Answers to Common Questions

Nutrition:

Hi there, I have an allergy to milk and cheese products. I noticed that ingredients aren't listed exactly to tell whether products are dairy-free or not. Are there plans to make this available?
If you click directly on the item, it will give you the specific information that you wish. There will be the ingredients of the product and also the nutritional information for that product on a per serving basis. We also have a new dairy-free icon. Look for: .

Does the nutrition information on the label cover the entire package or 1/2 of the package (2 servings per package)?
The nutritional information is based on a per serving basis. Nearly all our products come on a 2 serving per container basis unless explicitly noted. In the case of 2 items per tray, the nutritional information is for each of two servings in the tray.

Are your fruits and vegetables organic? What quality is your meat? Are there any grass fed, organic or natural?
As identified on our site, we try wherever possible to use organic and natural products in our entrees and side dishes. Given that some of the raw ingredients tend to fluctuate in price and availability based on season and where they come from, we cannot guarantee that our products are always 100% organic/natural all the time. In all cases we use top quality ingredients and never compromise with lesser quality products, ingredients or spices. Having healthy and nutritious meals is our motto.

Do you sell salt-free meals?
We sell low-sodium, but not salt-free, meals. They are easily seen on our menu, as each has a low-sodium icon: . Low-sodium meals have less than 408 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Do you sell low-carb meals?
Yes, we have a low-carb bundle, where each dish has 9 grams of carbs per 100 grams of food or under. Individual low-carb menu items are marked with a low carb icon:

Are any of your products Gluten Free?
We have stayed away from a specific gluten-free designation due to potential serious cases where cross-contamination can cause serious concern.  We do have a list of gluten and wheat-free products that you may use.  Please be aware that they have not been lab-tested and confirmed as gluten-free.

Using the list of unsafe foods: http://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=185&p_catid=12&sid=91hH9H1kyA5l4zv-24107291690.6d, these foods are gluten free:

BBQ Baby Back Ribs (contains 2% of modified food starch)
Beef Bordelaise (contains caramel color and modified food starch)
Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast (contains modified food starch)
Pan Seared Tiger Prawns with Sauce
Seasoned Baby Back Ribs
Sliced Beef Tri-tip au Jus (contains modified food starch)
Tilapia in Mediterranean Sauce
Turkey Hunter (contains caramel color, food starch and modified food starch)
Beef with French style Green Beans
Jambalaya with Chicken Sausage & Brown Rice
Broccoli, Mushroom & Zucchini Soup
Asparagus with Lemon Sauce
Broccoli & Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Buttered Carrots
Fresh Cut Corn Medley
Magic Mashed Potatoes
Minted Carrots
Saffron Rice
Spinach Italiano
Twice Baked Stuffed Potato
Panna Cotta

We do have many gluten free requirements from our customers and they are happy with these products as noted.

Do you put monosodium glutamate (msg) in any of your foods?
No, having healthy and nutritious meals is our motto. We do not use MSG.

Are you going to include any diabetic bundles?
Because each diabetic is given an individualized plan based on their particular needs, it is difficult to put together a generalized diabetic plan. Each of our menu item pages contains a nutritional panel, and as each diabetic person knows what's best for their particular diet, we recommend that if you want to purchase a meal bundle for a diabetic person, you have them look over our menu and make the choices for themselves.

Packaging:

How long can I keep the meals frozen before I cook them?
Our products can stay in the freezer for 3 to 4 months from when you get them but we suggest that they be eaten within 60 days to ensure you do not lose any food value to the product being in a frozen state.

Can I return the cooler and packaging that the order comes in?
At this time, only customers in the San Francisco area can return their coolers for reuse at MagicKitchen.com. The cooler and box are picked up by MagicKitchen.com  on a periodic basis for individuals that identify they would like to recycle the cooler.  The best way to let us know that you have a cooler to return is to email us at info@magickitchen.com or to call us at 877-51-MAGIC (877-516-2442) and we will put you on the list for pickup.  To encourage customers to always recycle their coolers, Magic Kitchen.com offers a $3.00 discount for the return of the cooler to the company. MagicKitchen.com encourages recycle and reuse wherever possible.

Can your meals be cooked in the microwave?
Almost all of our meals can be microwaved.  Everything except the chicken pot pie, the u-bake-strudel and 3 chicken dishes (Chicken Kiev, herb roasted chicken and lemon pepper chicken) can be cooked in the microwave or oven, whatever your preference is.

I noticed that all meals are for 2 or 4 people. Do you have a program for one person?
We do have meals that are packaged for one person, but they are sold as two servings. So you would get two packages of each item, but could thaw out one at a time. Unfortunately, many of our menu items would go up significantly in cost if we packaged them for one person. Items packaged for one person are indicated with this symbol:

We also feature our one-serving packaging in our One-serving Meals Bundle.

Ordering:

Can I order just the side dishes or do you have to order an entire meal in order to get the separate items?
Our products can be ordered in bundles that come with particular products enclosed. For those that wish individual items, either main courses or side dishes, the a la carte option is fully flexible and you order exactly what you want, not bundled main courses with side dishes.

Do you allow substitutions in your bundle deals?
We do allow limited substitutions in meal packages. To request a substitution you can note which item you would like to change on the order and also the item to replace it in the gift card notes box. also you can call our toll free number and we will take the order over the phone as well.

I don't understand your meal bundles-In your First time sampler, you say 5 meals for 2 or 4. If I order the option for two, would I get dinner for five days for two people, or 5 meals that make one dinner for two people?
If you order the first-time sampler for two (2 servings), you would get six full meals, and each meal would feed two people. So you would get dinner for six days for two people.

Shipping:

Can I pick up my order rather than having it shipped since I live on the border of Los Altos and S. Palo Alto?
Since we have a commercial storage and fulfillment facility doing our orders it is not practical to have individual orders picked up in person at this time. In the future we are considering having retail pick up locations. If this is of interest please let us know for future planning.

How do your shipping rates work?
Western Region -We cover Western WA, all of Oregon and CA, and parts of AZ and NV for a flat $15.00 shipping rate.

Central/Eastern Regions - The cost of delivery elsewhere in the U.S is based on weight of order and distance from the San Francisco Bay Area. MagicKitchen.com only charges you, the customer, what we are charged by UPS. You pay the net UPS cost not UPS list prices! With each order we have the shipping box, Styrofoam cooler, 5 lbs. of dry ice and gel packs included to ensure the meals get to you in top condition. Before any meals get placed into our shipping container there are close to 10 pounds of packaging and this additional weight gets included in the delivery cost. Given this method of delivery, the total cost of small orders will seem high given the inherit components of getting the meals to you.

Do you ship to Canada?
Currently we do not ship to Canada. Due to complex federal regulations we have not focused on expanding into Canada. We may at some point but no plan are in the works at this time.

Aloha, Do you ship to Hawaii?
Yes, we do! Please contact us for rates. We also ship to Alaska.

How do you ship?
Please see a detailed explanation here.

Why can't I select UPS Ground shipping if I live in Florida?
The maximum days in transit we offer is 2 days to ensure that the product is delivered frozen and safe to eat. We are working on 3 day so as to lower prices, but this involves changing our packaging, and so will take some time.

Miscellaneous:

Can I purchase a Gift Certificate?
Yes, we have gift certificates available here, and we also have gift packages here. If you would like a reminder of when a friend or relative's birthday is coming up, fill out our gift reminder form here. You may also like to examine our meal plans.

If you are buying a gift certificate as a last minute gift, you can either send the link in your order email to your recipient, or print the certificate out from the same link. Either way, we will also send a printed gift certificate to the lucky recipient!

How are you different from the companies that offer 'make and take', where you go in and make the dinners, then take them home for later reheating?
Our program is somewhat different in that our meals are hand prepared by professional chefs, then flash frozen and packaged for shipment to you. You will find our prices similar to those companies, but our meals are fully prepared and cooked and packaged for reheating either via stovetop, oven or microwave depending on the product being heated. Since the packaging we use goes from the freezer to the oven and microwave and is also recyclable, there is less cooking as well as less clean up with our meals, which means less time and cost for cooking, clean up and washing of pots and pans. Also this means more time for you and/or with your family. Since MagicKitchen.com does not have storefronts, we try to provide hormone free meats and organic vegetables for the same prices. You could say we are the Amazon.com of the restaurant business!!!!

Are there other locations for your business?
We take orders centrally for our toll free callers as well as for our online business.  At this time we are not considering retail locations under our own brand but we do offer products under other company's labels on a retail basis.

I received a box of your products as a gift. For each product, reading the label does not always tell whether the product is two servings or four.
If you refer to the nutritional label on the item it will tell you there if it is 1 or 2 portions:

Additionally, the same label is on the page on our website on which the product appears, in case the label is not on the package itself.

Where are you located?
Our kitchens, office and distribution center are all located in the greater San Francisco Bay area.

More questions? Email us and we'll reply within a day.

About Us

MagicKitchen.com offers a full menu of Gourmet frozen dinners and Gourmet TV Dinners delivered to your door. Founded in 2005, we have been revolutionizing the way busy Americans eat, with our chef-prepared frozen meals. Looking for the best Senior's Meal Plans, Elderly Meals, precooked meals. Senior Meal Delivery, senior meal programs and meal delivery? Get home-cooked goodness with MagicKitchen.com!

We also provide a full complement of food gifts, meals for seniors, Seniors' discounts and meal plans for your busy lives. Our online ordering makes it easy! Look to us for low-fat, low- carb, low-sodium and heart-healthy precooked meals. Seniors love these meals; they are easy to reheat and are delivered frozen. And there's no clean-up!

No one else does it like MagicKitchen.com for home cooked meals delivered to your house, offering a variety of delicious, easy-to-prepare gourmet frozen entrees and easy meals to suit your taste.

New parents love our convenience. Erma Bombeck described what having a child does to a person's desire to prepare dinner: "When it comes to cooking, five years ago I felt guilty 'just adding water.' Now I want to bang the tube against the countertop and have a five-course meal pop out. If it comes with plastic silverware and a plate that self- destructs, all the better," she wrote.

We offer a variety of delicious, Chef-prepared frozen entrees, soups and sides; people love to order our meals online to send prepared foods as delicious gifts to family and friends.

Customers love our Seniors Meal Plans, Lighter Side Meal Plans, Low Sodium Meals and Meal Program Delivery. Look to us for the best Dinner Solutions, Meal Ideas and Senior Meal Programs!

Bon Appetit!!