Penzeys Spices

I can easily spend 45 minutes strolling through the store checking out all the wonderful and unique spice blends. I’ve been shopping here for years and everything I’ve tried has been great.
They have recently moved across the street from their old location. They are now next to Old Chicago

Although I like the spices the person in the store today is very rude. I asked if this was a second location or if you guys had moved and her response was we moved were not Starbucks in a very disrespectful tone. I looked around the new locationI then walked out without buying anything. Based on this experience I don’t know that I would go back into this store.

I purchase all of my spices here. It is a very clean store and the employees are always ready to help you. I have also picked up a few of the already made spice blends and I have liked them all. The ranch dressing mix has no msg and has great flavor.

Great place to buy spices. Very reasonably priced and you can find stuff that you never find even in some of the high end grocery stores.

Love this place. The people are nice and helpful if you need suggestions on what spices they would use to prepare what dish. If you subscribe via email and catalogue there are coupons you can get for free spices. Some you don’t have to even buy any. You can tell that they use quality ingredients when you just smell it. Each item has a jar that you can open and look at the spice and smell the product. If you want to get into gourmet cooking or just pizzazzing a frozen pizza or sandwich they’ve got what you’re looking for. They have a variety of spices from Indian, to Chinese five spice blends, rubs, to double strength vanilla extract. I heard the later will bring your baking to a whole new level and it did smell divine. Even their black pepper has a beautiful aroma. It’s currently on 82^nd on the Winco side by Hometown Buffet but I believe they are moving over to across the street near Ross. The price is reasonable for the quality you’re getting but I give 4 out of 5 because I bought their hot chocolate mix and it wasn’t chocolate enough to for us. But that may just be preference. I had to add a lot more mix and plain cocoa eventually. What I would love to see is them to carry teas.

If you like cooking this place is a mecca. The store is clean and perfectly merchandised and the employees are knowledgeable. The prices compared to the supermarket and right on point and are often cheaper, or are comparable but for a better quality product.
Some of my families favorites are the mixed seasonings for pot roast, steak, and chicken. I also buy staples here like salt, pepper, and garlic because the quality is excellent and there are several different kinds to explore.

We went in this evening just mins before closing, but we found what we were looking for and more! Even with us coming in about five mins before closing th ladies were very helpful and pleasant, my daughter has been in a few times but she has never convinced me to try it, we were looking for sumac very hard to find found it! They have it and sweet curry, we will be back! Just the smell going in is plesent! Very clean and prises are great for fresh spices, can’t wait to go back and have more time to explore!

I love this store! Not only do they have great customer service, but they also have top quality spices and herbs. I especially enjoyed the sample jars that allow you to smell each spice (or herb).
I believe that in order to make great food, you need to use quality ingredients; which is why I highly recommend getting your spices and herbs here. No matter what level of cook or baker you are, it will make your food taste SO much better.
I also love the coupon for the free jar of spice (it changes seasonly) that I get with their free catalog (which by the way has great info on spices and some pretty good recipes). The lady was even nice enough to give us another free jar so that I wouldn’t have to share with the person I went there with.

I shopped Penzeys by mail from Wisconsin, years before they added retail stores in the west. They’re a bit pricey but everything they sell is high quality, from smoked paprika to peppercorns to ground chipotle. The staff is always friendly.

I love this place. The Vietnamese cinnamon is a must get! If you are a foodie and you cook at home, this place is a little slice of Heaven. The lady behind the counter was super nice and patient as we purchased, found some new things and purchased, and then found one more item and purchased yet again. Things are a little pricey, but their vanilla is the best vanilla that I have ever found.

I love going in and imagining using all that I see in something yummy. I stock upon basics and go in for something special now and then, especially around the holidays.
We are always experimenting a they offer a large veriety of herbs and spices for any cooking style.

If you like to cook and/​or bake, this shop will have something that interests you. Knowledgeable, friendly customer service and lovely selection! Agree with another reviewer that this is *the* spot in the Portland metro area to buy spices. You can order from catalog if this isn’t a convenient location… and the prices and variety are better than any grocery store. However, you can’t indulge your senses with a catalog. This is a place that begs to be savored. If you can make the time, walk slowly and enjoy the scents of the mulling spices, fresh cinnamon, Spanish Paprika or the lovely curry selection: Balti, Garam Masala, Rogan Josh, Sate’, Sweet Curry, Hot Curry, Tandoori, Maharajah-​Style and Vindaloo. Yum. Suddenly craving curry…

YOU NEED NOT SHOP ANYWHERE ELSE FOR SPICES, SEASONINGS OR FLAVORINGS EVER AGAIN!
This store is one of my favorite stores to shop at, even though I have more than enough stuff to cook with I just cannot help myself. So many different spices and seasonings to look through and flavors to take home and try — the chef I always wanted to be screams to visit this store every few days.
I grew up cooking — been cooking for myself since before I was in grade school and started taking cooking classes in grade school so finding a store like this (thanks Dad) is like heaven to me! Walking through these doors and smelling the goodness and potential gets me going and really makes me want to create something for someone to try.
They have pretty much everything you could wish for from many different types of salts to multiple peppercorns, various premixed taco seasonings, premixed chilli seasonings, BBQ seasonings, different ground peppers, cocoas, extracts, saffrons and you name it — they have it.
Do yourself a flavor, go check the store out in person and if there is not one near you then at least get on the website and browse that. Sign up for the catalog (it is FREE so no excuses and they will not sell your address to any junk mailers — don’t worry) and just give it a try. Buy the small jar of Northwoods and try that on a steak or chicken breast — heck even corn on the cob — or any of the other flavors they have.
Buying spices here versus your local grocer makes a world of difference to your taste buds!

Excellent shopping experience from the minute you walk in the door. Their customer service is unparalleled. They can be as hands-​on helpful or as unobtrusive as you require.
They sell four or five different kinds of cinnamon. Different kinds of cinnamon. I had no clue that cinnamon came in «kinds.» But they have little info cards about each one, and they have smelling pots so you can compare and contrast.
They also sell «double strength» vanilla extract. The theory is that you can use half the amount a recipe calls for, but c’mon — if you love vanilla like I do, you’re putting in the regular amount, double strength.
This is a terrific place to put together gift baskets for cooks in your life. Plus, with its glamorous Clackamas location, you’re not fighting the parking wars that you would be if you chose to visit their Pearl District location.

Love this place for gifts, esp gifts for myself. They also do gift cards and I want to say they have a mail out catalog. Penzey’s rocks!

Penzey’s Spices is the best thing about Clackamas. And I love me some Clackamas. The store is in the strangest location, somewhere I’d never discover left to my own devices — sandwiched curiously between the Jenny Craig store and Home Town Buffet in the 82^nd WinCo parking lot. Luckily, my mom from Seattle was privy to the spice purveyors from Cook’s Magazine, and brought me along on a visit a few years ago.
I don’t buy spices anywhere but Penzey’s anymore. They are head and shoulders in quality above anything you’ll buy in a typical grocery store, and a much better bargain than anything else you’d find at New Seasons or Whole Foods. They have all your savory and baking basics, including some great dried parsley and chives that will bring your homemade scrambled eggs to a whole new date-​impressing level. They have multiple kinds of cinnamon, cocoa, peppers, salts… confused? Just ask one of the employees, they all seem excited about what they’re selling and knowledgeable. If you don’t want to talk to anyone, each individual spice has a nice write-​up, a sample to smell, and sometimes even a recipe. You can also grab a free catalog, which has all the information and ideas for all of their stock.
The spice blends are also great fun. They’re fun to experiment with, and you can buy small jars for just a couple bucks to find your favorites. Like I mentioned, the prices are very low, especially when you comparison-​shop with the jars at any grocery store. Sign up for their mailing list and you’ll get coupons for free spice jars, which is of course awesome.
The store itself is clean and very appealing, with a crate scheme that makes you feel like you’ve been let loose on some magical pirate ship of deliciousness. I could wander around in the space all day.

My mom is always raving about Penzey’s. She always has several of their spices on hand and it seems that there is always at least one spice prominently featured in any meal she cooks. Last Christmas, she gave my wife and I a pair of seasonings from Penzey’s their Greek and Sicilian Salad seasonings.
Needless to say, they were quickly consumed, which meant that we had to take a trip to Penzey’s to check out the goods for ourselves. We were very impressed. I think that my wife was convinced that she had found «the one» (the must-​have seasoning) about ten times before we decided to just get a refill for our Greek seasoning. I would say that their spices are reasonably priced, but certainly not cheap. However, buying the spices in bulk (resealable plastic bags) instead of jars will gave you some serious coin. This is especially nice if you’re refilling a previous container.
All in all, this place is inspiring. From vanilla extract to ranch dressing mix to curry powder… the makings of a million delicious meals and treats are within reach at Penzey’s.

I’d been hearing about this store from friends for years but hadn’t been in a town where one was open. I was delighted to find this location in Portland and went in to replenish my supply of herbs and spices.
I nearly fell to the ground when I saw the prices, holy moly they’re steep. After catching my breath I realized I could buy bagged spices without the premium price of their lovely glass jars.
I broke my budget and stocked up on basics and exotics. Got them home and have been enjoying the exceptional quality ever since.

Okay as you probably have gathered from the previous reviewer, Penzey’s has everything. If they don’t have it, it’s either illegal or doesn’t exist. I’m actually not kidding about the illegal part.
I went to Penzey’s in search of a vital ingredient for a family recipe that had been handed down for at least four generations. I was on a mad hunt for something called charcoal salt. After hitting six other stores, my sister suggested that we go to Penzeys. I got lost among all the fragrant and wonderful looking spices. They didn’t have the charcoal salt but they had great service and suggested a couple of other places for me to try. I later learned that Charcoal salt is as bad for you as it sounds and no longer in production. So I had to improvise a bit in the kitchen.
However, the point of the story is the same — if Penzey’s doesn’t exist it’s illegal to produce!

Having read the previous reviews, I have to completely agree that Penzey’s has just about everything most cooks will ever want or need. Whether you’re a foodie or just the average cook looking to improve on the flavor of your food, you should be all set there. The prices are way better than you’ll find in the local grocery store, and the spices tend to last longer — they are so much fresher than most people are used to, that it’s possible to use less and still get better flavor. There are no fillers, and for those interested, their vanilla is gluten-​free!
The one thing I *do* have to disagree about is the location. Living down in SE, it’s absolutely wonderful that there is a terrific specialty store that I don’t have to drive to NW Portland to visit. It’s rare that we get so lucky over here!
Regardless of where you live, it’s well worth the trip to make a visit. You won’t go wrong, and you will more than likely walk out of there in awe over all you have been missing… while carrying a bag full of spices that you never intended to get!