301089 Wed Nov 09 20:34:32 -0800 2005 29 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1677489 I received a catolog for Wolferman's english muffins. Has anyone ordered from them? The look so good. Wed Nov 09 20:34:32 -0800 2005 0 K.C. 1 1677494 I've had them sent to me as a gift - they're very good, certainly a cut above the grocery standards like Thomas's. Wed Nov 09 23:36:31 -0800 2005 1677489 0 applehome 2 1677508 I agree I liked them too, especially the Sugar Plum Fairy flavor. Thu Nov 10 10:04:16 -0800 2005 1677494 0 CH 1 1677495 It's just my opinion, but (having gotten a couple of pkgs as a gift some years ago) they look great, but eating them - well, they're "trick English muffins", really too fussy to be "good eats." Great on camera, brilliant concept, but ... where's the real food? Wed Nov 09 23:37:29 -0800 2005 1677489 0 Wayne Keyser 2 1677496 Exactly. Even the person who gave them to me as a gift said that they looked good in the catalog, but not so special in reality. Not a bad muffin, but not worth the price. Wed Nov 09 23:42:54 -0800 2005 1677495 0 rworange 1 1677499 I ordered them a few years ago; mediocre. Save your money. Thu Nov 10 01:19:45 -0800 2005 1677489 0 Funwithfood 1 1677503 Not worth the money. They lack the textural delicacy of Thomas or home-made. Thu Nov 10 04:53:38 -0800 2005 1677489 0 Karl S 1 1677504 I was also disappointed in the quality. Thu Nov 10 08:05:33 -0800 2005 1677489 0 loveskittles 1 1677526 I tried them once, my local grocery stocked them at one time. I prefer Thomas's. Wolfermans were twice as thick as Thomas's but did not have that wonderful tart whang that Thomas's has. Thu Nov 10 16:25:03 -0800 2005 1677489 0 Candy 2 1677530 Agreed. As authentic as supermarket "French bread". I buy a lot of mediocre English muffins, I'll admit, but I won't pay over $1.25 for them...and I like THOSE better than Wolferman's! Thu Nov 10 16:34:39 -0800 2005 1677526 0 Will Owen 1 1677528 Not worth the $. Thu Nov 10 16:32:02 -0800 2005 1677489 0 hbgrrl 2 1677539 definitely agree. not worth the money! Thu Nov 10 19:12:10 -0800 2005 1677528 0 meb903 1 1677569 I have to confess that I tuned into this thread with high hopes that people would endorse Wolferman's english muffins, after a recent disappointment with the Thomas brand. I hadn't bought english muffins in a while, and to me, it seems the quality of Thomases has gone way down. They were smaller than I remember, and had this off-putting pasty texture. Definitely seemed a far cry from the tangy and chewy texture I recall from the past. So, if Wolferman's are no good, anyone have suggestions for a great english muffin? Fri Nov 11 13:37:19 -0800 2005 1677489 0 DanaB 2 1677575 I hope you get a response to your question regarding a really good brand of English muffin. I agree with your assessment that Thomas' quality has deteriorated. Every time they "improve" their muffin, the quality goes down. They lost their tang a long time ago. Fri Nov 11 14:51:34 -0800 2005 1677569 0 Jeremy Newel 2 1677583 They are not a premium brand but I like Bay's; I don't know how widely available they are. I do have a pet peeve with them, however. The packages are wrapped in a stiff cellophane that you can't reclose, so you either have to transfer them to a zip-lock or risk the end one getting hard. You might, for an adventure, try making home-made English muffins. I started doing it after watching Julia Child do it 25+ years ago. It's not very hard and they're really good. But I admit I don't do it very often. Fri Nov 11 17:42:53 -0800 2005 1677569 0 Christopher Holoman 2 1677661 Hi Dana, Trader Joe's (at least near me in California) has several house branded English muffins, one of which is called "Extra Sour," I think. If you're looking for more tang, give that a shot. Sun Nov 13 22:32:08 -0800 2005 1677569 0 Professor Salt 2 1678373 I had purchased Wolferman's in years past and thought they were the best. However, this year I sent for some and thought the consistency was not as good, at least on the original 1910 recipe I tried so far. Then I noticed that Williams foods had bought out the company. There are exceptions, but when this kind of thing occurs, the quality usually deteriorates Fri Dec 09 16:56:43 -0800 2005 1677569 0 chris Shean 3 3300721 I just noticed this morning that Harry & David's, the big food mail-order company, has purchased Wolferman's from Williams. We'll see if this brings an improvement, for those who feel Williams did no favors for Wolferman's. Wed Jan 16 08:08:00 -0800 2008 1678373 106686 dashford 2 1680181 Try http://www.newenglishmuffins.com/ I have had both New English Muffins and Wolferman's, and frankly, I thought the New English Muffins were superior, but they cost more. I think Wolferman's are actually pretty good, but the New English Muffins are better. I originally found out about them from an article about the best mail-order gifts in the New York Times. Sat Jan 21 20:43:19 -0800 2006 1677569 0 David Williams 1 1678021 We have been given Wolferman's gift packages for several years and love these tasty treats - English muffins of all flavors, the miniatures, crumpets and scones, we have enjoyed them all! We now give them as gifts ourselves. In fact, they are our first choice for people recovering from surgery, as they are both tempting and gentle on the stomach. Sat Nov 19 12:14:30 -0800 2005 1677489 0 Mary Ellen and Jim 1 3255936 It all depends on what you like in an EM. Wolferman's are very crunchy and chewy. Thomas' are a lighter crispy texture with fluffy inside. I thought I liked Thomas' best until I had Wolferman's. That's one substantial muffin! I prefer the really hearty texture now, and the flavor was not as tangy as Thomas'. I tried almost every variety, and honestly, liked sourdough and original best. The other ingredients seem to change the chewy texture, as did the whole wheat, etc. Some of the berry flavors seemed a littler bitter to me as well. Hope that helps! Wed Jan 02 22:42:17 -0800 2008 1677489 154297 chrisandmeg 1 3257081 I've never tried Wolferman's, but I agree with those who find Thomas's, at least in their present incarnation, as insubstantial. Hear me out here, but don't dismiss the notion of english muffins from your health food store. Now, I prefer whole grain ones myself -- I like the Ezekiel sprouted-grain ones -- but there are some made from unbleached flour as well, and they all look to be more substantial than Thomas's. Last I looked they were about $3.50 for 6, but one of those equals about two of the Thomas's. And you still get the nooks and crannies. Worth a try, methinks! Thu Jan 03 10:26:13 -0800 2008 1677489 124191 comestible 2 3259171 Insubstantial = nuthin' muffins, that's what we used to call the Thomas's, too light & airy. Thu Jan 03 19:09:41 -0800 2008 3257081 11983 Val 1 3259200 Hate to jump on the bandwagon but jfood tried them many moons ago falling forthe packaging. The were too large and very mediocre. Has anyone tried Bays? They are sold in jfood's grocer. Thu Jan 03 19:20:07 -0800 2008 1677489 11290 jfood 2 3294748 Bays are good, but IIRC, they are sliced, not split. For me, this is the kiss of death. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find a delicious English muffin that isn't loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, so it's homemade or none. We also did not like Wolferman's when we tried them many moons ago -- way too thick, and just didn't taste like an English muffin. Mon Jan 14 14:07:00 -0800 2008 3259200 11995 pikawicca 1 3294121 Well, for those who DO like Wolferman's (or are curious about them), their Spring Sale has started (yes, I've complained to them that it's mid-January). Varieties of English muffins, breads, scones, crumpets, etc. go on sale over the next couple of weeks. I think the sale lasts about a month. http://www.wolfermans.com Mon Jan 14 11:54:23 -0800 2008 1677489 106686 dashford 2 3301175 I for one, just love Wolfermans and haven't been able to find them in my area for years. I was too cheap to order them on line, but now that you let us know about the sale, I ordered 2 five packs. Can't wait!!! Wed Jan 16 10:05:04 -0800 2008 3294121 26213 Pegmeister 3 3324074 Update -- My order arrived yesterday in good order and on schedule with the estimated arrival date. I dove in anxious to try the cheese muffins that I remember from years past, and they are totally different. The recipe years ago produced a muffin, deep orange in color with the flavor of melted cheddar. This version is like a fat english with globs of cheddar disbursed throughout. They were good, but I wouldn't go out of my way for them. Hopefully the other varieties will be better, especially now that I have 9 packages in the freezer!! Wed Jan 23 09:12:33 -0800 2008 3301175 26213 Pegmeister 1 3298711 I had a package sent to me as a gift this Christmas. It was all berry flavors and they were sort of nasty, My favorite English muffins are Bays, which are available in the refrigerator section. Tue Jan 15 14:59:10 -0800 2008 1677489 71196 dalaimama 1 3326868 OK, I feel compelled to rise to the defense here. Are these traditional? Hardly. Expensive? You bet. And fr my money, a splurge worth every penny (especially the cheddar). See if you can get them in a local store and try them (I am loathe to pay shipping costs, especially for something I don't know I want). Very doughy, slice open (or pierce with a fork) and toast, serve with lust butter or perhaps very good quality preserves or honey. Thu Jan 24 00:14:35 -0800 2008 1677489 23892 NYChristopher