One of the biggest misconceptions about food is that fast and easy meals can’t be nutritious. Many people believe there’s no way frozen meals can taste great and also fit into a specific diet. Well, one company, Magic Kitchen, is trying to change that perception and introduce you to a wide variety of frozen meals that are designed to make dinnertime simple and enjoyable.

Their mission is to deliver frozen meals that are easy to prepare, but that are also tasty. With so many options to choose from, Magic Kitchen makes selecting meals a breeze because there’s sure to be something to suit your tastes and also accommodate any picky eaters in your family.

By using antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and pesticide-free ingredients, they’re changing the world of frozen meals by making them more nutritious.

Let’s jump into the review!

How to Join & Choose Your Items

One of the great things about Magic Kitchen is that there’s no need to sign-up or commit to any kind of long-term contract. You’re free to order whenever you’d like, a la carte, without having to worry about weekly or monthly payments. You also aren’t limited by how many meals you can order and you’re not required to purchase a certain amount either.

If you’d like to give it a go, all you have to do is visit their online shop. You’ll see a menu that allows you to narrow down your options based on portion sizes, meal type, and dietary needs. You can select meals for just one person or meals that are large enough to feed a family. If you want dinners and a side dish, they’ve got you covered. They even offer dessert options as well. There are even special meals designed just for senior citizens.

Once you’ve spotted a few meals that you’re just dying to try, all you have to do is add them to your shopping cart. It really is as simple as that! As mentioned, there are no limits. You don’t have to spend a certain amount. You aren’t restricted to only ordering a few meals. You can truly order as much or as little as you’d like.

Alternatively, for those who prefer not to use a computer to order, you can also order by calling their number and speaking to the staff members on hand. They even have a printed “magazine” that lists out all of their different foods so you can keep that on hand to make your meal selections.

Types of Food They Offer

There’s no shortage of options when browsing through Magic Kitchen’s menu, so even the pickiest eaters are sure to find something they’ll enjoy. Out of all the meal kits we’ve tried, Magic Kitchen definitely has one of the most diverse and wide-ranging menus.

You’ll find main courses, side dishes, soups and breads, and even delicious desserts. If you’re just shopping for yourself, you’ll love their single-person options, but if you have have a family to feed, they have larger portions for you as well.

You can even shop based on your specific dietary needs. With just one click, you will find foods that are: low sodium, diabetic-friendly, low-carbohydrate, low fat, dialysis-friendly, and gluten-free.

They tend to cater specifically to an older demographic looking for easy to make meals that aren’t junk food. You’ll notice their Senior Special Diet, options for those on a portion-controlled diet, and those on a renal diet.

Of course, we can’t forget that they offer snack and dessert options as well. The have a huge assortment of cakes and cookies that can even be narrowed down by diet as well.

In our box, we received a diverse selection of meals:

  • Mac and cheese
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Apple raisin strudel
  • Shrimp fettuccini alfredo
  • Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce
  • Cornbread blueberry toaster cakes
  • Tiramisu
  • Sliced beef brisket
  • Chicken fettuccini alfredo

As you can see, they offer a pretty wide variety of different meals

Delivery

Food storage and customer shipping for Magic Kitchen are all handled from one warehouse in the state of Kansas. From there, your meals are sent out via FedEx or UPS. To keep shipping costs at a reasonable rate, Magic Kitchen only charges you what they’re charged by these carriers. This means you’ll pay net prices, not list prices for shipping. The shipping rate you pay will depend on the distance the package needs to travel from their warehouse, the service selected, and the weight of the products inside your box.

Magic Kitchen ships to all of the continental United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. This is a big plus for those living outside of the continental United States, since many meal kits don’t ship to places like Alaska and Hawaii. However, they currently have no plans to deliver their meals to Canada.

Packaging

Because the food from Magic Kitchen needs to be kept cold during delivery, specific packaging is required. The company states their packaging has passed the lab procedures for effective packaging that are set by both FedEx and UPS, so you should feel confident that everything will arrive safe and sound.

Polystyrene foam shipping containers are used to make sure the food remains in the best condition, while also not being a costly option. The use of polystyrene foam ensures the food inside the box is kept insulated and it helps keep everything in place during shipping. It can also be recycled, however it is much harder to recycle than cardboard. Magic Kitchen encourages you to find a local recycling location so the polystyrene foam can be made into new products in the future.

Dry ice is also used to keep the food at an optimal temperature during transportation. You should always exercise care when handling dry ice, as it can hurt if help directly, so please be aware that it’s inside the box when you go to open it.

Freshness of Food

High-quality food is important, no matter where you’re getting it from and Magic Kitchen feels the same when creating their meals. All of the ingredients used in their meals are sourced within the United States and all products are also prepared 100% in this country. Everything is either made in a USDA kitchen and/or another locally approved kitchen.

One important thing to note is that not all of their ingredients are organic, but Magic Kitchen tries to use organic fruits and vegetables, grain-fed beef and hormone-free chicken whenever possible. Everything is antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and pesticide-free.

Since they have a giant menu, it’s important to review the ingredients and nutritional information of each meal you’re interested in prior to ordering. On their website you’ll be able to see full ingredients list, nutritional information, cooking instructions, reviews from customers, and photos of every product.

Meals can stay in the freezer for six months or more from the day you receive them, but Magic Kitchen suggests eating them within 30 to 45 days of their arrival.

Ease of Cooking

One of the great things about Magic Kitchen is that all of the meals are easy to prepare. In fact, almost all of them can be heated up just by using the microwave. The company states that there are only about six or seven meals that cannot be heated in the microwave or oven. Each item is clearly labeled with an icon that lets you know how you should heat it up, so there’s no question on how to best prepare it.

As you can see in our initial video review, we were able to cook up our mac and cheese in the microwave within a few minutes.

No matter how you choose to prepare your meals (microwave or oven), it really doesn’t take much time at all. With these on hand, there will be no excuses for not having a delicious meal to eat since they require very little effort when it comes to cooking. So, if you’re coming home after a long day at work, you can quickly whip something up for you to eat and even something for your family as well. It truly takes the stress out of meal time.

Taste

The vast amount of options you have to choose from is pretty impressive. But how do they taste?

I would not compare these meals to a regular meal kit in terms of taste because it just wouldn’t be fair. Magic Kitchen meals are frozen while almost all of the others are freshly made in your kitchen. That being said, it you compare it to other frozen meals, like the ones you’re likely to find in the grocery store, Magic Kitchen meals are much better.

This might be because they “flash freeze” their meals right after making them to lock in the flavor.

Here at Food Box HQ we’re carb-lovers so we were very happy to open a box full of different pasta dishes, cornbread snacks, and cake desserts. While the meals we got in our box tasted good, they weren’t all healthy. Many were high in calories and sodium. The beef brisket was a whopping 1240mg of sodium per serving (which is 52% of the recommended daily value). On the flip side, we did receive healthier meals like the brussel sprouts.

Pricing

Pricing for ordering with Magic Kitchen is really going to vary depending on what you order since it’s a la carte. The cost of each individual order is listed on their website. You can also request to have a free catalog sent to you, which will include all prices. They state that a single meal can cost between $10 and $25 simply depending on what you choose to order.

They do offer a 10% off discount for first-time customers, which you can find out more about by calling them or visiting their website. This will save you some cash if you’d like to try out their meals first before committing to too many of them.

To give you some idea of what to expect, here are a few of the menu items currently available and their prices:

  • Chicken and Artichoke with Spinach — $23.99 for two servings
  • Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo & Broccoli — $21.99 for two servings
  • Crab Cakes — $29.99 for two servings
  • Crustless Spinach Quiche Twin Pack — $9.99 for two servings
  • Macaroni and Cheese — $12.49 for two servings
  • Magic Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce — $19.99 for two servings
  • Fire-Roasted Vegetables en Croûte — $31.99 for two servings)

As you can see, prices are going to vary widely depending on the type of meal and also the portion size you order.

Final Thoughts

For someone looking for frozen meals that are easy to prepare, Magic Kitchen is certainly a great option to consider.

If you’re a senior or someone who has difficulty preparing and cooking meals, Magic Kitchen does make it easier. In fact, they cater many options to seniors (such as their “Senior Special Diet”).

Even if you aren’t a senior though, there are still a variety of meals and plans that could fit your preferences. With low sodium meals, low-carb options, low fat dishes, and even gluten-free options, it’s definitely one of the biggest food delivery services around.

Lastly, the flexibility of their service is huge benefit. Many meal kits make you sign up for a membership and have to jump through hoops to cancel. With Magic Kitchen, you can purchase a la carte, there’s no plan/membership needed, and no minimum threshold to hit when ordering.

Have a question about Magic Kitchen? Have you tried their meal before? Leave a comment below and let us know!