Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.
Wednesday, June 7th
Magic Kitchen is a meal delivery option focused on seniors and people with special dietary needs. You can buy complete meals or go a la carte for both mains and sides - or mix and match as you like. All meals are delivered frozen and can easily be reheated, typically in the microwave or oven, but you'll spot a few items that need to be reheated on the stove.
Special dietary needs welcome here
What are some of the special diets that Magic Kitchen happily accommodates? Click on Dietary Interest to get the full list, which includes diabetic-friendly, dialysis-friendly, all of the "lows" (low fat, low sodium, low carb), gluten free, dairy free, and more.
How about a trial pack?
There are lots of ways to set up your Magic Kitchen meal deliveries. Many people opt for the 15-Meal Trial Packs: there are four different sets that you can try for $120 each (with free shipping), two that are for a general diet, and one each for renal and dialysis diets. A typical meal might be Beef Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Carrots, or a Cheese Omelet with Peppers & Onions, Diced Red Potatoes, and Diced Pears. You can see every meal included in the pack, but there's no option to swap out choices when you do a trial set.
Order on demand or save with a Flex Subscription
If you decide you love Magic Kitchen's meals, you can continue to place one-off orders, no problem. But if you want to save some money, look at the details of their Flex Subscription. The higher your total and the longer the commitment, the more you save: for example, if your order is $200/month and you schedule deliveries for three months, you'll get free delivery and a 4% discount, while spending $400+ per month and subscribing for 9 months gets you 12% off (and free shipping too).
Extra ways to get discounts
But wait, there are even more ways to save. During our last visit to the Magic Kitchen site, there was a pop-up discount offer of 20% off. We were grateful that it was automatically applied to our cart: no email address (and annoying marketing subscription) required. You can also join the free Magic Moola loyalty program and earn points with every purchase, on your birthday and anniversary, and so on. The longer you're a Magic Kitchen customer, the more points you'll earn - and it only takes 2300 points to get a $50 gift certificate.
Wonderful reputation for quality and service
Magic Kitchen is a trustworthy company. They're "A+" rated and accredited by the Better Business Bureau, with zero complaints filed there over the last three years. Better still, over 2300 customers have given this meal delivery service a perfect five-star rating, saying it's a fantastic option for people who have special dietary needs. Clients praise the customer service team for prompt responses (and refunds when appropriate) if there's anything that doesn't live up to expectations. One review even mentioned that they gave a 15-dinner trial pack to someone as a sympathy gift and that the recipient said it was the most considerate, helpful thing that anyone could have done.
Meals are good but not exceptional
But, there's nothing really to write home about with Magic Kitchen's meals in terms of taste and flavor. And honestly, would you really expect that from a meal delivery company that is committed to helping people with special diets and seniors, who often can't have the full panorama of ingredients that make meals unforgettable?
Highly recommended for a very particular customer base
This is a company we feel good about recommending - to anyone who isn't looking for new-and-fun recipes to make at home or exotic meals to experiment with. Magic Kitchen has a limited niche that they serve very well, and while we can't rank it up with our favorite meal delivery services (because its narrow focus makes it less appropriate for the general public), this is a wonderful option if you're trying to provide nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals for an older person or someone on a restricted diet.
Isn't it amazing how many ways we have to make our lives easier, from Instacart grocery deliveries to DoorDash dinners from our favorite restaurants? Meal delivery services fall in the middle of that spectrum: you save the time and hassle of planning a menu and buying the ingredients, while not spending tons of money on weekly (or nightly) take-out meals and the corresponding gratuities. These services include heat-and-eat meals that arrive either fresh or frozen, as well as kits that come with all the ingredients necessary to make a gourmet-style meal right at home.
You may have noticed that meal delivery recipe choices are abundant. From classic, hearty favorites like chicken parm and burgers to exotic dishes from around the world, there's something for everyone. Vegan? No problem. Following a special diet for health or medical reasons, like keto or diabetic-friendly? You've got possibilities!
Many of these services are subscription-based: you choose the types of meals you prefer (or pick specific entrees), how many servings in each one, and how many meals you'd like in a week, and your deliveries will come like clockwork unless you pause your membership, skip a shipment, or cancel altogether. If that's not your preference, there are some meal delivery companies that let you place your orders whenever you like, with no ongoing commitment.
With almost every meal delivery service, you'll get big discounts on your first order (and sometimes several ones thereafter) - you could pay less than $2 per meal at the start. Just be aware that the regular pricing is higher, typically ranging from $6 to $20 per serving; you'll pay more for premium options with higher-quality proteins and ingredients (maybe for a special occasion?).
It's easy to get overwhelmed as you try to figure out which service to pick. Want some help? Here are a few factors to guide your decision:
To help you simplify your life with regular meal deliveries, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular services available today. We're confident that this will make it a breeze to choose the one that's right for you. Bon appetit!
Select any 2 Meal Delivery Companies to compare them head to head