# What is the biggest culinary rip-off you have seen?



## jellly (Jan 3, 2005)

Ok, I was out shopping today and couldn't resist stopping at Williams-Sonoma to browse. I noticed a package of "Ice Cream Starter" and immediately looked at the ingredients. There are all kinds of stabilizers and such that could be used, so I was curious.

So, for the $12 container of vanilla ice cream starter you get 16 oz of... sugar, vanilla and salt. Yup, that's it.

Here is a link - Ice Cream Starter (you have to click on the 'more info' tab to see the ingredients).

Wow, is that brilliant marketing or what?

Now, what have you seen for sale that seems like a culinary rip-off?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SOME CULINARY SCHOOLS CHARGE THE STUDENTS.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

No argument, Ed. Some of those tuition fees are unconscionable.

But that's just the education system, not culinary schools per se. Look at the tuitions charged by the Ivy League, for instance. Or even some state schools. Overall it's a crime.

As to Jellly's actual question, several come to mind. Topping the list: Crockpot Classics. Followed by pre-made polenta. Indeed, most "convenience" products are overpriced, often by several orders of magnitude.

Much cookware seems to carry rip-off pricetags, particularly if it's branded by FoodNetwork or one of its stars. Do people really believe they can cook like Bobby Flay just because they pay twice as much for a cookware item that has his name on it?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Big But here . When you get out of Big Ivy Schools you wilol not start at $12.00 an hour.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

the whole new marketing strategy of smaller packaging, same price makes me really not trust...the biggest crime against the consumer to me is paying for unneccessary packaging in general. i buy spices in bulk, but in the grocery store i see this..... 1 vanilla bean in a glass jar for $10, 1 thread of saffron in a glass jar for $12. its almost criminal and a total waste of resources...why not just cyrovac the spices and reduce the price. who buys spices like that anyway?...also, not getting what you pay for, like extracts that are so diluted they don't even come close to the flavor. sure there are more,like paying for air as in food(chips etc.) that come in a bag..once you pop the air out of the 12 oz bag that cost $4 bucks, whadya got left? maybe 4 oz, 6 oz? aargh!!!! 

joey


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

6 pack of coke 6 oz cans, around $8, 12 pack 12 oz cans, around $4


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm with durangojo, kind of. Not particularly about spices per se but I think the biggest rip off in grocery stores is individual packaging. For example, individual portions of hummus, individual portions of cookies, individual portions of potato chips, etc etc. These things cost a fortune! Why not buy a bag of potato chips and portion it off in your own ziploc baggies for example?

Single people have it the worst. Buying the smallest size box of anything costs the most and it still goes unused most of the time.

The biggest rip off of all time: pre-sliced apples. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

I understand the smaller portions for single folks and all, but the complete disregard for the resources consumed in this type of packaging is criminal.

Biggest rip off?  Lunchables marketed to kids!  Junk food in packaging destined for the landfill.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

=Many things go stale once opened  ie potato chips, crackers even if in your plastic bags. It is also done for calorie counting, If you take one bag with you, thats all you get.  In the Florida Humidity we waste less by buying some items like this


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## resqdoc (Apr 27, 2011)

Currently, the price of fresh morel mushrooms.

$50 a pound?!

Jeeeeze.

Even at our "discounted" rate, we are still looking at $35 a pound.

Better bust out the truffle slicer..


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

The price of a hotdog at a baseball game.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

chefedb said:


> =Many things go stale once opened ie potato chips, crackers even if in your plastic bags. It is also done for calorie counting, If you take one bag with you, thats all you get. In the Florida Humidity we waste less by buying some items like this


I find this little gadget handy for resealing bags and keeping things fresh. http://www.google.com/products/cata...bHgAfs693GCw&ved=0CDMQ8wIwAQ&biw=1120&bih=563#

As far as calorie counting goes someone who is actually serious about calorie counting has a kitchen scale. I use it to portion off everything in grams or ounces and I measure nearly all my food. So if you wanted to do that with 1ounce chip baggies you could save money and the scale comes in handy for many purposes. I don't think I need to buy 1oz baggies of chips to do my calorie counting.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

kuan said:


> The price of a hotdog at a baseball game.


The price of ANY food item at a baseball game... and at the movies for that matter.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_Currently, the price of fresh morel mushrooms._

Perhaps, ResQDoc, if you went out and gathered a pound of morels, you wouldn't feel quite the same way. Expensive? You betcha! But they're not something you can cultivate in your backyard, either. It takes time, energy, and expense to gather them.

_also, not getting what you pay for, like extracts that are so diluted they don't even come close to the flavor._

Joey, while I agree with your concept, and certainly object as you do, the problem lies with food legislation. Take a look at how these (and other food) products are defined by law. F'rinstance, "pure vanilla" can contain vanilla extracts, alcohol, and sugar (usually, nowadays, in the form of hfcs). So what you often get is, in effect, a vanilla cocktail, with the vanilla playing a minor role.

Ever looked at the definition of "vine ripened" tomatoes? It explains why you and I don't eat fresh tomatoes most of the year.

It's precisely because people---including professional cooks and chefs---don't understand the legal aspects of food marketing that manufacturers get away with such dilutions. If Brand X says pure vanilla, and sells for $3.00/ounce, and Brand Y also says pure vanilla, but sells for $7.50, most people will gravitate to the one selling for three bucks. When it barely tastes like vanilla, though, they should be calling their congressman, not the manufacturer.


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## chutney (Jan 2, 2011)

ResQDoc said:


> Currently, the price of fresh morel mushrooms.
> 
> $50 a pound?!
> 
> Jeeeeze.


You make me feel good I have morels at $19.99 a pound. This is at the local grocery. Still not going to buy them. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

A ripoff is only a ripoff if you buy it and you feel that you didn't get your money's worth. If I want to make a dinner with fresh rainbow trout, local picked asparagus, and local fresh morel mushrooms, I might pay $50 a pound for the mushrooms. And I would think the dinner was divine.

I think the biggest rip off is food that is not fresh being sold at full price: Oysters on the half shell that are dried up and dark brown; Squash that is shrived and has wounds from handling; onions that have soft mushy spots.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

The so-called marinara mix we get here.  Basically it's a raw but pre-frozen mix of squid rings, mussels, a few prawns, fish tail ends - both smoked haddock and basa fish, sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley.  It's so-so, good on a budget night over rice.  But the price varies between $25/kg and

$10/kg., depending on whatever the fishmonger feels like on the day.

I agree with the comments of overpricing of spices.  I use a lot, really a lot of them, but it's not realistic for me to buy big quantities or they go stale.  We're a small family....  Eh!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

here's a new one i haven't seen before...i just started laughing out loud in the store...creamed corn in a frozen chub! is that so that you can just microwave it as is? i must say that it seems that alot of foods that are being maufactured are all geared toward the microwave school of cooking. while the microwave certainly has its place, it is really quite sad to see it taking over as the cooking method of choice.....no pots, no pans, no wonderful smells permeating your house, minimal clean up (i, for one, like the clean up after a nice meal at home...it gives me time to think about the meal and how i might change it next time,time to relax my full belly, and to just zone out a bit before tea).....just plain ole sad really that we are promoting  generations of technicians, not cooks.

joey


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

durangojo said:


> here's a new one i haven't seen before...i just started laughing out loud in the store...creamed corn in a frozen chub! is that so that you can just microwave it as is? i must say that it seems that alot of foods that are being maufactured are all geared toward the microwave school of cooking. while the microwave certainly has its place, it is really quite sad to see it taking over as the cooking method of choice.....no pots, no pans, no wonderful smells permeating your house, minimal clean up (i, for one, like the clean up after a nice meal at home...it gives me time to think about the meal and how i might change it next time,time to relax my full belly, and to just zone out a bit before tea).....just plain ole sad really that we are promoting generations of technicians, not cooks.
> 
> joey


Microwaving is actually an excellent way to steam veggies. Of course special packaging is not necessary for that, I can easily put a potato in the microwave dish along with some water and it does the job just beautifully, I refuse to pay for special packaging but not many people bother with that and think they're getting a shortcut. What's a frozen chub?


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

yess kk, i agree that microwaves have their place, but it should be just that, a place, not the normal, everyday cooking method. i microwave veggies sometimes as well, because of all the cooking methods it retains most of the nutrients. actually, i mostly roast or grill my veggies, never steam them for some reason. a chub is a chubby little log of food, usually ground beef, or turkey, or breakfast sausage, and as ky mentioned, polenta(which is really, really bad) ...now, creamed corn...can pea chubs be far behind?

joey


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## allie (Jul 21, 2006)

I have purchased that cream corn. Not all of us can get quality fresh corn in quantity to freeze our own in summer. I remove it from the chub and bake it in the oven with butter, salt, and pepper.  It's really good and much more like what I have done myself when fresh corn was available, not like canned cream corn at all.  I am not sure where that product is any different from a store selling frozen beans in a plastic bag.  It's just packed in a tighter package than the average frozen vegetable.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

[quote name="Koukouvagia" url="/forum/thread/65690/what-is-the-biggest-culinary-rip-off-you-have-seen#post_351008"]

The price of ANY food item at a baseball game... and at the movies for that matter.

[/quote]

Don't forget airports.

mjb.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Jelly,

I could not believe this.


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## prairiechef (May 22, 2010)

Cupcakes.

Period.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

PrairieChef said:


> Cupcakes.
> 
> Period.


I don't know what you mean by this. Take it back.


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## dledmo (Apr 7, 2006)

Godfather's Gluten Free Pizza. $15 for a single serve frozen pizza.


> once you pop the air out of the 12 oz bag that cost $4 bucks, whadya got left? maybe 4 oz, 6 oz?


Cooks aren't mathematicians! Just teasing, durangojo /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif, weight is the same, the volume is what decreases. I squeeze the chip bags at the store to see which ones are the least crushed, I have issues.


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## pierre (May 11, 2005)

There's a taco truck here in SF hocking - Kobe Beef Tongue Tacos.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

jannet said:


> I believe the large-scale tear off in food shop shops is one-by-one packaging. For demonstration, one-by-one portions of hummus, one-by-one portions of cookies, one-by-one portions of potato chips, etc


You know the packaging costs more than the food too.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

_...now, creamed corn...can pea chubs be far behind?_

_joey_

Yep, There here already! That's all my Mother buys as far as veggies go is these single serve frozen packettes of veggies of all types in a nasty sauce no less!!

I took her food shopping yesterday at her favorite store and she tells me, "grab me some veggies", as she points at this stuff.

MAAAAA!!! I started to complain, then decided to be bite my tounge. She's by herself, and that's what she wants, *whatever!!*


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## jblade (Dec 9, 2010)

The 50$ a week my mother n law goes through in bag and box drinks (capri sun etc.), she lives by this stuff since it's inception, but she is 71 years old so......


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## onepiece (Jan 24, 2011)

Easy, Onion rings.

Go to a store and buy them frozen, they cost around $4 for a small amount.

I made my own with bread crumbs which come out quite nicely, but the amount of time in making 30 onion rings is quite a bit.

Seriously though, bread crumbs/batter, and onions are some of the cheapest items you can get, why are they so expensive in stores?


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

well on that note OnePiece, frozen potato fries takes the cake...the fancy ones, like rosemary roasted or sweet potato wedges....HUGE  mark up on the simple potato with some salt and spices.....are we really becoming so lazy?...for pete sake, you don't even have to peel the potatoes to make oven fries...just cut, add oil and spices, or even just s & p if that's all ya got...bingo....

joey


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## chef tomain (Nov 17, 2008)

People upset about raising prices of food prices and  when the US Gov gives 28 trillion to the Banksters

and they turn around and loan US GOV. money back at interest and you don't hear a peep.Bonnie and Clyde should be so lucky


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## riderwear45 (May 27, 2011)

I bought the soup. Not everyone can get high quality fresh corn to freeze the number of its own in summer. I do not remove it from the muzzle and bake with butter, salt and pepper. It 's really good and a lot more than what I've done for me, when fresh corn is available, do not like canned corn cream at all. I'm not sure if the product has a different sales beans in a plastic bag. It 'just packed tighter than the average package of frozen vegetables.


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## rpmcmurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

Kobe/Waygu 'ground' beef. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH pet peeve.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

fresh cut fruit in containers...you gotta be kidding?....

joey


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

durangojo said:


> fresh cut fruit in containers...you gotta be kidding?....
> 
> joey


I respectfully disagree with that one. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

When we lived in Hawaii, the fresh fruit he got was shipped in from other parts of the world and was not so fresh. It not only tasted horrid, but it looked unappetizing and cost a fortune. Many a time I bought canned fruit in its own juice if I could find any, or light syrup and drained it well. Now you can apples cut up in a bag (thank you McyD's) and jarred fruit in juice. What little fruits that are grown there are shipped out. The only fresh fruits we got were if a neighbor had a surplus and would put a cardboard box out in the front of their home with a big sign "free" or "please take one". Sometimes at a local farmers market or the swap meet, but at a hefty price.

Now, we're in pig heaven!!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

kgirl,

 in your case as well as others in certain parts of the globe, your only choice was that or none...i'm talking about 8 bucks for a container of cut up watermelon(maybe 2 cups), when 4 feet away are beautiful little seedless 'dulcinea' watermelons for $1.59...each.....in your face capitalism, gotta love it!

joey


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

durangojo said:


> kgirl,
> 
> in your case as well as others in certain parts of the globe, your only choice was that or none...i'm talking about 8 bucks for a container of cut up watermelon(maybe 2 cups), when 4 feet away are beautiful little seedless 'dulcinea' watermelons for $1.59...each.....in your face capitalism, gotta love it!
> 
> joey


TRUE!! I see your point.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

In Supermarkets   8 ounce container diced celery     $2.19

                                                          chopped onion $1.99

                           8 ounce mushrooms 1.49       slced $1.59

                           Bag chopped salad mix                    2.59

                             about 4 stems of basil                     1.95

        Glued together filet mignon /bacon reasher        5.50 ea  5.5 ounce which bacon accounts for 1 ounce.

  Supposed gourmet dinners in bags  22 ounces of which 16 ounces is pasta or rice balance meat & vege.  $5,99  And the rip goes on and on


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

durangojo said:


> kgirl,
> 
> in your case as well as others in certain parts of the globe, your only choice was that or none...i'm talking about 8 bucks for a container of cut up watermelon(maybe 2 cups), when 4 feet away are beautiful little seedless 'dulcinea' watermelons for $1.59...each.....in your face capitalism, gotta love it!
> 
> joey


From a practical stance I agree. However there have been many a times that I'm walking around the city and need a hit of freshly cut cold fruit in the summer. When you're in a jam like that you don't have time to go home and cut up fruit and bring it back into the city so it's a godsend. I'd rather pick up that than a candy bar anyway.


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

The price of any salt other than regular iodized or Kosher. 

Any other salt is basically 1% dirt with 99% sodium chloride.

Luc H.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

Koukouvagia said:


> From a practical stance I agree. However there have been many a times that I'm walking around the city and need a hit of freshly cut cold fruit in the summer. When you're in a jam like that you don't have time to go home and cut up fruit and bring it back into the city so it's a godsend. I'd rather pick up that than a candy bar anyway.


yes kk,i agree that fresh fruit is always a better choice over a candy bar, but what about just picking up an orange or apple or some grapes..it may be a handy convienience, but it's a huge rip off and i don't think we should condone it, that's all...the other day i saw someone in the grocery store buying strawberries in a little clear container..the tops had been removed, that's all. they could have bought a whole quart for a 1/3 of the price. plus, i like the stems...it gives you something to hold onto and it acts like a little juice protector as well.

joey


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

durangojo said:


> yes kk,i agree that fresh fruit is always a better choice over a candy bar, but what about just picking up an orange or apple or some grapes..it may be a handy convienience, but it's a huge rip off and i don't think we should condone it, that's all...the other day i saw someone in the grocery store buying strawberries in a little clear container..the tops had been removed, that's all. they could have bought a whole quart for a 1/3 of the price. plus, i like the stems...it gives you something to hold onto and it acts like a little juice protector as well.
> 
> joey


I'm not arguing that it's a huge rip off. And yes I could buy an apple or an orange. But when you want some super cold melon? It is a rip off but I'm willing to spend the money and not feel guilty about it if I really want some. Or a nice cup of cold melon with strawberries and kiwi and a few grapes. A fancy fruit cup in other words. Each person has to draw their own line I guess.

I have a friend who refuses to buy a soda or drink when out at a restaurant, she opts for tap water. Her rationale is, why pay for a drink when I could drink water for free? Nothing wrong with that kind of thinking and that's great for her, but I'm willing to spend a couple of dollars to get a nice gingerale once in a while in a restaurant. It's a rip off for sure, I could buy a bunch of gingerale at Costco for a few cents a can, but I can't go through life drinking tap water when I go out. Lots of people think the same way. Why go to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream when I can eat ice cream at home cheaper? Why go out to dinner when I can make it cheaper at home? Well once in a while people are in need of going out, letting someone else take care of the cooking and cleaning up, and being served without having to run around. Some people find it more necessary than others. So I'd rather buy a cup of cut up fruit rather than lug a whole watermelon to work and spend my time cutting it up there or even spending the time in the morning to do it if I'm running late.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

yes kk,

that's exactly my point...we must all help to draw the line!

joey


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

REALLY?! _*NO, I MEAN REALLY!*_ Oh My Gosh!!

I can't believe they actually sell strawberries, what like hull-less, stem-less, in a container??

That kinda' tops it for me!! Thatis the best RIP I've heard yet.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

okay all...on a more positive note, let's just turn this whole thing around to ask not what peeves you off about being ripped off, but what actually is a good, positive or makes you happy convienience food?(please don't anyone say cut fruit!) for me, i dunno..gotta think on it, but i do love those little tiny single ice cream servings..i think 3 or 4 ounces that haagen daaz sells, with the little spoon inside the lid..perfect for a little lift and usually only a buck...oh yea, frozen artichoke hearts, better and cheaper than canned.....the cryovaced pork carnitas that trader joes sells...saves me lots of time, and are muy sabrosa...sure i'll think of more, but for now, it's your turn...

joey


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

HHHMMMM, let me think …

convenience … rip or not rip?

My Mother does not feed herself well or shall I say nutritionally correct, so I make a point of taking her “food shopping” as I did today.  She purchased ALL prepared packaged foods.  I would never have done that, but she likes it, she’s happy, she’s eating, I’m happy.


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## dobzre (Mar 3, 2011)

I have a few interns who paid $20,000 for a 9 month baking program. I paid the same for a bachelors degree in culinary. *shakes head*


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Some people went to H.K.U  and paid nothing....      H.K.U. ==Hard knocks University


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Got to say that I'm somewhat astounded at most of the responses on this thread. The OP asks about rip-offs. And what we get, instead, is a litany of things whose raw prices are high, or whose quality doesn't compare to the same food in another form, and so forth.

Overlooked in all of this is the concept of value-recieved. If I pay an excessive amount for a convenience product, but feel it was worthwhile because it saved me time, or was easier, or I just liked it, or any other reason, then the product was worth what I paid for it. Far as I'm concerned there was value recieved. If it were otherwise the salad bars in supermarkets wouldn't last twenty minutes.

So I'm curious as to how people define rip-off?

To me, a rip-off is something that doesn't deliver on its promise. The actual cost is irrelevant.

Here's an example. My mom, she should rest in peace, would go crazy if she knew what you and me pay for knives and cookware. For her, a pot was a pot was a pot. On the other hand, I willingly pay $60, $80, $125 for a pot, so long as it does the job it's supposed to in all respects.

A rip-off is when I pay that kind of money for an All-Clad pot which does not do what it's supposed to, and which the company doesn't back. It's not the $85 that's at issue, but that I paid $85 for a useless piece of cookware.

I know somebody who paid $1,200 for a hand-forged Japanese knife. Expensive? You betcha! But a rip-off? Not hardly. So long as the features and performance are there (and, apparently they are, cuz he loves the thing), then there was value recieved.

What's that you say? You would never pay 1,200 bucks for a knife? Your choice. Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

To me, the biggest joke in the food industry is those Crockpot Classics. Everything you need to make a crockpot meal all in one frozen package.

Putting aside quality and nutritional issues, how long does it take to chop some meat and veggies and toss them in a slow cooker? To me, the very idea of such a product is the greatest marketing ploy since Eve convinced Adam that a snake did it. But when I expressed that opinion on another list, a member, rather indignantly, pointed out that the product let her spend ten more minutes with her grandchildren, and so was worthwhile.

In her eyes, there is value recieved.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I totally agree KY, maybe that's why I made such a stink about the already cut up fruit - though I agree that I could do the same thing in only a little bit of time and a fraction of the cost I remember with fondness the times that I made use of the convenience of the fruit cups.  Sorry to annoy anyone, I just felt that the cost was worth it to me at those moments.

Some people care much less about value than others.  Some people only care about getting something at the lowest cost.  Funny story, I once had an uncle who came to visit us and for dessert we served watermelon.  He said to us "you buy watermelon?? I NEVER buy watermelon, it's too dangerous!!"  Initially I thought he meant that there had been some kind outbreak of disease in the watermelons but he explained that with a melon you never know if it's really going to be a good melon or a bad one so he would rather not take the (financial) risk.  It took all my strength not to laugh at this.  Imagine being so concerned over the cost of a melon that you don't buy it just in case it's not good.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

There's no accounting for how people see value, KK.

I've got a friend who's an auto mechanic. Everything he uses on the job is top of the line. He's got, no kidding, $180,000 worth of tools.

So, we're in his home workshop one day, and his table saw blade will cut butter on any August day, but that's about it. When I suggested it was past time to replace it he replied, "I know. But I can't find a 10" blade."

For those who don't do woodwork, 10" is about the commonest size there is. So I was a bit confused.

"Wadda ya mean you can't find one," I asked. He said, "I've been to Big Lots several times, and they're never in stock."

When I asked if he'd use Big Lots tools on the job he got very indignant. And got even more so when I asked how come they were good enough at home, but not on the job.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

ky,

i really gotta run, but not without replying to your statement about the best marketing ploy since Eve convinced Adam a snake did it...the way it was explained to me was, the first time Adam had a chance, he laid the blame on a woman! cheers...

joey

back later...i ain't done yet!


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

as i think through this i am reminded once again to pick one's battles...not just fight the fight. there is no 'one size fits all' here. besides i am dancing as fast as i can with all that reopening the restaurant for the season entails and meanwhile catering weddings, rehearsal dinners, parties, memorials, consultations for just booked parties that the client wants menu and price yesterday, and trying to have a life while i still can. so on that note......THINK GREEN! if you already THINK GREEN then THINK GREENER!!

joey


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## kittycat (Oct 1, 2006)

durangojo said:


> 1 vanilla bean in a glass jar for $10, 1 thread of saffron in a glass jar for $12. its almost criminal and a total waste of resources...why not just cyrovac the spices and reduce the price. who buys spices like that anyway?...also, not getting what you pay for, like extracts that are so diluted they don't even come close to the flavor.


Take Stop and Shop, for example. In the baking aisle, you have the brand name spices. As you said, insanely expensive. In the same store, by the oils, they sell Badia spices MUCH cheaper. But the marketing works. My mother, for example, won't touch the cheaper brand even though there's absolutely no difference in taste.


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## tripletsmom (Dec 30, 2012)

I so agree...I am a MOM of triplets and their private school orders from fast food store restaurants for their provided meals.  So the meal runs 4-5 dollars for an adult size meal.  2 children are not allowed to share so for us that's $15.00 per day.  So we choose to bag their lunch.  We too learned quickly the cost of individual packets and the landfill concern.  So we make many of our snacks so they are healthier and we use re-usable containers....even the sandwich boxes.  WE can figure this out.  Giving up the "fast" and "easy" is the way to be a conscientious consumer and provide healthier choices.


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