KiwiCo Yummy Crate Review: Cooking Up Kitchen Confidence and Scientific Curiosity

Hey there, fellow foodie parents! As a mom of two budding chefs and a certified children‘s nutritionist, I‘m always on the lookout for ways to get my kids excited about cooking and learning in the kitchen. So when I heard about the new KiwiCo Yummy Crate, a monthly subscription box that explores culinary science through recipes and hands-on activities, I knew I had to give it a try.

I‘ve been a fan of KiwiCo for years – their award-winning STEM kits are unparalleled for quality and developmental benefits. Over the past decade, they‘ve racked up over 20 awards, including Toy of the Year, Parents‘ Choice, and Good Housekeeping Best Toy. And with over 1500 products and 30 million crates sold, it‘s clear I‘m not the only parent who‘s impressed.

The Yummy Crate is their latest innovation, aimed at kids 6-14 who are hungry to learn about the science behind their food. Each box comes with:

• 3 kid-tested, step-by-step recipes
• 2 hands-on STEAM activities
• A specialty cooking tool
• Yummy Zine, a comic-filled magazine with kitchen tips, food history and more
• Grownup Guide with ingredient lists, recipe notes and conversation starters

When our first Yummy Crate arrived, my 8-year-old daughter could hardly wait to open it up. The colorful, high-quality materials were inviting and age-appropriate. As a visual learner, she loved paging through the Yummy Zine, giggling at the jokes while picking up fun facts about the chemistry of cooking.

The recipes were easy to follow, with clear photos for each step. I appreciated that they weren‘t dumbed down, but explained real cooking techniques like chopping, sautéing, and seasoning in a kid-friendly way. The pre-measured ingredients and kid-sized tools (like a nylon knife and mini whisk) made it safe and doable for my daughter to take the lead.

Our first project was homemade pasta and sauce, which taught about the science of gluten and Maillard browning. My daughter was fascinated to learn how kneading the dough and toasting the tomato paste affected the flavor and texture. Tasting her creations, she was so proud – and to be honest, they were restaurant-quality!

Over the next few weeks, that Yummy Crate got some serious mileage in our kitchen. The other recipes and experiments, like ice cream in a bag and DIY sprinkles, were just as engaging and delicious. I noticed my daughter becoming more curious and confident, asking to help with dinner and dreaming up her own culinary innovations.

As a children‘s nutritionist, I know that cooking has tremendous developmental benefits for kids, far beyond healthy eating. Studies show that getting kids in the kitchen boosts math and reading skills, scientific reasoning, fine motor coordination, and social-emotional bonding. One literature review found that cooking programs for children "may positively influence children‘s food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors" (Hersch, 2014).

That‘s why I love that KiwiCo has created an all-in-one resource to empower parents to cook with their kids in an educational way. The Yummy Crate makes it so easy to fit in these important lessons and memories, without having to scramble for ideas or supplies.

I reached out to Dr. Kim Lee, the food science consultant who helps KiwiCo develop the Yummy Crate, to get her take:

"The kitchen is the ultimate science lab for kids – there‘s so much fascinating chemistry, biology and physics happening every time we cook. But without guidance, those connections often get missed. That‘s why we‘re thoughtful about choosing recipes and activities that highlight scientific concepts in a tasty, tangible way. We want kids to experience those aha moments when they realize the amazing STEM at work in their food."

The price is reasonable for the quality and convenience, starting at $22.95 for a month-to-month subscription or $17.50 per month for an annual membership. Considering everything that‘s included, and the potential hours of educational engagement, it‘s a great value in my book.

Shipping is free in the US, and international shipping is available to most countries for $3-7 per box. You can cancel online anytime, and KiwiCo‘s stellar customer service will make it right if you‘re not satisfied.

Since discovering the Yummy Crate, it‘s become one of my favorite ways to bond with my kids in a meaningful way. Watching their eyes light up as they learn and create in the kitchen is so rewarding. And selfishly, I love that it makes cooking fun for me too – no more boring mac and cheese rut!

If you‘re looking for a fresh way to connect with your kiddos and get them thinking like little Alton Browns, I can‘t recommend the KiwiCo Yummy Crate enough. It delivers on its promise of tasty fun and kitchen confidence, while sneakily teaching some serious science. Two oven mitt thumbs up from this foodie mama!

Ready to get cooking? Treat your family to a Yummy Crate subscription and use code YUMMYTIME for 30% off your first month. And if you‘ve tried this or any other kid‘s cooking kits, I‘d love to hear about your experience in the comments. Let‘s dish!

References

Hersch, D., Perdue, L., Ambroz, T., & Boucher, J. L. (2014). The impact of cooking classes on food-related preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of school-aged children: a systematic review of the evidence, 2003-2014. Preventing chronic disease, 11, E193. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.140267