SpiceCraft Kiwi Seasoning/Rub product reviews

I'm a very plain boring cook who likes to cook what I know the family will eat. So therefore when my husband saw the Spice Craft Kiwi seasoning/rub he was rather excited to try it. He loves the other Spice Craft products we have tried and this one was to be no different.

As with the Spice Craft shakers it is a plastic shaker. I do tend to prefer glass due to sustainability but you can buy the spice in resealable packet which could be used to refill this shaker. The holes in the top are a generous size allowing a good amount of product to come out and doesn't block unlike some I have tried. It is very easy to use. Also as with all the Spice Craft seasoning/rubs I love the label design which clearly shows spice level, ingredients, what it can be used on and the no bad stuff tag. I love that it is gluten and dairy free so can be enjoyed with family members who can't have these products.

On opening and smelling the rub the spices had been blended perfectly providing a smell I couldn't wait to try. The garlic and smoked paprika stood out to me. I wasnt sure what I was going to try it on so my husband suggested steak in an open steak sandwich.

Boy was my husband right. The spice blended beautifully with the steak and added a great flavour to our dinner. The rub although rated a two out of five chillies did have a little bit of a kick to it which was a bit too much for the kids liking. I guess if you use less or more you could control the flavour. Also the different food the rub is used with may provide slightly different flavours.

My husband and I really liked the flavour of the Spice Craft kiwi seasoning/rub. The kids didn't like it at all. I am keen to try this on other meat and vegetables. At $6 a 60g shaker it will be used sparingly as I feel this is a little bit more than I would usually pay for spices or seasonings. This is a rather versatile seasoning which can be used in a range of dishes. I would definitely recommend this product for people to try.

When it comes to herbs and spices, I tend to use the same couple of products. I know them, I know how to use them, how much to use and what to use them with. But there is always room for another new herb or spice on the spice rack and this one, the Kiwi Seasoning Rub looked and sounded exactly like what we might like!

All my other spices are in glass jars as that is what I prefer for both aesthetics but as well as longevity. But with the Spice Craft rub, the plastic jar has blended in perfectly with the other jars. Time will tell if the rub will last as long as the ones in the glass and not turn into one big lump if moisture can get in. However, it was lucky it was plastic as I managed to drop it first time using it.

When I received the Spice Craft Kiwi Seasoning/Rub in the mail, I had already prepped our meat for that night with marinade so I couldn't use it there as I wanted to be able to taste it on its own without other ingredients. But I did still have the salad to do, so I decided to try and add it to the deviled eggs to see if I could reach a new level with a simple egg and aioli recipe. And it did! A new dimension was added in something so simple, and something I have made twice already again.

The next night I had chicken out. Normally I use garlic and sea salt seasoning, or a simple fries seasoning as my go-to for chicken seasonings, but the Spice Craft Kiwi Rub seemed like the perfect seasoning to try! Not having used it before for this, I was very glad to see the instructions on the side of the jar which instructed to use 1-2 teaspoons per 500g of meat or vegetables. I can see that this jar would last quite a long time going by that! Was very simple to sprinkle on as the holes on top of the jar are of a decent size which makes pouring very manageable. So once sprinkled on, a quick rub into the chicken and we were set to bake it. The smell was divine while cooking, I couldn't wait to try it and see what flavours came out. I do not like spicy food at all, and seeing that this was only a 2/5 spice rating as per the jar I was hoping it was the same for my taste buds. Oh wow, it was divine! Definitely recommend to try this delicious seasoning on chicken. Next time it will be a whole roasted chicken.

So once eggs were tried and a meat was tried, it was onto vegetables. I was doing roasted vegetables and normally I use fries sprinkle, but after the chicken success, I was keen to try it on these! It didn't fail to impress. Vegetables cut up, tossed into a bowl with a little olive oil and 2 teaspoons of seasoning and then spread out onto a roasting dish for roasting. 50 minutes of roasting and the smells that came out of the oven were absolutely delectable. The seasoning definitely did not overpower the earthy flavours of the roast vegetables, but instead worked well together.

On first look of the jar, I was trying to find where some inspiration was on what I could use this on. Initial look over, and I saw nothing. And then looked again and under the name I saw pictures of a fish, a pig, a chicken, a carrot and a cow. When I picked up the jar a couple of days later, it was then that I noticed light grey writing on the black label with the words such as mac n cheese, pulled pork, soup and burgers. All great suggestions that I can't wait to try. But making these suggestions clearer to read would be better I would think.

$8 for the 60g shaker is definitely on the more expensive side when comparing other seasonings which are around $3-$5 normally. So while it will definitely be on my shopping list again, it wouldn't be one I will always use mainly due to this price. But it does make a great addition to our spice rack.

I enjoy using seasonings in my various meals, the right one can be used in almost any dish and this one seems to be heading that way. The suggestions for using this are short and sweet, use 1-2 tbsp per 500g of food as a rub or just add how much you want to other dishes. I coated some diced potato and zucchini with oil and then some of this rub. When I pulled this out the oven it had a pleasant aroma, my kids weren't fans but happily ate it once they'd slathered it in tomato sauce, I found it added a good flavour, I added salt and that made it perfect.

A family favourite is pizza pockets for dinner, but the second night in a row I wasn't too keen on it, so I grabbed this and sprinkled it on top of the base sauce and again a little on top before popping it in my oven. Biting into this I found that it really added a nice element of flavour to the meal and perked it up a bit, I was happy to gobble it down and will use it again next time we go with pizza pockets. I felt like making some chip dip just because. I went with the kiwi fave of a can of reduced cream mixed with a budget brand French onion soup powder and lemon. Once chilled I mixed in about a teaspoon of this mix, and I say about because I really just played it by ear. I wasn't expecting anything wonderful but it was so nice that lets just say no chips were harmed in the eating of the dip!

This is so versatile and only packs a punch if you use too much, will get this again.

I'm no expert in the kitchen by any means when it comes to cooking but I do dabble in experimenting with different herbs and spices trying to create a master blend of flavours that will taste wonderful which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Thankfully companies such as Spicecraft have already done the hard yards and have mixes already available for use. The main dish I always try to create different flavours for is potato chips so naturally, this is the first trial I decided to use the Kiwi seasoning rub on. I cut several potatoes up into round slices and spread the kiwi seasoning over the top and placed them in the oven. The mix is a fine golden blend of herbs and spices which you have to control quite finely out of the container because of the large pouring holes. The aroma of the mix smells like a tangy tomato almost.

I removed them from the oven when they were crispy brown and bit into one right away. The Flavour was a strong smokey barbeque taste with a slight touch of heat due to the paprika. The next night we decided to make our own take on bento bowl using chicken schnitzel on rice with coleslaw, vegetables and boiled egg. We used the Kiwi seasoning to sprinkle over to add a touch of flavour to the mix and it really gave the meal a unique smokey taste that blended well. The packaging is really informative with the front of the label showing you suggestion of what you can use it on, its spice meter of two out of five chillis and the fact that it is all natural, dairy free, gluten free and contains no MSG.

I look forward to trying this on other dishes as it has a lovely flavour that I can see pairing well with many different foods and I would love to try to use it in a bread mix. The kids really have enjoyed it and in both dishes I have used it on for them they fully finished those meals. I recommend this to anyone who loves crafting different flavours throughout their meals and anyone who is big on making barbeque or smoked meals that want to experiment with unique tastes.

My family and I absolutely love this product! It's great as a seasoning on its own for meat and vegetables or you can do what we do... Combine it with their Cajun spice and their jerk seasoning and a wee bit of brown sugar. We rub it over chicken nibbles and it is amazing! ( my friend taught me this).

We initially bought the shakers of each flavour and now we just buy the refill pouches. Works out much cheaper in the pouches. Of course, if you already have some nice shakers of your own you can save the initial extra expense. It is made in Christchurch which was a huge selling point for me. I initially thought that the price was a little steep when I first got told about it. But once I tried it I was hooked. However, with the "kiwi" flavour, I would recommend getting a few of the other range to compliment it.

We have never had a delivery issue from the company and the turn around is fast. How ever we are fortunate enough that our local produce shop stock the majority of the range so we no longer have to pay shipping. Happy eating!

Since living on my own and having a partner who loves to cook I have come to love seasonings and especially love trying new ones. When at home I generally don't have a lot of time (due to work meetings and running a business from home) to prepare nice meals so having a seasoning that adds a lot of flavour to something that can cook very quick is right up my alley. When my partner cooks for me he enjoys experimenting with new things and creating really nice tasting food - so seasonings work well in here too. Funnily enough though when I was putting in my requests for this round he didn't want to try any more seasonings as we have had a few lately (with ones I have had in reviews and subsequent ones I have purchased from brands I've been introduced to through KIWIreviews) but I snuck in a request anyway as I decided I wanted to try it at home by myself even if he wasn't interested. Well let's just say he's more than pleased that I did put the review in because it turns out this is one of his favourite seasonings and the jar is now living at his place!

Upon opening the jar I was met with a smell that I can only assume is the horopito as it had a bit of a spicy kick to it. The paprika is obviously there too, easily seen in the colour. Trying to decide how to try it first we settled on some chicken and bacon cooked up in the rub served with a salad and some garlic bread. We cut up the chicken and put it in a sealable bag with some of the seasoning, gave it a good shake to make sure it was all coated and then cooked it in a fry pan with a splash of oil and some bacon that I needed to use up. The smell when it was cooking was just amazing! I couldn't wait to try it. We served it with a simple salad of lettuce, carrot, spinach and capsicum with a little bit of garlic aioli (more because I thought if it was going to be on the spicy side the aioli would help to give my taste buds a little break!). The flavour on the chicken was just AMAZING! It was the right amount of spice (I am able to handle a little more spice now than I was able to a year ago but I still like things reasonably mild) and an amazing depth to flavour. I suspect that this seasoning would be amazing in so many things - in particular I said that a bolognese or tomato pasta sauce would be made so much more amazing with some of this spice. I look forward to seeing what else we use it with over the coming weeks - depending on how long it lasts of course!

When you open the lid you get a lovely smokey hit which makes you excited to use the seasoning. This kiwi seasoning/ rub is so good and goes with many different foods which is great as good value for money and great for the taste buds. I tried this with steak both beef and venison, on chicken, on lamb chops, on roast vegetables like potato, kumara, pumpkin and parsnip and also had on top of my mac and cheese last night. This is a wonderful delightful added flavour to my meals and I love the new tastes it brings to my meals.

It is easy to use and you get a lot of uses from the 60g shaker. I feel like the seasoning / rub goes a long way and is value for money even though the price is more then what I would normally pay for a seasoning. I love the fact it is gluten free, dairy free, all natural and no MSG. It has a slight spice to it but nothing to strong so it is great for the whole family and my ten year old son does not moan it is to hot for him. He really enjoys it so that is a bonus.

I really like the bottle and the labeling and it speaks for itself. It has the pictures on the label on what you can use the seasoning/ rub with and they are not wrong when it shows it goes with pretty much every type of meat red or white and veges. Quick and easy to use, the lid is easy to pop off and place back on and you can see how much is left in the bottle which is great. I will be recommending this to friends and I am sure they will be keen to try some on the meat at our next bbq.

I was most excited about receiving this item as I fell in love with Kiwi Seasoning from a dish I got from the butchery recently. I wanted to see how it was in a salt form and see if I could recreate the flavour when I can just sprinkle it from a container. It has such a unique smokey flavour and that smell is just divine.

I had learnt from the two other jars that I got to review that you need to remove the tag from underneath the lid before you do anything, and on this occasion it came off so easily. I screwed the lid back on and then had a sniff of the jar and I can assure you it smells fantastic - you can definitely smell the Paprika. I had a Roast Beef that I was eager to try this out on and again with this product the lid is the perfect accessory to use when dusting a big piece of meat. I sprinkled it in various places of the meat and rubbed it in. A little does go a long way and although it was clumpy in areas I just rubbed a little harder to push the contents around.

When my husband came home from work he straight away commented on the delectable smell coming from the kitchen. It gave such a nice aroma and made your mouth water. Everyone agreed the meat was very fragrant and yummy to eat. The flavour was so nice that I will definitely be using again.

Now I had run out of cinnamon for my cabbage and though I might sprinkle a tiny bit of this with some butter to see how it tasted. In retrospect I did not really use a lot so I can not comment on the difference of the taste although my youngest did say the cabbage tasted different to how it usually does. My husband and myself could not really taste it so I am unsure it is one of those items we will need to play around with.

The only other dish I used it on was Porterhouse Steak last night. The pieces of steak were actually quite small and I did not want to over power them using to much flavouring but in this case it was perfect I only used a sprinkle on each one. I have learnt my lesson from the other products and in this case I sprinkled some on to a spoon and then used that to sprinkle on the meat then rub in and it was delectable. Usually I prefer my garlic butter but this was fantastic and a meal I will be cooking again.

On two of the three meals it totally transformed the meal and everyone agreed how yummy the meals were. With the cabbage it still has that question mark. I am keen to see what other dishes I could cook with it as it does show a range of items on the cover. It does say to be used within three months and I am unsure if I will make it by then but I am going to try.

We love spare ribs in my family, whether complete with a marinade already added or cooked with a home assembled sauce. I had been able to get a large pack of fresh ribs, so I asked some family and friends to join me in testing the new Kiwi Seasoning/Rub. We had some homegrown greens as well, so had the makings of a hearty meal - kiwi style.

I began the day before their visit by preparing a marinade of kiwi seasoning, avocado oil, and a pinch of sugar. I then left it for a couple of hours to absorb the flavours before pre-cooking it in a slow broiler. This ensured that the meat was beautifully tender and flavoursome. I even tried a little (as a taste test) and had to stop myself from eating the lot. It would not do for my visitors to arrive and find the meat all gone!

Next day, we fired up the barbecue and finished off the ribs over a hot flame. This meant that any excess fat dripped off and the surface was left with an attractive glaze. We served the finished product with the garden greens plus a mashed potato, cauliflower and chive mixture. Some of the adults added a shake of the seasoning to their potatoes but the children were content to eat theirs without any additional flavours. The sweetness of the paprika and the tang of the horopito were enough for them.

Having tried out this recipe, I waited a few days before testing it out with macaroni cheese. I used a mild cheese (Edam) with the white sauce so it would not be too overwhelming, then sprinkled some kiwi rub and breadcrumbs on top before browning it. This was delicious too although I thought it needed more seasoning. It was easy to remedy that, however, by simply adding some at the table in place of regular salt. The bonus, of course, is that you add less sodium and more herbs and spices, so that makes it a healthier option.

We are having potato skins tonight, so I am going to try out the rub in place of regular salt. This time I am not going to warn anyone - there will be several people coming round - so it will be interesting to see their reactions. Judging by the way it was received in the spare ribs and macaroni dishes, I expect the reception will be favourable this time too. Personally, I love the flavour combination of the horopito and paprika and can think of many more uses for it in the future.