Penzeys Spices

I’ve always enjoyed shopping at Penzey’s. Their staff has always been helpful and nice. They have a great selection and everything is always fresh and the quality is high. One time in all the years I’ve gone there I had some oregano that had a strange taste to it. I brought it in and they gave me a replacement without any hassle. So why only 4 stars you ask? Well the prices are a bit high. I understand for some of the spices they are rare, etc but things like garlic powdered the price is a bit high. That is my only minor complaint.

Have been getting the majority of my spices here for years and considering my passion for cooking and the fact I have a few homes to stock, I have probably contributed quite heftily to a Penzey child’s education! The quality of everything within their store’s is exceptional and the staff has always been friendly (is it because I spend $ 150 + every time???)
On my most recent visit, I have noticed packaging has become smaller and ALL prices have skyrocketed!!! I will continue shopping at Penzeys, however I do believe several products are completely over and mispriced. A great example would be the garlic salt. Another MAJOR grievance (so much so that I know several people who REFUSE to patronize Penzeys) is Bill Penzeys need to use a spice catalog as a forum for his whack political views. Enough already! While on occasion I may want to hear about the good old days, I have NO interest whatsoever in hearing about your misconstrued political views!!! Stick to peddling your spices and the world will be a happier place!

I just think this place is grossly over rated! The staff in the stores is not friendly or helpful and I think their spices are overpriced. I prefer the spice house on old world 3^rd street downtown. I also get the penzys catalog and I think the owner in his letters at the beginning is preachy and condescending, it’s just something about the way he writes that makes me feel like he’s talking to a two year old. At any rate I’m just not impressed with the stores or the company.

I have been buying my spices at Penzey’s for years, and their quality and consistency cannot be beat. I tend to buy their spices in 4 ounce bags as it is more economical that way (and I cook from scratch a lot). Favorites to buy are their cinnamon and their vanilla extract — you will definitely notice a difference between those and their grocery store counterparts — but really, you cannot go wrong with most anything in the store. Shopping at their retail store is always a pleasant experience. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys cooking or baking!

This is the greatest spice store in the world.
Sandwich sprinkle will change you life.

Been hitting up Penzey’s for my spices for many many years at the various locations the store has been housed at in Brookfield, as well as locations in the LA area.
Shopping here is overall a really cool experience for those who appreciate great spices and herbs. They pretty much have jars of every spice they sell, so that you can smell them before purchasing. Some of my favorites are the curries, vanilla bean and the various types of peppercorns. Definitely grab recipe cards they have up around the store. I’ve tried several, and all have been fantastic. Many of the recipes were submitted by customers! Prices are on par with the grocery store, but Penzey’s quality trumps anything you can find in your grocer’s aisle. Like what many other Unilocalers have stated, their spices will give your food much bolder flavor and taste better!

Love this store. Seriously love it. Ordering from a catalog is okay, but there’s nothing like getting something in a store and walking out with it right away. There’s a tactile experience involved, I think. And, the stores smell incredible.
Everything is organized by whether it’s an herb, spice, or seasoning and there are cards nearby that explain the types of cuisines in which it’s most often used. For anyone hesitant to spend a lot of money on something they aren’t sure they’ll use a lot, Penzey’s stores, like the catalog, offers various sizes. I had no idea there were different types of some things, like vanilla beans or cinnamon. That was fun to learn. Some items are in small jars, others are in large plastic bags; some are whole seed, others are ground. There are gift-​boxes available for others or if you want to splurge on something for yourself.
Penzey’s very cleverly places recipe cards throughout the store, but there’s a real wealth of knowledge amongst the staff. Throw a question at them about a spice or seasoning, and they’ll answer it.
I picked up some spices I’ve been wanting to try, but instead gave them as a gift to a friend in exchange for a promise to bring me a sample of whatever she makes using them. The Mahlab, in particular, was intriguing and as I was checking out, the employee asked if I would let her know what I would use it for as they were always looking for new ideas. That’s another nice thing about getting to visit a store and not shopping from a catalog — real-​time interaction.

I called to get some information about online orders and returns. I was purchasing a housewarming gift and wanted to make sure the recipients were able to process a return in their store close to them. Yes, a gift card is easier but it’s personal to send an actual gift. The woman answered the phone right away, was very pleasant and explained that it would be no problem to make exchange in store if required. She then offered to take my order over the phone and was available to answer questions about the 3 gift baskets I was interested in. I selected the 3 gift baskets and placed the order without any hassle. I live in Hawaii and had a huge hassle a few hours previous about placing a phone order with a different company.
Penzey’s was courteous, helpful and hassle free.
Mahalo for your customer service!

I live in Tosa (Wauwatosa) near the Penzey’s Spices warehouse. They have excellent products and excellent customer service. In the fall of 2011 Penzey’s gave thousands of spice boxes FREE to teachers. They are a class act!!!

My how this place has grown. Locations in almost every state now, I remember back when they were only to be found in the midwest. My mom has always used spices from Penzey’s so i grew up with their stuff on my chicken and pork from an early age. Needless to say, as a result I’m a big fan.

Great store and I’m glad they opened a store near me in the Bay Area. Fantastic selection of spices from everywhere. I like the fact that there are samples that you can smell. I purchased the Vietnamese Cinnamon, the Green Goddess Dressing mix and the Bavarian Seasoning all were fresh and first rate. Well versed and friendly staff, nicely merchandised and the prices very reasonable in comparison to Safeway and Cost Plus. I am a definite fan.
For me it’s easier and cheaper just to buy from their mail order than to drive out to the Peninsula from the East Bay Contra Costa but if I ever get out to Redwood City I’ll definitely check them out.

I’ve been using Penzey’s Spices for the last 10 years and ordering it online has always been easy even though their website severely needs improvement as far as navigating.
Their spices are always fresh, plentiful, and better than any store brand with the exception of their onion products which cakes up in the jar when stored for a few days without opening. So I wouldn’t buy any of their onion powders. The prices of their spices are fairly reasonable and their shipping costs are average. It’ll take ten days for the product to reach your door if you’re in California, however.
As far as their customer service? Well, this is where Penzey’s fails miserably. In order to get customer service to respond to an inquiry, you must threaten them that you’ll send a letter to Bill, the owner, to get the problem resolved. In this case, Customer Service will respond immediately.
Overall, Penzey’s is still okay.

I lived in Brookfield my whole childhood and had never even as much as heard of Penzey’s. I suppose that says something about how much food was valued in our house, but after receiving a fun wedding spice pack from a friend a few years ago, I headed over to check their flagship retail store out. First of all I have to comment on the strange industrial park location of the store, but consdering they process and sell spices there, it makes a little more sense. Nonetheless you will probably think you are lost on your way up the wierd hill off Bluemound Road.
Once inside, the store is a homey place where you can wander through the crafty displays, smell samples of all the spices, read descriptions, histories and even serving suggestions for each spice. They have a great variety, as Maiko said, and the prices are very reasonable. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and you can even look out over some of their processing facility.
I look forward to getting it every month — yes, there is a cheesy editor’s note from the owner, but I think it’s great. This is Wisconsin, we appreciate a little fake personal attention and midwestern charm here. I agree their food photography less than stellar, but for me that adds something of a local charm element. It’s not totally polished and sophisticated, and that’s okay with me.
The long and short of it is, these spices are better than what you will get at the grocery store, they are often less expensive, and you can even learn something shopping there. They value a good meal and seem to genuinely value their customers. If you like cooking, you will like Penzeys.

Since Penzey’s hasn’t opened a store in California (I don’t know why they wouldn’t come to a big food city like SF), I shop via their mailorder catalog/​website. Penzey’s sells spices – hundreds of different kinds – and spice blends, both whole and ground. You can get as little as a ¼ cup in a small plastic jar, or a pound in a resealable plastic bag. Their catalog is thorough in describing the spices, where they originate, and for what cuisines it’s used. For those who are into authentic recreations of various cuisines such as Mexican, Persian, Indian etc., this is a great resource. Their website isn’t very easy to navigate, so I suggest you request a free print catalog. I’ve come to get most of my spices from them because the quality of the product is excellent and their prices are really good. For example, the supermarket charges $ 3 – 5 for a jar of thyme but at Penzey’s it’s $ 2.29. Some exotic spices like vanilla beans fluctuate in price according to what the market dictates, but I know that Penzey’s is not gouging people like the robber oil barons.
The opening rant to each catalog by Mr. Penzey can be cloying and touchy-​feely in a simplistic, aw-​shucks way. Sometimes, that’s nice but sometimes I feel like I don’t really need rocking chair philosophy from a spice company. They just launched a food magazine (Penzey’s One) that is truly atrocious looking. It’s like they’ve never heard of food styling or looked at current food magazines, and everything seems to be awash in yellow and earthtones like it’s from the 70s. Guh. The recipes – interspersed between stories of couples who adopt children from developing countries (the homely, midwestern Brangelinas, I guess) and a suppposed super-​cook whose repretoire never progressed since the 1950s – can include such clunkers like saltines sprinkled with chocolate chips tossed into the oven to instant ramen with spices and hot sauce. It’s a shame because I think there are a lot of customers who are sophisticated cooks and/​or people from other countries who could probably contribute a lot of great recipes using the spices sold through Penzey’s. Oh well, just ignore the constant plugging of the magazine in the Penzey’s catalog and you serious home chefs will find a great resource.