290331 Mon Sep 16 23:21:48 -0700 2002 7 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1575219 How does the quality of Penzey's compare to the Spice House? Do they use the same suppliers? Does anyone know why they split into two companies? What other good spice merchants are out there? Thanks Link: http://www.thespicehouse.com/ Mon Sep 16 23:21:48 -0700 2002 0 Jessie 1 1575226 Hi! I have never ordered from Spice House----didn't even know about the 'split' from Penzey's. Interesting. But I have ordered from Penzey's many, many times and I think their quality is great; fantastic prices, ect. I have never been disappointed with them. Tue Sep 17 01:40:30 -0700 2002 1575219 0 Piglet 1 1575238 I haven't ordered from Spice House, but I will recommend Penzey's. They have a great selection, and fair pricing. I have been satisfied with all my purchases from them. Tue Sep 17 09:01:06 -0700 2002 1575219 0 M. Allen 1 1575247 I live in Chicago and have access to retail outlets of both Penzey’s and The Spice House, I find them quite similar in both price, quality and overall shopping experience. To further amplify, I find the prices reasonable and the quality high. In her recently published ‘A Cook’s Guide To Chicago’, Marilyn Pocius has a short sidebar article, relating to the two companies, on page 19. I quote: == ”Penzey’s is owned and operated by Bill Penzey; The Spice House by his sister Patty Penzey-Erd and her husband. They compete with each other. Mom and Dad Penzey started things off with a retail business in Wisconsin years ago. Bill continued and built a mail-order business with a growing number of retail outlets. Patty built a retail business that sells some mail-order, too. Many of their products are identical. Must make for some spicy family gatherings.” == Both web sites are easy to navigate and informative, though Penzey’s mail-order catalog gets the nod for its interesting spice related articles. For inexpensive, no frills spice in bulk you may wish to try; http://www.butcher-packer.com/ http://www.theingredientstore.com/ Both of these sites are a bit confusing, initially, to navigate, but well worth the effort. Enjoy, Gary Link: http://www.theingredientstore.com/ Tue Sep 17 10:21:21 -0700 2002 1575219 0 G Wiv 1 1575267 That's very interesting. It does look like a very similar selection at very similar prices. I've always been very happy with Penzey's products, but it sounds like Spice House is pretty much equivalent. Tue Sep 17 13:35:02 -0700 2002 1575219 0 Tom Hilton 1 1575277 Since we're on the subject of Penzey's...Has anyone used the Penzey's soup bases--chicken, pork, turkey, chicken, beef, fish? I'm interested in trying them for convenience sake. I've made my own stocks and broth, but I'd like to have something like these bases in a pinch. Tue Sep 17 14:31:18 -0700 2002 1575219 0 raj1 2 1575284 Have you tried Redi-base? I don't like the chicken flavor, find it too sweet, but the beef and lobster are great. Link: http://www.redibase.com Image: http://www.redibase.com/redibas3.jpg Tue Sep 17 15:34:24 -0700 2002 1575277 0 ironmom 3 1575342 Thanks so much. I look into these too. Raj Wed Sep 18 10:21:35 -0700 2002 1575284 0 raj1