Bagel-fuls by Kraft

[Mbgurl]

BAGEL-FULS made by Kraft

4 individual serving packages per box



4 seperate flavours of boxed varieties to choose from:

• plain cream cheese
• chive
• strawberry
• cinnamon

Apr 2009 Update: Bagelfuls now come in BLUEBERRY too!
Thanks Kraft, you've made me very happy!


Price: Approx. $.75 each. Seems to depend on which grocery chain and possibly where in Canada even?Around my house, they cost around $3.00 per box that contains four individually wrapped packages but they go on special at both IGA and Safeway at 2 for $5.00, so far.

Calories & Nutrition: Never looked, don't care - total YUMMY-VILLE! Okay, I went and checked, here goes:

Per 1 filled 71 gram Original Cream Cheese Bagel-ful
190 Calories
Fat 5 g - 8%
Saturated 3.0 g + Trans 0.3 g - 17%
Cholestrol 15 mg - 5%
Sodium 210 mg - 9%
Carbohydrate 30 g - 10%
Fibre 2 g - 8%
Sugars 4 g
Protein 7 g
Vitamin A - 4%, Vitamin C - 0%, Calcium - 2%, Iron - 15%,
Thiamin - 25%, Riboflavin - 15%, Niacin - 15%, Folate - 30%
Percentage designations (I believe) being of the amounts recommended of daily intake value.

Value: At .75 each a Bagel-ful is not a bad value, especially compared to cost of some other different options you could choose instead.

I was a bit of a hard sell on this product at first. My introduction was when I received an itty-bitty fifty cent coupon for these Bagel-fuls passed on to me by surprise coupon trading on Smart Canucks. After barely more than just a moment or two of curious contemplation, but even pausing to ask hubby for his thoughts, relegated that coupon to my Smart Canucks trade list, deciding it just wasn't a tempting enough savings offer to risk buying another new product that maybe we wouldn't like? Tired tune to sing but nevertheless frequently sung around here given our limited budget and that I can cook most anything from scratch and usually do.

Don't get me wrong, we love bagels and it's one bread I haven't tried making even once...yet. We even like bagels and cream cheese very much though it's hard to keep enough of each around at the same time. Suppose we initially assumed this product would be priced for the convenience and likely would not be a very good value? Worse, we figured they probably could never be near as good as "the real thing" and were probably for either very busy, or plain lazy folks, so we decided to give it a pass?! Really, how long does it take to make a bagel yourself we both said?! Normally, that would be end of story for yet another new frozen food idea launched, at least as far as my house goes, but Kraft had not finished trying tempt me yet and we couldn't have been more wrong... thank goodness!

Like many that are signed up to receive What's Cooking Magazine from Kraft online, an email invite turned up one day in my mailbox. An invite of type that Kraft, or any other company, is more than welcome to flood my mailbox with anytime, and hopefully repeatedly too?! Let's hear it for companies with products so good they know you'll buy more once you've tried them and who believe it enough to give it away at first so you will!!! Kraft offered me my favorite thing, a free FPC, tax included even! Yay, Kraft and thanks!!! Even had my choice of one full-sized package completely free from a selection of 3 newer Kraft products, if I would be kind enough to do a review for Kraft after sampling my freebie selection? Seemed pretty important to them that I tell many others about my experience too, so their confidence was not exactly hidden. A short review in exchange for a free full-sized sample, now there's a no-brainer decision! Of course I'd participate, why on earth not?! Beat the less than tempting meagre initial fifty cent savings all to blazes, that's for sure! Of course I was game and couldn't say yes fast enough, which was a good thing since the offer was extremely time limited! Well, wouldn't you know, Bagel-fuls were one of the selections, just as I had hoped and you've probably guessed, given my title and intro?!

When we went to redeem our coupon that had very quickly arrived two days earlier, we discovered our local IGA had the Bagel-fuls on for a 2fer special price. Still, we only grabbed the one since it was a free box... the first time we purchased Bagel-fuls, even though there were four satisfactory flavours to choose from.

Let's face it, we tried Bagel-fuls almost entirely because Kraft gave us a freebie product coupon so we would be sure to try them! Now I have, am thinking wisenhammerly that the only thing missing was we weren't in a schoolyard when they made me the free sampling offer? Well never mind, it's an all good scenario involving Kraft for my having been selected to freely at first sample this heavenly sinful and likely addiction?!

Thanks almost entirely to this "Krafty" freebie sample for review offer, these Bagel-fuls will be, and already are, a regular item on our grocery list now! One that is rarely purchased now only one box at a time. I even pulled the once deemed bitty, now precious, fifty cent coupon from my SC trade list too - sorry too late, mine again now... well, IGA's really since redeemed already too! Since they do only come in four flavours, so far anyway, they won't completely replace old-fashioned bagels entirely. Too many favoured flavoured varieties of the regular old-fashioed bagel, it's just not practical for Kraft to offer as many but even these few four will give the old-fashioned sort some stiff competition eventually, once the word spreads. Certainly will be chosen most of the time over old-fashioned buns from now on at our house and might occasionally even take the place of some other options sometimes too!

Have tried the plain cream cheese ones, strawberry and also the chive but haven't tried the cinnamon variety yet, they are always sold out! If these Bagel-fuls were just fair fare, they would not replace the real deal for me, not even occasionally. If they were average, I would not urge you to try them, which I definitely believe you should do! Certainly, in Bagel-fuls favour is that they're easier, safer, faster and neater to prepare and eat, but most importantly, at least what matters most to hubby and I and will keep us going back to the frozen food isle to buy more, is that they're freakingly scrumptous right down to the last toasty warm and creamy bagel bite of luxurious perfection that rival the original version rather than pale next to them! That's why we'll buy Bagel-fuls now, and again and again, because they are delicious and actually a pretty good value too really, given how much cream cheese is neatly stuffed inside. Might never have known how truly great Bagel-fuls are, better even in some ways than old-fashioned fare, if not for Kraft's wise marketing savvy and generosity likely derived from firm belief in their product enough to know the free coupons passed out for our "so-called" reviews would be money well spent in the long run? Without the freebie offer, I might never have tried them at all?! That would've been most unfortunate all around?!

Mmmmm! These Bagel-fuls ARE SOOOO SATISFYINGLY GOOD! In my opinion, Bagel-fuls are much better than the original real deal when comes to convenience, but they are also superior a few ways in taste!!! First time ever a frozen ready-made heat-n-eat convenience food was deemed prefered over the real deal by me or my hubby!!! Thanks very much Kraft, appreciate the FPC you gave out very much!!!

Here's why I say that Bagel-fuls are better than old-fashioned bagels...

Whether at home, or even in some restaurants, a regular old-fashioned bagel with cream cheese is usually served pretty much cold even if toasted. It's smeared usually somewhat thinly with firm, cold, unwhipped cream cheese kept in the fridge and rarely heated first for spreading and serving, let alone whipped fluffy and soft like inside a Bagel-ful! An old-fashioned bagel is tasty enough though, and certainly familiar that way, but Bagel-fuls are stuffed generously with creamy quality cream cheese that gets all warm and soft from heating up to prepare... trust me, it's much better when both the bun and the filling are warm! Often just the first few bites are even remotely warm with a regular bagel but Bagel-fuls are warm right til your last bite, unless you eat slower than most maybe, I suppose? A "real" bagel cools before consumption partly because the cold topping applied after it's toasted helps cool the halved bun off, but also because of the time it takes to try somewhat evenly spread each half with cream cheese, never mind if you also like to butter them first? Please tell me you use a seperate knife and don't crumb up the cream cheese like some do here - ew?!

With Bagel-fuls, gone is the need for a bagel cutting device cluttering up the kitchen or any need to hone your halving skills accurately splitting those tricky rubbery round donut-shaped buns into two parts even remotely evenly. Mom's, you won't ever have to worry about your younger ones messing around with sharp knives if you choose Bagel-fuls instead of old-fashioned plain bagels?! If they want jam or other extras, give them a spoon. Cudos though if you are rare one that can split bagels well all the time but most of mine are usually all crookedly lopsided and I don't need any more 1-use gadgets cluttering up my kitchen if can be avoided? Thankfully now, we have Bagel-fuls that are already perfectly split for us. No sharp utensils required! Practically no work required either, just heat and eat! Can still have them softer and chewy (microwaved) or outside crispier (toasted) as the method to heat is up to you?! Mum doesn't need to worry the cream cheese has spoiled opened stored in the fridge because bagel-fuls are kept fresh for every serving by being stored frozen. Unless you underheat one, would never know the bread nor the filling was ever in a freezer. I made mine in a regular toaster all but one time and never made a mess to clean from the filling not staying inside. If that concerns you regardless of my report, a toaster oven or regular oven would produce likely same results, just take longer and use more power consumption. No matter how you like to prepare them, Bagel-fuls are simple, fast, easy, safe, wholesome and delicious!

Between you and me, I prefer the thinner portions when I do cut a regular bagel unevenly and find some regular bagel mouthfuls have too much bread compared to topping. That's where Bagel-fuls really start pulling lengths ahead of the old-fashioned served up bagel, you get the luxuriously perfect combination ratio of bread to cream cheese in every bite of a Bagel-ful, at least for my liking! Kraft generously didn't skimp on the filling at all and takes full advantage that more can go in the middle Bagel casing than is easily piled onto a bun half. It would probably be too messy to eat piled as thickly on a regular bagel, especially if done to same ratio of bread to cream cheese per bite? Would be yummo, but messy and probably quite expensive?! I have long loved bagels but there always seems like a bit too much bun for me? At breakfast, I can only rarely eat a whole one even when by itself. Too heavy and filling a start for me. Love the taste all the same and when out of cream cheese, as often am since it's great in so many recipes, will eat them plain even though it's just not quite the same or as good. Each bite of Bagel-fuls however, are perfect every time! They are pre-cut and neatly pre-filled so each and every bite has loads of creamy, cloud soft and light delicious filling that's comfortingly warm right to the finish. That's partly why I like them better now.

Really, when you think about it, why wouldn't you like the taste of Bagel-fuls every bit as much, if not better, than old-fashioned served bagels? Many of us use Philly cream cheese from Kraft at home most all the time, so why wouldn't we like the filling in these Bagel-fuls, since at least to many, it is the real deal?! The bread part of Bagel-fuls tastes, and is, a regular plain bagel, so what's not to like there? Kept frozen, Bagel-fuls always taste bakery fresh, it's just offered up differently and ingeniously is all! The Bagel-ful bread part tastes exactly like a fresh, chewy, perfectly toasted bagel but as a whole (or a snack combo missing one) maybe Bagel-fuls are even a good deal better?!!! Bagel-ful's are served up quickly, safely and neatly with everything yummy and warm, and usually so right to last bite because toaster to table has no detours first. I'll bet sometimes they don't even make it to a plate at your house either?! They do get hot though, so best grab a napkin or paper towel at least?! With a regular bagel the toasted bun cools by the time you dress it all up, usually with a cold topping that often just doesn't seem enough? Bagel-fuls are just right, more they're almost perfect...

Only minuses I see, blueberry is my favorite breakfast bagel, so I can only hope these first four take off well enough for Kraft to decide to expand the flavour choices? I don't want them to replace any because I can't choose which I like best, they're all good? I suppose I can dip the plain ones in jam if need be while I wait? {sigh} Smoked salmon and cream cheese is my lunch or dinner favorite and Kraft bypassed this classic choice too, but hopefully only for now? Again, like with blueberry, suppose I could drape a thin slice of smoked salmon over a plain Bagel-ful, if we happen to have any when I get that particular old-time favorite hankering? Don't think it'd be too messy if they tossed some poppy seeds one one kind either but maybe that's being too picky? A chocolate cheescake one would be totally killer if any Kraft management reads this and cares to listen for possible furure consideration?!!! You have a willing guinea pig here should you ever again wish to test any new Bagel-ful flavours or hold trials for other new additions or improvements to your product lines? My complaint here is you don't do this often enough and this trial was a first time for me! Thanks to Kraft's free product coupon, I can't wait to try the cinnamon ones... ahem, if whoever keeps buying them all at my IGA will ever leave me any sometime? Guess I could complain to the store they don't stock enough of that one? Only reason I know they come in cinnamon is there was one ravaged and opened box left behind one time. Four seperate purchases already now and couldn't get those cinnamon ones once. Hm, likely those must be awfully good?!

Which ones will you like best? I sure can't pick a favorite yet, depends on my mood and the meal? I do know they are all yummier than regular bagels as far as my household is concerned! Not as heavy, not as messy, safer, and every bit as yummy as the old fashioned stand-by, better even because you have the perfect cream cheese to bread ratio in every bite! All four varieties of Bagel-fuls are all five-star products and each is a grand-slam home run all the way! One I never would have tried if not for Kraft's offer of a free product coupon! I trust the Kraft brand name but even they don't hit a winner home with me on everything they have. Few do that has as many products as Kraft has. Bagel-fuls are now one of my very most Kraft faves and a first choice snack, side or breakfast item!!!

Of course I'm interested to know what everybody else thinks of Bagel-fuls, but your thoughts won't change my opinion any though? Enjoy the comfort-food goodness of each kind of Bagel-ful too much to be influenced away now. Hubby and I totally love them! Bet most of you will too?!

Just for fun, what's your favorite bagel and cream cheese combo? Plain cream cheese or dressed up and how so? Maybe some of us can find a new favorite, jazzing up a plain Bagel-ful your way while we wait for Kraft to expand the line (I hope) sometime? Possibly expand the box size and offer a value plus bulk pak too? Sorry, can't get enough. They're soooo much better than good! Bagel-fuls really are another "Philly" food that's simply sinfully heavenly delicious!

[Mia001]

wow MBgurl,

this is a product review !

[Tiki]

Thanks for the great review, I was debating on buying these, now I definitively will...

[MelSprag]

They are rubbery.

[Lucky-13]

I've tried these too. I was very skeptical.
when toasted just right the crust crisps up just enough, the bready part warms up and remains chewy as a bagel should be, and best of all the cream chese gets just warm and melty enough to be so yummy (not pressure-cooker hot like those crazy oven pops that gave me 5th degree tongue burns)

[cenyasmom]

The cinnamon bagelfuls are so delicious toasted, almost addicting.

[ex0ticb3lla]

The cinnamon bagelfuls are so delicious toasted, almost addicting.

i've wanted to try these....i just might now LOL

[AmberLab]

Wow, what a long review. Won't change my opinion of them though, it was like chewing a rubber tire.

[MissGodiva2u]

Whoa ! too many carbs for me in those

[Weeeooojr]

They're so good! I love them!

[sonic_blue_hands]

We ended up getting them as a free offer from Kraft, I thought I was the only one in the house who would like them. So when I went shopping I got the flavoured I wanted, Cinnamon.
How wrong I was, my husband who is quiet possibly the pickest eater alive ate them before I even got a chance to have one.
Second time I around i was like well he liked the cinnamon so I got the classic thinkin it would be blah and bore him so I might stand a chance.
Again same deal. None for me all for him.
Even my son (hes a toddler) likes nibbeling on them.
Now I have had them after 4 unsuccessful runthroughs in my home.
Fantastic.

[blondeblondy]

What if you don't like your bagels toasted??

[FallenPixels]

I bought them last night after reading this, and have one in the toaster right now

[FallenPixels]

Yummy-ville is right!
I am tempted to have a second one! My boyfriend had one too

[contemporary]

Wow, great review, I am off to a grocery store, need some bagelfuls .