Review of Meal Kit Supply 3-Course MREs w/ Flameless Ration Heater
Meal Kit Supply MREs have been reviewed by influencers all over the world. This video review of the Meal Kit Supply 3-Course MREs w/ Flameless Ration Heater is from popular MRE enthusiast, Steve198MREInfo. This video takes you through a taste test of each MRE main course, side dish, dessert, and beverage. Watch the video, or read below for the full video review.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
This is a case of Meal Kit Supply MREs weighing in at 22 pounds and containing separate menus. MKS produces an MRE that's the closest to what the US military uses, but is regularly sold to the civilian market. Check out that shelf-life information. That's just a good basic gauge to know. These things can usually last a little bit longer now.
Each one of MKS’ MREs contains approximately 1200 calories. Okay, let's give them a look. Right off the bat these things look pretty much just like standard government-spec MREs, but we got a sausage patty with hash browns – sounds awesome, beef taco — I’m going a little out of order here but beef ravioli with meat sauce, and apple maple rolled oats.
Now Meal Kit Supply has four breakfast menus per case. Here's another sausage patty with hash browns and another apple maple rolled oat. The size of those four breakfasts — although two are the same entrees – the sizes are going to be different. Vegetarian taco, pasta and vegetable lasagna — so you get a couple vegetarian main courses as well. Chili with beans, and I got some spaghetti and meat sauce, meatballs and marinara sauce – that’s a classic menu, and a cheese tortellini.
Alright, so that’s all the menus. I’m going to pick out a breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Alright, for breakfast I picked up that Apple maple rolled oats menu. Right off the bat we got that apple maple oatmeal made the 25th day of 2017. That's fresh! We got a wheat snack bread – trans-fat free. Hey, not bad!
And here's what I'm assuming is a toaster pastry — brown sugar cinnamon I believe, and peanut butter. We’ve got a government-spec flameless ration heater, classic tried-and-true. Cool. Hey, look at this — Sterling Foods too. MRE trans-fat free spice pound cake. That's awesome. And they got Sterling Foods making their baked goods. There’s cocoa beverage powder, carbohydrate electrolyte beverage powder fruit punch, and just a cardboard sleeve for that main course, and an accessory packet. All these accessory packets in these MREs come with a spoon, moist towelette, some deep rich instant coffee — it's probably one of the only generic civilian component of these MREs, sugar, salt and pepper, and a basic napkin Instead of the standard MRE toilet paper, and some Nestle creamer Coffee-mate.
Alright, let's get this out onto a tray – nice. Okay, first start off by heating up those oats. You want to equalize the water placement on that heating element. Oh yeah, listen to that. Okay let's get that back in a cardboard sleeve and while that's doing its thing, check out this drink. Hey, we might as well drop that deep rich coffee in as well. Each one of these MREs has this coffee, so for lunch or dinner, I'll try this out on its own. Look at those fine granules. Looks like a spray-dried coffee — a lot like an instant type one. Cool.
Now that carbohydrate electrolyte beverage base fruit punch – look how red it is – wow! So I'm gonna check out this that I think is a Pop-Tart while that’s heating up. It definitely smells like a Pop-Tart — and it is. Oh yeah, perfect way to start your day. A little bit crumbly — oh yeah that thing is crumbly. Okay, let's check out that trans-fat free wheat snack. Real curious to see if they’re different from the old-school kind. Well, it certainly looks the same — like that cut-out-of-a-loaf-of-bread kind of shape to it. Hmm, hey that's not nearly as dry as old-school wheat snack bread. Actually, wow this tastes a little bit more complex than it used to be. Wow, that's actually not too bad just on its own. I don't ever remember wheat snack bread being so moist. It's actually flavorful now. It tastes different. It has a whole-grain kind of undertone to it just a little bit. It's really not bad. Looking pretty good. I got to say the wheat snack bread and peanut butter is really filling.
That mocha right there — deep rich — mix it up with the hot cocoa and you’ve got yourself a decent army mocha. Not bad. I think the brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tart is like the fun food of the meal you know — quick and easy to eat — probably not the most nourishing thing.
Alright, so let's check out that spice pound cake. Wow, look at that. Hey, that has a nice seasonal almost like clove and nutmeg kind of smell. Oh that is — look at that. It definitely has that authentic MRE desert look to it. Nice and glistening. I’ve got to take a bite. That tastes like a doughnut. That tastes like a classic, seasonal spiced cake doughnut. Nutmeg, little bit of clove, and cinnamon. It's lightly sweet. Mmm — dense cake — look at that. Cool.
Alright, let's try this apple maple oats. It is heated up — oh yeah, feels like it's piping hot. Not bad. That's perfect — yeah it's really nice and hot. Well with that — that's a very inviting almost like mouth-watering kind of tangy apple smell. It almost smells like a pie filling. Let's try it out. You know that really does taste like some sort of apple pie filling — apple cobbler — something like that. Wow, doesn't really taste like oatmeal, just has a very lightly sweet — it’s a subtle cinnamon flavor. It's a prevalent apple — it's lightly sweet. Wait a second. I got an idea. I wonder what this would be like just take maybe one bite for starters — I don't know — but this might be really good right there to see what this is like on some of that pound cake — spice pound cake. Yeah that's where it's at. This is the perfect combination. I think these two were paired together for a reason. This is going to be perfect. Save one last bite on some – the rest of it. This is where it’s at. Mix that spice pound cake up with this apple maple oatmeal. Now it tastes like an apple cobbler through and through with the crust apple cinnamon. Doesn't taste like anything out of an MRE anymore — that's for sure. It's filling — no this whole meal — is going to be filling.
So this is what's up with MKS. Their breakfast meals — that makes it worth checking out right there. This is the kind of stuff people like myself look for — interesting and kind of unique desserts and main courses in a ration, but still like good quality that you know will last for a really good breakfast menu. This right here — I'm going to want to get that again. I would love to have that out camping. Fruit punch is probably the only out-of-place component in this breakfast. If it were orange flavored, at least I’d kind of feel like I was getting orange juice, but this is still pretty cool. Last, add electrolyte and pound cake. Perfect for breakfast. This seriously tastes like a shelf-stable doughnut – yeah!
This is really the only civilian MRE in my opinions worth checking out. Well I'm going to finish up the rest of this breakfast, and then we'll take it over to lunch.
Okay, and for lunch We’re going to check it out this chili with beans. Okay, so right off the bat we got that main here — chili with beans. This is one of the more hefty high-protein meals in an MRE. Eighteen grams of protein and 10 grams of fat. Twenty-nine carbs — not bad. Okay, so Santa Fe style rice and beans here — that sounds really good. You get two things with beans. Well, it’ll be interesting later — I mean definitely a higher protein MRE right off the bat. Eighteen and seven — you got 25 grams of protein right there. That's decent.
Oh hey look, another trans-fat free pound cake. Lemon poppy seed pound cake – cool. Strawberry jam. Okay crackers — classic sesame is a good combo. Alright, accessory packet with a spoon, lemon-lime electrolyte beverage base, and your FRH (flameless ration heater). Not bad. Alright, let's get this out onto a tray. Nice!
Okay, let's first start off by heating up that main course inside. Let’s try out the black beans first. With that heating element in between, let’s put this on the other side. Okay, pop that back in that sleeve. Alright, we’ll let that heat up. In the meantime I’m gonna check out some coffee. Let's see what this is like on its own. On its own, that's an exceptionally mild and smooth coffee — not bad. Nope, not bitter whatsoever. Let's check out that trans-fat free lemon poppy seed pound cake. Let’s see how this thing is looking — that looks perfect. Look at that — smells incredible. Just a lemon oil smell and it makes you want to bite right into that thing. Let's check out these crackers – 42nd day of 2017. Nice little hiss. Let’s see how well they maintain their shape.
Are they real busted up? Oh, not too bad. You know what I think — this is the part we might break up with the chili – that second cracker. That's no big deal ‘cause the strawberry jam is really only enough for one cracker anyway. I like to put my spreads on just one cracker. The other cracker I usually break up with the main course and improvise. So that's definitely the way to go, and now for the lemon lime electrolyte beverage base — that nice green glow to it — can't miss it in the dark.
Alright, so you don't — while that's heating up you can just kind of wait around. When they say it's a three-course meal, you can just kind of hang out and have your coffee first — maybe some pound cake. Let that thing do its thing. Mmm, this is perfect just the coffee on its own. I guess the creamer and sugar — you could put that in this. It would be really – you know — it's light on its own. So throw the creamer and sugar in if you really need it. It was a perfect combination — coffee and pound cake.
That's getting close to being ready. That's for sure — you know — still while I'm waiting might as well check out this jam. Looking good — classic combo right here. Wow, I just put a pretty big bite on there. Oh yeah, this is great. That's strawberry jam — just enough for one cracker to really give it the flavor that it needs and that's a perfect standard strawberry jam — prevalent strawberry flavor. See these little seeds in there? That's pretty cool.
Mmm. Check out this lemon-lime beverage base, oh yeah. It just tastes like Gatorade — super standard. Alright, this thing — pretty sure it's good to go. Oh yeah, that's ready. For sure. Wow, these are so hot. That flameless ration heater works perfectly. Let’s see what that’s looking like just on its own. Oh hey, that smells incredible. It's like a cheese, rice, and black beans. Let’s get this on the tray and get a good look at it. Oh yeah, look at that. Now for the chili and beans. Wow, that looks perfect.
I gotta check out this side here though. This right here — I've never seen this side before. Hmm, I'm picking up a little bit of a spicy — just cheddar cheese — yeah a little bit of chili pepper. Oh wow, I can't stop eating it. No, I'm gonna go — actually you know what — let's go for a little of both here. I didn't even try the chili on its own first. Oh well, look at that MRE chili with beans. It's one of the better main courses in the standard case of MREs. It's perfect — you know the only thing this thing's missing is a little packet of hot sauce — which there are hot sauce packets in this case of MKS. Some of these meals have them. I forgot to even — oh yeah — here we go. What am I doing here? That’s definitely the way to go.
You know, a lot of times you can just take the crackers and break it up still in the pack. MRE crackers just add a body and texture, and they’re just such a staple item and they last for years. Those MRE crackers have such a long shelf life. I mean, this is good disaster food. Say if even the main courses were spoiled, you happen to still have these things — the crackers and some of these components will still last. Crackers and peanut butter — oh yeah, it's the way to go. Right here, that adds the perfect crunchy texture when you just make some simple improvising moves — like busting up that cracker. Yeah, this is decent. I think this MRE here has about 30 to 34 grams of protein approximately. This meal here is a little more substantial than that breakfast — very well-balanced. I'm going to finish up my little pound cake here. Later on today I'll be taking it to dinner.
Alright, for dinner we’ll be checking out that vegetarian taco pasta and right off the bat, it’s got stamped vegetarian taco pasta on the 336th day of 2016. It’s got some peanut butter, and au gratin potatoes — hey, fifth day of 2017, and another lemon lime carbohydrate electrolyte beverage base. Oh, what’s this? Trans-fat chocolate chip cookie — trans-fat free.
Some classic MRE crackers, FRH, hot sauce, awesome cardboard sleeve, and our accessory packet. Looking pretty good. Alright, let’s get this out on the tray. Nice. Ok, let's first start off by heating up that main course inside. The main course feels really dense. While that’s heating up, I wouldn't mind checking out those drinks. That's going to be a good gauge of what this coffee is really tasting like. Let’s see what this deep rich is like with just about four or five ounces of water. I think that's the way you're supposed to do it. This is a lot like coffee instant — it's just about half as much in the packet — they just don't give you much. You should really take all three of your coffees if you're getting three of these MREs a day — take all three of them and drop them in a 12-ounce cup. It’s really more like a 10-ounce cup with all three packs — and you have something really rich — then it would be really rich. This is still really good I'm actually thoroughly enjoying this — not even pairing it with anything. I should probably save some to go with this chocolate chip cookie, which I just can't help myself. I gotta check this out. Oh yeah, look at that thing. Nothing like a shelf-stable chocolate chip cookie to brighten your day. That right there — that's beautiful. So let’s check out these crackers while we're at it – makes a little hiss.
This hot sauce — I wonder what this is going to be like. Aged cayenne red — not bad. Look at that chocolate-chip cookie. I've never seen one in an MRE look so normal and it smelled like – wow, vanilla and a milk chocolate smell. Hmm, that coffee is a match made in heaven, but the cookie is just a nice very familiar light vanilla milk chocolate. Oh wow, it just has such a nice — the chocolate’s so good smelling. I mean, it really has this — oh look at those chocolate chips. I mean there's a lot of them. That’s a quality shelf-stable chocolate chip cookie. Those chocolate chips have like a chewy — oh wow, you know what? That’s better than the pound cakes. I like this more than the pound cakes. I don't even know how that's possible. I love MRE pound cake but those chocolate chips have a milk chocolate fudge flavor and consistency. Chewy chocolate chips – yeah, you know that the old-school MRE cookie was not nearly as good as this. Look at that chocolate chip – it really has a glisten to it. What is that? That’s incredible. Desserts so far in all three of these have been awesome. Pound cakes — I've looked up the menus in some of these. There's puddings in some of these, a couple of them have zapplesauce — all of them have good desserts though — every one of these MREs.
You know, you have to rip open — like sometimes to get like pound cakes — to get like two of them — you have to rip open like a whole case of MREs. In this case of Meal Kit I think there's like four or five pound cakes — if not more. You'd have to rip open like four cases of MREs to get a lot of the sides that you get in just this one. It definitely simplifies things.
See how well this just heated up. It feels like it’s really cooked. Wow geez, I didn't expect it to look like that. That looks good. Nice and hot too. Look at that. Wow, that has an incredible aroma to it. I just want to go right for it. Now the potatoes au gratin. Now those are looking cheesy and awesome. Hmm, now that's amazing. It has a complex set of flavors to it. The tomatoes, the spices, the onion, the garlic, paprika, the little vegetable crumbles. You know, I guess it kind of tastes like beef, but it's textured soy protein. The beans definitely give it a fantastic body. The noodles are a little bit soft – just a tad — but the beans give that kind of balance that almost makes the noodles seem a little more al dente than they really are. This is terrific though — I mean, it doesn't need hot sauce, but I'm gonna throw it on there anyway. Excellent little vinegar-cayenne combo. It has a perfect little bit of kick to it. So let's see what it does for it. Definitely a different hot sauce than Tabasco. Okay, so that brings out the tomato. That's just an incredibly savory and satisfying dish. This is one of the better things in an MRE right now — that's for sure. I guess I didn't need crackers with it.
So the potatoes au gratin are amazing. You know what? Let's just try out — because these are creamy — the potatoes are soft and it's this very delicate cheese flavor. Let’s have a little bit of the two of these together and see what happens. Hmm, so that’s where I’m using the crackers. MRE crackers really do bring out flavors on other dishes. Kinda reminds me of nachos. That tastes like nachos and cheese. So then the two of these together — looking good. Mmm, that tastes like — when they say taco pasta it didn't really taste like a taco before, but when you add some cracker to this, it literally tastes like a taco — like a hard-shell taco.
That is a good cookie — I love the chocolate in this. This reminds me of – smells like fudge. Meal Kit Supply not that bad. Well anyway, this is Steve1898 of MRE Info. Hope you liked the video, and I'll be coming back at you with something new – or old.
Alright, cool. See ya.
*Please note: Menu items are subject to change and may differ from when the above video was recorded.
