Anyone who knows me, will agree with this statement whole heartedly: "The girl is cheap!" I prefer the word frugal but cheap also works. I clip coupons and shop around for the best prices but skimp on quality? NO SIR!!! I will gladly shell out my hard earn money if I believe in the product, which leads me to todays blog entry.
About two weeks ago, I was doing a late night internet search for wooden toddler spoons for my son, Dadma. I found what I was looking for but I also stumbled upon the website www.cpbasils.com and my world has not been the same since.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the website, Chester P. Basil is a company dedicated to making fine wooden kitchen utensils and woodenware. I know what you all are thinking...What is so Earth shattering about a wooden spoon?!!! Well, for your information, this company has wooden utensil making down to a science. You can tell that each piece that leaves the workshop is made with love and attention to detail. What results is a very handsome wooden utensil that is expertly crafted and feels nimble in the hand.
Finding The Perfect Spoon
I can honestly say that prior to my visiting CP Basil, I was content with my wooden spoon collection. I figure it was natural to get splinters in your mouth the first couple of times you use a new wooden spoon or that the decrepit look they take on after gradual use was part of the lifespan of a wooden spoon. But man, was my world turned upside down when I started to look around the website. I was like a sugar starved kid in a candy store! I originally planned on getting maybe one or two spoons but as I scrolled from one page to the next, I realized that I had the wooden spoon fever...BAD!
In the end, I settled on the following pieces (as shown in the picture):
11" Saute Stir $11
13" Roux Spoon $18
13" Medium Spatula $13
13" Country Ladle $34
9" Small Salad Set $19
8" Wide Spreader $4
7" PB&J Spreader $5
Spoon Rest $14 (which was sent to me for research purposes)
I know what you all are thinking! "That is over $100 worth of woodenware! What is she, some kind of Rockefeller?!!!" I hear what you are saying. $100 plus is no piddly sum to be squandered but if you have a passion for cooking, take pride in your kitchen tools and appreciate true American craftsmanship, $100 plus is the least I would expect to pay for these wooden masterpieces. I tell you no lie when I say that these tools are a joy to behold. PLUS: I won $100 in the Superbowl pool, so you know I was destined to have these spoons!
The Delivery of My Spoons
I placed my order on February 7 at 5:30pm and received my package on February 11 at 11:30am. My shipment came via priority mail and it was like Christmas all over again. Each piece was carefully wrapped in white tissue paper and packed snuggly in the box to prevent breakage. After tearing through the tissue paper with Dadma's help, I would exclaim "Holy cow, look at this thing!" I did this a total of eight times. After I recovered from my happiness induced delirium, I went to work on studying the craftsmanship. Each piece was so smooth and felt so balanced in my hand. There were no rough edges like you see with the multiple pack spoons you get from places like Target and each utensil really conformed to my grip. The tools were not too light but not too heavy, giving it the perfect amount of control when stirring and sauteing.
Conclusion
I am a Chester P. Basil customer for life. I absolutely adore their product and already have my eye on a couple of their other pieces. I know that I will enjoy cooking and serving food with these tools as much as I enjoy just looking at them. In addition to ordering from them online, you can also find their products at:
Collene's Crafts & Flowers
16 North Whiteoak Street
Kutztown, PA 19530
If you are in the New Jersey area, they will be at the following craft shows:
April 9-10 Westfield Armory
Westfield, NJ
October 15-16 Brookdale Park Art Show
Upper Montclair, NJ
P.S.- My favorite piece is the Country Ladle. Something Little House On The Prairiesque about it. It has a lot of brawn and character. I have a mechanical pencil above it to showcase the Country Ladles mighty presence!
Take care and happy eating!
Very nice spoons!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work, the blogs and spoons. remember Mother's Day is coming.
ReplyDelete