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Product Review: MagicKitchen.com chef-prepared meal delivery

May 26th, 2008

Product Review - MagicKitchen.com
5.26.08
Products: Vegetables en Croute, Chicken Pot Pie, Almond Crusted Salmon, Fresh Cut Corn Medley, Saffron Rice, Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower, Hickory Smoked Ham, Panna Cotta, Bada Bing Cherry Bread Pudding, Double Fudge Brownies.

What is MagicKitchen.com? MagicKitchen.com provides chef-prepared, gourmet meals frozen and delivered to your door nationwide. Located in the San Francisco Bay area, MagicKitchen.com makes a great gift, or an easy way to enjoy a chef prepared gourmet meal without the hassle.

Packaging/Labeling: MagicKitchen.com’s products showed up in a neatly packaged dry ice container via second day air. The products were all frozen solid and perfectly in-tact. Each of the individual items is packaged in a vacuum-sealed disposable tray which made for easy preparation and disposal.

Considering these items are ready-to-serve, and shipped frozen, we were very impressed with the packaging and presentation. Heating and serving instructions are clearly printed on each item’s package along with nutritional and ingredient statements.

Taste/Consistency/Quality: MagicKitchen.com hits a home run with a delectable variety of meals that truly taste like you are dining at a high-end restaurant in the comfort of your home or office. Our favorite was definitely the vegetables en croute, which was obviously hand-crafted by a skilled chef. One would expect that the quality of such products would be diminished from being frozen and shipped, but each item tasted very fresh and full of flavor. We assumed that the products were made the same day they are shipped (at least they tasted that way).

One of the first things we thought when preparing some of the dishes was that some seemed very simple and could be made at home quite easily. Case-in-point, the fresh cut corn medley and chicken pot pie - which most people can find in the frozen section. However, MagicKitchen.com’s versions are not your average, run-of-the-mill products found in the frozen section. Each item is hand-made by an actual chef, and no corners are cut. The chicken pot pie was perfect - flaky and buttery crust filled with moist chicken and fresh veggies covered in a perfectly flavored sauce. We all agreed that it would be tough to match this kind of quality and presentation at home - even with hours of preparation.

Desserts: If you haven’t had Panna Cotta, you are missing out. If you haven’t had MagicKitchen’s Panna Cotta, hop online and order some now! Made with the perfect firm consistency and delicious tart raspberry sauce, this is an item that we would order by itself just for a special dessert. It’s so good that MagicKitchen.com could probably make a decent business out of just selling nothing but panna cotta online. If you’ve ever tried making Panna Cotta, you know that it isn’t easy. With MagicKitchen, it’s as easy as simply letting the Panna Cotta thaw out for an hour, then serving. We also had the bada bing cherry bread pudding and double fudge brownie, which were surprisingly rich, moist, and fresh. Sure, brownies are easy enough to make at home, but the idea with MagicKitchen.com is to make it even easier for busy parents, senior citizens, or as a gift - without skimping on quality. Bread pudding can be a simple dish for some to make, but all we had to do to enjoy this gourmet dessert was let it thaw out and/or microwave. It doesn’t get any easier than this, and you don’t have to worry how it will turn out with MagicKitchen.com’s products - which were perfect.

Uniqueness: When we first heard of this new, rapidly growing business (selling chef-prepared frozen meals online), we were skeptical. It sounded expensive, logistically difficult, and probably not something that appealed to many people. Boy, were we wrong! MagicKitchen.com offers such a truly unique service with so many potential customers. Not only are their products priced very reasonably (especially if you compare to eating at a restaurant), but they have figured out the logistics of freezing and shipping products to a science. Consider the ways MagicKitchen.com’s products make sense to purchase:

1. Your friend or family member just had a baby and you can’t be there with them to help. Surely, they are not feeling like preparing a meal or going out for one. What do you? Send them a chef-prepared meal from MagicKitchen.com! Now, your friend/family member doesn’t have to do anything other than simply heat and serve an already-prepared meal that was delivered to your door!

2. You are a senior citizen that doesn’t have the energy or desire to create a full course meal, but would like to enjoy a nice, gourmet meal without the hassle/mess or going out to a restaurant. Now, all you have to do is simply hop online or call MagicKitchen.com to order a meal plan customized to your tastes. Within 2 days, your chef-prepared gourmet meals will arrive at your door, and you can have weeks of ready-to-eat meals! Oh, and don’t worry about the mess. All you have to do is throw away the containers!

3. You are a busy working parent that doesn’t have the time or energy to come home and prepare a home-cooked meal (and pizza/takeout gets old really fast!). Now, you can give your family a delectable, chef-prepared meal that doesn’t require hours of preparation and cleanup. Simply order a meal (or meal plan) from MagicKitchen.com and have a family meal ready to eat in minutes!

Summary: MagicKitchen.com really delivers (no pun intended) when it comes to simplifying your busy life by offering a quick and easy solution to eating well at the comfort of your home. When compared to dining out, it is very reasonably priced (even with shipping) without sacrificing quality. Overall, we feel that MagicKitchen.com really stands out as an excellent option for a unique gift that anyone can appreciate.

How to purchase: Consumers can order directly online at www.MagicKitchen.com, or by calling 877-516-2442.

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Posted in Product Reviews

Tags: chef prepared food review frozen meals gourmet food meal delivery

Product Review - Annette’s Gourmet Italian Chili

May 9th, 2008

Product Review - Annette’s Italian Chili
Products: Gourmet Italian Chili
5.9.08

What is Italian Chili?

As the name implies, it is a unique Italian spin on the classic American-Southwestern chili, never before seen in the US marketplace. Made with the finest ingredients and true Italian flair, this product has already shown signs of being the next big hit in specialty food stores nationwide.

Packaging/Labeling: Classy, and upscale. The color combination of black, red, green, and gold really creates a nice clean professional appearance on the 24 ounce sturdy glass jar. Around the neck of the jar is a nice little hang tag with suggested uses attached by a neat little black rubber band-type attachment.

Overall, Annette’s Italian Chili presents a very classy, Italian-themed package that parallels the quality of the actual product.

Taste/Consistency/Quality: Fusion products and fusion restaurants are some that we really enjoy reviewing, and Annette’s Italian Chili has emerged as one of our new favorites. Thankfully for the ladies at Annette’s Gourmet, no one else has attempted to bring a product like this to market and they are poised to really make a splash.

As the name implies, Italian chili is a unique product much like a standard hearty chili we are accustomed to here in the US. Where it gets interesting is when spicy Italian sausage and spices are added to the mix. It is a perfect blend of Southwestern style chili with beans and a classic Italian-seasoned, marinara-type sauce with Italian sausage. The ‘spicy’ version had a perfect amount of ‘kick’ without overpowering the amazing flavor combinations. If you are not a fan of the heat, a mild version is available that offers the same delectable explosion of flavor without the added kick.

The second most commonly asked question will likely be, ‘How do you serve it?’ - which the hang tag answers quite well. We tried a few different ways, and were blown away with each variety. The most basic way is to simply eat it plain - just like chili; add some cheese and sour cream and you have a meal. Next, we poured some Italian chili over a potato, and enjoyed it even more. The third way was a unanimous favorite; served over pasta with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Yes, this sounds bizarre, but it created a truly amazing southwestern style Italian pasta dish that is out of this world. The added benefit of serving it this way is that the Italian chili goes a lot further than eating it by itself. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing restaurants serving entrees like this when the word starts to spread.

Uniqueness: Italian chili is definitely one of the most unique products we have seen in years. It is almost so unique that it might take some extra education to get consumers to try it for the first time. However, once they get it in their mouth, I think repeat orders will follow in great numbers.

Summary: Unbelievable fusion of common US-favorite dishes in one beautifully packaged jar makes this a must-try for the true gourmand and ‘out-of-the-box-thinking’ foodies.

How to purchase: Consumers can order directly online at iBuyGourmet.com, and wholesale customers (businesses only please) can get wholesale information here.