Never having been to The Baker's Pin before, but being a total sucker for kitchen stores, I was really happy with my visit last night. We drove by and had to stop in just to browse. There were two employees who always seemed to be within earshot and had hilarious responses to my comments about various items -- one of them told me I should rent a UHaul to drive from MA back home to SC so I could buy everything I wanted. They really embodied what every small business needs - people who are personable, funny, and helpful without hovering or disappearing. I didn't end up purchasing anything at this visit but found some ideas and had some real laughs in the meantime. I have long wanted to take a cooking class and will keep an eye on these classes when I am up in CT for my next visits. read more

Shopping here since it was "A Different Drummer's Kitchen." It's a nice experience walking around the shop and looking at the wonderful things they have on display, but a recent experience had me evaluate if I would return. Extremely unpleasant woman sitting at the register reading a book made it very clear that I was interrupting her day by asking about tools they might have for making dumplings. In a very condescending tone, she informed me that dumpling presses were out of stock for the next 4 months "everywhere". When I said I wasn't sure if I needed a press, but was there anything else they might have that could help me make dumplings, as my significant other and I would like to try making dumplings together, she looked as though I had asked an impossible question, and then let me know that the only way to make dumplings was to do it in a "family setting". She said, "That's what the Asian families do. They make them together as a family." Not having a 'family', I said My significant other and I were just looking to enjoy some time together and make some dumplings in a casual way, she said no, that isn't how it's done, and again started talking about how dumpling presses were out of stock until I just said never mind and left. I hated that experience. I don't see why she had to put such emphasis on the fact that I wasn't Asian and we aren't a big family or something. That made me feel horrible about myself. read more

Baker's Pin is a lovely store with tons of cooking supplies and top name brands. Their cooking classes are fun and informative. Some chefs are hands on, and some lecture and you watch. Either way, you get to taste the recipes and learn tips and techniques. read more

I am neither a cook or baker but I stopped by today and I was very happy with the help the staff provided. They were the best of any help I have received in any retail store. They took the time to explain and guide me in my purchases. read more

I had very good service at the Bakers Pin, and I'm someone who doesn't like a salesperson hovering over me, but lets me wander, but is around when I need to ask questions, and they filled that niche perfectly. They have great products, good quality and a wide range. I've been going to this store for over 40 years, and even when it changed hands the quality of product and the service has been outstanding. thank you read more

I had rude treatment as well. Notice that all the rude treatment reviews are from men. Hey, men cook too! And want polite, helpful service. I've left the store rather than buy here. Ordered La Crueset stuff from elsewhere. That's 8 pieces, prices the same. And I prefer to support local business, but won't if I don't encounter good, friendly service. Hey, it's a people business - I can buy everything there online. read more

I just bought a Kitchen Aid mixer graduation present for my college student and I had so much fun picking it out and buying it! I was gifted a cooking lesson, which to my delight turned out to also be a three-course meal, fun, informative, delicious, and I showed up early to look at the mixers. After the cooking lesson/meal ended we were each given a 10% off coupon good for two weeks. Please be aware, this is the third incarnation of kitchen store at this same location in the last ten years or so. Some yelpers have not liked the staff, and I had that problem a few years back. However, the Baker's Pin is not a chain and now is locally owned. I asked! I know I won't get the same price at this store that I might at Amazon or a Macy's sale, but it can be worth it to support a local business and know that some of my money will stay in my community. And the staff is really nice! I took my grad in to choose size and color of mixer, and they were delighted to open boxes and let us see the colors of the machines. We also got a rundown on the different sizes, and J took time to decide while staff was patient and helped lead J into making an informed decision. It was exactly the kind of experience I wanted to share with my child! Back to the store; it is a visual delight if you take any joy in kitchen gadgets, and they have a great range in prices. Recently I was shopping for a food mill, and the variety ranged from downright cheap to way expensive, and they recommended a middle-of-the-road (price wise) device that has worked perfectly. It is (now) the kind of store you can go into, find exactly what you need, and be out the door, or browse and pick and choose to your heart's content and feel welcome, regardless of what you leave with. Love it! read more

A bit of a weird name for a kitchen store, but a great store. Every cooking fetish instrument you could possibly want...gorgeous stoneware pottery, too. I'm still drooling a little over a small pale yellow pitcher. A wonderful selection of knives, pots, and pans, along with dishtowels, aprons, and every utensil imaginable (my sister even found a hard rubber scraper for cleaning egg pans). They have top of the line stuff as well as cheaper alternatives, and their prices aren't bad. read more

The Baker’s Pin - Cooking Schools Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

Great store, helpful staff. Good for sodastream refills too. Would like to try some knife skill classes and others, have heard good things about them. read more

I worked at Williams-Sonoma -- the home of stalking the customers -- for eight years. I prefer shopping for kitchen ware at Different Drummer's Kitchen. The staff will ask whether you want help but, one of the secrets of retail that the huge companies have turned on its ear, is that customers should be allowed to wander the aisles, looking at the displays as they see fit. Sometimes, the customer is on a mission, seeking a replacement for a broken measuring cup and just wants to get in and out. At other times, the customer wants to build a mental rolodex of the items in the store. That customer may not buy anything at that time but will return. However, it might be that the customer will leave with a bagful of useful and/or frivolous items. The browsing customer is made to feel at home at Different Drummer's Kitchen. This is not Williams-Sonoma. There is not a line of logo covered towels and logo labeled foods, all of which are overpriced. However, DDK sells All-Clad and Le Creuset cookware, my favorites. They also sell a variety of things that won't be found at Williams-Sonoma. Some are simpler, the sort your mother might have had, while others are more folksy or more current kitchen fad. There is also a line of goods that imitate, at a lower price, the hallmark white porcelain baking and roasting pans from France (I prefer these and am willing to pay the extra price) for budget-minded cooks. The best thing is there no hovering salesperson, pushed into the customer's path to speak with "the voice of the product" by the manager who has a quota to make for the store. In other words, the customer is not directed toward something s/he might not want or can not afford as they will be a certain national chain with a hyphenated name. read more

deeply unpleasant shopping experience. I work as a personal chef and often need last minute things and I try to support local businesses. Honestly I've been there before and the owner (I think she's the owner) is always a little rude but I used to just ignore it. Today I asked if she had metal pie tins and she was SO incredibly rude and defensive (like it's fine if you don't have them but spare me the unpleasantness!). That was the last straw with this store -- I'll spend the money elsewhere. Life is hard enough don't need the rudeness. read more

They sell kitchenware here. They also sell a few cookbooks and a few gourmet food items. These people should merge with the 'Cooks Shop Here' people. Together they'd be like Peppercorn from Boulder, CO. read more

Rude staff. I have been to Different Drummer's a number of times over the years as I prefer to support local business and invest my money into the community. The selection at the store is pretty decent, mostly kitchen gadgets you dont need, but the staff falls somewhere between indifferent and flat out rude depending on who you interact with. Given that their products are significantly more expensive than what I would pay on Amazon I was hoping to make up the difference in customer service - but repeated trips have reaffirmed that the staff have little regard for customers. In the future I will probably continue to go to the store when I need to scout out new equipment but I will purchase the products through Amazon or another retailer. They have lost my business. read more

I *love* this place. I see reviews which mention cranky staff. I can't imagine what I would have to do to get a rude response from the staff I have met there. I go there because I like to support local businesses, they give thoughtful and well-informed answers to my questions, and they have a range of merchandise. I know that whatever I pick from there will be good quality, whether it is the basic version or the fancy version. It is also an excellent place to find gifts for other people. In fact, I am headed there today to get a burr grinder to make use of the bags of coffee which have accumulated in my cabinet. I hope to see you there! read more

I "think" I'm writing about the correct place! Yesterday, I returned to this business to buy a second Escali Primo scale (hoping that they still carried them). When I wanted to write this review, I saw that the label on the product - yes, of course, I bought it! - has the company name over the barcode as "The Cook's Resource," but my receipt has a printed label for "The Cook's Resource / Different Drummer's Kitchen Co." So, in the end, I have no idea who sold me the scale and 3-in-one Joseph Rotary (meaning round and manual, not rotary in the mechanical sense) peeler, but I had a very good experience there. And Bridge Street is the place where I found them, so I hope this is the correct place for this review. So! The review. I know that this shop has a reputation for being over-priced, and since this is downtown Northampton, I believe that is a bit expected. But the prices aren't terrible, actually. They carry expensive, interesting items, but they also carry humble work-horses like my Escali Scale. I think I bought my first one online here at Amazon several years ago now, and when I was a baker at a restaurant in Northampton, everyone wanted to use my scale, not the manual, unreliable one provided by the owners. My scale, after much use and abuse, is still going strong, but it's at my apartment in Ireland. I wanted a second one for use when I'm also "at home" in the U.S. I worked in NoHo, and I used to visit this kitchen store (since I'm obsessed with kitchen equipment) once in a while during lunch breaks. They carry interesting and unusual equipment. Standards, too. But very good brands and types. Pricing? I recall, several years ago, that I paid about $25 or so on Amazon for my scale, but I think that I had to pay for shipping (or else had to factor in my Prime membership cost). The scale "live" in Northampton was only about $5 more. Yesterday? I paid $29.95 before tax. Batteries included. Weighing out rhubarb to distribute to friends this morning - no shipping time! Ok, so that's about pricing. What about staff? Lovely. I'm so sorry that I didn't ask this young woman her name, because I'd love to recognize her. I had a stress-free shopping experience (Europeans seem to think this is "great" service in the US, but I, for one, just like to browse on my own and then be able to find someone for questions if I have any). When I was at the register, though, I had the only scale that I wanted, but it was the display item. The empty box was at the shelf, and so I brought both to the counter and hoped that I could buy it. (Some places don't allow purchase of display models. Some places also discount display models!) Anyway, she and I had a nice chat about the benefits of this tough little scale. She'd also worked in catering (Dublin-speak)/the food industry (US-speak), and she loved this scale, too. She was friendly, helpful, and quick, and I couldn't say enough about how happy I was that I bought my scale and this quirky peeler at the place. It was a truly nice shopping experience. I wish that I could buy some of their high-end gadgets, but it doesn't fit my budget nor my transient life right now. But I wouldn't think twice about looking there for the most interesting, wonderful kitchen tools sold by some of the most interesting, wonderful sales staff around. Kudos. read more

What a mistake! Over priced and rude. The woman behind the counter obviously hates her job and the selection is anything but unique. read more

Wide selection but rather rude staff and inflated prices. I sent an email to the management about rude treatment several weeks ago and never received a response, leading me to believe that the management is also unconcerned. read more