Do you like Pampered Chef merchandise? Is their cookware up to your standards? Is it worth the higher price for their lifetime guarantee? Do their nonstick pans stay nonstick longer? What’s your experience?
(Mods, I’m not sure if this is IMHO or Cafe Society. Please move the thread if I got it wrong, and thank you!)
I’ve only gotten small items, and they’ve worked pretty well and held up pretty well. I don’t know about higher ticket items.
I’ve gotten their tongs and they work much better than tongs I’ve found in Linens N Things and Bed, Bath and Beyond. I also like their small stoneware bakers–they don’t stick and meats and baked goods get an incredibly tasty crust. Hope this helps.
Frankly, I think almost all the Pampered Chef stuff is overpriced, like most “party plan” merchandise. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the three Pampered Chef “parties” that I attended, and the kitchen goodies that I bought were quite nice, but I think I could probably have saved a ton of money and been just as happy if I’d bought similar items from QVC or a local cookware merchant.
I have some Pampered Chef items. I’ve not bought any of the really expensive things like the apple corer (the one where you stick the apple on a spike and turn a handle that rotates the apple while peelng it). Of the product that I’ve bought, I’ve found it to be good quality. I’d echo those who said it is also overpriced. It is, however, the only “home party” that I’m willing to go to.
I love the unglazed ceramic bakeware stuff. Love love love them all. Except the bundt cake pan – that one is boring, so I don’t have it.
I despised the non-stick skillet, and am not particularly impressed with the gadgets (egg slicer, handy chopper do-hickey, etc – nothing wrong with them, just not worht the higher price).
I really like the shaped bread tubes and the cookie molds, but I haven’t seen any new ones for a while.
The garlic press is the BEST I have ever, ever had. We’ve got some stoneware pans, but I don’t use them much. My mom buys it for me because she has nothing better to do than spend money on things I wouldn’t buy for myself.
Razorette is very pleased with all the Pampered Chef stuff she’s bought over the past few years. Our oldest son is a chef, however, and he has no use for it at all. On the other hand, he’s completely useless when it comes to advising his mother what she should use. He always recommends top-of-the-line stuff he and his colleagues use, some of which is available at high-end domestic specialty stores, but most of which is special-order. $199.95 for a butcher knife? I think not. (“But Mom, feel the balance!”)
Actually, we’ve found that PC merchandise is just as good as, and more reasonably priced than, equivalent items at BB&B and L’n’T – and because of our location, we have to drive at least two hours (at $3 a gallon, thank you very much!) to get to the stores. So, on balance, we prefer Pampered Chef.
Count me in the “OK but overpriced” contingent.
I have the chopper and the “Ultimate Slice & Grate.” The chopper costs about double ($28.50) what I think it’s actually worth, and the “Ultimate Slice & Grate” ($45) is a complete waste of money. I get far more use out of my $5 box grater. Both items are mostly plastic, light weight, and cheaply constructed. I have to add that I bought both items sight-unseen from the website rather than attending a party, so I didn’t have the advantage of getting my hands on them beforehand.
My feeling is you can get the same or better quality at any housewares store (Target, Bed Bath and Beyond…) for better prices, though the important thing is to be able to get a close look before you buy.
I have:
the chopper - love it and use it all the time
the can opener - love it and use it all the time
the micro-cooker - love it and use it all the time - and I’ve given it as a gift to people who’ve admired it
Can’t testify about any of their other products, though.
The only PC item I have is a deep dish pie dish. It is very nice, and makes for a truely killer deep dish fruit pie.
I thought the price was OK, not overly out of line, and not cheap.