Hating on Williams-Sonoma

[MarblesMom]

"Every time a Brooklyn resident raves about “comfort food,” a coal miner from Appalachia is crushed in a landslide."

I have to admit, I laughed the the reviews.  I also no longer shop there.  

Please be beverage-free while reading.

http://adequateman.deadspin.com/the-2016-hater-s-guide-to-the-williams-sonoma-catalog-1789529261

[RosyDaisy]

So, pigs in a blanket is white trash food? I must be white trash then, beause I love them. Mine are always homemade. Only stuck up rich folks would pay $50 for 2 dozen stale ones from a damn catalog.

[FloraKitty35]

Deer antler collection, what a rip off!  I live in an area that is over populated with white tailed deer.  Procuring an antler or a rack with or with out hunting is not a challenge.

[nokidsmom]

This was hilarious!   I did not have my morning coffee in hand which was good and furthermore I woke up Mr. No with my laughing.  Note I was in my den which is two floors DOWN from the bedroom. 

Now I gotta ask why.  Why would someone put a deer antler in the middle of your holiday table?    Or go for "tuscan style" pigs in a blanket when your standard homemade pigs in a blanket are just fine @RosyDaisy .   And are those gingerbread mug toppers going to be stale as hell or what?

Why chocolate mice?  Mice are those things who slip into my garage and take a nibble at the garbage bag left overnight because the temperate is zero (and the wind chill takes it to -20) and it's too damn cold  to walk out to the bin.   Why would I want those things in chocolate?  Even the white ones?

Amazing that folks buy this stuff at ridiculous prices all because of advertising.  You advertise it just the right way and to the right crowd, they will easily part with their money.

FTR, I have occasionally shopped at WS, but go for just their basic bakeware such as baking sheets, muffin and cake pans.  They hold up very well (I do lots of baking) and are worth the money IMHO.  I take a pass on about 95% of the store.   Last time, bought the basic muffin pan only and clerk was shocked that was all I was buying. 

 

[church_of_dog]

The completely nonsensical concept of putting a "this-year's trend" pattern on a cast-iron piece of cookware that will last longer than the buyer's lifetime?  Precious. 

[RosyDaisy]

Speaking of chocolate mice, my feline headship woud pounce on those.

[catlady]

My life won't be complete if I don't get me some "Motherfucking Truffle Oil."  Maybe JEFFREY will deliver it.

@RosyDaisy, I'd choose your pigs in a blanket over theirs any day!!

[cindyluvs24]

That was great, almost as good as the Amazon reviews for the Haribo Sugar-Free Gummy Bears.  That said, I wonder if they ever have warehouse sales?  I live slightly north of there,  nearby is also a Crate and Barrel Distrib Center, Amazon, Costco etc.  It used to be farmland, now its warehouses.

[PennySycamore]

@cindyluvs24,  there is or was a W-S outlet in Germantown, Tennessee.  Their warehouse is in northern Mississippi.  I remember going to the outlet store with my daughter.  We bought three kids' aprons.  The one I bought for my yet-to-be born grandson had trains on it.  Turned out to be perfect for a Thomas crazed little boy!

Some of their items are ridiculous, but others aren't like @nokidsmom said: their bakeware and such.  I personally am addicted to their pop-up sponges, aprons, and dishtowels.  If I were Jewish, I'd love to have that Star of David Bundt pan and if I were made of money I'd love to have some Mauviel copper pots and pans and, what the hell, that tartan cast iron pot (I like tartan!).  The Breville Smart Oven might come in handy if we have to be kitchen-less for a while while our kitchen reno is going on.

 

[Maggie Mae]

I would absolutely LOVE to be gifted that tartan pot thing. I don't see the purpose of the giant toaster oven. I have one of those split ovens with the small oven and a bigger oven below it. I use the top one 95% of the time, and it even has a setting for toast! So I don't have a toaster because I hate single use kitchen items. 
 

$800 faux tree seems excessive. 

I'm not a fan of pre-mixed drinks, or moscow mules, for that matter. I'm not sure why they are so popular right now. 

The $36.95 Star of David Bundt pan is at Target for $40, but $20 on Amazon. 

Peppermint Bark. Someone brought a box of it to work, and I thought it looked good. I like peppermint. I like chocolate. It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever had that was considered candy. I actually spit it out which I haven't done since I was a child. WHY IS IT A THING? 

[catlady]

@Maggie Mae, yep, peppermint bark is pretty nasty.  It's made with white chocolate, and white chocolate is a sick joke because it contains no chocolate.

[urban teacher]

Thanks for warning me. I actually was going to get some peppermint bark but now I'm warned.

[PennySycamore]

@Maggie Mae,  I've got one of those split oven too.  I also use the upper oven the most and use it to make toast even though we have a toaster.  I won't have the spilt oven much longer though.  When I redo my kitchen, I'm going to have a cooktop and a wall oven.  Btw, I think the Maxwells have my stove or maybe just Nathan and Melanie do.  It's in a picture on the blog with Abby.

[Maggie Mae]

10 minutes ago, PennySycamore said:

@Maggie Mae,  I've got one of those split oven too.  I also use the upper oven the most and use it to make toast even though we have a toaster.  I won't have the spilt oven much longer though.  When I redo my kitchen, I'm going to have a cooktop and a wall oven.  Btw, I think the Maxwells have my stove or maybe just Nathan and Melanie do.  It's in a picture on the blog with Abby.

 

I went to look and that looks like my oven too. Wow, their kitchen is a mess, I'm actually surprised. I thought they would be more on top of the dishes! 

I know I'm in the minority, but I also really love the smooth stovetop. It is so easy to clean and when it's off it's more prep space which is nice. 

[catlady]

My next stove will have a smooth top.  I've had both gas and electric units, and I hate cleaning the burners.  

I have the same cabinet/drawer pulls that the Maxwell's have.

[Shouldabeenacowboy]

Every year I used to buy chestnuts there  - they are a staple of some traditional Northern Italian holiday dishes, and I could not seem to find them in my corner of the world, except this year I was so thrilled to find chestnut packets at Trader Joe's that I bought something ridiculous like 10 pounds!!! 

I have bought peppermint bark for non-US friends who like it as a "novelty" and a "from the US" thing, but then again, there are other manufacturers (like Ghirardelli) who make it too for a fraction of the price. Truth is, I can find pretty much all I need in other stores, as well as Amazon (which is great!) for a lot less.

[16strong]

I'll be honest- I love WS when I need to buy a nice wedding gift, particularly when I don't know what to get. The sales clerks at my location are always super helpful, and even wrap the gift up and add a card to go with, for free. That's service you can't get at Macy's or BB&B. Plus, their crystal is very beautiful and makes for lovely gifts. Imo, too few couples these days ask for nice things for special occasions.

[formergothardite]

On 12/18/2016 at 5:06 PM, Maggie Mae said:

. I like peppermint. I like chocolate. It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever had that was considered candy. I actually spit it out which I haven't done since I was a child. WHY IS IT A THING? 

I don't know how they manage to take two things that should taste good together and ruin them! 

[Cartmann99]

On 12/17/2016 at 10:15 AM, church_of_dog said:

The completely nonsensical concept of putting a "this-year's trend" pattern on a cast-iron piece of cookware that will last longer than the buyer's lifetime?  Precious. 

Yup. Though you know that a lot of the people who buy will get rid of it next year to follow the next hot trend.

I'd feel like I had to dress up or at least put some shoes on if I was cooking with a dutch oven that cost that much. The old-school 5 quart one that Lodge makes is more my style anyway. 

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DD3-Double-Dutch-5-Quart/dp/B000LEXR0K

[mango_fandango]

Over here in Britain, pigs in blankets are little cocktail sausages (or sometimes bigger sausages) wrapped in bacon. Pig in more pig. I love that shit. 

Ordering that kind of food from a catalogue sounds bizarre. 

[church_of_dog]

3 hours ago, formergothardite said:

I don't know how they manage to take two things that should taste good together and ruin them! 

I guess I need to post my enjoyment of peppermint bark on the "unpopular opinions" thread... 

[purple_summer]

All I've read is the thread title and I just need the world to know I'm appalled. APPALLED. 

[guitar_villain]

The WS catalog has to be the single most white person thing in existence, whiter even than classical music.  I want to channel Nigel from Spinal Tap when discussing the WS catalog.

"It's like, 'how much more white could this be?' and the answer is 'None. None more white'" 

[nokidsmom]

On 12/18/2016 at 5:47 PM, catlady said:

My next stove will have a smooth top.  I've had both gas and electric units, and I hate cleaning the burners.  

I have the same cabinet/drawer pulls that the Maxwell's have.

My stove is on it's last legs and I would love to have a smooth top for same reason: I hate cleaning the burners.  Currently have gas but had electric in our last apt.   Only problem is that I do canning and even though I downsized to a smaller canner last year, I would prefer to have the burners to support it.  One solution is getting an electric Autocanner but you are limited to what canning recipes you can use with it.  Decisions, decisions....

Definitely interested in a split oven though. 

[LadyCrow1313]

16 hours ago, formergothardite said:

I don't know how they manage to take two things that should taste good together and ruin them! 

I love chocolate & mint, especially together in something that tastes good (ie, ice cream, fudge or a brownie). However, if I have something with those flavors & said food item turns out to be crappy, it makes me sad. (Doesn't diminish my love for the flavors themselves, though.)