Krispy Kreme have arrived !

[raspoutine]

I liked the one I had but will I go back? I doubt it.

Now I wouldn't be too sure about that! I've got a feeling that the powers of persuasion of a certain ten year old girl will have you back there sooner than you may think!

[eat2much]

OK, I'll rephrase that....

Will I go back to get some for myself? Probably not...but will I steal one from a box purchased for my wife and kids...definately.

[Mr. Fagioli]

Courtesy of <a href="http://montreal.metblogs.com/archives/2005/04/ding_dong_the_k.phtml" TARGET=_blank>this aptly titled post</a> from Montreal Metroblogging, we learn that one KK location in the Montreal area is now boarded up.

Personally, I can't stand the things and am not sad to see them failing to gain a foothold here. (I figured they must be in trouble when their product started appearing in supermarkets, in contradiction of the much-vaunted policy of only selling them hot from their own stores.) If I want a doughnut, I'll pick some up from Wawel's at JTM. Mmmmmmmm...probably not much healthier, but o, so <i>good</i>.

Edited May 2, 2005 by Mr. Fagioli (log)

[phedre]

I have to say, when they're hot out of the grease, an original KK doughnut is to DIE for.

but damn does it kick your ass afterwards :/ sits like a lump of lead. And once it cools and congeals... EW.

For my dollar, nothing beats a homemade doughnut :) My Grandmother's recipe is the best! My mom and my grandmother used to make them once or twice a year... deepfried in lard, yes, LARD, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. mmmm....

[Mr. Fagioli]

I have to say, when they're hot out of the grease, an original KK doughnut is to DIE for.

←

I submit that just about any doughnut cooked at more or less the right temperature will taste great hot. Something about hot sugar and fat....(insert Homer Simpson drooling noise)

Anecdotal evidence: I once had the dubious privilege of working one of the mini-doughnut machines described upthread. We mixed generic commercial cake batter (just add water!), fried it in cheap industrial cooking oil, and dusted the little buggers in sugar and cinammon. Scrumptious when hot.

So, I honestly believe the "they're so good when they're hot!" phenomenon with KK has very little to do with the recipe, and everything to do with the gimmick of selling them hot (which few people do, for some reason). I suppose an extra-high-fat and sugar recipe helps intensify the effect...but to me that counts as gimmickry as well.

Edited May 3, 2005 by Mr. Fagioli (log)

[carswell]

I figured they must be in trouble when their product started appearing in supermarkets, in contradiction of the much-vaunted policy of only selling them hot from their own stores.

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Nah. They were just capitalizing on the buzz. I first saw KK donuts in supermarkets in North Carolina and other southern states years ago, long before their their stock began its nosedive.

My mom and my grandmother used to make them once or twice a year... deepfried in lard, yes, LARD, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. mmmm....

←

Like other animal fats, lard is underappreciated these days. Not only is it wonderful for frying and not only does it make the world's flakiest, tenderest pie crusts and fluffiest pastries, it's actually "healthier" than butter and many shortenings (aka trans-fat bombs). Of course, I'm talking about the artisanal stuff, not Tenderflake and its ilk, which are also trans-fat bombs and are riddled with preservatives.

I submit that just about any doughnut cooked at more or less the right temperature will taste great hot. Something about hot sugar and fat....(insert Homer Simpson drooling noise)

←

Agreed. And I attribute KK's lacklustre performance in Montreal to its failure to open stores in places that don't require a special trip in a car. A KK store in, say, Central Station, on the corner of Mont-Royal and St-Denis, with a service window on Ste-Catherine downtown or at the Jean-Talon Market would probably do a land-office business. There's nothing about a cold KK that's going to entice a Tim Horton's or Dunkin Donuts regular to switch.

[blork]

I've only eaten one KK donut. I went into the KK on Taschereau Blvd (South Shore) to check it out and they gave me a free one. So I ate it, declared my research over, and left.

They are pretty awesome when hot, for all the above-listed reasons. It's also fun to watch them being made. They're a different kind of donut than the typical Tim Horton's -- they're lighter in texture and less "cakey" that Tim's. They also have fewer calories and less fat. On the other hand, you are far more likely to eat several of them (because they are yummy and are sold by the dozen) than you are to eat several Tim's donuts, so the reality is that they are less healthy -- which is to say, more unhealthy.

I certainly won't miss them if they all close. Their huge popularity is primarily a result of marketing and hype.

I wrote about that little research trip on my blog last year:

http://blork.typepad.com/blorkblog/2004/04/mmmmm_donuts.html

...there are links at the end of the post where you can download the nuturitional info for both Tim's and KK donuts in PDF format.

[identifiler]

I would think that KK uses trans oils for their machine to keep the process clean and stable.

Krispy's ceo is also under several very serious SEC investigations, badly reported franchise buy backs, Sarbayn's Oxley defaults, profit transfer to boost internal bonus (a la Nortel). That stock as gone form champion to big looser. Woudln't be suprised if the empire falls alltogether. They have already defaulted their credit, ousted the CEO (great way to run from SEC) and shafted 25% of corporate work force, also sold the corporate jet...

[gus_tatory]

i know i'll face opposition here, but i can barely eat one fresh, hot krispy kreme donut. and even then, i have to have ice cold milk after to wash it down.

:-)

[carswell]

I would think that KK uses trans oils for their machine to keep the process clean and stable.

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Don't think anyone has claimed otherwise, ID. The talk of non-trans fats (i.e. artisanal lard) was in relation to homemade donuts.

i know i'll face opposition here, but i can barely eat one fresh, hot krispy kreme donut. and even then, i have to have ice cold milk after to wash it down.

:-)

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No. Like blork I've had one KK donut, hot from the glazier and a freebie at that. Curiosity satisfied, I've never been back. The machine alone is worth the trip, though.