Best Themed Box
Winner
Best Japanese Experience
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup that typically contains Chinese wheat noodles and toppings in a meat-based broth. Ramen is ultra customizable and has quickly become a comfort food in the United States. Quick style, which comes with dehydrated noodles, vegetables, and a seasoning packet, has been an affordable meal staple for years now.
There are many variations of quick-style noodles, each with their own inclusions and flavors. If you are looking to try new ramen flavors without the hassle of making it from scratch or ordering out, ramen subscription boxes are a great alternative option
Ramen Subscription Boxes
These instant ramen varieties that are delivered straight to your door are more than you’ll find in your local grocery store. With all the uniquely delicious ramens, the choices are overwhelming.
Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry. We have done the research and have found the best ramen subscription boxes, which we have ranked based on key factors such as quality, price, options, and taste.
Exotic Noods tops our list for their attention to quality and sourcing from around the world. Our runners-up include Zenpop Ramen Pack, for the best monthly themed box, and Umai Crate, for the best complete Japanese experience. Let’s give a quick overview of the best ramen subscription boxes around.
Exotic Noods
BEST OVERALL RAMEN BOX
Exotic Noods is one of the most popular ramen subscription boxes. They deliver premium delicious ramen noodles and other noodle dishes with worldly flavors. A few of the dishes in past boxes include Tonkotsu, Okinawa Soba, and spicy Arrabiata spaghetti bowl. A few key benefits of Exotic Noods include:
Key Benefits
- Four subscription options- 3 pack, 4 pack, 4 bowl, and the 8 deluxe pack
- Included pamphlet with a description of everything included
- Taste-tested by the curator before shipping
- Try a variety of noodle styles and broths from around the world
- Plans range from $14.81-$36.33
Zenpop Ramen Pack
BEST MONTHLY THEMED BOX
Zenpop offers Japanese-themed subscription packs shipped straight from Osaka, Japan. Their Ramen Pack is a monthly subscription box that includes 7 full-sized instant varieties such as Nomihosu Ippai Miso Butter Ramen and Hakata Yaki. Benefits of the Zenpop Ramen Pack include:
Key Benefits
- Get other Japanese noodles in your boxes like udon, yakisoba, and soba
- Seasonal, regional, and limited edition inclusions
- Every month is themed
- Choose the Ramen and Sweets Mix box for a taste of ramen and Japanese sweets and snacks
- The Zenpop Ramen Pack price starts at $31
Umai Crate by Japan Crate
BEST FOR A COMPLETE JAPANESE EXPERIENCE
Japan Crate has been a favorite for various Japanese-themed subscription boxes, but their long-awaited Umai Crate is living up to the hype. Get eight to ten Japan-exclusive ramen noodles in every box shipped monthly. There are some great benefits to this subscription service, such as:
Key Benefits
- Authentic instant ramen varieties that you only find in Japan
- Every box comes with a bonus item like traditional noodle toppings or Japanese spices
- Get a collectible custom recipe card in each box to make a Japanese dish at home
- Information booklet with translations and step by step preparation instructions in English
- Other types of Japanese noodles are occasionally included like somen, soba, and udon
- The Umai Crate costs $49.95 a month with free international shipping
Ramen Hero
Ramen Hero is a meal kit subscription box that delivers traditional ramen ingredients ready to make rather than an instant style variety. They ship you all of the prepped ingredients so that all you have to do is boil water. A few selections on their menu include the Crying Samurai, a caramelized onion miso ramen, The Misosaurus, a spicy miso tonkatsu ramen, and Citrus Kick, a spicy lemon shio ramen. Benefits of Ramen Hero include:
Key Benefits
- Can order packs or individual servings
- Vegan options
- Freeze ingredients until you are ready to enjoy for freshness
- Recipes crafted by real ramen chefs
- Ingredients are fresh, authentic, and MSG-free
- Single servings start at $17.49
Ramen Box by My Japan Box
My Japan Box offers multiple subscription boxes of Japanese favorites. Their Ramen Box consists of a variety of noodles shipped to your door. Some great benefits of the Ramen Box by My Japan Box include:
Key Benefits
- Option to order one time or monthly with discounts for orders 6 or 12 months at a time
- Ramen and other noodle varieties in every box
- The ramen subscription box includes 5-7 selections depending on individual item values
- Contents change every month with the option to order products from previous boxes
- One time ramen box price is $29.99, or subscribe starting at $25.99 per month, both with worldwide free shipping
Buying Guide
With so many options, it can be hard to choose. Consider these factors to find the best selection for you.
Instant Variety vs. Meal Kit Style
When it comes to ramen subscription boxes, there are two main styles– instant variety and meal kits. The instant variety typically comes in a plastic package or cup dehydrated for you to add hot water. Meal kit style delivers fresh ingredients needed to cook the ramen where you’ll add them all to a pan with boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or so.
Both are easy to make as you only need water and are delicious. Which is best for you depends on whether you want something that is shelf-stable and ready in a few minutes or whether you want something you can keep in your fridge or freezer that takes a bit longer to make.
What’s Included
Every subscription box includes different amounts of ingredients. Some can have as few as three while others have upwards of ten. You’ll want to consider how much ramen you can eat in a month, though keep in mind that they will stay good for a while even when your next subscription box comes.
Additionally, some boxes like the Umai Crate come with extras like spices and an information card. If you want additional information about what you are getting or other new fun things to try, you may consider a box that includes these things.
Pricing
Ramen subscriptions vary in price, so you’ll need to find one that fits within your budget. Also, keep in mind that with many companies, if you buy multiple months at one time, you receive a discount, so that might help fit a more expensive box into your budget.
Key Takeaways
Get amazing ramen subscription boxes delivered to your door to try noodles from Japan and around the world. Among the many great Japanese subscription boxes, ramen boxes with premium noodles are a great place to start. Whether you want spicy seafood flavored or something more traditional, you can try it all with a ramen subscription box.
Umai Crate is no more as of last year! Nakama Noodles is another new ramen subscription box!