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re: LJS2
Always wondered about these "Famous Chef" branded products. Are any of them really worth buying? So much choice... Jamie, Rachel Ray, Mario, Wolfgang Puck, Nigella...... it seems that everyone and their uncle is coming out with saucepans, but are they just so much "Made in China" second rate rubbish, or are any pieces really good?
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re: KitchenVoodoo
I'd say schlock based on the old axiom about getting what one pays for--in this case less. For me, it's just an extension of celebrity worship. A few years back, I snagged some Lagostina enameled cast-iron ware from Sears, French-made and a ringer for Staub that sold poorly due to its weight and perceived disutility to most shoppers. It got replaced by crappy Chinese-made knock-offs priced at or over the price point of the real deal I got at like 50% off.
Batali-branded stuff was no different. The appeal is truly elusive. That said the McEwan pot-n-pans now on sale at Sears aren't half bad--just wait for the price to go down even more.-
re: Kagemusha
I've often asked the same question as KitchenVoodoo and I scan my kitchen and see that I don't actually own anything that has a celebrity's name on it. Probably because when I've looked, the stuff is more expensive but for what? I've noticed at the Bay the lines by Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone and the pots have a "designed" look to them but they don't have the functioning/durability edge over the non-endorsed merchandise that I'd seek out. The second name on the box don't make them more serious as kitchen equipment.
I'd seen the Batali enamel cast iron years ago and while I thought it was okay, there's something about le Cruset (which is what I eventually bought) or Staub that I would prefer to keep.
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re: KitchenVoodoo
What you'll often find is the same or similar stuff sold without the celebrity endorsement for less. i.e. if you like Gordon Ramsay, just look at the regular Royal Doulton stuff on the table next to it that doesn't have his name on it. Emeril is All-Clad, Jamie Oliver is T-Fal, and so on.... Rachel Ray and Wolfgang Puck stuff that didn't sell can be found cheap at the Shopping Channel warehouse outlet store near Yorkdale (along with a lot of the informercial crap they sell on the channel)
That being said, I did see a lot of Gordon Ramsay and Jasper Conran branded stuff for sale at a Royal Doulton Warehouse Sale earlier this year so if you like their stuff go to those sales.
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Yorkdale Cafe
1 Yorkdale, Toronto, ON M9M1B9, CA
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About a year and a half ago, it was being sold at The Bay. Not sure if they've kept up the stock, but the full range seemed to be available at the Queen Street location back then.
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re: c.cow
Also saw some of his stuff in the housewares department at the Queen Street and Yonge Bay a year or so ago. It was on the lower floor. However, when I walked by a few weeks back it seemed that department had been drastically shrunk in size, so I'm not sure if they've cut down on products or just moved them elsewhere.
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I've only seen the enameled cast-iron--assume this is what you're after--at Costco. It was so-so quality Chinese-made ware that's widely available at major stores like Sears, theBay, Home Outfiters, Crappy Tire, etc, under lots of different names. The Batali-branded stuff I saw was nothing special. Sears is clearing Michael Smith brand cast-iron ware, along with Lagostina--all Chinese-made. McEwan pots&pans on sale, too.
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