Penzey’s Spices

Anything and everything you could imagine when it comes to spicing up your kitchen can be found at Penzey’s.
Not only is staff friendly, it is located on a side of Pearl that is accessible easily from parking areas. From ground spices to whole vanilla beans, Penzy’s will have something for everyone no matter whether you are a pro in the kitchen or just looking for a unique gift.
I find that their prices are reasonably cheaper than in other grocery stores as well!

Nice store on Pearl Street. I like how they have jars you can open and smell the unique spice aromas of the various sku’s.

I know I should have gone to Savory because Savory is local. But unfortunately for Savory they chose a shopfront just enough off the beaten path that it’s not convenient. So I ended up in this Penzey’s instead.
Honestly, Penzey’s and Savory might as well be the same. If you’re looking for a specific spice or herb that will be the same no matter what, go to Savory and support the local business. If, however, there’s a specific mix or rub you’re after that’s only at Penzey’s, then come here.
I was specifically after Zahtar/​zatar/​zaatar, which, according to some is a spice/​herb mix, but technically is just a single herb. Penzey’s has it as a mix, and although I wouldn’t say it’s the same as what I had in the middle east, its very close. I smelled it and liked it, so I bought a 4 oz bag, which was $ 8. For spices this is a good deal. I will say that it has held up in flavor very, very well over the last couple of months, just in the bag they sold it to me in. I use it mostly in my breakfasts that I take to work and to school, and I’ve been very happy with it.
We have some spice mixes from Penzey’s that we sort of inherited and none are that great that we use them all the time. That said, we don’t use a ton of those pre-​made mixes and rubs (besides the zahtar) so it could just be us. I will likely go to Savory next time to assuage myself of guilt, but I like Penzey’s and feel that the idea is pretty much the same.

If you are serious in the kitchen (or not!) the selection at Penzey’s is beyond impressive. Had a blast walking around and reading the displayed recipes for each area.

Enjoyed finding this shop at the Pearl St. Mall, so be sure to check it out when you are in the area. I got the Arizona Dreaming spice, and rather than dump it in one dish, have been using it as an «on the table» kind of addition to my food. They have so many custom spice combinations, you will probably find something you love.

I’m not sure if there is one of these closer to me, I do like the one in Boulder on the Pearl Street Mall. This place reminds me of Savory Spice Shop or you could think of it the other way, Penzeys reminds me of the Savory Spice Shop. Either way I’m in love with both.
If your looking for any type of spice that you may have seen on the food network or a friend said get this spice and you’ve never heard of it. You will most likely be able to find it here.
I came here right before the Holidays so they were up-​selling a gift pack with some of their one of a kind blends and my Mom and I both picked one up since we both love to cook. Mom is coming on board these days with the love of cooking since she just had her kitchen redone.
The one difference i will say is that you cannot taste test the spices here. You can taste all of them at Savory Spice Shop.
When I come back to Boulder for a visit I will be sure to stop in again and see what else I can pick up for a new dish or gift.

I do a lot of recipe cooking and I’m often frustrated by the amount of spices that my local grocers simply do not carry. Since finding Penzay’s, I don’t really have this problem anymore. The spices they have a wonderful! In fact, many of my Christmas presents are now Penzey’s boxes.
I really like their smoked paprika and Northwoods Seasonings (great for homefries). I’ve also bought some of their curries, Russian spices, Saffron, and Asian spices. All have been great quality.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this store is their customer service. Their employees are knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I’ve never had a bad experience at their store. Furthermore, I love that the ofter samples to smell l and great recommendations as to how to use each spice.

Lovely place to buy your spices. Even though it does not have all the spices I need for my everyday cooking (read ethnic spices) It does have good quality spices overall.
I did sniff the blends and liked them. Even though I like to make my own if I can find all the ingredients, I don’t mind buying a blend or two if the required ingredients will cost me more separately.
It’s a great store for everyday cooking and adds to the Pearl street charm!

Great place to buy spices. It doesn’t have as an amazing selection as some ethnically-​owned stores I’ve seen in NYC, but it does probably have everything you need, neatly organized, with detailed explanations to boot. I went through the store sniffing spices, as it’s possible to just open canisters and dive right in.

Actually the guy who started Savory, Mike Johnston, used to work at The Spice House in Chicago which is Penzey’s sister store. (Literally, Bill Penzey’s sister owns the Chicago locations under a different name.) He stole a bunch of their recipes and opened Savory in Colorado. There was a huge lawsuit.
While Savory may have started in Colorado, they have FRANCHISES (NOT company owned) in California, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and New Jersey. All of Penzey’s stores are still company owned and the business has been in the family for 25 years.
Penzey’s contracts with family farmers and encourages family cooking, not pretentious foodie obnoxiousness (i.e. pink Himalayan salt, truffle salt etc.) Both stores offer interesting blends and carry things that the other doesn’t.

I feel the need to counter the previous review. Penzey’s offers a broad variety of dried herbs and spices, as well as some mixed blends, including rubs and salad dressing herbs. This store is a great place to educate oneself, as there is a smelling jar for each seasoning, as well as descriptions and suggestions for each. There are gift sets that are prepackaged or you can put together your own. The herbs are available in three sizes, so you can try a small bottle before making the commitment to buy the refill size. The sales people were friendly without being annoying and I found it a pleasant store in which to browse. One does not need to be a foodie to appreciate Penzey’s — it is equally accessible to folks who use nothing more than onion powder and a dash of oregano, as it is to foodies who will find the exotic spices they need to cook a complex Asian entrée. They also run a catalog business, so when you find a new favorite BBQ rub, or you are running low on star anise, you can order more in a jiffy!

Penzeys: Spices
McDonald’s: Fine Dining
Penzey’s ain’t got nothin’ on Savory!
1. Savory is LOCALLY OWNED
2. Savory has better quailty spices
3. the folks at Penzey’s often dont know their spices or seem uninterested in cooking
4. Penzey’s is an out of state chain that opened up a few blocks down from Savory after Savory established that there is a good market here for a spice shop.