefs intended by pulling time, temperature, and cooking modes from the cloud. All you have to do is scan a barcode and enjoy the magic of effortless cooking. (You’ll need to connect your oven to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network with a smartphone that has our mobile app to make this magic happen.)

No matter the model, expect exceptional results from your Tovala Smart Oven. Using the ovens’ proprietary cook cycle converter, our engineers have programmed each oven to deliver perfectly cooked, delicious Tovala Meals and more.

You can use the oven to do any cooking you'd normally do in your conventional oven. Depending on your oven model, you can use the 5-6 different cooking modes (Steam, Air Fry, Bake, Broil, Toast, and Reheat) via the button on the oven or from within the Tovala app, cook from the app's library of preset recipes, and scan hundreds of name-brand grocery products like Eggo, Amy's, and Pop-Tarts.

Absolutely. The multi-functionality of Tovala Smart Ovens make them a great option for clearing your countertop appliance clutter.

• Microwave: Our oven is a great alternative for reheating your food. But because it's an oven, it's not so great at cooking frozen foods quickly or warming up a cup of coffee.
• Toaster & Toaster Oven: Our ovens can convection bake, broil, and have 5 toast levels that work for fresh bread, frozen bread, and bagels.
• Air Fryer: With a dedicated Air Fry button on the Tovala Smart Oven, or with Air Frying via Bake mode in the Tovala Smart Oven Pro, both of our oven models can air fry and come with an air fry basket.

You need the Tovala App to connect your Tovala Smart Oven to WiFi, get notifications from your oven when your food is done, create cook cycles that utilize multiple cooking modes, cook from the library of Chef's Recipes in the app, and make ordering weekly Tovala Meals quick and easy.

You need a smartphone or tablet with our mobile app (and a 2.4 GHz Wifi network) to initially set up your oven. Without a WiFi connection, you can’t scan Tovala Meals, but you can use the buttons on the front of the oven to access the basic cook modes like Bake, Broil, and Toast.

Both oven models (Tovala Smart Oven & Tovala Smart Oven Pro) have the same exterior and interior dimensions: Exterior Dimensions (L x D x H) 18.5" x 12.32" x 11.75"; Interior Dimensions (L x D x H) 12.75" x 11" x 8".

For all Tovala Smart Ovens purchased directly from Tovala through tovala.com, we offer a 100-day return policy with free return shipping. Your oven may be returned within 100 days of purchase. For additional information view our detailed support article. Available here.

Please view our detailed “Warranty” support article. Available here.

Please follow our detailed “Setting Up Your Oven” support article. Available here.

We recommend following the below instructional video that will walk you through connecting your Tovala Smart Oven to your WiFi Network. Available here.

Still having trouble connecting your oven to WiFi? Try these troubleshooting tips here.

Still having trouble? Contact customer support at tovala.com/support or the Support tab in the Tovala App.

We recommend following our detailed cleaning guide. Available here.

Scannable groceries are store-bought products which the Tovala Smart Oven can cook perfectly by just scanning their barcodes. Currently over 1,000 name-brand groceries are scannable (and we're adding more all the time!).

Search for your favorite food or brand in the Groceries tab of the app, or browse them here. We have optimized cook cycles for a variety of brands, including Trader Joe's, Amy's, and more.

We recommend placing your oven on a level and sturdy surface near a dedicated GFCI outlet. Leave open space between your oven and any surface: 3 inches around the back and sides, and 6 inches from the top.

Here are some of the things you can do with a Tovala Smart Oven:

01 — Cook Tovala Meals perfectly with the scan of a barcode. No shopping, chopping, or cleanup.

02 — Scan the barcode on 1,000+ name-brand groceries for quick, delicious results. No preheating required.

03 — Make 100s of preset recipes with the Tovala app for a chef-perfected side dish, brunch, or dessert.

04 — Toast just about anything and reheat leftovers until they're melty/crispy/juicy again with the Toast and Reheat buttons.

05 — Cook any food, any way you like it. Every Tovala Smart Oven includes Bake and Broil modes, so you can use it as an oven and love the delicious results.

Learn more about what our ovens can do.

WiFi is how the Tovala Smart Oven connects to our chefs, communicates with the Tovala App, and scans QR codes for effortless cooking. It's what makes the oven so smart, and our system incredibly effortless!

Without WiFi, your oven won't be able to scan or communicate with the app.

In the event that you can't connect to WiFi, you can still use the buttons on your oven to access its basic cook modes. However, in order to unlock our system's full capabilities, it is best to have access to a working WiFi network.

Smart Oven: 19.6lbs

Smart Oven Pro: 20.9lbs

Both ovens use 1525 watts.

Tovala Smart Ovens should arrive within 3-5 days of ordering. We cannot place oven orders on hold for later delivery, learn more here.

At checkout, you will select the day of your first meal delivery from a list of available options. The first available meal delivery day will depend on when your oven is scheduled to arrive, when the orders for a specific week of meals close, and your location.

Meal orders must be placed by Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT (holiday dependent) the week before the order is scheduled to be delivered. As long as your meal plan is active by this deadline, you will receive meals the following week on your assigned delivery day.

We ship to all zip codes in the 48 contiguous states that we can safely deliver to. We don't ship to Alaska or Hawaii at this time.

Tovala Meals arrive the week after you order them between Monday–Friday. Your specific delivery day will depend on where you live and will be consistent week to week (i.e. always on Tuesdays).

We offer a choice between two weekly meal delivery days for many customers. Depending on your zip code, you will either be able to choose between Tuesday or Thursday deliveries, or Wednesday or Friday deliveries.

1. Customers in the Chicago area will not have a different delivery day option by default. However, if you are interested in a Tuesday or Thursday delivery, please reach out at tovala.com/support or the support tab in Tovala app.

2. Customers outside of the Chicago area will have a second delivery day option depending on where they live. Check your account under Settings > Meal Plan to view delivery options.

Learn more about how to change your delivery day if your account is eligible.

That's totally fine. Just go into your Tovala account to easily skip a week's meal delivery, pause your meal plan for up to 8 weeks in a row, or cancel your meal plan. You can learn more about skipping, pausing and cancelling your meal plan here.

If you purchased your oven with a promotional commitment to order 6 separate meal deliveries within 6 months of purchase, you can skip a week at any time but you cannot pause or cancel your account from the Tovala app until you fulfill your commitment. To cancel your meal plan, reach out to our customer support team here to understand your options for cancelling your plan and returning your oven and to start the cancellation process.

If your package is unfortunately delayed, that does not mean your meals aren't safe to enjoy. As long as the ice packs are at least half frozen, those meals are safe to consume. If your ice packs are more than half melted, reach out to us.

Our food production and fulfillment facilities are closely regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and other applicable state and local government agencies. All Tovala employees at these facilities are required to complete a comprehensive training program including Certified Food Handler training to ensure the health and safety of all employees. All employees are also required to meet and follow the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). Additionally, all of our food safety management staff are required to be trained as Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI).

To read more about GMPs, please visit section 21 CFR Part 117 on the FDA's website: https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/current-good-manufacturing-practices-cgmps-food-and-dietary-supplements

Each week, we provide you with the ingredients to make delicious Tovala Meals at home. These ingredients have been carefully approved by dedicated team members across our Procurement team, SQF-certified FSQA team (Safe Quality Food) (Food Safety and Quality Assurance), and Culinary team to ensure you are receiving high quality, fresh ingredients that are safe to eat. We also adhere to a comprehensive Food and Facility Safety Plan, which is designed to guarantee that food safety measures are effectively applied at every step of our supply chain. Additionally, we require that every ingredient we source comes from a supplier approved by our SQF-approved supplier program.

To learn more about what it means to be SQF certified, visit the SQF Food Safety Programs page: https://www.sqfi.com/what-is-the-sqf-program/sqf-food-safety-program/

The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority. Our Production and Quality Assurance teams regularly monitor recalls and announcements made by the FDA and USDA that could potentially impact Tovala customers. If there's ever a concern regarding one of our meals, we would contact affected customers immediately and take action. Since Tovala Smart Ovens are connected to WiFi, we have special remote access to help protect our customers when cooking Tovala Meals. Should there ever be a scenario where a meal is impacted by a recall, we have the ability to remotely block our ovens from running that meal's cook cycle, working to stop our customers from cooking the affected meal.

We take additional preventative measures to ensure the safety of our food and kitchens, including twice annual mock food recalls which are conducted and controlled by our Quality Assurance team.

Packaging: Our packaging and logistics team conducts regular ship tests to challenge the durability and wear and tear of our packaging. We have also identified our boxes as fragile with our shipping carriers, with the appropriate “Handle With Care” communication printed on the outside of our box.

Additionally, our meal packaging has been designed and tested to keep meals cold throughout their delivery. We select the appropriate combination of ice and insulation depending on your zipcode's weather (and the weather your carrier will experience en route to you). As long as your ice packs are at least half frozen when your box arrives, your food should be safe to consume. It's normal for ice packs to start to melt before you open your package–in fact, the melting ice is what absorbs heat and keeps your food cold.

Shipping partners: To make sure our customers receive the best possible delivery experience, we are in constant communication with our partners to provide both direct and indirect feedback from our customers and their experience receiving our meals.

Use this source to learn about the safe minimum internal temperatures required by the USDA and FDA. (Scroll down to the "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" section towards the bottom.) You can verify internal temperature by utilizing a food thermometer.