This review is specifically for the donuts class with Reva Castillenti.
Here's my TLDR review, for the efficient, busy, and fast-acting amateur bakers out there:
If you are a beginner baker looking for a fun afternoon with your boo or a cute family/friends outing, this class is excellent! If you are a bit more experienced and looking to really hone your dough making and donut frying skills, I don't think you will get what you are looking for out of this class. The facility provided all necessary materials and the instructor (Reva Castillenti) was experienced and informative, however, there was a decent bit of sharing the equipment with other class-mates, so hands-on time was minimal. I do wish the website was a bit more descriptive on exactly what to expect. That said, if you are looking for a class that is more fun than pen-and-paper required, this was a really fun class. The donuts and toppings were plentiful and tasty, and light refreshments were provided (beer, cheese, crackers, and jam). There is no bathroom in the kitchen itself, so you will have to run around the corner to the nearest facility in Industry City if you need.
Here are some more deets, if you have a little more time and attention span:
The Shtick: No shtick here, just a giant kitchen which offers cooking and baking classes.
The Product: My boyfriend and I took the donut making class, which was well-thought-out, informative, and entertaining. Beer and light refreshments (cheese, crackers, jam) were provided, which was a really nice touch (and necessary obvi, since eating my weight in fried dough wouldn't hold me until dinner). Donut toppings (sprinkles, coarse sugar, chocolate sauce, lemon glaze) were also provided, and we were given free reign in decorating our creations. Though the event description mentioned that we would learn to make cake and yeast donuts, the yeast dough was already made and proofed and all we had to do was cut the donuts and fry them. There was also just one mixer at the front where the cake dough was mixed during the class, so the roughly 17 or so of us were crowded around watching and listening, rather than performing the steps ourselves. Once the dough was mixed, the class was then grouped into two tables, and we had to take turns at the fryer. I would have liked to have had more of a hands-on experience and 1:1 attention from our instructor to answer my questions.
The Space: The facility is very cool, located inside the huge market at Industry City. I do wish the kitchen had more mixers and fryers so we could have been split into smaller groups for a more hands-on experience. There is no bathroom in the kitchen itself, so if you need to use the facilities you have to de-robe (apron) and run around the corner to the nearest bathroom in the market.
The Staff: Our instructor, Reva Castillenti, was friendly, cordial, and informative. She was passionate about baking (particularly bread), but there wasn't a ton of interaction and engagement between Reva and the group.
Price/Value: I haven't taken a ton of cooking or baking classes, so I am admittedly not the most well-informed at what they should cost. This seemed to be a little pricey for the level of hands-on activity we got to perform. read more