Bakeware, cookware, pan stores, etc in Paris

[gkg680]

I'm just a Chicago amateur, but I've been delighted with the goods I've bought at Dehillerin, and can't wait to return.

I have hoped to visit Villedieu Les Poeles, but friends of mine were there in November, and said that the Mauviel factory store didn't have a great deal of inventory.

I did order (artcopperware.com) the 28 cm (11 inch) Mauviel saute pan, 2.5 mm thick copper, stainless-lined, from the factory, and I'm thrilled with it. You can't put it in the dishwasher, the copper requires periodic maintenance, but it's a thing of beauty, and an heirloom. Buy one piece of this cookware, and you'll be a believer.

[Druckenbrodt]

Thank you for all the great feedback everyone. It's really useful to know how everyone rates Dehillerin. It's always mayhem whenever I've sneaked inside to gawp at their wares. Perhaps early morning on a week day is the best plan.

We're just trying to find some decent, honest, heavy bottomed pans and I reckon you probably can't go too far wrong in a proper cook's shop.

We were in Le Mont Saint Michel on Sunday - if only we'd known about Villedieu Les Poeles! But perhaps the factory would have been closed anyway. And it would have been quite a feat trying to transport a heavy copper pan on a bicycle with my rack pack already stuffed to overflowing...but where there's a will there's always a way!

[Boris_A]

At Dehillerin, you might consider the 9"/6qrt. "Bassine de Ragout" (160 Euro hors taxes, lid included), a 2.5mm copper Dutch oven for braising. It serves as soup pot or pasta pot as well and it's looking nice, so you can use it as tableware. Very versatile. I did choose the variant with iron cast handles, but brass is standard.

One hint: never ever add salt to cold water inside. Unresolved salt grains might cause holes in the 0.3mm steel layer and your pot is unrepairably gone!

[David Lebovitz]

Believe it or not, I've gotten some terrific heavy-duty (not the flimsy, cheap kind) of copper pots a few months back at Auchan, at the Porte de Bagnolet. They were about 17 € each (...yes, 17€); I bought a large saucepan w/ lid, a large skillet with the lid, and a Dutch oven that is big enough to cook 4 duck thighs (or whatever else.)

You may have to hit them are the right time, but they may have some. I did see a few the last time I was there tucked into all the other cookware.

[chefzadi]

I believe you. There are great bargains, more than that really, quality stuff to be found for great prices at Auchan and Porte de Bagnolet.

[Felice]

This might be blasphemous to say, and I realize that for many it's part of the charm, but I really hate the fact that you can't see any of the prices at Dehillerin. You either have to wait to be served by one of the salesmen or you can take the long serial number marked on each item and attempt to look it up yourself (although I'm not sure if they would like this). Personally, I find it hard to make a decision without the prices.

[John Talbott]

This might be blasphemous to say, and I realize that for many it's part of the charm, but I really hate the fact that you can't see any of the prices at Dehillerin.  You either have to wait to be served by one of the salesmen or you can take the long serial number marked on each item and attempt to look it up yourself (although I'm not sure if they would like this).  Personally, I find it hard to make a decision without the prices.

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Not blasphemous at all, it is an annoyance. I recall though, in some areas, the list is hanging up on a hook and often open to the stuff you're in the midst of (eg copper pans).

[Bux]

This might be blasphemous to say, and I realize that for many it's part of the charm, but I really hate the fact that you can't see any of the prices at Dehillerin.  You either have to wait to be served by one of the salesmen or you can take the long serial number marked on each item and attempt to look it up yourself (although I'm not sure if they would like this).  Personally, I find it hard to make a decision without the prices.

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Oddly enough, this is so different from French policy, and law, regarding restaurants which must post a copy of their menu outside on the street for all to see before they enter the premises. Even odder is the fact that most (all?) clothing shops post prices in the window for all clothing displayed in the window. Both of these things came up recently here in a discussion about about one of NYC's most expensive restaurants which is in what's basically an urban mall. Although Per Se is rather formal, pricey and booked months in advance, clueless tourists wander in wearing jeans and looking to eat lunch. It wouldn't happen if the $175 menu price were posted outside, but in NY, that's considered tacky.

[Boris_A]

OTOH, isnt' Dehillerin mainly a shop for the pros?

I know tool shops here that address mostly pros, not the home inprovers. They have pro-stuff only, and the clients (employees) buy the stuff they need and the employer gets an invoice and and some fixed rebate. Time is money there. All goods exept the special offerings have usually no price tags, because the salespeople dont want to loose time with tagging. And many times, the many-questions-asking-different-colours-discussing-privates are not that much welcomed there.

[chefzadi]

Boris is correct about the the employers getting an invoice and fixed rebate (discount).

And yes the pros wouldn't ask so much questions about this or that because they would already be knowledgable in these areas. But I would also guess that a good portion of their clients are privates so perhaps improved customer service is in order to address them. It's not like they are selling nickle and dime stuff, since the mark up is better for the privates a little more time with customer service isn't too much to ask for.

But then again those tourists sometimes ask way too many questions.

[LindaK]

Years ago when I took a few classes at the Ecole Ritz Escoffier, Dehillerin gave their discounts to "les élèves" (students) also--so if you're enrolled in any type of culunary program, it is worth enquiring.

Agreed that their pricing system is somewhat annoying. But worth it IMHO. Even with the lousy exchange rate last year I bought a few copper pieces at a great price. They carry some products under their own name that are priced very reasonably and the quality is excellent.

[John Talbott]

New Cooking "Workshop"

“A Nous Paris” announced that as part of Le Viaduc des Arts, Etienne Dulin, maker of copper and tin objects, has just opened a 300 square meter space called l’Atelier des arts culinaires, at 111 av Daumesnil in the 12th, 01.43.40.20.20, featuring 8 different brands covering almost the universe of cooking; e.g. knives, ovens, fryers, food processors, centrifuges {I swear that’s what it says.} Their website is here. It looks kind of upscale but interesting (plus you can imagine Ethan Hawke & Julie Delphy walking over your head).

[Druckenbrodt]

I believe you. There are great bargains, more than that really, quality stuff to be found for great prices at  Auchan and Porte de Bagnolet.

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A question for David Lebovitz and Chefzadi - why Auchan at Porte de Bagnolet specifically?...

[scordelia]

Boris is correct about the the employers getting an invoice and fixed rebate (discount).

And yes the pros wouldn't ask so much questions about this or that because they would already be knowledgable in these areas. But I would also guess that a good portion of their clients are privates so perhaps improved customer service is in order to address them.  It's not like they are selling nickle and dime stuff, since the mark up is better for the privates a little more time with customer service isn't too much to ask for.

But then again those tourists sometimes ask way too many questions. 

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I love Dehillerin, and I found the staff to be very nice with all of my questions in not so good French. They were very helpful and sweet.

In fact, a little off topic, I am not sure why the French have a reputation for being rude. I have always been treated very well in France, except at Hermes. But then again, my husband stay on the Left Bank and tend to eat at tiny little places that most tourists would never go near.

[John Talbott]

In fact, a little off topic, I am not sure why the French have a reputation for being rude. I have always been treated very well in France, except at Hermes. But then again, my husband stay on the Left Bank and tend to eat at tiny little places that most tourists would never go near.

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I have been treated rudely twice in 20 years in Paris, both times by non-French shop people. It's an undeserved reputation in my opinion.

[touaregsand]

In fact, a little off topic, I am not sure why the French have a reputation for being rude. I have always been treated very well in France, except at Hermes. But then again, my husband stay on the Left Bank and tend to eat at tiny little places that most tourists would never go near.

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I have been treated rudely twice in 20 years in Paris, both times by non-French shop people. It's an undeserved reputation in my opinion.

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The English complain the French are rude because they don't stand in straight, proper lines and they touch strangers. The English stand in very straight lines and a precise distance as to not touch the person in front or be touched by the person in back. I didn't conduct a national poll, but I've heard these complaints repeatedly.

Americans complain the French are rude because French waiters don't give out their names and don't put smiley faces on the check. I'm kidding here. But I've heard Americans complain about "abruptness" which many can't really define. I suspect it has something to do with French customer service reps not smiling incessantly.

The rest of the world doesn't complain much because when they are visiting another country, well it's gonna be a little different.

I agree with the both of you. I don't find the French to be rude at all.

[chefzadi]

I believe you. There are great bargains, more than that really, quality stuff to be found for great prices at  Auchan and Porte de Bagnolet.

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A question for David Lebovitz and Chefzadi - why Auchan at Porte de Bagnolet specifically?...

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Auchan is a big box store like Carrefour. Porte de Bagnolet, working class area, suburban (I don't if I'm choosing the right words)

[Culinista]

Dehillerin has a catalog as well as a website with prices: http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/

To save time, I'd make a list and bring it in with me. Note that they list only their "big ticket" items and don't have all the little gadgets and a lot of the bakeware. But it's a start.

Relationships in France, even commercial ones, are very important and quite different from the "customer is king" American philosophy. Somehow at Dehillerin I ended up with Kim (maybe because he's also Asian?), and even though I go there maybe once a year, he is the one that helps me. Of course, he is not the best salesperson and always looks like he's about to blow a gasket with impatience, but I soon realized I am not allowed to deal with anyone else. I was surprised at first when he remembered me, but that is more normal in French shops than you'd imagine.

The easiest way to avoid rude treatment is to say "Bonjour, monsieur/madame" the minute you walk into a store, even if you are just looking. Treat a shop the way you treat someone's home. These little courtesies pay huge dividends, and I've been treated wonderfully in shops where I've browsed a long time and never bought a thing. When I moved to Helsinki without a fabulous music box to remember Paris by, the lady at La Boite de Musique gave me an antique lace handkerchief and a Frenchman's memoirs of Finland.

[menton1]

In fact, a little off topic, I am not sure why the French have a reputation for being rude. I have always been treated very well in France, except at Hermes. But then again, my husband stay on the Left Bank and tend to eat at tiny little places that most tourists would never go near.

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I have been treated rudely twice in 20 years in Paris, both times by non-French shop people. It's an undeserved reputation in my opinion.

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I think we've discussed the French behavioral stereotype often and at length here in these forums. It's like most generalizations, quite uintrue to people with hands-on experience. But if you took a poll of most Americans, they would probably agree that the French are off-putting. (Take the French out of France, etc.)

I'll take the French any day over that loud, screaming group of Americans that one occasionally encounters in an otherwise quiet cafe in France!!

[dellis453]

Just to share some photos taken at Dehillerin recently.

It was our first visit and we were amazed - could have spent hours there!

Danielle

Edinburgh

Scotland

[dellis453]

Apologies, the link is not working correctly.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&img=145435

It was our first visit and we were amazed - could have spent hours there!

Danielle

Edinburgh

Scotland

Edited January 31, 2010 by dellis453 (log)