Wow! This place is pricey. But they do have a great selection of top quality consumer kitchenware…read more If you are in need of a $200 pot, this is the place to come. The staff is extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. They are able to order items that are not currently in stock. Parking at fourth Street can be challenging, especially on the weekends. But there is a lot directly behind this place. It is crowded though.

Love the Berkeley store but their online customer service is lacking. Bought a defective porcelain…read morebaking pan (sur la table brand) and the bottom is uneven, causing it to "rock", secondly it developed a crack inside. their online customer service won't help me unless i come up with a receipt.

If Daiso and Costco had a love child, this would be it, as an adolescent. I was able to pick up my…read morefave tongs (Wincos) and a new Japanese mandoline (Benriner). If you want to avoid going to The online monopoly, and instead support a local bricks and mortar biz, check them out. All kinds of dishware, cookware, utensils, cutlery, etc etc. Friendly staff even if you don't speak Cantonese.

The bowls were really pretty so I decided to take a few pictures and one video so I could show my…read moresister and best friend later because they love things like these. The man that works there yelled at me, no recording allowed... when there isn't any sign anywhere that I couldn't record. It completely turned me off. Although the items were pretty, the service is really bad. I won't be coming back.

Love me some Berkeley! These cute little storefronts are definitely part of the reason. This place…read morehad sushi, coffee, Tibetan jewelry and organic ice cream with a cooking school upstairs we all wandered around and really enjoyed our time spent here... We all got a scoop of Serotonin ice cream and tasted a few of their exotic flavors like saffron and lavender a few nostalgic flavors like butterscotch & pistachio they were all delicious.

Superb. I have taken the 12 week series and individual classes at KOF and taken courses at other…read moreschools. KOF is head and shoulders above all the others. Chef Olive told the class that his students don't eat out because they realize that, "I can make this better at home"; which I thought a bit exaggerated, but then I thought more about it and realized, based on my experience, he is right. These courses are so well thought out; you will learn a ton, will be taught by well qualified, energetic chefs, will begin to eat healthier and better, and you will absolutely have fun. Enjoy.

I had an amazing visit to Hida Tool in Berkeley for master knife sharpening with Kou! My prized…read moreJapanese chef knife I've had for decades, that lives carefully dried and wrapped in towel when not in use - nonetheless over the decades, had small imperfections here and there and needed sharpening. Claude AI led me to Hida! Kou educated me about the hand forged knife I had, translated it's inscriptions, and maybe because I had my beloved Japanese Akita with me, invited me to watch the process - it was amazing to see his adroit flow of steps to remove almost invisible fine pits and barely visible rust, straighten a slight bend (and now I know NOT to cut hard winter squash with this fine knife!) and used sequence of fine whet stones and water to finish the polish over a special sink basin that felt like a small pond in a Japanese temple. It is new and happy again! My hand wrought knife restored for just $20, so very worth it - and the drive to Berkeley and the experience and learning in person was priceless. You can't have a knife in more appreciative hands, and your appreciation of your knife will grow too. Yes, they sharpen European knives and all sorts of fine tools too, and sell an amazing array of fine tools and knives too. My knife, well cared for like this, is an heirloom - and I now know can literally last hundreds of years! Check out their website for their dazzling array of speciality knives and tools. Very worthwhile - make an appointment to see Kuo and take the drive to Berkeley and be sure to stop after at the nearby also famed Monterey Market - the original that helped launch Chez Panisse and the California Cuisine movement decades ago - always rare and wonderful produce there, as a lifelong chef myself, it is truly one of the best unique private fresh artisan produce and food stores on earth!

A great little store for all of your Japanese joinery, sharpening needs. Lots of neat tools to cut…read morewood, branches, paper and more.

Great products and friendly service with quality recommendations. The jar deodorant will now be our…read morego-to deodorant.

I have been using the chai tea scented soap and it smells and feels good. I love it and will buy…read moreanother bar of it when this one gets small. I will also refill my Trader Joe's laundry detergent when it gets low although that will take a while because I don't use it much, just to hand wash my bras. But eventually I will refill it.

I cannot praise Nicole more for her amazing cheese making classes! Our company did an outing here…read moreto make Burrata, Mozzarella, and Goat Cheese and had a blast. Nicole makes sure to explain everything thoroughly, including the history of each cheese. Makes everything super interesting. We also included a grazing board and they were all so delicious. We were eating, making cheese, and having fun the entire time. Parking is a bit difficult so we just did ride share there. The place is a bit hard to find but it's a office room inside a parking gate. I am definitely go back with friends and family the next chance i get. I hope this place doesn't get too famous so Nicole still has time left for us! haha Thank you for everything Nicole!!

Nicole led a virtual Chevre-making class for my colleagues and I and it was a blast! Pretty awesome…read moreto be able to enjoy such a fun, informative and highly rewarding (we did get fresh cheese out of it after all) experience via Zoom. We were provided with our very own cheese-making kit ahead of the class (with immersion thermometer, cheesecloth and straining basket included) and super detailed instructions to replicate the recipe at home in just 10 minutes. Worth to note that the cheese culture packet that came with our kit was enough to culture an additional 3 quarts of milk beyond the one we prepped, too. Nicole was lovely - she answered all our questions, and gave us pro cheese seasoning/paring and gifting tips. Would highly recommend, especially for large-group/team bonding events. Looks like everyone will be getting fresh cheese this Christmas :-)

A cute gem! Came across this spot after having dinner in the area. I loved looking at all the…read moreceramic pieces and trinkets, it reminded me of being in Japan! There's a sake bar at the end of the store, and my friend and I had such a good time trying the sake flight and cocktails. They had a variety of sake, cocktail, and whiskey choices. There's limited seating, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar around 7pm. I'd love to come here again!

An excellent selection of sakes: fancy ones like kirinsan, Dasai, Den Sake (local and awesome),…read morecanned sakes in seasonal metals or porcelain and fun and random impressive tengu shapes. This is also a place to get Japanese condiments, new year ceremonial items (decorative wooden arrows), cocktail bar ware (brass, glass), even pine wood mats and tea pots. They also regularly hosts festival mini markets, sake shoju tasting, especially for their sake gumi members. They get to meet famous chefs and local sake makers. They can also learn and taste from the bar.

My wife and I bought our refrigerator here and are very happy with the service by Ixchel. She was…read moreknowledgeable and no pressure. She asked good questions when I presented the size issue of our place. We came to Homewise on friends' referrals and took advantage of the sale price for Labor Day. I will recommend Homewise to any Bay Area friend!

Homewise (formerly Airport Appliance) comes through again with exceptional local service!…read more We have bought many appliances from Airport Appliance in the past--which is now Homewise. I was initially a bit worried that the business had been absorbed into a national chain, but it turned out to be just a name change with the same great local ownership. Most recently, our wall oven went dead on the 4th of July. We called Homewise and spoke with Lyla Vo, who was fantastic at advising us on replacement options. While working with her, we also decided to replace our 15-year-old dishwasher to take advantage of a two-item extra rebate! Over the years, we've tried other options in the area, but Homewise strikes the perfect balance: Vs. High-End Local Outfits: Higher-end stores seem bothered if you aren't remodeling an entire kitchen. Even though we'd bought from them before, they lacked interest when we only needed a single replacement item. Vs. Big National DIY Chains: Big-box stores are a headache. Twice, their installers walked out refusing to complete the job due to minor water, power, or circuit compliance issues. While those may have been on our end due to older coding, there was zero flexibility or real-time planning--they are bound strictly by corporate liability rules and won't work with you on the spot. Plus, you're basically dealing with a website, not a human. Why Homewise Wins: Even though we handled everything over the phone with Lyla, the entire experience was seamless. When we had follow-up questions, Lyla even responded from her phone after her shift was over! That kind of personal, above-and-beyond care is rare. On top of that, the installation process was super smooth, and they strictly honored their 4-hour delivery window. Homewise delivers the exact feel of working with a reliable, friendly neighborhood salesperson. Next time an appliance needs replacing, we're heading straight back to them. Please keep supporting local businesses like this one!

We worked with A2Z Kitchen and Bath to redo our kitchen as part of a larger remodeling project with…read moretheir sister company A2Z Remodeling. We had a great experience and are very happy with the final result. Marissa was always available to answer questions and provide advice via in-person visits to the office or over email and texts. She helped us work through several design iterations, and when she recognized that our chosen design was over our budget she prepared a different solution on her own initiative that helped us get where we needed to be. Definitely recommended, thank you again!

They are extremely well organized and customer centric. Will go out of their way to help you with…read moreyour project and do it in a timely and very professional manner.

Superb service and selection of green beans for roasting. They have everything for coffee.read more

After Covid knocked me down and broke my cookies, I stood up and decided to get my stuff together…read moreand do something nice for people I know and love. I decided to learn to roast coffee beans. Where to start? Sweet Maria's! I ordered the roaster, the beans, the bags, the book, all the things. I watched videos on their website (also, YouTube, I will not lie and pretend YouTube does not teach me all the things, it does, and so does the SM website, use both, but this review is for SM so I digress). I use the SR800 Fresh Roast air roaster. I love it. I upgraded to a Behmor AB2000 drum roaster and I was SOOO disappointed. No good way to watch temperature, no good way to stop it from coast roasting, just spent more money on a thing that was not (to ME) an improvement. I returned to my Fresh Roast 800 and I have gotten really good at roasting beans. I love the green beans selections from Sweet Maria's. The descriptions are great and they really know which beans roast up darker or lighter - I always press on that envelope and then I say to myself, "Why did I not just do what they tell me to do?" So do pay attention to the roast profiles on the beans - if you like yours dark, make sure Sweet Maria's thinks you should roast them up to Full City Plus. OK, other great things: They ship fast, and they have a nice flat rate UPS option that shows up on your doorstep quickly. They also have pick up service for when you drop your roasting chamber and break it on the day you planned on roasting. Yes, get a spare and yes, go pick that thing up instead of waiting on UPS! It's a cute little location and the folks are friendly. Beans beans - they source them from everywhere and the prices are right. Even Kona beans are available once in a while, which makes my heart sing songs about my coffee addiction. I am currently totally crushing on these: Honduras Dry Process Edwin Ever Parainema Kona Darnall Estate Typica Yemen Mokha Matari Guatamala Antigua Pulcal Inteligente Mexico (Organic!) Chiapas El Desvio Zambia Kateshi Estate AA I love Sumatra but I have not yet quite mastered that art yet, now that I have been at this game for about 5 years. Pro Tip: Order 1/2 lb tin-tie paper bags with ties so you can give some bean love to your friends. Other pro tips: Do get the Ecotact green coffee storage bags if you don't plan to roast your beans right away. Keep them fresh! Definitely store in good one-way valve containers, and don't roast too much all at once - just to have it get oxidized too quickly. Fresh! Fresh I tell you! They have an Atmos vacuum container. I use Airscape, works well.