# Where is the best place to buy inexpensive spices (for cooking)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008 "2018-03-22T04:19:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/21 "2018-03-22T14:35:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Where are you finding expensive spices? Even at the most expensive stores, they’re generally only a few cents per serving. I personally find McCormick’s spices so overpriced that I laugh at them. Like $4-$5 for a container than I can go to Spice House and buy 4x the amount at the same price at much better quality. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/22 "2018-03-22T14:36:17Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I agree typically it does, however buying spices in bulk does not equate to that, but measure yourself the amount you want (large or small). Hence ‘buying is great quantity’ is exactly what the OP does not want (which is what the spice jars provide to the OP), hence in that case you buy in bulk and get the amount you need. There really ought to be a better word for it, as “buying in bulk,” to me, connotes buying large quantities of something. Anyhow, this is a meaningless side discussion. It’s clear what the OP had in mind when they said “buying in bulk” and it’s not buying how much you want. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/23 "2018-03-22T15:01:58Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > Heck, even in as bland of a chain store as a Safeway many spices will have vastly different prices if you buy them form the ‘mexican foods’ section than if you buy them from the ‘spices’ section- including spices that aren’t particularly specific to that cuisine, like cinnamon or cloves. Yeah this is how it is around us. Have you ever checked the “Mexican” aisle for spices at your local store,\*\* Whack-a-Mole\*\*? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/24 "2018-03-22T15:19:14Z")
In addition to these great tips, buy an inexpensive grinder ( I use a repurposed electric coffe grinder), get your spices whole whenever you can, and grind them when needed. Whole spices will stay fresh for years vs. only a couple months for the ground versions. Plus you can toast whole spices in a pan before grinding which makes them tastier when making curries and such. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/25 "2018-03-22T15:20:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Saffron runs $8-$10 an ounce, and making a paella to feed four typically uses an ounce. Poor quality saffron is cheaper, but you need to use way more for the same taste/color. Saffron is usually sold by the gram and used in amounts less than that. Penzey’s has it for $17.95 a gram, which is quite a bit more than one would usually use in a paella. Typical recipes call for a pinch of saffron threads. If you used an ounce of saffron in a paella for four people it would be inedible and would cost hundreds of dollars. Perhaps you were thinking of Mexican saffron, which is a lot cheaper but isn’t actually saffron (it comes from safflower instead of the saffron crocus). ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/26 "2018-03-22T15:21:48Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > There’s a Penzey’s store in the River Square Shopping Center in Naperville. They sell spices in containers as small as 1/4 cup. The spices I’ve bought from Penzey’s have always been top quality. Penzeys often have spices they give away for free to get you into the store. Many of their spices can be bought by the scoop. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/27 "2018-03-22T15:27:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Saffron runs $8-$10 an ounce, and making a paella to feed four typically uses an ounce. Poor quality saffron is cheaper, but you need to use way more for the same taste/color. If you’re putting an ounce of saffron in four servings of paella, your family must have really big appetites, or you like your paella extremely spicy. And, if you’re paying $8-10 for an ounce of saffron, you’ve either found the best place to buy spices…or, the worst (perhaps you’re buying red sewing thread instead of threads of saffron?). 🙂 Pretty sure you mean “gram”, but even a gram of saffron threads (2tsp) should yield ~32 servings. :smack: Ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/28 "2018-03-22T15:29:55Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Saffron is usually sold by the gram and used in amounts less than that. Penzey’s has it for $17.95 a gram, which is quite a bit more than one would usually use in a paella. You are correct, I was mixing up ounces and grams. Which, given my history of recreational drug use is unforgivable. 😃 ETA: I can just imagine buying an 8ball of saffron. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/29 "2018-03-22T16:00:41Z")
Sometimes a health food store, or a natural foods store, will have a section where you can buy spices by the ounce from containers. I usually buy mundane things like garlic powder, cinnamon, pepper, seasoned salt, etc. from a place like Real Deals or a dollar store - some have more options like bay leaves, rosemary, or whole cloves. I will splurge on a bunch of dried oregano in a cellophane bag, like a bouquet, at a Mediterranean type market, strip the leaves and crumble them, and put in a jar. And finally, near the produce section there’s sometimes a rack holding little plastic baggies of spices, pretty cheap…I can’t see buying a huge bag of spice at the India imports place, I use a 1/4 cup a year and it would just lose all its taste after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/30 "2018-03-22T16:11:44Z")
OK, so that works out to about 60 cents per serving for saffron, and that’s the most expensive spice out there. I stand by my statement that, even if you overpay for them, spices are pretty cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/31 "2018-03-22T16:24:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You are correct, I was mixing up ounces and grams. > > Which, given my history of recreational drug use is unforgivable. 😃 > > ETA: I can just imagine buying an 8ball of saffron. Saffron keeps extremely well, as long as you store it well. I buy an ounce of best quality Spanish red, and it lasts me for years without suffering much loss in potency. The price is far better than the few threads you get at a supermarket, and the quality is superior. It’s not practical for most people, but I dabble in Indian cooking and I make saffron rice and paella during a typical year. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/32 "2018-03-22T17:17:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, so that works out to about 60 cents per serving for saffron, and that’s the most expensive spice out there. I stand by my statement that, even if you overpay for them, spices are pretty cheap. This. In a similar vein, I shudder when I shell out $15 for a pint jug of maple syrup but since I use maybe 6 tablespoons per stack of pancakes, it works out less than the eggs I used. The fake stuff isn’t worth my time. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/33 "2018-03-22T17:21:45Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > Gimme a vague idea of location; edgebrook is gonna be tough whereas Rogers park or Logan Square will be easy. Lakeview (think Wrigley Field area). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/34 "2018-03-22T17:25:19Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Just to mention the obvious but it appears that you are misusing the word bulk, which means you buy the amount you want. Err… bulk bəlk/ noun noun: bulk ``` 1. the mass or magnitude of something large. "the sheer bulk of the bags" synonyms: size, volume, dimensions, proportions, mass, scale, magnitude, immensity, vastness "the sheer bulk of the bags" a large mass or shape, for example of a building or a heavy body. "he moved quickly in spite of his bulk" large in quantity or amount. ``` verb verb: bulk; 3rd person present: bulks; gerund or present participle: bulking; past tense: bulked; past participle: bulked ``` 1. be or seem to be of great size or importance. "territorial questions bulked large in diplomatic relations" 2. treat (a product) so that its quantity appears greater than it in fact is. "traders were bulking up their flour with chalk" ``` ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/35 "2018-03-22T17:43:09Z")
You might think of it this way: the store has bought in bulk so that you can buy in portions. I shop for nuts, cereal, grains, spices, and trail mix in the area where the store offers the items it has purchased in bulk. I put the goods in bags and take them home to my own containers. Because the STORE has bought in bulk, I save on the cost of individual packaging. At Central Market, HEB, or Whole Foods, I use their plastic bags. At my local food cooperative, I bring in jars or bottles and have them tared at the service counter before filling. At work, I keep a shaker of saltless food seasoning I got at Dollar Tree. I used it to make Chex Mix last week and got lots of compliments on it While spices might be cheap per serving, having to purchase a year’s worth of servings at a time can hit hard. Not to mention, it’s not a great thing to use year old spices. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/36 "2018-03-22T17:50:29Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > This. In a similar vein, I shudder when I shell out $15 for a pint jug of maple syrup but since I use maybe 6 tablespoons per stack of pancakes, it works out less than the eggs I used. The fake stuff isn’t worth my time. One word: Costco They sell jugs of high quality grade A amber for about $10/liter. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/37 "2018-03-22T18:00:08Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Err… > > bulk > bəlk/ > noun > noun: bulk > > ``` > 1. > the mass or magnitude of something large. > "the sheer bulk of the bags" > synonyms: size, volume, dimensions, proportions, mass, scale, magnitude, immensity, vastness > "the sheer bulk of the bags" > a large mass or shape, for example of a building or a heavy body. > "he moved quickly in spite of his bulk" > large in quantity or amount. > > ``` > > verb > verb: bulk; 3rd person present: bulks; gerund or present participle: bulking; past tense: bulked; past participle: bulked > > ``` > 1. > be or seem to be of great size or importance. > "territorial questions bulked large in diplomatic relations" > 2. > treat (a product) so that its quantity appears greater than it in fact is. > "traders were bulking up their flour with chalk" > > ``` Bulk refers to how it’s shipped to the store, not how much you need to buy. “bulk bins” at grocery stores allow you to buy as much or as little as you want. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/38 "2018-03-22T18:22:59Z")
I find decent spices at the Dollar Store. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/39 "2018-03-22T22:35:36Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I find decent spices at the Dollar Store. Ditto. Their dried basil tends to be old, but you can see through the container if it’s yellowy or not. I buy all other basics there. For fancy cooking I prefer Penzey spices. And for dried basil, which I use by the crap-ton, I recently got a pound from nutsonline that I am really happy with. That oughta last me at least six months. LOL! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008/40 "2018-03-22T23:37:18Z")
**Rural King** has four or five shelves of generic spices. Each is around $1.00. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-to-buy-inexpensive-spices-for-cooking/811008.md?page=3)