Review of Valveeta Shells and Cheese Cups Review (mommierose)

Pros

Convenient to microwave one cup at a time.
Easy for kids to do by themselves
Tastes about the same as from the big box

Cons

After following directions, noodles were slimy and sticky.
Not quick or convenient if more than one cup is being cooked (easier just to make a big box).
Expensive price for the amount of macaroni and cheese in the individual cups.

Full Review

New Valveeta Shells and Cheese Cups are about as good as can be expected. The directions on the cup are simple- open the top, take out the cheese sauce packet, fill with water to the fill line (about two-thirds from the bottom of the cup), microwave three and a half minutes, then stir in the cheese sauce and eat.

Based on following the directions exactly, the noodles were very over-cooked, slimy and mushy. The sticky film covering the cooked noodles could have been the white powder covering the noodles before adding water and cooking. On the cup itself, it is said the white powder helps the noodles to cook.

As far as being convenient, it probably would have taken less time and work to cook a pot of Valveeta Shells and Cheese from a box than it took to cook three individual cups.

The taste of the finished product is about the same as from the big box, had the noodles been overcooked.

At a regular retail price of $1.30 a pop, the average consumer would be better off to buy the big box and take the ten or so minutes to boil the noodles in a pot. The big box would be cheaper for the same amount of macaroni and cheese.

In all, Valveeta Shells and Cheese Cups get a big thumbs-down.

In Closing

While perhaps appropriate under certain circumstances, the average consumer would be better off buying and cooking the big box of Valveeta Shells and Cheese instead of the individual, single-serve cups.