# Time to stock up on vanilla **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355 "2003-10-14T12:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/21 "2003-10-14T22:05:59Z")
The prices have already gone up at [Penzey’s](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysvanilla.html), unfortunately. Maybe I should buy some before they go up any farther - enough to get me through the next year or so, anyway. It sounds like the crisis will be about over by then. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/22 "2003-10-14T22:12:28Z")
The Cooks Illustrated (gosh I love that magazine) article found that the fake stuff is best in baked goods (I believe the benchmark was a yellow cake), but that for custards and the like, you still want to use the hideously expensive vanilla beans. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/23 "2003-10-14T22:13:10Z")
**stargazer** , I wasn’t questioning what you read. Really, taste is a very definite matter of opinion. As for me, I’ve never had an artificial flavoring that I liked as much as the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/24 "2003-10-14T22:54:35Z")
Everytime I visit the US I’m asked to bring vanilla for relatives. I usually take around 8 liters and my Mom divides it up amongst them. I was amazed at the cost of the stuff up there but now those 8 liters will probably be worth as much as my plane ticket! ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/25 "2003-10-14T23:23:46Z")
Oh, I didn’t think you were questioning, **FCM**! And I didn’t mean to discount your opinion. I was just providing more information about the article. I thought the findings of their tests were really interesting. I don’t even know if I prefer real or artificial vanilla! I _buy_ real vanilla, but that’s mostly because I’m working my way toward being a foodie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/26 "2003-10-24T03:02:36Z")
[blaring klaxons] **$PECIAL $HOPPER $AVINGS $ERVICE** For those of you who have a MacFrugal’s or Big Lots store near you. Item:[ul][li]Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract[/li]2.0 Fluid Ounce Bourbon Vanilla Packaged Amber Glass Bottle[/ul]**$1.[sup]99[/sup]** [/blaring klaxons] ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355/27 "2003-10-24T03:10:42Z")
I hafta say, I love Spice Islands stuff for any spice not green. Their basil and oregano are always blaaaah - no flavor left. But red pepper, garlic powder, and yes, Pure Vanilla Extract in larger-than-McCormick’s-chintzy-bottles? I’m all over it. (They also sell Spice Islands at my local WalMart, Walgreen’s and beleive it or not, Michael’s Crafts.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-stock-up-on-vanilla/207355.md?page=1)