Cooking Equipment (rec.food.equipment) Discussion of food-related equipment. Includes items used in food preparation and storage, including major and minor appliances, gadgets and utensils, infrastructure, and food- and recipe-related software.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Arthur
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

Has anyone formed an opinion of the now line of KitchenAid appliances as
found in places such as Williams-Sonoma? In addition to new colors such
as red and pearl, the four slice toaster sells for $299.95, coffee
grinder for $199.95, etc. etc.

I have a collection of toasters I dislike, for various reasons (I could
add to the amusing stories about Black & Decker's Arize toaster) but 300
bucks is a bit extreme for burned or unpredictable toast!

-=Art=- drartieatattdo0tnet
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Vox Humana
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?


"Arthur" > wrote in message ...
> Has anyone formed an opinion of the now line of KitchenAid appliances as
> found in places such as Williams-Sonoma? In addition to new colors such
> as red and pearl, the four slice toaster sells for $299.95, coffee
> grinder for $199.95, etc. etc.
>
> I have a collection of toasters I dislike, for various reasons (I could
> add to the amusing stories about Black & Decker's Arize toaster) but 300
> bucks is a bit extreme for burned or unpredictable toast!
>
> -=Art=- drartieatattdo0tnet


I saw the Pro Line waffle maker at WS last week. For that price, I think I
would just go to a restaurant supply and get one. You would have to make a
lot of waffle to justify spending $300 on a waffle iron. It is my
observation that WS has turned into a place that caters to people looking
for status. The clerks at the store where I browse seem to be from the same
pool that works at the higher end cosmetic counters at places at
Nordstrom's -- sort of unhealthy, detached people with mahogany died hair
who look completely bored with life. It's the same attitude over at the
Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company. I saw an interview with Martha
Stewart once where she said that they know that virtually no one will cook
the food or make the crafts on her TV show or in the magazine. She said
that people watch programs on cooking, remodeling, sewing, and decorating
as part of a lifestyle by proxy. Since KitchenAid is obviously catering to
this same market by introducing new colors and pseudo-professional
appliances, it makes me wary of the quality. If they know that the $300
waffle maker will get used twice and the put in the closet, what is the
incentive to build a good product as opposed to an expensive piece of eye
candy designed for impulse buyers with more cash than common sense? As they
say, "A fool and his money are quickly parted."


  #3 (permalink)   Report Post  
Arthur
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

Vox Humana wrote:
>
><shnip> . . .The clerks at the store where I browse seem to be from the same
> pool that works at the higher end cosmetic counters at places at
> Nordstrom's -- sort of unhealthy, detached people with mahogany died hair
> who look completely bored with life. It's the same attitude over at the
> Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.


Yes indeed, altho Nordstrom's turned down attempts to lure them to
Pittsburgh. Since writing this note, I visited WS and talked to that
clerk. I had been interested in the claim that the toaster had a
"sensor" to monitor the extent of toasting, unlike the timer principle
which appears to be used on most modern toasters. But she could
contribute no further info but did offer to look for the instruction
manual. The unit appears to be considerably more solid and better built
than the Dualit, but looking into the slots, it looks similar to the
$6.95 Black & Decker version (not available at WS).

Arthur
--
drartieatattd0tnet
  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
wff_ng_5
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

"Vox Humana" > wrote:
> It is my observation that WS has turned into a place that caters to
> people looking for status. The clerks at the store where I browse
> seem to be from the same pool that works at the higher end cosmetic
> counters at places at Nordstrom's -- sort of unhealthy, detached
> people with mahogany died hair who look completely bored with life.


Reminds me of a time I went into a WS store (Tyson's Corner, VA) looking for
a Perfex salt mill to go with my Perfex pepper mill. I didn't see it on
display, so I asked one of the clerks and gave a description of it. I
mentioned it was made of cast aluminum. She said in a rather high falutin'
tone of voice: "Oh, you mean the French PEWTER one!" Whatever... I do think
I know my metallurgy a bit better than she did. I guess aluminum is for the
unwashed masses... forgetting about All Clad for the moment.

On occasion I do find some useful, reasonably priced things at WS, either in
their catalog or store. Last thing I got was a paillard meat pounder, which
I like a lot. A couple of years back I found their oyster knife worked very
well for me, so I got a few. An oyster lover never stops looking for an even
better oyster knife... so I have quite a collection at this point.


  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
Blanche Nonken
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

"Vox Humana" > wrote:

> It's the same attitude over at the
> Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.


Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel used to be FUN places
to shop. Going back about 15, 20 years on this. Bah.


  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
Vox Humana
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?


"Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
...
> "Vox Humana" > wrote:
>
> > It's the same attitude over at the
> > Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.

>
> Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel used to be FUN places
> to shop. Going back about 15, 20 years on this. Bah.


I like the Sur La Table store here, but I only buy stuff that is on deep
discount. It has a larger selection and better prices than WS. The clerks
are nicer, also. We have a large outlet mall about an hour away. There is
a Pottery Barn furniture outlet store there. Some of the stuff they have is
damaged beyond reason and the prices are out of line with the quality and
condition. Still, there are people lined up on the weekends with their
Volvo station wagons and Lexus SUVs loading the stuff into the vehicles all
akimbo. It is a strange scene as the mall is on the interstate smack in the
middle of farm country. Most mall customers are either simple farm people
out for a few hours of window shopping, busses full of Asians doing power
shopping, and the Volvo crowd trolling for treasures at the Pottery Barn
Furniture Outlet.


  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
Wayne Boatwright
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

"Vox Humana" > wrote in
:

>
> "Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Vox Humana" > wrote:
>>
>> > It's the same attitude over at the
>> > Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.

>>
>> Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel used to be FUN
>> places to shop. Going back about 15, 20 years on this. Bah.

>
> I like the Sur La Table store here, but I only buy stuff that is on
> deep discount. It has a larger selection and better prices than WS.
> The clerks are nicer, also. We have a large outlet mall about an hour
> away. There is a Pottery Barn furniture outlet store there. Some of
> the stuff they have is damaged beyond reason and the prices are out of
> line with the quality and condition. Still, there are people lined up
> on the weekends with their Volvo station wagons and Lexus SUVs loading
> the stuff into the vehicles all akimbo. It is a strange scene as the
> mall is on the interstate smack in the middle of farm country. Most
> mall customers are either simple farm people out for a few hours of
> window shopping, busses full of Asians doing power shopping, and the
> Volvo crowd trolling for treasures at the Pottery Barn Furniture
> Outlet.


Vox, is this located off of I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland?

Thanks,
Wayne
  #8 (permalink)   Report Post  
Vox Humana
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?


"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in
> :
>
> >
> > "Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> "Vox Humana" > wrote:
> >>
> >> > It's the same attitude over at the
> >> > Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.
> >>
> >> Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel used to be FUN
> >> places to shop. Going back about 15, 20 years on this. Bah.

> >
> > I like the Sur La Table store here, but I only buy stuff that is on
> > deep discount. It has a larger selection and better prices than WS.
> > The clerks are nicer, also. We have a large outlet mall about an hour
> > away. There is a Pottery Barn furniture outlet store there. Some of
> > the stuff they have is damaged beyond reason and the prices are out of
> > line with the quality and condition. Still, there are people lined up
> > on the weekends with their Volvo station wagons and Lexus SUVs loading
> > the stuff into the vehicles all akimbo. It is a strange scene as the
> > mall is on the interstate smack in the middle of farm country. Most
> > mall customers are either simple farm people out for a few hours of
> > window shopping, busses full of Asians doing power shopping, and the
> > Volvo crowd trolling for treasures at the Pottery Barn Furniture
> > Outlet.

>
> Vox, is this located off of I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland?
>
> Thanks,
> Wayne


No, although I have been to that one. As I recall, that one is in Lodi.
I'm in Cincinnati, so I go to the one between Cincinnati and Columbus on
I71. There are two, actually. One is in Jeffersonville at exit 69 on
I71(nearly empty and recently changed to an outlet specializing in home
goods) and the other one, still thriving, is at exit 65 off I71. The one
with the Pottery Barn was originally called the "Ohio Factory Outlet
Stores," and was later renamed the "Jeffersonville II Outlet Center" (or
something along those lines.)


  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Wayne Boatwright
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

"Vox Humana" > wrote in
news
>
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in
> message . ..
>> "Vox Humana" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>> >
>> > "Blanche Nonken" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >> "Vox Humana" > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > It's the same attitude over at the
>> >> > Pottery Barn, which is also a WS company.
>> >>
>> >> Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel used to be FUN
>> >> places to shop. Going back about 15, 20 years on this. Bah.
>> >
>> > I like the Sur La Table store here, but I only buy stuff that is on
>> > deep discount. It has a larger selection and better prices than
>> > WS. The clerks are nicer, also. We have a large outlet mall about
>> > an hour away. There is a Pottery Barn furniture outlet store
>> > there. Some of the stuff they have is damaged beyond reason and
>> > the prices are out of line with the quality and condition. Still,
>> > there are people lined up on the weekends with their Volvo station
>> > wagons and Lexus SUVs loading the stuff into the vehicles all
>> > akimbo. It is a strange scene as the mall is on the interstate
>> > smack in the middle of farm country. Most mall customers are
>> > either simple farm people out for a few hours of window shopping,
>> > busses full of Asians doing power shopping, and the Volvo crowd
>> > trolling for treasures at the Pottery Barn Furniture Outlet.

>>
>> Vox, is this located off of I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Wayne

>
> No, although I have been to that one. As I recall, that one is in
> Lodi. I'm in Cincinnati, so I go to the one between Cincinnati and
> Columbus on I71. There are two, actually. One is in Jeffersonville
> at exit 69 on I71(nearly empty and recently changed to an outlet
> specializing in home goods) and the other one, still thriving, is at
> exit 65 off I71. The one with the Pottery Barn was originally called
> the "Ohio Factory Outlet Stores," and was later renamed the
> "Jeffersonville II Outlet Center" (or something along those lines.)


Thanks. I remember the one you mentioned with the Pottery Barn. I think
I was there once. I've stopped at the one between Columbus and Cleveland
several times when we still lived in the Cleveland area.

Wayne
  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jack Denver
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

There has been some negative feedback on the Proline coffee grinder. See for
example the reviews on the www.coffeegeek.com website. For $200, there are
better grinders on the market, such as the Rancilio "Rocky" or Gaggia MDF.

My general impression was that the outsides were better than the insides -
they paid a lot of attention to getting the "look" right and using high
quality die cast metal cases (would not have been exceptional 40 years ago,
but in this age of plastic they stand out). But the innards don't
necessarily measure up nor are they worth what they are charging. Not
because they weren't trying but because they are building many of these
appliance for the 1st time and haven't had time to iron out the wrinkles
yet. You'd be better off with well proven designs from the recognized
leaders in the respective categories instead of going wall to wall KA. That
a lot of the stuff is made in China is not promising either.

BTW, I was just in a WS store and noticed a perfectly ordinary looking pizza
spatula. Triangular stainless with a wooden handle. The kind that any
restaurant supply house sells for about $3. It was $11, "marked down" from
$35. I assume Williams-Sonoma takes their cost and adds a zero at the end to
set the retail price for their gadgets. Who in their right mind would pay
$35 for an ordinary spatula? Who buys this stuff? My wife has some store
credit there from returned gifts. Can anyone think of any item in the store
(under $100) that is not vastly overpriced - I couldn't in a quick walkthru.


"Arthur" > wrote in message ...
> Has anyone formed an opinion of the now line of KitchenAid appliances as
> found in places such as Williams-Sonoma? In addition to new colors such
> as red and pearl, the four slice toaster sells for $299.95, coffee
> grinder for $199.95, etc. etc.
>
> I have a collection of toasters I dislike, for various reasons (I could
> add to the amusing stories about Black & Decker's Arize toaster) but 300
> bucks is a bit extreme for burned or unpredictable toast!
>
> -=Art=- drartieatattdo0tnet





  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
Vox Humana
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?


"Jack Denver" > wrote in message
...
> There has been some negative feedback on the Proline coffee grinder. See

for
> example the reviews on the www.coffeegeek.com website. For $200, there

are
> better grinders on the market, such as the Rancilio "Rocky" or Gaggia MDF.
>
> My general impression was that the outsides were better than the insides -
> they paid a lot of attention to getting the "look" right and using high
> quality die cast metal cases (would not have been exceptional 40 years

ago,
> but in this age of plastic they stand out). But the innards don't
> necessarily measure up nor are they worth what they are charging. Not
> because they weren't trying but because they are building many of these
> appliance for the 1st time and haven't had time to iron out the wrinkles
> yet. You'd be better off with well proven designs from the recognized
> leaders in the respective categories instead of going wall to wall KA.

That
> a lot of the stuff is made in China is not promising either.
>
> BTW, I was just in a WS store and noticed a perfectly ordinary looking

pizza
> spatula. Triangular stainless with a wooden handle. The kind that any
> restaurant supply house sells for about $3. It was $11, "marked down"

from
> $35. I assume Williams-Sonoma takes their cost and adds a zero at the end

to
> set the retail price for their gadgets. Who in their right mind would pay
> $35 for an ordinary spatula? Who buys this stuff? My wife has some store
> credit there from returned gifts. Can anyone think of any item in the

store
> (under $100) that is not vastly overpriced - I couldn't in a quick

walkthru.
>


I think of WS as an interior design shop. The people who buy there are
decorating a space in their home. After buying the $8000 Sub Zero, the
granite counter, and the custom cabinets, it would be inconsistent for them
to pay $3 for a spatula. Their space demands the most expensive spatula and
WS is there to fill that demand - even if the $35 spatula they sell is only
worth $3. It's psychological pricing and market positioning at its best.
In other words, WS is selling image and lifestyle through kitchen hardware
and accessories. If you happen to use the items on occasion when cooking,
then that is a bonus.

The only items that come to mind that are competitively priced are their
cookbooks. The retail price is suggested by the publisher and printed on
the dust jacket. Therefore, WS would have a hard time charging $250 for a
book that has a suggested price of $18. Of course, you can always find
hardback books discounted at chains like Barnes and Noble, so WS won't be
the least expensive source, but they will at least be asking a price that is
in the same order of magnitude as a local bookseller.


  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lorea
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?

Much of their baking goods (for example, the bundt pans) are priced at
normal MSRP. Also, their knives are around the same price as I've seen
elsewhere.

I don't deny that WS has a lot of "hoity-toity" stuff, but when you don't
have anything else with that type of cookingware around you, it's the best
you can get sometimes.


  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Vox Humana
 
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Default New KitchenAid Pro Line gadgets?


"Lorea" > wrote in message
...
> Much of their baking goods (for example, the bundt pans) are priced at
> normal MSRP. Also, their knives are around the same price as I've seen
> elsewhere.
>
> I don't deny that WS has a lot of "hoity-toity" stuff, but when you don't
> have anything else with that type of cookingware around you, it's the best
> you can get sometimes.



In the age of Internet commerce, you don't have to be surrounded by great
stores. You can get nearly anything online.


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