What's worth it from Pampered Chef?

June 17, 2015 4:52 PM

I'm going to a Pampered Chef party tomorrow. Is any of their stuff worth it?

My sister is hosting so I pretty much have to buy something. I'd rather get a versatile peice than a gimmicky gadget but if they have an awesome margarita maker or something I'd like to hear it.

posted by pintapicasso to Shopping (48 answers total)

I use the 8 cup batter bowl 4-5 times a week at least. I like it better than any of my other mixing bowls - it's taller, and it has a spout and a handle, and I have banged and clanged and all but dropped it directly on the floor and it hasn't taken any damage in 8 years. I bought it under similar circumstances - I had to buy SOMETHING. Zero regrets.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:03 PM on June 17, 2015 [9 favorites]

I've received a lot of Pampered Chef stuff as gifts because my mom's friend is a consultant. My take is that most of it is fine-to-good quality, maybe just a little overpriced. So I don't think it's likely that you'll end up with absolute junk, you may just pay more than you would at a normal store. I've had the 5-piece nonstick pot & pan set for 11 years now, and 4 of them are still going strong. The largest pot has lost some of the nonstick finish due to near-constant use but the rest are still in really fabulous condition. So if nonstick doesn't bother you I can vouch for their pans.

My favorite smaller ticket item is the microplane. It's a clever design that can be used in 3 different positions (not just the usual microplane on a handle) including an upright V-position and the surface is also wider than other microplanes. Very handy and I use it to zest citrus and grate parm on the regular.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 5:06 PM on June 17, 2015 [4 favorites]

Seconding the batter bowls. I have that large size and a size smaller and they are great and nearly indestructable. I've also had their chopper and their Measure-All cup for years with no regrets.
posted by kimberussell at 5:10 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm a big fan of their cutting boards. They have rubbery edges so they don't slide around. And they have a ruler built in on those rubbery bits to guide you if you need to cut things uniformly.
posted by cecic at 5:12 PM on June 17, 2015

It is worth it for things you will use frequently. I second the batter bowls - I have the 4 cup and 8 cup with lids and use them a lot. I also have the 9x9 square baking dish. It is very practical for a lot of things. I have had all of these for at least 7 years. I also have some knives which have been great as well.

I bought the chopper thing but rarely use because I think it is a pain to use and clean.
posted by maxg94 at 5:12 PM on June 17, 2015

The apple corer is the best apple corer I have ever seen for sale anywhere. It is really fucking sharp and so nice to use.
posted by corb at 5:17 PM on June 17, 2015 [4 favorites]

I love the brownie spatula I got from them, it's the perfect utensil for taking bar small bar cookies out of a pan.
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:17 PM on June 17, 2015 [6 favorites]

I have the microwave rice cooker and while you can probably get similar items for less, I must say it is extremely handy and I have not burned a single pot of rice since I got it as a gift a few years ago (which used to be a pretty routine occurrence).
posted by drlith at 5:22 PM on June 17, 2015

Thirding the Batter Bowls and the Measure All Cups. I love both of them and I've had them for years...they hold up well.
posted by MultiFaceted at 5:22 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

At the low end price-wise, their Mix N Chop is the best thing I've ever found for breaking up ground meat while it's cooking. In fact, my sister liked hers so well she made a point of buying one for me, confident that I would love it as much as she does. And she was right. So I guess that's a double-recommendation.
posted by DrGail at 5:24 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

I was given a set of nonstick pots and pans with glass lids, and they have held up well for the last several years. Agree with the above advice to pick something that you think you'll use frequently, as overall the things seem to be of good quality.
posted by msbubbaclees at 5:25 PM on June 17, 2015

I love my bar pan.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:34 PM on June 17, 2015

oh I love my y-shaped peeler too. so much better than regular peelers! that thing handles a butternut squash like it's nothing.
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:45 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

I love the slap chopper- and I find it easy to clean since it comes apart so nicely. It's not good for huge amounts of chopping but fits the niche between knife and food processors (which are a pain to clean.)
posted by mightshould at 5:52 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

You know, you can find good nonstick heat resistant spatulas/spoons elsewhere, but I've always found use for them and they make very good ones. That is to say, pans are overpriced and eventually wear out. Spatulas/spoons are overpriced, but cost less than pans, take up less room, and take a long time to wear out. I reach for a spatula/spoon at every meal. I've got two for eggs, one for fish, three different ones for cooking/stirring, three various sizes ones for scraping, spreading and mixing, a few for baking, and of course, a grill one.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:54 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

I always go for the bamboo cooking spoons and spatulas. Good quality, they last a good long time, and I can never have too many of them. Plus, they're some of the more affordable items in the catalog.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:56 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

The large flex cutting boards are my go-to courtesy-buy thing.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:19 PM on June 17, 2015

The pineapple corer/slicer is really of great quality. Careful, though, because you could take off your whole hand if you slip. It's SHARP!
posted by xingcat at 6:21 PM on June 17, 2015

I have a large lasagna pan and a bundt cake pan, both of which have been awesome.
posted by bizzyb at 6:40 PM on June 17, 2015

Oh heck yes those batter bowls.
posted by pemberkins at 6:50 PM on June 17, 2015

We have two baking stones from them and we love them. We have the pizza stone and a cookie sheet, one came from a thrift store and the other was a gift and they both get a lot of use. I'd buy them in a heartbeat if I didn't already own them.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 6:52 PM on June 17, 2015

Like Corb I love the apple slicer/corer. I bought the oil mister thing and it clogged, the garlic press started to flake after a while and I hated their adjustable measuring spoons.
posted by biggreenplant at 7:12 PM on June 17, 2015

I like my cheese plane a lot. It's got a useful design with a built in knife, so I use it a lot for hacking up cheese.
posted by gatorae at 7:17 PM on June 17, 2015

We have a pizza stone from them as well, and it has held up to once-weekly use for 10+ years. (As I wrote this, I realized we probably eat too much pizza...)
posted by Cecilia Rose at 7:58 PM on June 17, 2015

We've been using the large and small micro-cookers for about 10 years, at least once a week, probably more often. I also love their bamboo spoons and slotted spoons sets, and they've lasted the same amount of time. I use the Baker's Roller for all kinds of stuff and find it much easier than an actual rolling pin. I have the small stainless steel scoop that's been making meatballs for a decade. Every piece of this goes in the dishwasher and I've seen no deterioration over the past 10 years.
posted by angiep at 8:43 PM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

My sister bought me a frosting spatula from PC. It's the only one I've ever owned, and I've got no complaints about the quality. Since it was a gift, I can't tell you if it's worth the money.

I see other people are suggesting spatulas, so just remember: avoid metal spatulas for applications with non-stick pans, and think whether you'll be using them with hot things, and whether the heat can get to your hands. That is all.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:59 PM on June 17, 2015

The Measure-All cup! Mine's almost worn out, had it for almost 15 years. It's SO nice for measuring hard-to-measure inbetween-solid-and-liquid ingredients, i.e. mayo, peanut butter, sour cream, etc.

I now want a Mix N Chop, too!
posted by lock sock and barrel at 9:17 PM on June 17, 2015

We love our smooth-edge can opener.
posted by at at 9:28 PM on June 17, 2015 [3 favorites]

My parents like their mandoline and food chopper.
posted by neushoorn at 9:45 PM on June 17, 2015

+1 to the batter bowl with lid and handle! We use ours all the time. Tonight we used it to make a big quinoa salad for dinner, then slapped the lid on and it went into the fridge. Weirdly useful and good quality. Great for storing soup after making it - just pull it out of the fridge, pour out a bowl for yourself and out the kid back on! No drips, no ladle, no annoying plastic wrap on top. I'd totally buy another one when this one dies.
posted by barnone at 10:55 PM on June 17, 2015

The scissors. The beefy kitchen shears that can hack through just about anything, but lack an edge you can cut yourself with.

They are the best thing.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 11:07 PM on June 17, 2015

I love the large and small scoops. The large is the perfect size for making big fat chewy cookies and the small is the perfect size for their mini muffin tin
posted by missmagenta at 2:46 AM on June 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Came here to recommend the batter bowl. The prep bowls (glass) also get heavy usage in my house. And if you ever bake cookies, the scoops (look like tiny ice cream scoops) are amazing. I've spent a little less on ones from elsewhere and they just don't compare to the Pampered Chef ones.

Kitchen basics are generally a little higher in price than you'll find elsewhere ($18 for a bowl??) but the quality is there. It gets heavy usage along with my coringware and Pyrex, and hasn't been damaged yet. I wasn't even going to get the prep bowls, but I had hosted the party and they were given as a free gift. Zero regrets, would purchase again.

They also have $1 paring knives that are surprisingly handy and these $3 silicone scrapers that are great for stoneware and getting stickers off things.
posted by kellygrape at 3:52 AM on June 18, 2015

I used the Ecko classic can opener for years until someone gifted me with a Pampered Chef opener, the kind that seals the edges of the lid and the can so they aren't jagged-sharp. Love it and I'm sure the recycling people appreciate it as well.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:51 AM on June 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

I really like the salad dressing mixer/container for the knock-off of my beloved Good Seasons Old Fashioned French. The item is a tall beaker that has measurements on the side, plus recipes, and the top has a french press-like plunger mechanism to mix the dressing. And you can close it all up tightly for the fridge. I wouldn't mind having another.

I've heard good things about the pizza stones. The very small-blade paring knife I got as the GWP is great for hulling strawberries.
posted by jgirl at 5:17 AM on June 18, 2015

I wouldn't go with the Mandoline as suggested above. It has a guard so you can only cut things while using the holder. This is a safe design, but horrible to use. The best bet if you want a mandoline is to get an anti-cut glove made of woven steel thread and a normal professional mandoline.
posted by koolkat at 5:25 AM on June 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh at and Twinbrook8 I forgot about the can opener. I adore mine and have used it everyday (pet food) for over a decade
posted by biggreenplant at 5:51 AM on June 18, 2015

Years ago, my mom got a garlic press. That thing is still going strong!
posted by Neekee at 6:05 AM on June 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

I love my brownie spatula. I use it frequently and I rarely bake brownies.
posted by Dolley at 6:19 AM on June 18, 2015

If you cook a lot with things like peanut butter or shortening, the Measure-All cup that was linked to in one of the comments above makes measuring them out so much easier.
posted by Sabby at 7:03 AM on June 18, 2015

I loved the Quick-Stir Pitcher when my daughter lived at home and I made a lot of Kool-Aid type drinks. (I do think it's over-priced though. Also, I wouldn't consider it dishwasher safe. The stir rod on mine eventually warped in the dishwasher.)
posted by The Deej at 7:27 AM on June 18, 2015

One of my mother's friends is a consultant for Pampered Chef, and my mother knows I like to cook, so she occasionally asks me if I want anything from their product line.

The measure-all cup, their handheld can opener that doesn't leave any sharp edges, and their adjustable measuring spoons are what I use from their product line all the time. I also have, but have not used, their big glass mixing bowl. (I got it because you can apparently bake a Barbie doll ballgown cake with it, but then I didn't need to make the cake at the last minute.)

Their stuff is pretty sturdy, and fairly durable, with a few duds. I'd say it's on a similar quality to OXO/Good Grips brand stuff, although I prefer Pampered Chef's Measure-All suction cup measuring cup better.
posted by PearlRose at 7:28 AM on June 18, 2015

Yes, absolutely get a Measure-All. My mother and grandmother had them, by the same name, in the 60s; I wonder if Pampered Chef took over the brand.
posted by jgirl at 7:40 AM on June 18, 2015

I love their pizza stone and (I don't know if they make these anymore) these little brown square scrapers, which are AWESOME for cleaning baked-on stuff off of pans.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:56 AM on June 18, 2015

Before we were married my wife acquired two stoneware sets. One is a long, rounded loaf pan with a lid and the other is a 9 inch deep baking dish with a large domed lid.
I hated both of them.
I took care of them as they were recommended to be cared for.

Then recently, I determined that what I wanted from them was best dealt with by seasoning them (as one would cast iron). They are now amazing. Baked and roasted goods come out easily and the darker color seems to effect crisping and formation of crusts in a good way.

So, their unglazed stoneware (though I cannot find, on the website, either of the set that I have) can be great if seasoned.

And double heck yeah to the little square brown scrapers.
posted by Seamus at 8:42 AM on June 18, 2015

I love my Mini serving spatula (for brownies), and also the scrapers, classic and skinny. I have about 8 of these in a drawer and I use them ALL THE TIME. They are just regular scraping spatulas, but they are silicone, they work great and they last forever. I think the one I got 15 years ago is starting to get rough edges and faded color, but just a little.
posted by CathyG at 9:35 AM on June 18, 2015

I still use my baking stone after over 10 years, and I like my results a lot better using it. I also like the chopper gadget tho I cracked the outer case of mine a few yrs ago it still works well for me.

A friend of mine LOVES the little brown scrapers, I forgot about them.
posted by RichardHenryYarbo at 12:44 PM on June 18, 2015

Measure-all cup, apple slicer/corer, bamboo cooking spoons, and the family-size quick-stir pitcher are my favorites that I use all the time.
posted by candyland at 7:22 PM on June 18, 2015