First Impressions is a series that introduces and reviews new brands to My Subscription Addiction, drawing from readers' requests for an insider's first look. Interested in seeing more reviews from this brand, or have another box in mind that you'd like to see reviewed? Let us know in the comments.
If you've read my reviews, you know that I am a big fan of KiwiCo and have tried pretty much all of their lines at some point or another so it's no surprise that I had to check out their latest line, Yummy Crate, a STEAM-based approach to cooking for ages 6-14.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
What's Inside a Yummy Crate?
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Everything we needed came inside of this folder which was nicely organized. Each month you'll receive three colorful recipe cards, a specialty cooking tool, hands-on projects, and a Yummy Zine with fun facts about food and some history, which adds an educational aspect to the box. Your child will learn basic cooking skills and even learn a little cooking science in the process! They will also provide a grown-up guide that includes an ingredients list so you can do your shopping beforehand. The recipes are family-friendly and they even provide substitutions for those with dietary preferences or restrictions. Let's take a closer look at all these items!
Cooking Tool: Burger Press
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Our cooking tool this month was this plastic burger press which was very easy to use and clean! It's also one of those cool things that most people might not already own!
Grown-Up Guide
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This little paper lets the adult know all of the items you will need for the three recipes. There is a great ingredient substitution list on the back as well.
Yummy Zine
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Our Yummy Zine was full of educational information about the Maillard reaction and the history behind it as well as some fun facts about burgers. There was also an activity and a story to really get kids engaged.
Experiment: Browning Dough
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Our experiment this month was to explore the Maillard reaction and practice browning some dough using different washes. We didn't actually get to this activity yet, but I think it's a perfect kitchen experiment that is so useful in teaching cooking basics!
Activity: Design Your Own Diner Menu
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My daughter loved this activity which had her coming up with her own restaurant and designing the menu for it.
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They provided everything we needed to make our menu; colorful markers, two pages to fill out, a plastic cover for our pages, and even a dry-erase marker to fill out our Specials for the day.
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My daughter loved coming up with a name, designing a logo, and especially figuring out her menu! She came up with "Liv's Grab a Bite to Eat Restaurant." Now let's check out what was on the menu!
The Recipes: Tasty & Toasty
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We received three colorful recipe cards that were incredibly easy to read and use! This month we were making Browned Burgers, Smashed Potatoes, and Chicken Tenders. All of which involved some browning and demonstrated the Maillard reaction we learned about.
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Here is a closer look at one of the recipes. The tools and ingredients were listed in checklist form, and every step was marked so clearly and accompanied by a helpful picture.
So, how did it go?
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The recipe was super easy to follow. My daughter gathered the ingredients and the tools we needed and then we got started cracking eggs, adding spices, mixing up the hamburger meat, and then forming them into balls. This part took a little convincing for her because she didn't want to touch it at first, but I think she actually enjoyed it by the end!
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She loved using the burger press to flatten the balls of meat. Then we fried them up, topped them with cheese and they were ready to go!
You can see she really enjoyed her burger, as did the rest of us! They were very simple but incredibly tasty!
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We also tried out the smashed potatoes recipe which was another chance to use our burger press, plus it made for a tasty side for our burgers!
Value - Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $22.95 + free shipping
I always worry about whether cooking boxes are going to feel valuable because after all, you still have to purchase all of the ingredients yourself! In this case, there were minimal ingredients that I had to actually go out and get and while there was only one actual cooking tool provided, there were a ton of extra items that my daughter really enjoyed and our experience was definitely worth the cost of this box!
Key Takeaways
My daughter and I had so much fun with this box and I absolutely loved that there was a real learning component to it as well as the extra activities like making her own menu. It was engaging and educational, and we got to spend some quality time together making a meal for our family, so this box was a great fit for us!
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To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? It is possible you might get this crate, but it is not a guarantee. From KiwiCo:
Crates are assigned each month based on availability and your crate history - not all subscribers receive the same theme each month.
What do you think of Yummy Crate? Click below to write a review!
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